Three Times A Mom

We're still here...

2012-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

Anyone else suffer from blogger guilt? When I started this thing we were in the midst of adopting Reagan, which meant there was always some update or non-news to report. Over time it evolved into the journal of a normal family doing normal stuff, with more than a few trips to Disneyland thrown in for fun. It got a little more exciting when we started the adoption process again, and then... well it seems as if I've run out of stuff to say. Life is full and busy in (usually) wonderful ways, and hasn't left much time over for blogging. I'm not giving up just yet - and I hope to have another adoption story to share someday - but for now you'll have to be happy with more photos of my favorite kids. And I'm going to set the guilt aside!

Nine and six days

2011-11-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season of birthdays... and thanksgiving of course. Which is why I'm already almost a week late with Alyssa's b-day post. Well over half of our extended family member were born in the last third of the year, so lately it's been party after party. In a rare departure from our family-only dinners of 30+, we also let our newly-minted nine-year old host her first-ever sleepover. The giggles and whispers from a roomful of sweet little girls brought as much joy to this mama's heart as it did to the birthday girl herself. Our biggest baby is clearly no longer a baby at all. We have been so blessed through parenting the easiest infant, the softest-hearted toddler, the most-confident young school-girl, and the most beautiful, mature, nurturing young lady we've ever met. She certainly has her flaws - the most noticeable being those that reflect the sins and nature of her mama - but even in light of those she is a joy. Happy birthday babe!

A few more cute kids...

2011-11-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

Or rather, the same cute kids over and over again! We accidentally showed up an hour early to our home school group's annual trip to the pumpkin farm - which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The kids don't particularly like to pose for photos (with the exception of Alyssa who seems to like it a little too much), and they dislike it even more when there are friends around to play with. A lack of such distractions meant that mama, children and camera all enjoyed the field trip!

The obligatory costume post

2011-11-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's on facebook is surely tired of such photos by now, but since this clearly is a blog for which the posting suits primarily me, here they are! Themes are obviously a thing of the past. Someone suggested we might have been going for a past, present, future theme; it was really more about what was in the closet and what was in stock at Goodwill. The exception of course is Alyssa's outfit which was lovingly fabricated by her grandma and reflects her current fascination with prairie girls (not homeschooling conventions). Over the past 5 days we've attended no less than 4 carnival-type events, so we have had more than our fair share of cotton candy, dunk tanks, bounce houses, kettle corn, face-painting and everything else fun and fall-ish. Last night the kids came home with over 17 pounds of candy! They choose about 9 pounds worth of "favorites" and we took the rest to a candy exchange program at a local dentist (if I could remember which of you bloggy friends first mentioned this I'd give you credit!). The kids received cash, bags of sugarless treats, and the opportunity to thank many of our service men and women (in person and via thank you notes) in exchange for their less-loved sweets, which will soon be shipped to our military personnel overseas. It was a really fun way for them to give a little of what they got. So how about you? Do you have any great ideas for dealing with the mountains of candy? Were your kids any cuter than mine? I hereby give you permission to continue to fill up the blogging world and facebook with scores of costumed kiddos.

five

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

Here's taking a little break from my unexpected and unexplainable blogging hiatus to honor my new favorite 5 year-old! Though I wasn't in Vietnam to celebrate Reagan's birth in 2006, our hearts rejoice every day for the gift God gave us through a woman who chose life for her baby girl. We have been indescribably blessed by our "little one" who is still oh-so-petite in stature but is becoming quite a little lady. She is undoubtedly the most generous child I've ever known. When we asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said she'd have to check with Alyssa and Parker to see what they would like so she could share. She routinely asks if she can be last and is always giving up her seat, toys and treats to anyone who asks - or even just shows interest! But lest anyone try to take advantage of her sweetness or her size, she also has backbone in spades. Reagan's not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right or defend herself against an overpowering sibling or two. She's enjoying kindergarten, making some dear little friends, gaining confidence and winning our hearts over again every day.

When I think back to all the people in Vietnam that told us what a lucky baby she was, I wish I could go back and convince them that the blessing has truly been ours. Happy Birthday baby girl!

Summer flashback

2011-09-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

School, and most other fall activities, are back in full swing, so it doesn't really feel like summer anymore (aside from the 100-degree temps that is), but recalling our last beach hurrah with friends makes it seem not quite so far away. To be honest, it was also our first beach hurrah this summer. I know, I'm a terrible mother. We live less than an hour from the most magnificent of oceans, but we rarely wet our toes in its saltiness. Seeing how much the kids enjoyed it makes me want to go more, but then the sand... oh the sand! It's everywhere. It's still everywhere! And then I relive the joy on these faces and wonder if it might be worth it...

This is probably my favorite picture of the summer. I was really only trying to get a shot of Reagan, but ended up with all three of my favorite children, with each of their personalities on full display. Reagan, as always, is contentedly fetching water for her own little sand creation, blissfully unaware of the water dribbling out of the enormous gap in the side of her bucket. Just boogie boarding isn't daring enough for Parker. He has to throw his own little twist into the sport, neverminding the potential for injury. And Alyssa, ever the rule-follower, is here in the background with a sweet friend, enjoying the toys and water in the way they were intended to be used. Every once in a while my camera actually catches more than I was hoping for! This photo makes me smile every time I see it.

First day!

2011-08-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

Oh wait... that was last Monday. Needless to say, our first week back to full-time homeschool has been full! The kids have started to wrap their minds around the fact that we really do have to do this every day, and I've started out working out a new routine that now includes three grades. Reagan's an official student so if not for the joy of homeschooling I'd be all by myself for most of the day, most days. Though I never dreamt this would be the path God would lead us down, I'm abundantly grateful I don't have to say good-bye to these sweet faces each weekday morning! Wouldn't you agree they're worth being "tied down" to?

Look who's a big girl now!

2011-08-13T22:45:00.001-07:00

Funny faces

2011-08-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

What do mama and the little kids do when Alyssa gets invited to a sleepover? Head over to Chick-fil-A of course! We're not ones to pass up free food, bounce houses, face painting, Dig It! or a beautiful summer evening if we can help it. Somebody remind me what we did on Tuesday nights before they came to town... Wow, that sounds a bit pathetic. Life is good, but clearly my definition of fun has changed a little since becoming the mother of grade-schoolers. Somebody please tell me I'm not the only one whose social calender revolves around a fast food joint! And then tell me if these aren't two of the sweetest painted faces you've ever seen:

Fair Fun

2011-08-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite memories as a kid are from county fairs. Really, does anyone have bad memories from the fair? How can you not have a good time when you're surrounded by fried everything, pony rides, enthusiastic Cutco demonstrators and three week-old beribboned baked goods? We're trying to carry on the tradition with our kids via the "Country Fair with Ocean Air," so Friday we spent the day mutton bustin', stuffing ourselves full of funnel cake, cheering on the racing pigs, and trying to pretend we know a little more about livestock than our children.

Alyssa's Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

2011-08-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Alyssa is a helper. There's nothing the girl seems to love more than finding things to clean, set in order, fetch, create and schedule. At times it's quite frightening just how much she's like her mother in this regard. We're constantly reminding her that she is not, in fact, a mother, nor is she in charge. But it is more often a joy to see the little lady she's becoming... and to have a little help. Saturday night we had guests for dinner and I was late getting everything put together. When my s'mores idea fizzled due to a lack of wood for the fire pit, Alyssa volunteered to make dessert. She's assisted with this favorite cake a few times before, but this time she did the measuring, dumping and stirring all on her own. I believe the original recipe came from my sister's MIL so here's giving Debbie credit where it's due, but in our house this will now be Alyssa's Sour Cream Chocolate Cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did!

1 cup sour cream

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix "with pudding in the box"

1 large box instant chocolate fudge pudding

12 oz bag (2 cups) chocolate chips

1/2 cup hot water

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes in buttered bundt pan, or until edges are darker brown and top is puffy but not completely dry. We like it slightly under-done in our house, so don't expect a toothpick to come out clean.

Serve with vanilla ice cream for an especially delicious (and caloric) treat!

I'm back?

2011-07-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

So I guess I was on a blogging break. We didn’t go anywhere, we haven’t done much of anything, and nothing’s wrong. I guess there’s just something about summer that makes me want to sit down with a good book and a lot of Diet Coke and watch the kids be kids. All three are very comfortable in the pool, and even though Reagan usually looks like she’s drowning, it’s just that she so badly wants to be able to touch the bottom and keeps bopping down to pretend like she’s more than 3 feet tall. No one even asks me to swim anymore so I really do get a break when they’re in the water. In the evenings, which have been remarkably pleasant due to our rather mild summer weather (sorry to all of you in the East!), we’ve been doing a lot of bike riding. By “we,” I do of course mean “them.” Aside from helping Reagan perfect her training-wheel-less skills and nursing the occasional scrape, I’ve been free to immerse myself in thousands of pages of Christian novel goodness (with some real meat thrown in for actual growth). On the weekends we’ve had oodles of guests, which reflect one the things I love most about our home: We have plenty of room to host people for dinner or overnight, whether it’s just one guest or 30. We actually try to not go out of town in the summer, partly to avoid the crowds wherever it is we’re going, but mostly so we can enjoy our friends and family here, where this relaxed, summer pace of life allows us to swim together, roast smores over the fire-pit together, or just sit around talking into the dark. Blogging just hasn’t seemed all that important. And as you can see, there hasn’t been that much to blog about. I haven’t even taken pictures this month! I hope to get back into blogging with somewhat more regularity, but no promises. I trust you all are enjoying your summer too and have also been too busy doing nothing to miss me at all!

Something new

2011-07-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

So my sister has always wanted to be a stylist. Stacy London has her dream job. To be fair, she really is a stylist: to me, to Danny (at least as far as settling disputes about what he really can't wear), to our parents, and to her many friends who schedule shopping dates before any big event. Anything even remotely cute or trendy in my closet was either purchased for me by Sarah or handed down to me from Sarah (no, I really don't have any shame in pawing through her left-overs... they're cute, and free!). She just has a knack for putting outfits and accessories together in a way that looks beautiful yet somewhat unexpected. A few months ago she approached me about a way to convert that talent into a little extra money... presumably for buying more of those darling clothes I'll someday inherit! I played around with my friend Blogger for a while, and this is what we came up with: Daily Style. Basically, its a way to get Sarah to do all your clothes shopping for you. Complete an easy questionnaire and she'll tell you where to buy and how to put together pieces that will complement your body and your style. Danny still doesn't get it... do you? I've explained the premise in a little more detail here, but please let me know if it's still a confusing mess! As a way to say "thank you" to our real life and bloggy friends for checking us out, our first customers will get 3 virtual outfits for $20... as well as our undying gratitude for preventing this thing from being a total flop. Thanks =).

A little more Malawi

2011-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't had enough... a few more photos of our
life-changing journey to Malawi:

Lake Malawi. According to all-knowing Wikipedia, it's the 8th largest lake in the world and the habitat of more species of fish than those of any other body of freshwater on Earth. To us it was just a relaxing retreat away from the craziness we'd faced in the preceeding week.

The best travelling companions anyone could ask for, my parents,
and further evidence of God's grace towards Danny and I.

If this bridge doesn't look rickety enough from the top...

... take a look underneath! Believe it or not they have to rebuild
these each year after the rains come.

Those seasonal rains started while we were there, bringing with them a much-anticipated feast from the Lord: flying termites!

Birthday boy

2011-06-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

As of midnight, my favorite 6 year-old will magically transform into my favorite 7 year-old... for at least the next year. If joy and enthusiasm were ever bundled up into a cuter package, I would like to see it. I'm sure most mamas think God saved the very best for them, but I know I am the most blessed. And though all my children are (usually) a joy to parent, Parker is especially skilled at making me laugh. His antics sometimes get him in trouble... and sometimes land him in the pool fully clothed, as happend here when kite flying occuppied a little too much of his attention. Mostly, they just make me want to scoop him up and give him a kiss... which he still happily lets me do. Happy Birthday bud!

Picture Perfect: Black and White

2011-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing my bloggy friend Nancy keeps having (very amateur) photography contests or I'd be left with nothing to blog about at all. This month's theme is Black and White, and if I my skills are limited in color, they are undoubtedly even more limited in B&W. I do however love this shot of Parker - the mischief behind those eyes and the lashes that never end. That boy never fails to make me smile! Head on over to Ordinary Miracles & the Crazy 8 if you'd like to play too...

Be still my cherry-loving heart

2011-06-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

There aren’t too many culinary delights that exceed the joy of fresh cherries. What I didn’t realize until today was how that joy would be multiplied when the fruit made its way directly from tree to mouth. The kids, my nephew, my mom and I took a little road-trip to a local orchard for our first picking experience. Needless to say the fruit was delightful, and watching the kids made it even more fun. They scouted out the ripest cherries and sampled some from each tree to make sure they were sweet enough. They were. We got so carried away in the excitement that we came home with almost fifteen pounds of treasure. Good thing we have a birthday party coming up with lots of cherry- and (Parker-) loving friends to share them with!

We had FUN in Malawi too!

2011-06-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

Though we certainly experienced our fair share of heartache while we in Malawi (the Whole Story begins here), we actually had fun too. A trip to Africa would make many Americans’ bucket list, but it’s unlikely we would ever have taken the time away from our children, or the money, to go there if not for an adoption. You all have borne with me through the sad parts of our saga, so I thought it was only appropriate to share our more joyful moments as well.

These first photos are from what will remain my most memorable of birthdays. Our dear friend Kondi took us to a village just minutes outside the capital city of Lilongwe. It’s just a quick drive, and not much longer walk, to a developing, urban environment, yet most of the children – even teenagers – have never left their village, and very rarely seen “uzungus” (“white people” in Chichewa) like us. If our skin alone wasn’t enough of a novelty, the soap, rice and candy we brought along made us instant hits. The chief gave us a tour of his home, the villagers sat us down in their nicest (only?) plastic chairs, and the children all gathered to sing a number of their favorite songs. They especially enjoyed seeing themselves on our cameras’ LCD screens, and patiently waited in line for their share of the Tootsie Rolls. Everyone there was impoverished by our standards (some of the children even had the orangey hair of the malnourished), but were remarkably hospitable, kind and happy. On that particular day I was feeling rather sorry for myself that I couldn’t be home with our children, and was struck with the realization that I’ve never once had to worry about getting them enough to eat. I was humbled by the thought of all that I choose to complain about when I truly have so very much.

Trashy

2011-06-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Parker has recently been given a chore disposing of all the debris we generate around here. The less-fun part of the task involves running up and down the stairs collecting trash from the various receptacles around our home. He doesn't seem to mind at all though for the privilege of then tossing everything into the back of his pick-up truck. Lesser jobs call for the more agile, commuter-sized Skidder. Apparently he's counting it all joy (do you see the look on his face?)... especially when his efforts are rewarded with a little cash to learn with.

The Whole Story - the End!

2011-05-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Now that we’re nearly six months removed from the beginning of our ill-fated adventures in Sub-Saharan Africa, I figure it’s time I finally start wrapping things up. I’ve told most of the story starting here, and ending here at the point where we left the orphanage that was home to the boy we thought would be our son. What I’ve neglected to relate are the specifics of just how well God cared for and protected us through what was and is a very difficult trial.

Looking back, we wonder at the ways God protected us from Annie, the dishonest orphanage director. Though our initial concerns about the adoption centered around whether we felt equipped to parent a child with Ernest’s level of needs, we quickly realized that the real question was whether we could complete an ethical adoption of any child with her in control. Annie was our only link to the lawyer, the courts, and Ernest’s surviving family. She obstinately and repeatedly asserted that a boy who cannot utter a sound was a talker and a leader. She maintained that a boy clearly exhibiting many signs of Cerebral Palsy was perfectly healthy. She never waived from her obvious lies, even when those who know Ernest best contradicted her. If she was willing to lie about what we could see, what else had she lied about? Had she bribed officials? Had she really obtained the necessary consent from Ernest’s uncles and aunts? Had she told them the truth about what adoption would mean? Had she told us the truth about the results of Ernest’s HIV tests? There was just so much we began to doubt once we realized we couldn’t trust Annie. God protected us through her refusal to make any other child available to us for adoption. He protected our wallet when she refusing to meet with us on the night we were to pay her for her services and those of the lawyer. And He even protected us through the loss of our cell phone shortly after leaving the orphanage. (We later found out she tried frantically to contact us that day… but oddly hasn’t initiated any contact since.)

Another evidence of God’s grace lay at the end of the road away from the orphanage: our dear friends, Brian and Anita Biedebach. In our moment of need we had a home to go to, friends to hug, and their children to love on. They loved us in such practical ways, opening their home to us and preparing one of the most delightful meals we’ve ever had. We arrived at their house in Lilongwe on Thursday afternoon, December 2^nd, and we really hadn’t eaten a meal since leaving Los Angeles the previous Saturday. Anita prepared what she knew from Danny’s previous visits to Malawi to be his favorite dishes, and while the food was very tasty, it was the love contained therein that made it especially delicious. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to eat Malva pudding again without tearing up at the thought of their kindness towards us.

We were able to stay with the Biedebachs for 2 nights and then moved down the street to the home of another missionary family from our church, the Floreens, to make room for Anita’s family who were gathering in from around the world to spend a rare Christmas together. Matt and Rachel welcomed us without hesitation, though they could barely distinguish us from Adam. Unbeknownst to them and us at the time, they’d be stuck with us for another two weeks! There are only 5 flights a week out of Malawi, and there was no room for us on any of them. Despite our best, and sometimes desperate, efforts, we were forced to return home on our original flights, scheduled for December 19^th. But even in that, we can see God’s amazing grace towards us. We spent those two weeks seeing and enjoying Africa - an opportunity we never would have taken if not forced. Though some of the hardest days of our lives were lived out in Africa, we also made some of our happiest memories there. (I’ll later post pictures of some of the wonders we experienced.)

Another of His graces in the fact we were “stranded” was the realization that Alyssa, Parker and Reagan were not missing us one bit. I was somewhat miserable at times, wishing that since I could not hug and bond to Ernest, I could at least cuddle the three precious treasures God had already blessed us with. But He had other plans – plans to comfort me without their aid, and plans to give our children a very special three weeks with their grandparents. Papa and Tilly volunteered to move in to our home in our absence and the kids were beside themselves with excitement. I truly think they all would have been disappointed if we had come home early, and looking back, I would have been too.

Our marriage was yet another recipient of God’s grace and mercy. Trials like this could easily tear a marriage apart, but our hearts were knit even closer. We were in agreement throughout this process and we’ve never blamed one another for any of the hurt (yet another reason to be glad I didn’t nag Danny into a 2^nd adoption!). Our only conflict was over whether we should go home if given the opportunity. I wanted to go home; he didn’t. As it turns out it didn’t matter, but my heart was quickly pricked by Scripture to submit to Danny, and Danny was gently encouraged by a friend to love me no matter the cost. What started with conflict became another opportunity for our marriage to be grown.

There’s really no end to what could be said about the ways God demonstrated His love towards us. We even see His grace in all that He’s allowed us to forget in these succeeding months. But it can all be summed up in the song we sang that first Friday morning in Lilongwe, during chapel at African Bible College. I will never be able to forget the way we worshipped, singing these lyrics from the depths of our broken hearts:

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name

There was indeed great pain in the offering, but by His grace, we chose to bless His name on that road marked with suffering, even when He took away the thing we wanted most.

Gotcha... a little late!

2011-05-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough to run out of time and brain cells for real blogging. It's even worse when your computer-that's-on-its-last-leg stops letting you even upload photos! Then add a little panicked "Did you really fail to back up any of our Vietnam photos onto the external hard drive?!" discussion with dear husband (they're there, thank the Lord!). What do you get? The transformation of a pathetic Gotcha Day post into a even more pathetic tardy Gotcha Day post. Sunday marked four years since God gave us the tremendous privilege of becoming this little girl's parents. Reagan has enriched our lives in more ways than I could ever begin to recount. She is generous, strong, sweet, independent, and a perfect complement to our family. For all of the countless strangers in Vietnam that stopped to tell us what a "lucky baby" she was: the joy is all ours!

What bloggers do when they've no time to write...

2011-05-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

(...i.e. post pictures of their kids). I've not really been feeling the blogging vibe lately, but since this serves as my only real journal/scrapbook I'm compelled to at least throw in a few photos once in a while. We spent our afternoon today at Mickey's place today enjoying some glorious spring weather and our favorite rides before we get kicked out for the summer rush. It almost looks like they're having fun, doesn't it? If not for mama's camera the day would have been positively perfect!

Easter cuties

2011-04-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

Do they come any cuter than this? Well, behind your own children, I'm sure these must be second in line, right? Sunday we all dressed up to spend a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord with our chuch family, and then with a crew of family, friends and neighbors. It was almost like Christmas in our backyard for all the eggs and gifts, and these three wasted no time tracking them down. Reagan was given a head-start with the "little kids" and cleaned up! I guess there are some advantages to being the same size as your one- and two-year old cousins!

My Muse

2011-04-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a photographer, but I do enjoy my second-hand DSLR and charming subjects like my ~~only~~ favorite nephew. Since my sister thinks an iphone is camera enough, and Lincoln tends to avoid looking anything like himself in pictures, capturing his little personality is a fun challenge. Don't you just love the red locks, dimples and slight gap in the front teeth? I'm entering this very unprofessional photo in a little contest for less-than-professionals over at my bloggy friend Nancy's Ordinary Miracles and the Crazy 8. Yes, eight. That's six kiddos: four bio, two adopted from Vietnam, and they're in the process of becoming foster-certified. All that and she manages to maintain a fun blog with stunning photographs. There are still a few days left to enter if you want to throw your hat in the ring!

Play Ball!

2011-04-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday marked the beginning of softball season... our first! Danny grew up playing ball and is famous (infamous?) for his "tomahawk" swing , and I spent a lot of my childhood watching the Seattle Mariners. For Alyssa, Parker and I, however, this was our first foray into little league - or rather, a very low-key version sponsored by our local parks and rec. Reagan was a great little cheerleader, and the big kids had a blast. The only dark spot of our day was waiting for us on the countertop when we arrived home:

Wolfie's bowl, sans Wolfie. The goldfish Parker won at a fall carnival decided he'd had enough of life in a bowl... and jumped out. Needless to say, this story doesn't have a happy Nemo ending. Fortunately none of the kids were particularly attached to their pet, and Wolfie took a rather unceremonious trip from the countertop to the trash can.

Magic Shoes

2011-04-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

You might not know it just from looking at them, but these "farkly" shoes (that's "sparkly" for those of you that don't speak Reagan) have the power to motivate four year-olds to learn to tie. Reagan came home from a date with my mom last week with these darling light-up treasures. The girl was so determined to wear them that she didn't bother waiting for anyone else to form the bow for her: she sat down and did it herself! Never mind that it took 10 minutes and didn't quite follow conventional methods; by the end, she had two perfect little bows on two perfect little feet. In the days since, she's gotten quicker, neater, and even more determined to light up our world with her "farkles."

Green decorating

2011-04-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

No, not the hyper-conservationist type green. I'm all for taking care of the earth God has blessed us with, but He's given it for our use. This post is a little bit lighter than that. Like houseplants light. I love filling my home with live plants, and maybe by sharing a few photos I'll be able to inspire some of you to enjoy them too. My main inspiration for acquiring this collection began with a lack of the other kind of green. I love plants for the same reason I love mirrors: they fill a lot of space for not a lot of cash. Here's the little pony wall that separates our dining room from our family room. The first shot is a nice collection of some of our favorite photos, knickknacks and mementos. It's pretty enough, but lacks height, life and color. Add a $5 plant in a clearance blue pot, and it becomes much more interesting.

Here are few larger examples of space filling:

This beautiful Vietnamese pot (under $40 last summer at Costco) and plant ($18 at Sam's Club) distract attention away from our hideous builder-basic fireplace.

This one sits in another clearance pot on an orange "Homer" bucket (draped in an old tablecloth) to fill the corner behind the couch in our living room.

Another larger specimen ($8 at Target with the pot) makes a neglected corner of our kitchen feel... less so.

I have plants in my bathroom (each less than $8 with the containers):

Plants in my kitchen:

I can't remember how much it cost to make this little terrarium, but it was cheap. I bought supplies enough to make several for gifts, the plants themselves were the smallest cheapest ones Home Depot carries, and the glass jar was one I had on hand for serving drinks but never used because the little spigot thingy never worked right.

I love this little vignette of a dollar store rose, $1.49 pot that originally came with and housed paperwhites (Target post-Christmas clearance), my $2.50 bird from Michael's and little "designer" plate, also from Target ($3 maybe?).

I don't even mind fake greenery, as long as it's not trying too hard to be really green. Does that make sense? If not, maybe the pictures will. Neither of these little beauties cost more than $4:

And two of my favorite new additions came courtesy of my favorite MIL, who somehow thought I could better care for some of the beautiful plants she inherited after her hard work at our church's Shepherd's Conference:

I've never had a fern or an orchid before, so I'm hoping I can keep them alive. The funny thing is, my plants (like my goldfish) seem to live unnaturally long lives. Honestly, I think they thrive on neglect. Maybe other people just give their plants too much attention. I don't feed them (the plants that is. Our goldfish do get food fairly often.) I only water them occasionally and give them a good spray or wipe down once in a great while to combat dust. All that to say: don't be afraid! Plants are beautiful, inexpensive, and good for the environment!

Spring?

2011-03-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

Spring looked a lot like summer today: crystal clear skies and mercury in the 90s. Except unlike summer, our Disneyland passes weren't blocked out! So off we went with my mom to enjoy a glorious afternoon at the happiest place on earth...

It just feels like I've been blogging

2011-03-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

Though I haven't actually posted anything in a while, my blog and I have been spending a lot of time together. Since I'm not into scrapbooking, journaling, or any other means of documenting our family life, I publish my blog each year in the form of a book. The first year my mom did it for me as an incredible Christmas gift. She painstakingly arranged it, had it printed, and then bound by a real publisher. It's beautiful. Since then, I've done it myself using Blurb. The result is less professional than that first book, but considerably easier. It works and looks a lot like Shutterfly or other photobook sites, with the added advantage of "slurping" the text, photos, and even comments from blogs almost automatically. They don't offer a lot of pretty backgrounds or papers, but I think the plain black and white format I used highlights the content well. It's also relatively inexpensive compared to other sites. My latest photo-heavy creation was $70 with shipping for 130 pages. The FedEx guy delivered it yesterday and I'm thrilled to have my little "journal" sitting on my table top - not just my laptop. So now you know where I've been. Don't you think you need one too?!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

So today doesn't really feel like spring - we had such torrential rains all day that we were drenched to the bone between church and the car, and passed five car accidents between church and home. But last weekend was glorious! The kids insisted on swimming, despite the fact that the pool still isn't warmer than 60, chasing each other through the sprinklers, and sunbathing on the patio. Anyone else ready for pool season?

The Whole Story - Leaving

2011-03-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

(Thank you all for bearing with me! I'm getting there! This is part 8, so if you would like to catch up, just click on the titles for An Intro, Getting There, Meeting Ernest, Still Day One, The Choice, Annie, and Lystra)

Almost immediately after meeting with Lystra that eventful Thursday morning, we decided we needed to further express our concerns about adoption Ernest to the orphanage director, Annie. She rather coolly welcomed Danny, my parents and me into her living room, where we sat down to a discussion that would forever alter our lives, and the life of a precious little boy.
While being careful not to implicate Lystra and further compromise her position at Kondanoni Children’s Home, we rehashed the obvious: Ernest is not at all the healthy, thriving little boy Annie had so vividly described to us. We reminded her of our responsibility to the children God had already blessed us with, and the tremendous level of lifetime care Ernest would demand. We expressed our doubts whether we would be able to adequately provide that for him. We admitted just how incredibly exhausted we were, both physically and emotionally. We asked her if we might be able to take some time to go to Lilongwe to rest, get counsel, be comforted by our friends, and try to determine what God’s plan was in all of this.

I was in tears. Danny was in tears. My mom was in tears. I’m pretty sure even my dad was in tears. Annie was completely void of emotion. She sat there with as much interest and expression as she might have been if we were discussing the weather. Now it’s one thing to see a woman cry and not respond with some level of compassion. In my opinion, it takes a completely different level of callousness to fail to react to an obviously broken man. Yet Annie’s only response was to continue to maintain that there was nothing at all unusual about a 3 year old who doesn’t even babble. She said “it’s your decision” as if it was no big deal for anyone either way. Nevermind the fact that we’d travelled halfway around the world to joyfully welcome a new member of our family. Nevermind the possibility that a little boy would grow up without the love of a mama and daddy.

We expressed again our desire to step back from the situation – at least for the weekend, since our court date wasn’t until the following Monday - to give ourselves the best opportunity to make a wise choice. Annie agreed, but quickly pointed out that we owed her for two night’s lodging in the orphanage guest house. The four of us stepped outside, Danny pulled out $120, and he and my dad went back inside to settle up with Annie.
It is for that particular part of the encounter that I’m grateful I was not present. As Danny handed her the money, she angrily insisted “You know what your decision is going to be. If you choose to drag this out, you’re just going to cost me more money!” As he’s stated since, it’s hard for Danny to hold his anger in check on the freeway, let alone in the face of the woman who has put his family through so much unnecessary pain. Yet God graciously held Danny’s tongue in that moment. He begged her not to press us for a decision, but ultimately told her that if she was going to insist, our answer must be “no.”

Within moments, we had Kondi’s car packed to the gills. Lystra came over to give us a tearful send-off. We hugged her, hopped in, and made the painful drive down the dirt path away from Ernest and our dreams of what might have been. God’s grace had sustained us thus far, and we had no doubt he would carry us safely into the loving arms of our dear friends just 150 miles away.

Fun in Seattle, by Alyssa

2011-03-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Alyssa, Laura's daughter. For my birthday in November my Gaga and Papa got me a plane ticket to Seattle. This weekend we left. This is who went: my Aunt Sasa, Gaga (my grandma), my mom and I. One of my favorite things we did was going shopping. One of my favorite things I bought was boots for the snow (kinda like Uggs) from Fred Meyer, of course! Now here are some pics we took!

Room service!

Mama's old house

Mama's favorite restaurant - the one our bird is named after

We really liked our sundae

The Whole Story - Lystra

2011-02-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

(So this has proved to be a very long retelling of our adoption adventure in Malawi. I know I've probably lost many of you by now, but the telling is theraputic, so I'll continue if only just for me.

This is part 7, so if you would like to catch up, just click on the titles for An Intro, Getting There, Meeting Ernest, Still Day One, The Choice, and Annie)

Before following our counsel’s advice to take a step back and away from this most difficult of situations, we welcomed Ernest’s teacher, Lystra, into our guest house for the meeting Annie had promised. When Lystra arrived, it was obvious she had been coached. Though she proved to be a warm and loving person, she was initially hesitant to answer any of our questions. Over and over she said “I can’t talk about that.” (We don’t have too many doubts about who instructed her to keep her mouth shut.) Now Danny and I are pretty conservative as far as our theology goes; rather far removed from any charismatic touchy-feely stuff. However, as we continued to talk with Lystra, it became clear that the Holy Spirit was convicting her of her obligation to tell us the truth about Ernest.
As we sat there with my parents, all five of us in tears, Lystra eventually implored us to think beyond the moment to what our lives would look like many decades down the road. She reiterated what we already knew – Ernest does not talk. She described the time she spends with Ernest one-on-one each day, and how little progress he’s made in even simple tasks like sorting blocks. I think she would have laughed when we told her Annie had described him as a leader in the school if it hadn’t just been so sad. In every way she could think of, without actually saying the words herself, she tried to talk us out of bringing Ernest home – especially when she heard that we already had three children. At the end of the hour she hugged us and prayed such a sweet, tender prayer for us – people she didn’t know “from a can of paint” (her words, which did and do make me smile… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at another paint can without thinking of Lystra!).
When we awoke that morning we were already definitely leaning towards walking away for good. Our conversation with Lystra really just confirmed what we had already concluded on our own. In the weeks since those dreadful two days, when we have replayed the situation in our minds and hearts, we have thanked the Lord for bringing her to us. She loves Ernest. She knows him. She wants what’s best for him. But even she was convinced that leaving him at Kondanoni was the right thing to do. When we’ve wondered whether we were crazy; when we’ve wondered if we were just seeing things; when we wonder if we overreacted… we think back to our conversation to Lystra. She knew the truth, and at great personal risk, she shared the truth with us. I still tear up when I think about the love she expressed to us – complete strangers – knowing what a tremendous impact she might have on our lives, yet also knowing that crossing Annie could have a devastating impact on her life.
We still don't know the effect of that conversation on Lystra's life or position, but we would soon have the opportunity to find out for ourselves how challenging dealing with Annie could be.

(Never mind the tears, lack of make-up, dirty clothes and unshaved faces... just praise the Lord for our angel in the middle!)

Tummy sandwich

2011-02-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

Reagan loves her play kitchen and often goes around the house taking breakfast, lunch and dinner orders. Today I responded that instead of a meal I would love to just eat her up - she's just that cute! Such a request usually gives me the opportunity to tickle her tiny little tummy, but she took me more literally this time. Upstairs she ran to find her wood toast, with which she presented to me this delicious (and adorable!) sandwich:

At least he's consistent.

2011-02-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

Danny's old shirts, meet Danny's new shirts. (In case you can't tell, the old t-shirt is on top, the old polo to the left.) The boy likes what he likes, which I guess is good news for me since he can't trade me in!

The Whole Story - Annie

2011-02-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

(Thanks for bearing with me through what has become an incredibly long telling of all that transpired for us in Malawi! This is part 6, so if you need to catch up, just click on the titles for An Intro, Getting There, Meeting Ernest, Still Day One, and The Choice)

The only black spot on Kondanani Children’s Home as far as we’re concerned is its director, Annie. We requested a meeting with her Wednesday evening, December 1st, where she continued to insist that Ernest is a normal, healthy, talking three-year-old. She stood behind her earlier representations to us that he has great leadership potential, is the leader of his nursery school, and regularly talks. (Back in November we were able to have lunch with her here in the States and that was her response to “Tell us more about Ernest.” Additionally, when we first accepted his referral, we were told that he was perfectly healthy, normal, and had only ever needed medical attention for a perceived hip problem). When we gently (by God’s grace!) confronted her with the fact that his nannies said he doesn’t talk at all at home, might have cerebral palsy, and appeared to be older than three, she said that any delays are simply due to the fact that he lives in an institution where the nannies are just in it for the money. Annie then changed her story to insist simultaneously that he speaks at school, and is a late talker (though according to her, not speaking at "three" is not a big deal). Wanting to believe the best, we asked if we might speak with his school teacher. Annie agreed, but wouldn’t send her to see us until the morning.
That night, we hoped we might have the opportunity to make some phone calls to get council from someone a little removed from the situation. We hoped we might be able to use the internet to research Ernest’s needs. But God wanted us to depend on Him. An overwhelming rainstorm engulfed the region, cutting off both cell service and internet access. We were left to discuss the situation with my parents, read, cry and pray. We knew we were weak, tired, and not thinking clearly, so we kept asking ourselves “what would we have done if we’d know the truth before we left?” The answer to that question had come months before. We knew it would have been “no – we can’t adopt this little boy.”
God gave us the grace to sleep a little that night, and we awoke to clear skies, clearer heads and 3 bars worth of cell service. Before we even got out of bed we used that priceless cell phone Kondi had delivered, to call our friend Brian Biedebach in Lilongwe. We knew we’d be waking him up, but we didn’t care. Given the circumstances, neither did he. Brian quickly got in contact with Danny’s parents, our pastor, and some of our closest friends, the Dicks, who are missionaries in Croatia and were living with us this summer when this whole saga began. They were all able to use Skype to call us back and give us love, support and wise counsel. They basically all said the same thing: to leave Ernest or to adopt him – neither option would necessarily be sin. They asked us to consider whether God was challenging us to take on more than we thought we could handle, or if God was just asking us to walk away from something we really really wanted. Perhaps the best advice we received was to walk away - temporarily. Danny’s dad suggested leaving the orphanage for the Biedebachs four hours away, take some time to rest and recover, and perhaps return for our court date the following Monday. That became the plan, but God had ordained a couple of life-changing meetings to take place first.

Board and batten... without the board

2011-01-29T22:53:00.000-08:00

The trendy girls started doing faux board and batten a while ago, but I've never been one to jump on the bandwagon in it's first lap. The Nester, Thrifty Decor Chick, Kimba, and Karla (to name just a few) have all made their homes more beautiful with this cute, easy, inexpensive treatment. They've also documented their projects to make it easier for the rest of us.

Our home is on the newer side and thus devoid of any real architectural detail. We've tried to add a little interest with paint, and someday we hope to beef up the mouldings, but the kids' bathroom has remained about as bland as the day we moved in. I didn't know quite how to make it cute, unisex and fun for the kids. I tried vinyl stickers, brightly colored accessories, new lighting, new hardware... but still didn't really love it. This weekend we hoped to solve that problem.

Board and batten seemed simple enough for non-carpenter types like Danny and myself. We also figured that if it looked really dumb we could just pull it off and only be out a hundred bucks. Happily, it was simple, and didn't follow the home project standard of doubling the budgeted dollars and tripling the budgeted time. We started Friday afternoon and were completely done by Saturday night - painting included. Danny looked downright masterful in his use of his brother's saw and nail gun, and Alyssa took real ownership of her self-appointed role of nail-hole-filler and caulk-smoother. The only problem is, I'm tired and Danny's already looking for the next room we can batten!

Before

World's cutest carpenter

Oh so handsome handy-man

After

The Whole Story - The Choice

2011-01-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

(This is part 5 of our Malawian drama. If you need to catch up, just click on the titles for An Intro, Getting There, Meeting Ernest, and Still Day One.)

I’d like to say that because it was dinnertime we sat down to a nice meal that Wednesday night, but food was the furthest thing from our minds. (Could be why Danny and I both came home 7 pounds lighter. An effective diet plan, but not one I would recommend!). Instead, we began discussing just what it would be like to parent a child with cerebral palsy.
This is where our story is touched by one of the strangest aspects of adoption: special needs become a choice. Had one of our biological children been born severely disabled, we would have stopped at nothing to love and care for them in the best way possible. If Reagan had had a seizure on the plane on the way home from Vietnam that significantly impacted her mind or body, again, we would have loved and cared for her as we do now. She was already ours, and we had committed to parenting her no matter what. When we thought we’d be adopting from China, we completed a long, thorough checklist of the special needs we thought we could effectively parent. Honestly, there weren’t a lot of things we didn’t check off, but neurological disabilities were not on our list.
We believe that God has given us minds to make decisions when there is a choice to be made, and the will to accept His plan when the decision has been made for you. A mother of a child with cerebral palsy left a long comment on one of my previous posts defending what I’m sure she saw as an affront to the condition her son is stricken with. I have only compassion for the difficulties she and her family have endured, and understanding for the love a mother has for her son, no matter his capacities. However, the key difference between her situation and ours was Choice. God gave her a son with special needs. God gave us the responsibility to make a choice that would bring Him the most glory. That includes considering the impact Ernest might have on our family, our marriage, and the children He’s already entrusted to us. Because we’d not yet made any commitments – legal or otherwise – we were not yet responsible for Ernest, and thus left with a choice.
By God’s grace, the other side of that choice did not involve leaving a little boy on the streets. The scene of this whole drama is an incredible orphanage. Despite the director’s total disregard for the truth, our family, and the other children we might otherwise have had the opportunity to adopt, Annie provides a beautiful home for many needy kids. It truly was one of the nicest buildings of any kind we encountered in Malawi. Though Annie would later throw her entire staff under the bus, insisting that it was impossible to find any Malawians to work there for any reason other than a paycheck, it was clear to us that many of the women there really loved the children. When we started to lean towards walking away from Ernest, our hearts were comforted by the fact that he’ll forever have a home in such a wonderful place.

The Whole Story - Still Day One

2011-01-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

(Don't worry, I won't be recounting each of the 22 days we were gone in this much detail!)

Later that day, after lunch and a little shopping spree to replace some of the items in our still-missing luggage, we had the opportunity to spend more time with Ernest. For the first hour or so we hung out with him in the lobby area of the “baby house” where all the children under 3 live. We attempted to engage Ernest, played catch with a soft football we brought, and fed him an afternoon snack of crackers and milk. Throughout the entire hour he was completely mute – even when something startled him at one point and he began to cry. A faint, odd moaning came out, but no real noise. He also, again, seemed completely engrossed in activity out the window – except there wasn’t any. Danny and I were starting to sense that something was dreadfully wrong, but still held back from voicing anything.
The head nanny came to give us a tour of the facility where Ernest has spent most of his life, and honestly, it was very impressive. The entire house, about 4 large rooms and several smaller ones, was impeccably maintained and full of every convenience and tool one might need to care for so many precious little ones. One room even had incubators in the event that a very sick infant was entrusted to them. Every inch was sparkling clean, and each child appeared to have crisp sheets, a fresh outfit, and a huge smile for us – the odd-looking visitors.
We were led to the back room where all of the preschoolers were playing, and we were an instant hit. Everyone (except Ernest) was jumping up and down in excitement over our cameras, and couldn’t believe what they were seeing on the preview screen of our video camera. Each of them wanted to be held, played with, and photographed. The kids showed us their playground just outside the double doors, and we spent several more hours interacting with them there.
The children were clearly thrilled with this change in routine and couldn’t wait to show us all of their tricks. We were treated to renditions of their favorite African nursery songs, as well as many familiar to us including the ABC song, all of the months of the year, days of the week – in their second language, English! (Reagan can’t even do that, and she’s four with the benefit of a family!) Ernest, however, didn’t participate in any of the songs, dances or play, despite the obvious best efforts of the nannies. The more we watched him in comparison to his peers, the further our hearts sank. Our faces were still plastered with the smiles that said we wanted to believe everything was all right, but it was quickly becoming clear that that was a façade. We later discovered that each of the four of us (me, Danny, my mom and my dad) approached the nannies individually to ask whether Ernest talks. Each time they answered definitely, “no,” but seemed hesitant to elaborate.
As dinnertime approached for the children, we said our good-byes and started the walk back to our guest house. We were barely outside the nursery grounds when my very non-confrontational mother turned to us and said “well, I think he has cerebral palsy.” At that point, our hearts just dropped right down onto the ground. Not because it was an offensive thing to say, but because it rang so true, and because we knew it carried so many serious implications. Danny and I had sensed something wasn't right, but we couldn’t put our finger on it. My dad, however, practiced medicine for decades and actually worked in a cerebral palsy hospital ward for a time. He and my mom started pointing out numerous traits Ernest exhibited that are common among CP patients. They were also convinced that he was probably much older than three as had been represented. At that point, I think time started to stand still as we began to question whether anything we had been told was true. The next 14 hours would be some of the longest of our lives, and we were still only 24 hours removed from 40 hours of travel.

Meeting Ernest

2011-01-18T22:40:00.001-08:00

Tuesday evening, November 30th, provided us with much needed nourishment, relatively good sleep (my first under a necessary, and moderately romantic mosquito net), and the promise of a memorable introduction soon to come. We awoke Wednesday morning to the sounds of African children singing and playing, and eagerly awaited the opportunity to see the little Malawian we hoped to call our own. After a quick shower and trail mix breakfast, Danny, my parents and I walked the short distance between our guest house and the home of Annie, director of Kondanani Children’s Home. Our friend Kondi joined us as we sat on the veranda waiting for the arrival of Ernest and his nanny. Before we were even really ready for it, the little boy we thought would be our son came through the door in Stella’s arms. Though Annie had told us Ernest would likely scream and throw a fit, he was calm, quiet and content to just stare off into the garden. He quickly warmed up to us, and seemed completely unfazed by the constant flashes of the camera and accompanying video. In retrospect, it was actually odd how disinterested he was in seeing himself in our media. It was also odd how interested he was in… nothing. Though we could grab his attention momentarily, he was constantly distracted by non-existent activity over our shoulders. Even candy and toys didn’t keep him occupied for long. At the time, we just assumed he was overwhelmed. We were just thrilled that he didn’t hate us. I’m sure my parent’s concerns were already forming, but Danny and I were blissfully unaware. Strangely enough, however, neither of us made any promises to Ernest in those moments that we ended up breaking. We didn’t call ourselves “mommy” or “daddy,” nor did we promise to love him forever as we almost immediately did with Reagan. It was just the beginning of countless little ways God protected us in the midst of what would become an impossibly (without Him) difficult situation.

The Whole Story - Getting There

2011-01-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

God’s grace towards us in Africa began before we even left Los Angeles. On a good day, we can get to LAX in 45 minutes. On a bad day, it can take 3 hours. On the Sunday evening of Thanksgiving weekend… we had no idea. We decided to give ourselves 5. As it turned out, even with a stop at our favorite Mexican dive for a delicious last meal, we had hours to spare. The airport was nearly empty, security was a breeze, and we had plenty of time to set up camp at our gate and score a late night snack.
Our flight across the states was uneventful, and we had plenty of time to check in with South African Airlines at JFK. Unfortunately (and this becomes a key element later on), their computer system shut down half-way through the check-in process. My parents received their boarding passes for both our flights to Johannesburg and our connecting flight to Lilongwe, Malawi. Danny and I, however, were just issued passes for the JFK/J-burg segment and told we should just check in when we arrived in South Africa. The agent made it sound like it was no big deal, and we thought nothing of it. Instead of worrying, we settled in for our long trek across the Atlantic where God again prove Himself to be gracious. The flight was relatively empty and we each had two seats to stretch out in. 19 hours even in two seats is a long time, but we were able to get some rest.
As we approached Johannesburg, we realized that our 3-hour layover had turned into 40 minutes due to rain delays, and we sprinted off of that plane. My parents were able to run through security and get to the gate just in time… but here’s where that computer shut-down comes into play. Danny and I, bereft of boarding passes, were stuck in a seemingly-endless line of other panicked fliers also minutes away from missing their flights. With no working cell phones to communicate, my parents were left to wonder if we were coming or not… and finally determined that they also should stay behind, so that at least if we were stranded, we would be stranded together. The minutes ticked by. The gate closed. The plane that was to take us to our son left, without us.
We stood in that line crushed, not knowing we would soon get our first lesson in the course “God’s Plans Are Better Than Yours 101.” You see, our original flight was into Lilongwe, a 4-(at best) hour drive to Blantyre where Ernest lives. We had tried to get a flight that would fly us into Blantyre and out of Lilongwe three weeks later, but neither the schedule nor the economics worked out. When we missed that flight to Lilongwe, however, South African Air arranged for us to fly straight to Blantyre just three hours later after Hagen Daas and a nice lunch on them. What we initially saw as a set-back, God had orchestrated so we could avoid a long, harrowing drive, after what would have already been a forty hour trek.
A day earlier than we had hoped, we arrived in Blantyre, and were met by our dear friend, Kondi (a Malawian Danny got to know on his prior trips to Malawi, and best friend of our “adopted” brother Kwacha) who made the drive in record time so that we could see a familiar face and have a car to use during our time in Blantyre. We later found out he picked us up because the orphanage director refused. She was “having dinner guests” (us!) and couldn’t send anyone. Though she certainly didn’t have his best, or ours, at heart, God used even her inconsideration for our good. Just two days later that car, and the cell phone he brought us, became our lifelines.

Back to the quick, easy photo post

2011-01-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Between life, laundry, a cold making its rounds, restarting school after a 5-week hiatus, houseguests and a quick trip to Disneyland, I haven't had much time this weeek to write. So instead of the first installment of our 2nd adoption story, you're stuck with a few photos of my ever-cuter children. I never get tired of looking at them, and... at the very least... neither does my mom.

The Whole Story – an intro

2011-01-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the last month I’ve shared bits and pieces of all that transpired for us in Malawi. I know you may not all be interested in hearing every last detail, and I’ll try not to let it get too lengthy. I’ll likely break it up into several posts. However, I also know that many, many of you have prayed for us through this trial without knowing many specifics. I’d like to share more as a way for you to see how those prayers were answered, and to show just how good God was to us through incredibly difficult circumstances. God repeatedly commands us in Scripture to remember, and much of the Law is designed to help His people recall the things God had accomplished for them. Psalm 105:4-6 (NASB) says:

4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
5 Remember
His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham, His servant,
O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

Danny and I want to be careful not to forget all that God has taught us through this experience. Since this is a journal for me of sorts, I hope that blogging will help us accomplish that goal, to His glory. I’d love for you to follow along, but I’ll also understand if you elect to skip these posts and move on to photos of the world’s three cutest kids.

SNOW!

2011-01-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

Those of you who live in parts of the country that actually have winter won't be impressed with this accumulation, but we were pretty excited to see some white stuff falling from the sky this afternoon! We don't have much cold weather clothing - no gloves, only girly hats, just "raining" boots, and no snow pants - but that didn't stop us from enjoying an icy/snow ball fight, making snow angels, and pulling the sled around the yard. Alyssa even took Daddy up on his 4-quarter bribe to make an angel in just her t-shirt (of course that meant he had to join her - in shorts). I'm sure it will all be gone at sunrise, but we did our best to make the day memorable. We probably won't have snow here again until our kids are ready to play in it with their own children!

The Christmas card... just a little late

2010-12-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you on my mailing list, your card should arrive today. For those of you who'd like to be, just send me an e-mail with your address. And for the rest of you, here's our Christmas card:

We don’t usually wait until New Year’s to send our Christmas letter, but this has been the most unusual of holiday seasons. Danny and I left Thanksgiving weekend for Malawi to adopt a little boy. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we discovered we had been thoroughly deceived and determined it would not be wise to complete the adoption. Needless to say, we are heartbroken, but God has been incredibly gracious to us. Through this experience we have learned to depend on Him more, love each other more, and cherish more the gifts we have in Alyssa, Parker and Reagan. Every day they make us smile – Alyssa with her sweet and gentle spirit, Parker with his never-ending antics, and Reagan with her silly songs and stories. It is my joy to stay home with them, watching them grow in knowledge and character. Danny still enjoys his job and his second job of being “the best daddy and husband he knows how to be.” We are especially grateful this year for you, our dear friends and family, and our Savior, Who is faithful through every season of life. We hope your 2011 brings you closer to Him!

God's grace even extended to my little printer this year, and it produced both the labels and the letter for me with minimal wrestling required. Everyone but Parker cooperated for the picture, and our dear friend Kwacha chipped in to snap the shot and stuff the envelopes. (We really know how to be good hosts!)

I am grateful for all of you too, my bloggy friends, and I hope that your new year is full of the joy that can only come from knowing the source of all joy and peace, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

We have so many reasons to rejoice this Christmas, despite the heartache of the last several weeks. We have a warm, cozy home, three precious children, dozens of gifts under a beautiful tree, yummy fudge on the kitchen counter, sunshine, and friends and family to share it all with. But most importantly, we know a God Who loves and cares for us through times of celebration and times of tears. He sent His only Son to earth; Jesus was born to die that we might have life forever with Him.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to sit down at the piano with my hymnal and my children, who are now old enough to read and follow along as we sing through the familiar Christmas hymns, and the not so familiar ones. This year Alyssa introduced me to a new gem in the old carol "O Sing a Song of Bethlehem." I hope it's words bless you as they have me, and that you and your family enjoy celebrating the Baby who is my Lord.

O sing a song of Bethlehem,
of shepherds watching there,
and of the news that came to them
from angels in the air.
The light that shone on Bethlehem
fills all the world today;
of Jesus' birth and peace on earth
the angels sing away.

O sing a song of Nazareth,
of sunny days of joy;
O sing of fragrant flowers' breath,
and of the sinless Boy.
For now the flowers of Nazareth
in every heart may grow;
now spreads the fame of his dear name
on all the winds that blow.

O sing a song of Galilee,
of lake and woods and hill,
of him who walked upon the sea
and bade the waves be still.
For though like waves on Galilee,
dark seas of trouble roll,
when faith has heard the Master's work,
falls peace upon the soul.

O sing a song of Calvary,
its glory and dismay,
of him who hung upon the tree,
and took our sins away.
For he who died on Calvary
is risen from the grave,
and Christ, our Lord, by heaven adored,
is mighty now to save.

Home

2010-12-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

After weeks of testing, 40 hours of travelling, 2 nearly-missed connections, foot races through the Johannesburg and Washington Dulles airports, and an LA traffic jam, I'm finally home. Danny and my parents will follow on Monday, but my husband graciously paid the change fee so that I could have my babies in my arms just a few days sooner. It was every bit as wonderful as I had dreamed, and we had a slumber party in my bed last night so that I wouldn't have to let them go. God has been so good to all of us as we've been apart, and given me a new appreciation for these three precious gifts. Ernest will never be far from our thoughts and prayers, but I will forever be grateful for these most special of children that I get to love and hold each day.

We have great friends... like you!

2010-12-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers for our family! Our hearts still hurt, but we're actually doing really well. We were unable to change our return flights as much as we had hoped so we've tried to make the most of our time here. Last night we got back "home" to Malawi after an incredible adventure in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. We were alternately terrified (by a harrowing 25-hour bus ride) and elated (by unbelievable amounts of game and Victoria Falls), but thrilled that we went. While we've had some of our hardest days ever here in Africa, we've also had some of our very best. God has been gracious to give us safety, comfort, and happy memories to go along with the sad ones. We're starting to count down the days ‘til we get on a plane, and are looking forward to the comforts of home and family. Please continue to pray that our flights will go smoothly and that we'll be able to get home without any further delays. Thanks!

Broken hearts but not a broken God

2010-12-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

We asked you to pray for us that God's will would be done regarding the adoption of a little boy from Malawi (yep, Malawi. No need now to keep it a secret). We know with confidence that God has heard and answered our prayers. We made our plans but it is now clear that God has redirected our paths.

Wednesday morning we had the privilege of visiting and playing with Ernest, the boy we intended to adopt. Though he was sweet and affectionate, it quickly became clear to us, as well as my parents who had accompanied us, that Ernest has significant mental disabilities. After consulting with his nannies and school teacher, and my dad, Chris, who was a physician, we came to the conclusion that Ernest likely has Cerebral Palsy, and is likely older than the 3 years of age we had been told. He does not speak, does not engage with his peers and would likely require lifelong personal care. Though we were prepared for the normal challenges of bringing home an institutionalized child, and even open to parenting a host of special needs, neurological disabilities were not something we feel comfortable choosing for our family. The director of Ernest’s orphanage had represented him over the course of the entire adoption process to be a very healthy normal boy – a “leader” in his school. Needless to say, we were then shocked by the challenges we faced upon meeting him, and came to question other details we had been told, including his HIV status. Through much prayer and counsel, we decided Ernest and our family would be best served by leaving him in his current loving home and expert care.

The Judge who sits on His throne in heaven has ordained before the beginning of the world that we would travel to Malawi, but apparently not that we would adopt a little boy. We don't know why God would have us travel and have our hearts broken, but we hold tightly to the truth that God has caused ALL things to work together for His good. We are reminded that our time on earth is intended to bring glory to His name.

The past 48 hours has been the longest of our entire lives, but as we were lying in bed last night thinking of all of the events that had occurred, we noticed a consistent theme: God provided the perfect amount of grace for each moment. We left Blantyre yesterday and traveled 400km to the home of our dear friends, the Biedebachs, in Lilongwe where we are being loved on. This morning we attended African Bible College chapel service where we sang "Blessed be the name of the Lord." We have sung that song numerous times at home, but we were all in tears as we were reminded of the truth that the Lord gives and takes away. We are blessed to be able to trust in His plans and His ways.

Please pray for our children that they will be comforted as they learn that Ernest isn't coming home. Pray that we will be able to arrange to travel home earlier than planned without significant extra cost. Pray that God will continue to comfort our broken hearts. Praise God that Danny and I are united in this trial. Praise God for his goodness to provide a multitude of graces at the perfect moment to assist us in this trial. Thanks friends!

Was that only 72 hours ago?

2010-11-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Since we received notice of our court date we have purchased plane tickets, packed three weeks worth of clothes, meds and snacks, coordinated the details of our trip, celebrated Thanksgiving (but didn't have to cook - Thanks Mom and Mom T!), finished up Christmas shopping, fought a cold, enjoyed three kids, decorated the interior of the house, hung outdoor lights, put up the tree, and spent a few hours sleeping. Needless to say, we'll be ready to crash when we do get on that plane Sunday night. God has just been so good to sustain us and provide the time and energy to accomplish all that needed to be done. Perhaps even more miraculously, Alyssa, Parker and Reagan think all this running around has been really fun! I think they're for us to move on out so that their grandparents can move on in for a little while. Our plan for now is to return with "brother" on December 2oth so that we can celebrate Christ's birth as a family of six. We hope that's God's plan too! Thanks for all of your prayers on our behalf!

Travel Approval!

2010-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

An hour ago we were told to hop on a plane to get our son!!! We are still working on travel arrangements (couldn't have picked a busier week), but we hope to leave early next week. Crazy! I'm still shaking. Please pray for us as we're running around over the next few days, and as we prepare to say good-bye to Alyssa, Parker and Reagan, who will be staying with their grandparents for a few weeks. Please also pray for the heart of our new little guy, whose world will be upended here very soon. You can follow along on our journey at http://fourtimesamom.wordpress.com/ - just e-mail me at momwholoveschrist@hotmail.com for the password.

My EIGHT-year-old!

2010-11-19T22:39:00.000-08:00

S is for Snake

2010-11-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

We're not fans of conventional pets. Danny had dogs growing up and I had a cat, but for many reasons, neither one of us is especially excited about the idea of bringing furry creatures into our home. As a result we've adopted fish (including 2 which have lived over a year - we do take good care of our pets), a frog, and currently, a perpetually-egg-laying cockatiel. Our friend and pastor Rick Holland didn't think that was quite enough however, and volunteered his boys' snake to take up residence in Parker's room. This mama wasn't too sure about that idea, but agreed to a trial run. So Ned (or Pumpkin or Candy...) the corn snake is here on loan, with the option to adopt. The kids are having a ball, and even Reagan (the most timid of the bunch) has been willing to hold it. We'll just see if we all still like the thing when it's ready for its mouse dinner next week.

Just odd

2010-11-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

This remnant of Reagan's birthday party floated around here for 8 days. 8 days people! Anyone else ever had a regular old latex balloon float for more than a day?

What once was lost has now been found!

2010-11-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago I lost track of one of my favorite Bibles. It wasn't my everyday copy so I didn't notice it was gone right away. I looked everywhere I could think to look, but eventually gave up the search and gave up hope. Until a few weeks ago, when I received a facebook message from a girl I went to college with. She noticed my Bible on the lampstand of a friend in Kansas, of all places, and recognized my name. Turns out that this girl in Kansas used to work at our church was given my Bible in the course of her duties there. Since both my name and phone number had changed between the time I received the volume and the time I lost it, and our church has about 10,000 regular attendees, no one was able to find me. Over the years the girl in Kansas had tried to figure out who I was, but eventually gave up and just enjoyed the Bible. Until today, when she was finally able to reunite me with my beloved Book. It arrived in the mail with a sweet letter detailing its journey over the past 8 years. I'm thrilled to have it back, and grateful to the guardian who both cared for it and graciously returned it so many years later.

2010-10-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

My baby (for now) turned 4 today! Reagan is the bittiest little thing you'll ever see, and will probably still be the smallest member of our family even when she's a "big" sister, but she's most definitely growing up. She loves to sing, tell jokes, pray, and care for her dollies - especially "Lucy," a sad little dollar-store find that she inexplicably adores. Her deep-throated giggle is sweet enough to make anyone want to join in, yet her petite frame conceals plenty of backbone and fire. Watching her personality unfold is truly one of our greatest joys, and it is a privilege to be her mama. I don't take for granted that our gain is the result of another's loss, and I'm grateful to both my God and a woman I may never meet for the life that we celebrated today. Happy Birthday Reagan!

Guess what the mailman brought me today?

2010-10-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

Our I-171H!!! I know, you're all jumping up and down with excitement. Especially the 99% of you who, like my husband, have no idea what an I-171H is. But a few of you out there have also stalked your mailman for that precious piece of paper indicating that US Citizenship and Immigration Services thinks you're fit to be a parent. I know I can count on you to share my joy =). Now we're just waiting on the travel call. It might come next week, it might come next year, but now we're really ready.

MIA

2010-10-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, but my online time and tasks lately have been significantly limited by a sick computer. The kids' lapbook works fine for e-mail and school games but much too slow for anything else. Thanks to a good friend with far more technical knowledge than me or my favorite man, it's back to full strength and no longer mysteriously redirecting me from benign searches for country music lyrics and bird nail clippers to sites much more graphic and less godly in character. A few of the things that have been keeping us busy around here include....

A three-day cousin/grandparent trip up to a cabin in the Sierras, complete with customized camper tees. Needless to say, the kids came home elated and exhausted, welcomed by a refreshed but lonely mama.

A milestone for Parker. He has learned to tie a bow, first perfected on the apron he uses when "helping" mama in the kitchen.

A little chat with Tinkerbell, who will provide the theme for a much-anticipated approaching birthday party. Rainy days at Disneyland make for blessedly short character-greeting lines.

A little extra proof that the girl is indeed Asian. I thought the socks with sandals thing was cultural, but perhaps it's in the blood.

A particularly fun field trip full of touchable reptiles - one of many activities we've enjoyed with our new homeschool group (which is, in itself, a huge answer to prayer).

And a birthday celebration at the Happiest Place on Earth for a brother who is still a half an earth away (yes, we have a referral!). Though it was strange and sad to be apart from him, we have every confidence that he is being loved and well-cared for in our absence. We hope and pray that we may have him home for Christmas. (More about our new adoption story is here... send me an e-mail at momwholoveschrist@hotmail.com if you'd like the password).

Me, a soccer mom. Who would have thought?

2010-09-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

I can't say that I've ever dreamed of being a soccer mom, primarily because I grew up in the Land of Perpetual Drizzle. Soccer in the Seattle area generally amounts to little more than a group of children sliding around in mud, providing less-than-sufficient entertainment for the shivering spectators huddled together under super-sized umbrellas. Not that I was ever unfortunate enough to participate in either role. I do, however, have vivid memories of the pity I felt upon viewing such spectacles from the comfort of my family's heated Suburban on the way to real entertainment... like shopping. An athlete I am not.

However, I happened to marry a firm believer in the value of team sports. I've been reluctant to join in due to the demanding schedules of some leagues, but we were able to locate one in our area that has a rather gentle, family-oriented approach to that little black and white ball. So we decided to give it a try. Alyssa and Parker get to practice in the same place on the same day at the same time, and their games are back to back most Saturday mornings for just 8 weeks. Their coaches are pretty laid back, and I'm not sure Parker has even noticed that his team has lost every game.

Not surprisingly, the personalities of our two athletes are abundantly evident on the field. Alyssa works hard, but her sweetness makes her reluctant to try to take the ball away from anyone. I'm quite sure she enjoys chatting with the goalie even more than following the game. The goalie has become a good friend and she's getting good exercise. Her team has even won a few, so we'll call this season a success.

Parker on the other hand thinks the ball should be at his feet at all times. He's quickly learning the game and his enthusiasm makes us all laugh. For all the time he spends on the ground, he could sub in for the ball if his defensive role doesn't work out. Just because I'm such a proud mama I have to share a bit of the e-mail Parker's coach sent to all of the players after last week's game:

"We all enjoyed Parker intercepting the ball from (it seemed) every Fireballs player. What a heart and great timing, today we discovered our best Defender. Thanks to Parker the Fireballs did not scored a goal in the second half, he really helped out our goalie at the half."

Then this week he said:

"I could mention Parker in every game summary, he is by far, the player who is evolving the quickest; and one of the few players who plays the whole game. That is how good he is!"

We're grateful that each of the kids have great coaches: non-yellers who care more about the kids than about winning. We're grateful that they're having fun, learning a new game, and entertaining all of us while they're at it. And I'm especially grateful that through all of that we've encountered no rain and no mud. Being a soccer mom really isn't so bad.

Up close and silly

2010-09-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

Pooltime!

2010-09-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of months our pool has been putting in a lot of overtime. We've had some dear friends on hand to share it with, and they've helped us get creative in our use of the water. This night we decided to add a little soap to the spa...

Another night, Danny and the children somehow all ended up in the pool with their clothes on...

I can't imagine why Alyssa, Parker and Reagan weren't anxious for school to get started again!

Part IV

2010-08-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

Part four includes a photo of one very cute kid! Send me an e-mail if you still need the password (momwholoveschrist@hotmail.com).

Part III

2010-08-17T13:14:00.001-07:00

Part III is now posted here.

Which one is not like the other?

2010-08-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Danny and Parker spent last weekend in the dirt and mud camping with the guys. Alyssa, Reagan and I got dressed up and enjoyed an afternoon at the theater. Each group was convinced that the other missed out, proving once again that boys are just different.

Part II

2010-08-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Part II of our new adoption story is over here. Send me an e-mail if you still need the password.

A new journey, a new blog

2010-08-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

We're changing countries and I'm changing formats. As much as I love Three Times a MOM, I've determined that as long as we're in the midst of the adoption process to become a mom of four, my adoption-related posts will need to reside elsewhere. There are a lot of unknowns facing us in the months ahead, and one of those unknowns is how much my bloggy ramblings might influence the authorities we're placing ourselves under. I intend to continue blogging here with our normal family stuff. Anytime I post at my new site I'll give you the heads-up here. However, we want to err on the side of caution and password-protect any posts relating to our new son. Since Blogger doesn't allow me to do that, you'll need to find me here: http://fourtimesamom.wordpress.com/. If I know you in real life, or know your blog, or know you from a forum, I'd be happy to give you the password. So just ask! Leave a comment here with your e-mail address or send an e-mail to momwholoveschrist@hotmail.com. See you there! And here too!

In the meantime...

2010-08-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

we ride sheep and bulls! It was $1 day at our favorite local fair yesterday so we brought along some of our favorite friends and cousins to enjoy the funnel cakes, livestock, pig races, mechanical bulls, and the highlight of the day - a sheep riding competition. Ironically, we don't let our kids on the rides at fairs due to this mama's fear for their safety (don't feel too sorry for them - we do have Disneyland passes), but somehow it never crossed our minds to worry about them being thrown under a racing sheep. They had a blast, escaping with only a little dirt, well... everywhere. Parker took 2nd place, and both Alyssa and our friend Abigail were interviewed and photographed for our local paper. Tells you how much is going on around here when Mutton Bustin' makes the front page!

Danny looks pretty handsome, and tough too don't you think?

Redirecting

2010-08-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

(Proverbs 16:9)

We've made our plans, but it seems like God is changing them in amazing and exciting ways. I can't post details yet, and I may need to move to a password protected site for a while, but I'll give you a hint: our plane to #4 will be flying west, not east!

Nesting

2010-07-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

No, not me. The bird. The bird that we thought was a male... until he laid an egg. And then another. Apparently Maltby is a girl, and a little mommy in the making at that. Of course, her little eggs aren't going to hatch and we'll have to wait several weeks for her to lose interest in them, but she's making a valiant effort at keeping them warm and safe. Lest you think I'm a bad pet owner, I have tried to make nest-making as easy as possible for our mate-less bird. I've provided little bowls, filler and special food, all upon the advice of the experts at our local bird store. But do you think she wants any of that? Nope. She seems quite content with her little spot on the floor next to her food dish, and has promptly pushed and plucked away any helps I've added to the cage. So there she'll sit, at least until her environment just too filthy to leave undisturbed a moment longer.

Paperchasing

2010-07-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

While my presence here has been negligible as of late, there is no need to worry that my laptop has been neglected. The paperchase is on, and I'd nearly forgotten just how time-consuming the process can be! If you've never before pursued adoption, your head would spin to know just how many sheets of officially sealed, notarized, stamped, signed, authenticated, translated, and logged-in paper are consumed in the process of bringing an orphan home. I'd list them here for you, but it would surely put you to sleep, or lead you to false conclusions about the praiseworthiness of this blogger. I have concrete proof in the form of a Little Miss asleep upstairs that every second, every cent, and every signature is repayed a thousandfold through the joy of parenting the child you know God meant to be a part of your family.

Fortunately (knock on wood), the process has gone relatively smoothly so far. Danny agreed to be a daddy again one month ago today, and both our homestudy (a social worker's report detailing why we're fit parents) and dossier (the collection of documents that will represent who were are to the Chinese government) are nearly complete. We still have to get approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before we can send our stuff overseas, but it took us about 10 months to get to that point with Reagan's adoption. The hard part this time is knowing that our son is alive somewhere and waiting for us. With Reagan we knew she probably hadn't been born when we started the process (indeed, she wasn't born until 14 months after our first application was sent in), so I didn't feel quite the fire underneath my feet. Now, every moment that our paperwork is delayed means another moment our little guy is living without a mama. I have to keep reminding myself that God is in control of even this. He knows what's best for all of us, and, incomprehensible as it is to me, His best right now means that part of our family is a half a world away. Please pray with us that God will be the Father our son needs right now, and that He'll speed our paperwork along to unite us at just the right moment. Thanks friends!

It's a boy!

2010-07-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

We're on a paperchase for a little guy! I've explained a little bit about our journey to Danny's "yes" and a bit more about where we're going, but not much of anything about who this newest member of our family might be.

Though it seems a little strange to be able to "shop" for the characteristics you want in a child, adoption does afford that opportunity to some extent. The vast majority of the adoption process is completely outside of our control. So is our child's history and everything else that will influence his personality, health and development until we bring him home. We are given a little control however over the superficial characteristics we're willing to parent. We therefore, have carefully thought through our options, submitted our leanings to God's ultimate authority, and trusted Him to provide us with wisdom and counsel for making the decision that will most glorify Him.

All of that has led us to a preference for a little boy. From the most pragmatic of standpoints, it will even us up at two girls, two boys, and make the room-sharing thing a snap. When we told the kids our new child might be a boy Alyssa was initially a little disappointed. She contemplated it for a moment however, and then concluded, "Parker, I think this will be a great thing. Then I won't have to play swords with you anymore!" Parker indeed, could use a brother as he routinely laments his sisters' intense interest in dolls and ambivalence towards all weaponry.

We also were drawn towards requesting a male because more boys need homes. Generally speaking, more adoptive parents prefer girls. I'm not sure why, though we fell into this category with our first adoption. Our preference then was based on a desire to have a girl-boy-girl family, so that at least if Parker had to be the middle child he would have the distinction of the only boy. Who knew that God would have four in store for us?! We also pretty ignorant about all things adoption-related, and had no idea that so many little guys out there needed families. Now we'll have the opportunity to be blessed by two of each.

Many people then have found it strange that we're going to China. "Doesn't China only have little girls available?" is a question I've been asked more than once. The answer, generally, is yes if you want an infant. Which brings us to another characteristic we strangely get to shop for: age. We love having our kids close together. Alyssa and Parker are just 19 months apart, and Reagan was born 28 months after Parker. We initially thought we'd be bringing home a toddler from Vietnam and would have had #2 and #3 even closer together. I'd actually given away all of our baby stuff and was quite thoroughly shocked to have been referred an infant. Of course, in retrospect God knew exactly what He was doing and brought the child into our life that was and is perfect for our family. Reagan didn't even seem to mind sleeping in a pack 'n play and having her diaper changed on top of the washing machine!

Given the fact that Reagan will be four in October, we really didn't want to start over with another baby. I suppose it's no surprise that there's also a greater need for families willing to adopt older children. There were certainly be extra challenges involved in bringing home a preschooler vs. an infant, but we believe that the benefits to our child and to our family will far outweigh them. Our hope is that we will be matched with a boy about a year younger than Reagan, up to maybe an 18 month spread. That will mean that he'll probably be between three and three-and-a-half when he comes home.

Another distinctive of the China program (and many programs with older children) is that our little boy will have some special needs. China currently has a list of 1800 children waiting for families with needs ranging from blindness to a corrected cleft lip. We are open to a range of needs, but prefer something of the mild or correctable variety. That, again, is something we choose, and we'll work closely with our agency to select someone from that list that would be the best fit for our family. Even if our guy isn't on the list right now, children are added about once a month and we have no doubt that we'll quickly be able to identify the boy God has in store for us.

We're anxiously awaiting the opportunity to share with you even more details about who our little guy is. You'll know as soon as we do!

Six!

2010-06-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

As we're scrambling around, collecting paper to bring another son into our family, we are thoroughly enjoying the boy who is already ours. Today my baby boy turns six. In those six years I've yet to get over my own capacity to love a little male. I think I've mentioned before how sure I was, coming from a family of girls, that God would give us only girls. How good He was to surprise me! Boys are different in the most delightful of ways. Parker is a perfect blend of tenderness and toughness. While he's the first to jump into the fiercest of wrestling matches with Daddy, I've never known a more affectionate caretaker of stuffed animals. He's very capable of making messes, but organizes his many collections with the utmost of attention. Every day Parker's similarities to Danny emerge with greater clarity, and I pray that he continues to learn what it means to be a man from the greatest man I know. My only fear is that Parker's maturing might result in a little less cuddling with and kisses for mama as the years continue to go by. Even that loss, however, will be bearable if it's accompanied by the love for God that He seems to be graciously implanting in Parker's heart even now. I'm just trying to convince him that six year-old boys are much more affectionate than five year-old ones. Do you think it'll work?

Where in the world are we headed?

2010-06-21T21:06:00.001-07:00

So once we decided to adopt again, the next big question was “from where?” For those of you not familiar with the adoption world, you might be surprised to learn that the list of possibilities was rather short. We all hear stories of the millions of orphans around the world, anxious to have families of their own. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of those children are available to Americans.

Most countries’ adoption laws are written specifically to exclude non-residents, or to limit adoption to residents of counties with which they have adoption treaties. Then, even those countries willing to entrust their children to Americans have their own rules regarding what kinds of families they’ll work with. In our case, we are ineligible in many countries because of the size of our family: We’re too big already. Other countries require parents to make multiple and/or lengthy trips to their country to complete the adoption: Given our family responsibilities here, that wasn’t an option for us. We excluded other countries based on the length of their processes: We hope to keep our children rather close in age and Reagan is already close to 4, so a two-year wait seemed a little too long. A few other nations charge significantly higher fees, and therefore were simply out of our budget.

The rest of the decision basically came down to preference. I wanted to work with an agency that had an excellent reputation in Vietnam since that is the adoption environment I am most familiar with: There is only a handful at the top of that list, so we limited ourselves to the countries available through those agencies. After all of those filters were applied, we were left with two countries: Ethiopia and China.

The scales were tipped toward China by two main factors. The first was the relative stability of the Chinese program. While there are no guarantees in any adoption, the policies in Ethiopia are still being shaped. It is fairly new and adoptive parents have faced unexpected hoops to help establish more protections for the birth families and children. Finally, we were attracted to China for the simple reason that Reagan might share some physical and cultural similarities with our newest family member. So… we’re headed to China! A long answer to a short question that may or may not have been on your mind.

Danny's "yes"

2010-06-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

“Lord, please either change his heart or change mine.” That has been my prayer for the past year and a half. Danny was pretty sure our family was complete with Alyssa and Parker. Then God led us to adopt Reagan, and Danny was even surer that we were done with three. I wasn’t convinced. But I didn’t want to push. There are significant challenges involved in adopting a child (as well as, of course, parenting said child), and I didn’t want him to resent me for talking him into it. I truly believe that God has given Danny the primary role in leading our family. Nagging him into a fourth child just to please me would have eventually put a strain on our marriage, and would have dishonored the roles God has established to bless and protect us.
As my desire to mother another has grown, I’ve had to work harder and harder to stay quiet. I didn’t keep my longings a secret from him, but I determined to always let him initiate the conversation. Every so often he’d come up with something like “are you really sure you want another kid?” And my answer was always an enthusiastic “yes!” As time has gone on, he’s started those discussions more and more frequently. I’d explain my desire to provide a home for an orphan that might not otherwise have one, and all the ways I thought our family would be exceedingly blessed by another child. (We’ve discovered with Reagan that the joy she brings to us far outweighs any benefit we’ve provided for her!). He always listened carefully, but definitely wasn’t like-minded. Through it all I kept praying my prayer.
Finally in mid-February Danny asked me to research what our various options might be. Of course I was excited, but didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. I joined an adoption agency research group, investigated the various countries that are open to international adoption, carefully looked into foster-adoption, and even explored charting our own path to a child in Malawi where adoption laws are largely untested. I reported it all back to Danny, but he continued to be content with three. With my research basically complete and my heart about done with wondering, I recently set a deadline for myself. If Danny hadn’t given the green light for another adoption by Reagan’s birthday I would consider that to be God’s indication that I should stop considering it as well. But I kept praying.
Then on Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day with my family. Totally unbeknownst to me, this is the card Danny prepared and presented to my dad:

Which means… I get to be a mama again! I just kept asking Danny, “really?” “Really?” “Are you sure?” He maintained the same slightly-panic-stricken look on his face that he’s had each time I’ve told him we were pregnant, but with a resolved YES. God had been working on his heart using His Word, Danny’s love for me, and the counsel of some wise men. Though I would have remained confident in God’s goodness if He had chosen to answer my prayer differently, I am beyond thrilled to announce that He has another child in store for us! I’ll share more details soon, but this is already plenty long enough. I’ve got nesting to do!

I love my summer flowers

2010-06-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Fancy Dinner

2010-06-14T21:06:00.001-07:00

Alyssa is our little server. More than anything, she loves to help. If you need someone to fetch a phone, find a tool, or fix a snack, Alyssa is your girl. We were not the least surprised then, when several weeks ago, she began planning a "Fancy Dinner" for her mom and dad. With Gaga's (grandma) assistance, she sent us an invitation, planned and printed a menu, shopped, prepared, set up and served us a delightful meal on our bedroom balcony. She even arranged for Papa to take Parker and Reagan on a date so they wouldn't "get in the way." Everything you see in the photos was Alyssa's doing. She picked out the potted plant, knowing that I'd prefer something I could put in the garden rather than in the trash. A bell was brought to our table so we could summon our server from the kitchen downstairs if needed. She carefully set the table with our china, silver and crystal, and specially folded the cloth napkins so we could see "all of the flowers." Her daddy's favorite chips, Fritos, were chosen as the appetizer (literally "Free Toes" in french on the menu), along with mama's favorite ranch dip. The chicken picatta was excellent, and the deserts were incredible. But the best part was watching Alyssa slip from the very professionally executed role of server, complete with uniform and half-apron, into our sweet little 7 year old and back; think, chips being popped into her mouth every time she left the table, bringing up a plastic cup in hopes that we'd share the sparking cider, and pulling up an extra chair to get in on the dessert. Oh, and inquiring every few minutes if the tip was ready yet! We are so blessed to have a girl with such a sweet, thoughtful heart, and only pray that she will grow to use those gifts to serve others, and especially our God, for many many years to come.

All dried off... for now

2010-06-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

Swimming season has begun! Danny has had the last two weeks off work, and we got to spend this last week in Palm Springs as a family doing little more than swimming, sleeping and reading. My kind of vacation! We were unexpectedly free from electronic distractions (NO INTERNET - gasp!), turned on the TV only for a couple of movie nights and morning cartoons (= more sleep for mama), and thoroughly enjoyed the quiet. Now we're home, I'm caught up on all the social media I'd missed (though in actuality, there was precious little of importance, and not much more even of interest), and the speed of life will pick up again. Summer slow is in sight, however, and I'm looking forward to many more days in the pool with my favorite people.

Dancin' all the way home from Disneyland

2010-05-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

For gaga...

2010-05-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

When my mom's out of town, you all get to see photos of her grandbabies. Lucky you!

Gotcha!

2010-05-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

May 15, 2007 is a day forever seared in my memory, for it is the day that a baby girl named Thao Van became our Reagan. That hot, sticky Tuesday morning in a remote town on the South China Sea, we gathered with two other families in a Vietnamese government building to pledge to love and care for the children that had been entrusted to us. The ceremony itself was not remarkable, but it was the culmination of almost two years of praying, paper-chasing, hoping, waiting, and loving a girl we did not yet know. By God's grace, she seemed accepting of us, if not yet thrilled about the idea of leaving everything she had ever known. That first afternoon back in our hotel room she actually smiled and giggled with me in front of the mirror - something attachment experts said might be months in coming. The only hint of the spunky personality that would later emerge was when we tried to bathe her. She'd never seen a bathtub and wasn't too excited about the idea. She quickly calmed down though and even let me cut those few long tufts of hair that had formed a ring around her head, making her look a bit like a little old man. I'd been waiting for months to get my scissors on those! Perhaps if I had known we'd be eating dinner with all of her nannies I would have held off for another day. Even with the language barrier I could tell that they all immediately noticed and were laughing and discussing it among themselves! Throughout that meal they all loved on Reagan a little more, and her primary care-giver, Luc, who had been so reluctant to place her in my arms earlier in the day, seemed like a changed woman. She kept Reagan close, but I actually saw her smile and laugh, and at the end say good-bye in a way that assured me she would be okay and maybe find a way to be happy for the new family we had become.

I look back now at photos of that day, and wonder at the way God chose that baby, in that town, at that time, to be our daughter. Only He knew that behind that content exterior would be a little girl of equal parts sweetness and independence, with a little fire thrown in for fun. It is still such an adventure watching her personality unfold, because it is, in so many ways, a mystery. I know what many of Alyssa's personal quirks will look like in 25 years because she is me. I have an idea of how Parker will mature because he is his daddy. Reagan is just her own little person, and both enjoying and molding her into the lady she will become is one of God's most amazing gifts. Happy Gotcha Day baby!

Three years ago...

2010-05-13T20:53:00.001-07:00

2010-05-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

God created places like THIS

2010-05-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalm 19:1

Photographs just can't capture the incredible beauty that God created in the Yosemite valley. But that didn't stop me from trying. 400 pictures and two weeks later, and I've been stuck in a black hole full of images waiting to be edited, and frankly - mostly deleted. Next time I'll leave the scenic shots to Ansel and concentrate my lens my favorite subjects and their very handsome Daddy.

Photographic frustrations aside, we had a wonderful time and actually survived two nights in tents. (Or rather, "tents." According to my SIL, Emily, who actually does camp, it doesn't count if there's furniture involved. I say, if the sides are vinyl and you have to lock all your snacks in a bear locker, it's camping. Especially if said bear pays a little midnight visit and leaves the remnants of his last meal outside your "door.")

The kids were troopers and excellent little hikers, though the littlest definitely preferred her backpack. God provided a three-day window of gorgeous weather between snow storms, and the waterfalls were naturally amazing. Danny enjoyed it so much that his list of must-see national parks is growing exponentially.

So what are your favorites? What should we see next?

"Camping"

2010-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last night, Daddy and the kids trekked way out into the wilderness of our backyard for a camping expedition - tent, smores and all. Much to my surprise, they actually stayed there! Unlike such adventures of my youth, where the fun was in the setting up, and sleeping outdoors (even in the front yard) was much too terrifying, all four of the bunch slept rather soundly until 7:30 a.m. Mama didn't join in on the excitement, except to broiler-roast and deliver the treats, play the role of photographer, and then settle into her own bed with a good book. Happy Mother's Day to me!

A whole new head of hair

2010-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

So I've never really been the kind of girl that requires a lot of professional grooming. The only manicure I've ever had was for my wedding. Pedicures only happen a few times a summer, and only when I've received a gift card. I've never had a facial or had anything waxed. My hair was professionally cut in 2nd grade (when I somehow thought it would be a good idea to lop off my beautiful locks in favor of something resembling a small salad bowl), and then not again until I think my junior year in college.

Fortunately for me, my sister decided cosmetology was the road for her and Sarah has since become a talented hair stylist. Unfortunately for her, I'm a terrible client. I love the way she cuts my hair. I love the color. I usually just show up, relax, and allow myself to be surprised at the result. However, no matter how beautifully it turns out, more often than not my hair ends up in a bun or pony. Especially in the summer when I'm in and out of the pool on at least a daily basis. It's not that I don't like to wear it down - I do (and so does Danny!). It's the time involved that gets me. My hair has just enough curl that I have to dry it completely in order eradicate all frizz. And that can take 20 minutes or more. Vanity often takes a back seat to more exciting things like laundry and school.

However, my ears picked up when Sarah started talking about the Brazilian blow-out. It's a new-ish straightening treatment that infuses hair with keratin, actually making it healthier and banishing frizz for about 6 months. Danny eventually talked me into imposing on my sister's time and expertise, and I have no problem admitting now that he was right! My hair doesn't look much different - it just looks like I've done it! My hair is as soft and straight with a 5 minute blow-dry, or even an air dry, as it previously had been only after a third of an hour under a hot dryer. I feel like a new woman! I can have pretty hair and get to church on time =). Here's what my hair would normally look like on a hot, hurried summer morning:

Here's that same head of hair after I let it air dry a little and then spent 4 minutes with my dryer (a minute or two more and I probably could have managed to get it to curl under):

Isn't my sister wonderful?! If you live around here and fallen into a ponytail rut, go see her and you too can have new hair and oodles of extra time. Thanks Sasa!

Almost as good as ice cream

2010-04-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

We are big dessert people around here. Rarely does a night go by when Danny and I don't enjoy a scoop (or three his case) of Mint Chip or Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. But ice cream alone doesn't really pass as dessert for company. It's okay for a kids party, or as an accompaniment. When we're entertaining, I usually resort to what Danny calls my "signature desserts" - an undercooked chocolate sour cream cake (stolen from my sister, who I think borrowed it from her MIL), or a nut-less carrot cake (taken from his aunt's faceless friend "Barb," according to my sad, butter-stained, folded recipe card). He's named them, I believe, in an effort to coerce me to make his favorites more often. Now he has a new one to add to the list. This rightfully belongs to my mom, who somehow manages to make it perfectly every time. Truthfully, I mess it up almost as often I get it right, but when it's good, it is really good (if I do say so myself). Last week I made it for a group of girls from our Bible Study for the precise reason that I'd already served them my other two staples on other recent occasions. They happened to like it too, or at least were very gracious about eating it anyway! A few requested the recipe, so here it is, along with (hopefully) a few hints for avoiding my frequent mistakes.

MOM'S OVER-SIZED CHOCOLATE ECLAIR

Pastry (this is the "puff" part of what would be a cream puff without the chocolate topping):

In a small sauce pan bring 1 cup of WATER and 1 stick of BUTTER to a boil.

Add one cup of FLOUR all at once. Mix fast until it clumps.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. (It doesn't have to get cold, but it will rise better if you can be patient before the next step).

In Kitchen Aid, beat in 4 EGGS, one at a time. (I've recently learned that using room temp eggs can also help pastries rise better - can you tell I've occasionally had trouble getting it to rise?!).

Spoon onto a cookie sheet in a ring about 10 inches in diameter. (Last time I made it a little too big. It still turned out okay, but it wasn't quite as puffy and didn't fit well onto my pretty plate).

Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then for at least 20 minutes at 375, until brown.

Filling

Make 1 LARGE PACKAGE OF INSTANT FRENCH VANILLA PUDDING with the "pie filling" amount of milk (about 1/4 cup less than for the regular directions).

Allow the pudding to set up and cool.

Combine with 1 tsp VANILLA and 1 SMALL PACKAGE OF COOL WHIPP.

Frosting

Melt 2 squares of SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE (or a little less than 1/2 cup of chocolate chips).

Mix in 2 Tbsp BUTTER, 2 Tbsp MILK, 1 tsp VANILLA, 1 cup POWDERED SUGAR.

(If it doesn't turn out to be a spreadable consistency, add a little more milk. If it seems too runny, add a little more powdered sugar).

Assembly

Once the pastry has cooled, carefully slice it in two and flip the top onto another plate. Spoon in the filling. Replace the top. Top with frosting. Serve or refrigerate. (The pastry will get a little soggy if you leave it overnight). It should serve 10-12 normal people, or 2-3 Dannys.

Enjoy!!

Climbin'

2010-04-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday we got to spend the days with friends in the collegiate ministry at church, and I think would have been happy to spend the week. There were abundant trees to climb, kids to play with, and students to dote on them all. Of course, mama and daddy didn't mind hundreds of extra helping hands, great fellowship, and the opportunity to raise money for missions either.

Our diemma

2010-04-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not an animal person. Growing up I loved our cat, and my bird, Kitty (who obviously predated the much-pleaded-for feline) but now that I'm the one principally responsible for all matters of nutrition and hygiene, pets aren't quite so appealing. We recently waved an unceremonious good-bye to Tinkerbell Boy, the beta fish who occupied a bowl on our kitchen counter for the past year. We're also fostering the cockatiel we were sure my mom wanted for Christmas last year. The cage is beautiful and the bird is sweet, so we don't mind taking care of him until she decides she wants him back. But above is a photo of our dilemma.

His name is Jiminy Frog (though we're pretty sure he's a toad). Alyssa and Parker brought him home from a camping trip with their grandparents last summer. I didn't have the heart to make them say good-bye right away, but I wasn't exactly prepared for how long he would be staying. By the time we realized the aphids from our garden weren't going to prevent him from starving to death, it was wintertime. I don't know a lot about toads, but I feared that sending him outdoors in inclement weather might be an immediate death sentence. So stay he did. And I started making weekly trips to the pet store to purchase live crickets. Now this non-animal-lover was left to care for a fish, a bird, a toad, and varying numbers of insects (albeit briefly!). As the weather has improved, my desire to see Jiminy fend for himself has increased. Yesterday we decided to give him a little test run outside to see how well he could still hop, or ideally, hunt. He wasn't too sure what to think of his new found freedom, and his hops were a little more tentative than I would have hoped for. Sadly, I think that something might be wrong with his front legs. They just don't seem to fold up the way they should. So, dear readers, this is where you come in. There has to be at least one animal lover or two out there among you. What should I do with this silly toad? Is it more compassionate to release him, or to continue with the hand-delivered insects? Mr. Google says he could live up to 9 years! Am I really in for another 468 weeks of cricket deliveries? Please help!

He is Risen!

2010-04-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

My Savior proved He can save by conquering death and sin. He lived the life I never could, died the death that was mine to die, then rose to seal God's pardon and grace for me. It just doesn't get any better than that! But perhaps equally remarkable is that Jesus' sacrifice didn't just make it possible for me to enjoy eternal life with Him. He also gives me immeasurable blessings here, now, to both bring me joy and bring Himself glory.

So today (a little late!), I'll praise Him for Easter lilies. Exquisitely beautiful, a feat of incredible horticultural engineering (you know the date of Easter varies by weeks from year to year, and yet they're expected - and do! - bloom exactly on time), and wonderfully fragrant. Fragrant enough even to cover the Smell Of Unknown Origins that has periodically plagued our kitchen. That is, until today when I discovered the rotting bag of potatoes in the back of the pantry. Fun stuff. Now if only I could figure out where the Odd Garage Smell is coming from. No lilies to mask the scent in there.

And, naturally, I'll praise Him for these kids who bring me great joy even on the most trying of days. Even when Eldest Child is perpetually in one of her Glamour Shot poses, when Only Son won't stop making monkey faces, and when Little Munchkin can't seem to figure out where the camera is. Needless to say, the lilies were much more cooperative.

Happy Spring!

2010-03-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

The kids' idea of welcoming spring included taking a dive in the pool - never mind the fact that it's not much above 50 degrees. My idea involved a camera and a field full of flowers. They were great sports about both the cold water and their slow and rather inept photographer. Since my parents are out of town and on grandchild withdrawal, here's yet another photo post. Sorry! I'm hoping that my ability to put thought to paper will return with the end of tax season.

Friends and family day

2010-03-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on the most gorgeous of "winter" afternoons, we enjoyed the happiest place on earth with Danny's parents and his best friend from Jr. High. One of the things that initially attracted me to Danny was his loyalty. The friends he makes, he keeps, and Morgan is the perfect example of that. When they get together it's almost like they'll 11 again (for better or worse!). Fortuantely, Morgan choose an incredible girl to make as his wife, who is taming him (a little), making him even more godly, and helping him make beautiful children. Reagan is particularly smitten with Emmett, despite the fact that he's 2 years her junior and completely oblivious. Alyssa and Parker also doted on the "babies" and especially loved dragging Papa and Tilly to all of their favorite Disney spots. Anything special you're doing with your friends or family this weekend?

Little Bakers

2010-03-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

I had a little "help" yesterday baking banana bread...

And more than a little help today eating it...

Just because they're so cute...

2010-03-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves an award

2010-02-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

And I'm no exception. It's still strange to me that anyone but my mom reads this, but apparently the very gracious Rebekah does too. She's given me the "beautiful blogger" award, which I'm sure must have everything to do with the cuteness of my kids or the design talents of Everyday Mommy. It surely has very little to do with my writing (or lack thereof). Whatever the reason, thanks friend!

I won't burden you with the requisite "seven random things," since I think my last post was random enough, but I will pass the honor on to a few of my favorites.

ErinLo was the very first blog I frequented. Her touching writing helped pass the time during our seemingly endless wait to bring Reagan home. Her beautiful daughter Selah lived in the same orphanage as Reagan, and their trip to Vietnam provided our first glimpses of the province that was our daughter's first home.
Christina (a.k.a. Mrs. Broccoli Guy) writes about family, parenting, adoption, and a great variety of otherwise mundane things in a compelling, insightful and challenging way.
Nicki over at Stepping on Legos is an intelligent, creative woman who holds many views that oppose mine. Yet in spite of our differences, I admire her skills with a camera, a computer, and especially words.
Merideth of Lawyerish was a tragic victim of the shut-down in U.S./Vietnam adoptions, but has handled the disappointment, and her current nearly-complete pregnancy, with humor and grace. Plus, she's a lawyer, so the girl can write!
My friend in real life, Anita, uses the Biedeblog to keep us all up to speed with the Lord's work in Malawi, document the growth of their precious kids, and to encourage us through her dependence on God in all circumstances.
Annemarie at The Day's Fashioned for Me doesn't post often, but when she does, it's a joy to read.
The Bex Files by Jessica documented their journey to bring Bex home from Vietnam (are you seeing a theme here?), and now serve to show just how fun little boys can be. Plus, she's posting every day this year, and what blog reader doesn't love that?

There are so many others I could mention, but the Olympics are calling! Thanks again Rebekah!

Honest Scrap

2010-02-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

I'm considering myself tagged by Lisa, a consistently candid blogger who challenges me to love my children, my husband and my God even more. Since even I am getting tired of photo-heavy posts, I'll follow her example and reveal a few less-flattering details about myself.

Most mornings we all sleep until 8 am. It feels rather indulgent at times, until I remember that Danny and I are usually awake and working until long after most of the world is tucked in bed. The night owl schedule works for us. Even Alyssa still says that her favorite thing about homeschooling is that she doesn’t have to wake up at 6:30.
If I see someone in a public place that I recognize, but either can’t remember how I know them or aren’t convinced that they’ll remember me, I try to avoid eye contact. This is something I’m working to change, as I think that Christ was likely much more friendly.
I eat ice cream every night. And not the fat-free stuff. I know I could probably drop several pounds if I kicked the habit, but I’m reasonably happy with my weight and don’t care enough to quit. Someday I know my metabolism will slow down, so I’m enjoying my vice for the time being.
I don’t vacuum. Danny knows it’s my least favorite chore, so he has graciously taken it over.
I don’t mind laundry, but I fold very slowly. Once the kids are tucked in bed and before Danny gets home, it’s my excuse to sit down in front of one of the many shows I enjoy that he doesn’t (What Not to Wear, CSI:NY…).
I usually eat more than Danny. Except for the aforementioned ice cream: in that category he gets the gold medal every time.
I think tax season is fun. I enjoy strategizing and researching our own tax issues, preparing returns for friends and family, and reviewing returns for pastors and missionaries through a cool ministry associated with our church. Yes, I used the words “cool” and “tax” in the same sentence. I’m that geeky.
I don’t love Facebook. I have an account, I have plenty of “friends,” and I even link to my blog here every so often. I think it’s fun to see photos of old friends, and it’s easier to send messages there than to track down e-mail addresses, but mostly I think it’s a waste of time. Do people really think everyone wants to know their scores on Farmville, or to be sent a virtual hug? I get especially annoyed when people project an entirely different persona online than they are in real life. Of course I have no problem at all with the time-sucker that is blogging =).
I rarely read. I was a huge bookworm as a kid, but aside from the Bible and the voluminous reading I do with the kids, I save my books for vacation. It’s not that I don’t love it; the problem is that I do! If I get started on a good volume, I can’t put it down and the rest of my life suffers. Yet I’ll devour thousands of pages in a week away.
I would love to live in Israel again. Not for an extended period, but maybe for a month or so. I studied there in college, and want my kids to have the same experience. My dream is to spend a year teaching them a scaled-down version of the history, geography and culture of the Bible I learned that semester, and then to go visit all of the key spots as a family. We’ll have to wait a few years at least, until they’re all old enough to handle the curriculum and the travel, but it’s definitely on our to-do list.

If you're still here, and not too freaked out about my oddities, post ten of your own. Let me know where to find you in the comments so we can laugh at each other!

If you thought our snow was sad...

2010-02-15T22:32:00.001-08:00

just check out our ice skating! Or rather, white-sheets-of-plastic-fitted-together skating. It's not exactly as slippery as ice, so you might not be able to perceive the great figure-skating prowess I achieved over years of childhood lessons and coaching. (Let's just say I was a little too chunky back then to embrace the Olympic dream.) It inspired great confidence in Alyssa though, who's now anxious to tackle the real thing without an ice walker. Danny also channeled his inner Scott Hamilton and posed for an entertaining photo or two. And yes, that is "snow" falling on us!

Snow, LA style

2010-02-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

Those of you that are buried in the white stuff (which seems like just about everywhere but here... global warming, seriously?!), will likely laugh at the sad little patches we choose to sled on today. But then we weren't in the mood to drive to a real mountain (we Californians do have those you know), and we're looking forward to a few 80 degree days this next week. We've been able to see snow from our yard for several weeks now, and the kids have been asking us at least a few times a day when we get to go touch it. Well today was the day! As you can see from their expressions they were rather smitten with the stuff. Even when their fingers and toes started to resemble ice crystals (thanks to our pathetic excuses for winter wear) they couldn't resist digging in.

The way to a woman's heart

2010-02-04T22:46:00.001-08:00

Yes ladies, that's six pounds of See's candy. Sorry, he's taken.

Just so Cousin Jean knows we're still here

2010-02-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

We haven't fallen off the face of the earth... yet. Here's a beautiful little face to distract y'all from the fact that I've been a very bad blogger.

365 - Trying again

2010-01-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

I actually took photos every day this week, but have discovered that the trick comes not just in remembering to pull out the camera but in taking a good photograph each day. So I can't say that I'm proud of each of these but it will prove again just how very ordinary our life is. Happy, but ordinary.

1.19.10

God helped me out a little here by providing a gorgeous rainbow right outside our kitchen window today.

1.18.10

Danny will try to tell you that this helicopter is for the kids, but I challenge you to ask him just how many times he's allowed them to fly it. Just look at that concentration! The ones of him "smiling" and flying at the same time were even worse =).

1.17.10

Oh how I wish I had a wider lens on my camera for this shot! I'm still getting used to my "nifty-fifty." This is Reagan's mama-I'm-jumping look.

1.16.10

Alyssa has begun a new love affair with Grape Nuts, and ever since I brought a box into our home she has been dying to make me the "par-fate" pictured on the back. When grandma stopped by this morning, Alyssa seized the opportunity and presented me with this lovely (and delicious) creation.

1.15.10

Another toy the very-handsome daddy enjoys every bit as much as the kids is a new Nemo PlayStation game borrowed from a generous co-worker (thanks Mary!).

1.14.10

Alyssa and Parker are nearly black belts after just two weeks of Karate - can't you tell?

1.13.10

Some of my favorite wedding gifts have been an assortment of Arthur Court bowls and platters. They're beautiful and impossible to break: perfect for taking cookies or a salad to a party, appropriate with my china and for everyday. So imagine my excitement when I found this beauty tucked back in a corner of a Bed Bath and Beyond clearance rack!