To lighten things up a bit

And now, for a not so spiritual or deep post, here's what's going on at our home.  Hudson has deposited large unsavory deposits in the tub during his bath, THREE times in a week and a half.  Not fun! I'm wondering if our bathwater has magic powers that promote peristalsis?

Good thing he is so cute.  I'm tellin ya, he gets so many kisses on the cheeck(face!), love pats, love bites and such from me that sometimes I think I really can eat him up.  Here is Mr. Thunder Thighs himself!  As you can see,  no appetitie probs.

Today we are having a Toddler United Nations convention at our home.  My dear friend brought over her 2 toddlers to play.  They are both 2.  Eva recently came home from Haiti and Jordan is African-American, adopted at birth. 

Are they not adorable(well, Hudson is looking like Uhhh, this girl is stealin my camera time!).  Jordan, the little boy, didn't want his picture taken.  He was way too into the choochoos.  It was wonderful to talk with a friend who loves missions, loves Haiti, loves adoptions and loves to live all out for Jesus, even if it is counter-culture.

As they were leaving, my sister dropped off her daughter and her foster son, both of whom are half Hispanic.  So, at one time we had toddlers from 3 different countries and 3 different skin tones.  Talk about beautiful!!!!

I'm watching Melody's kids while she and her husband go to our friend's funeral out of town.  You should have seen  lunch time.  It was like feeding time at the zoo.  Aspen has some feeding issues so I was chasing her down and coaxing each bite.  Meanwhile, Hudson and Lil Man(can't use his name) were hanging their mouths open wanting me to shovel it in faster.

Currently the boys are both asleep.  Aspen is on my bed rearranging my pillows.  I keep going in there and saying "Aspen, it is time for night-night."  When I come in the door, she throws herself face down like she's been lying down the whole time.  :)  This should be one intersting day!

Uh oh, she's got new books and lots of passion!

Yipee, I've got new books to read and be inspired by!  Susie lent me a book called The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg.  I'm only on the 4th chapter, but it is really cool so far.  The author is a free spirit and had an unusual upbringing AND is a woman!  I love to read wonderful and challenging(think--not cheesy!) books by women.  I knew I'd like it when she stated this in the first chapter
   I can't be the only one who looks at the seemingly rich buffet of everything this world has to offer and loses my appetite, because even with countless provisions, friends, and activities-many of which are not only good but could be classified as goldly-I can't shake this sense that there's more.
 The hunger growls that there's more of God not only to uncover but to discover.

My dear friends told me about Pastor David Platt and his new book coming out.  I'm giving you advanced notice--If you thought I was a bit on the edge and outspoken about things before, after I read this book, I might be really wild! ;)  It is called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream  Oh, I cannot wait to sink my teeth into that one!  If anyone out there has read these or wants to jump in and share about your walk with Christ and how you are being challenged, please drop me a comment. 

It seems that God is drawing Mike and I out.  When I say out, I don't necessarily mean packing up and moving to Africa.  I just mean  more out of the worldly junk that surrounds us!  It is like he is giving us a great glimpse of what life looks like when you totally live to please Him.  I will be the first to tell  you, we stink at it so far!  We are learning though.  Mike has come into contact with some people who've shown him what the persecuted church experiences around the globe.  In Adult Bible Fellowship Sunday, he shared a video produced by Voice of the Martyrs.  The Christians in an asian country(don't want to say where cause you never know what looney is reading on the internet) face severe persecution and yet the underground church is flourishing and Jesus is changing lives.  We all cried through the video.  It was amazing and inspiring.  He mentioned some really exciting things that our family might do someday!  Remember me harping on how great The Outward Focused Life by Dave Workman is??  Well, Mike has read it and run with it!  He has a great plan for him and Carter this summer.  They are going to pack our minivan with some coolers of water, a few changes of clothes and food and get in the car with a map.  They are going to pray and ask God to lead them to people who need ministering too, then, they will set off.  No plans, no agenda, just follow the Lord's promptings and serve!  They will return in 5 days.  Mike will take the laptop and post stories and pics on here for anyone interested in following their adventure.  It is called "The OFL trip"(pronounced awful).  Get it?  Outward Focused Life??

Well, enough for now.  Someday soon I'll share a bit of my religous experiences as a child.  Might shed some light on why and who I am.  Oh, and a dear old friend of ours passed away Saturday.  He was truly amazing and I'm going to write a post in the next day or 2 and share what he taught us about really living!

Just in case I start to forget and grow complacent

First scroll down to bottom right hand side and pause my Playlist

This video was taken in Rwanda and is so precious. It so much reminds me of the feelings I had when I was in Nicargua and Haiti.

Copy and paste the link below into your browser to view a video(for some reason it won't let me directly display the video) I took of children in a Haiti singing How Great Thou Art!  It is so precious.  Iknow that soon we will all get into our normal routines full off food, car payments, movies, clothes, sports, tv watching and other things that steal our hearts and time.  Don't forget the children in Haiti!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JETpuxkPy7g

New Pledge :)

Here is a flashback funny.  Abby is so quite and easy that I don't talk about her much.  Well, she made one of the funniest transracial adoption sayings I've ever heard.  When she was in kindergarten she began learning the pledge of allegiance.  She is super duper smart and this made total sense in her mind.  Here is what she said.
             I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America
             One Asian, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.


We would tell that story over and over and just laugh! We try very hard to teach the kids racially appropriate terms and obviously, she'd heard the word Asian before.  The word nation wouldn't have meant anything to her!

By the way, she was and is stunningly beautiful.  So, for a smile, here is a picture of her from 5 yrs ago when she was 5yrs old.

A thank you note

Dear Heavenly Father,

I want to write you a thank you note.  You see, I don't tell you this enough, but you are a good daddy!  You know what I need, you like to give me the desire of my heart, you discipline and chasten me, you provide for me, you love me unconditionally.  After a long tiring day, seeing something as adorable as this

makes me realize how much you love me, your daughter, the apple of you eye! Some other things I want to say thank you for:  the two students at Mike's school that made decisions to follow Jesus yesterday, the fact that Mike can talk to students at school about Jesus, there will be one less starving person in the world next year thanks to Carter's 30Hour Famine fundraising--he has 360.00 dollars raised which will feed 1 person for a year, access to medicine when Dillon wakes up coughing and wheezing, rain yesterday, my many precious friends. Thank you again!

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

New parenting lows!

Hhhmmm, I've gotten a bit lazy with my 4th child.  I used to be so careful and strict to follow all the rules.  I'm famous for carrying baggies of sliced apples and carrots in the car so we have healthy snacks.  However, desperate times call for desperate measures right??

  This afternoon we waited in one of Dillon's specialist's office for an hour and 45minutes before ever seeing him.  We were at wits end.  Afterward, we went to the snack bar.  Hudson had a sippy with a little water left in it.  Dillon picked out a can of Diet Coke(his favorite).  I admit this huge blunder as a parent--go ahead, call our social worker and inform her :)

                                        I poured Diet Coke into the water in the sippy and handed it to Hudson. 

Gasp!  Hey, he was  happy and I was exhausted.  So sue me.

Yes, I realize that 2 months ago we bought 4 brand new white porcelain caps for Hudson's previously rotten teeth(he came with those from Korea--I'm not taking responsibility for those).

I promise never to do it again.

Any of you mom's of many done something so horrible???  Please tell me you have!

FAQ "Are you done?"

I am frequently asked if we are done adopting?  I find this an incredibly difficult question to answer.  I know that Mike and I feel like the answer is YES, are lives are very full and busy and crazy!  Four children is a perfect number--a full and fun house, an even number, yet not completely chaotic.  I've been thinking about posting this question for a few weeks now.  Maybe, my honest and transparent answer will minister to or help someone out there reading. Bringing home Hudson was a huge adjustment for our family.  All the kids were in school every day.  I work 2 twelve hour shifts so I had many days to keep a clean and organized house, drive on field trips at the kids' school, have lunch with friends, run, listen to my ipod, read books, and do whatever I felt like doing.  We weren't paying on an adoption loan or for any childcare during the days I work.  We didn't buy diapers or soymilk(he's allergic to regular milk).  Our minivan fit us perfectly and now it is cramped.  We didn't have to have a stroller, carseat or diaper bag.  Convenience-wise, things were getting really good.  Carter is in 8th grade and has lots of after school activities that are very difficult to juggle with all the children and our work schedules.  Dragging a 2yr old to football games, guitar lessons, and track meets isn't exactly fun!

BUT

Not one single place in the Bible does it talk about the goal for our lives is to be convenient, easy, indulgant for me.  I promise you it doesn't, I've read it through many times.   Mike and I want to follow and honor Jesus, no matter what. Right now we do not feel like we are called to adopt another child and we are quite content with our family. But, to use Jesus' own words "not my will, but thy will be done."  When Hudson came home, it was HARD.  Anyone who thinks it is easy to bring home a 2 yr old from another culture and country is not being realistic.  Those first few nights home I cried and wondered what on earth we had done to our sweet little family!  Now that it has been 6 months, we are in the swing of things.  Hudson is the most amazing 2yr old boy.  He is so happy and cheerful.  Oh, yeah, he can be incredibly stubborn, but we know he'll make a great leader someday.  I wouldn't trade anything for the blessing of kissing his fat cheeks, seeing him giggle hysterically when Carter does something funny, seeing how he and his siblings play together, watching his cheeks jiggle when he walks fast, having a sweet toddler taking a nap next to me as I type this, hearing him ask "Why?" just because he's heard Dillon say that.  I'm so thankful that we are the lucky ones God chose to bring him home!

So, are we done? 

I really think so.  Of course, we will never say no to God's call on our lives, but it is just too difficult for us to juggle everyone's different age levels, needs, schooling(homework is a huge drag for me!), extra-curricular activities and such.  And who can forget that Carter will be driving in 2 years and then there is college!!  If I didn't have to work(I have to for good group insurance and I want to cause I love being a nurse) then adding another child would be much easier. There's just not enough of me.  If we had the resources, would I love to adopt a special needs toddler girl(maybe from Ethiopia) and use the girl name I've been saving for a long time?  You betcha!  But, honestly, I think our family is complete.  Mike travels several times a year with his work and I always feel like I'm a burden asking my mom, Mike's mom, my sisters, and my friends to help with keeping kids and taking them where they need to go.

What's next?

Well, as you all know, Mike and I have a huge love for missions. I constantly think about the 143million orphaned children in the world.  We would love to be able to take more mission trips overseas.  I think we will start praying and saving for another trip next year.  We both love Nicarauga and I'd return to Haiti very soon if I was offered a free trip!