Crazy Days & Lazy Days

Our crazy days are filled with school, practices, basketball games & the like. All good things, but they keep a mommy busy.

The not so good things are the mounds of laundry that never seem to shrink & the dust bunnies that continue to multiply. The sock basket overflows, but somehow none of the socks match. Our standing rule has become if you have 2 clean socks, they match.

We've had quite a few lazy days recently with the ice & enjoyed 3 days off from school. We didn't get hit with as much snow as others, but lots of freezing rain. I'd rather have snow. The bigger kids thought the ice was pretty fun, though, b/c the whole backyard turned into a giant slip-n-slide. I looked out to find those ding-a-lings boogie boarding across the backyard. No, I didn't get any pictures b/c I was too busy yelling at them not to break anything. Kami managed to bite it once which resulted in lovely markings over her eye with a bit of swelling. Did I say these were lazy days? Never mind.

Kaelee is a huge fan of books, & the littles are very happy about that!

I know, Kendi is getting big. Kaya loves to hold her, but I think it's become more of a propping up!

Kendi thinks Daddy is pretty great...Actually, we all think Daddy is pretty great!

She's such a stinker! She has smiles SO BIG that it seems she will turn inside out...until the camera comes out.

Tummy time is so much better with partners!

And this next picture pretty much sums up what some days are like around these parts.

Yes, that would be Ella with a pacifier. *sigh*

No worries, though, b/c our little princess has no need for those pacifiers when she has something much more wonderful at her disposal.

Thursday Thoughts

A friend posted this on FB today, & I have not been able to get it out of my head. When I find out who wrote this, I will share...in the meantime, I figured I'd let you chew on it for awhile! Have a blessed day!!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Sunday Snapshot: {Baby Pictures}

After duking it out with technology (you don't want to know), I have finally gotten some new pictures downloaded to the computer. My post is titled "Baby Pictures", & they are...of all my babies!! Now, I am too completely annoyed & frustrated tired for words, so enjoy the pictures!

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To participate in Sunday Snapshot & check out some other posts, click the button!

Why We Adopted & How Did You Know?

This is a question a lot of people have for us, especially since we adopted after having 5 children biologically. Just the other day, a dear friend of mine blogged about this very subject & her words pretty much sum it up. Please take a moment to go check out the post here.

I also get questions about how we knew "where". The answer is the same as "why?": God. I was rocking Kendi this morning & watching the other two little ones playing on the floor when it hit me again...I become very emotional when I think of the journey to each of our children. Each journey was very different, but one aspect was the same: God would place an undeniable tugging on my heart that would become almost urgent in nature to the point I would become consumed with praying & seeking where it was He wanted us to go. I wish I could say it was always easy to understand or that I just said, "Ok!", because it wasn't like that. We would wrestle, pray, "quit", wrestle some more, pray...& then finally ask & surrender. Seems I always tend to leave that surrender part out, but once we would remember that it was crucial to hearing God & then following, the paths to our children would become more clear. And, honestly, each "path" was not at all the one we originally thought we ought to be on (you know, our plan vs. His plan). I said I would never do foster care, never adopt internationally, that I couldn't imagine that a birth mother would ever choose a large family for her baby. I am thankful each & every day that where I saw never, God saw the possibilities & the opportunity to stretch & grow our family's faith, transform our minds, & increase our capacity to love.

I don't know if God will call us to adoption again. But I know that there will be a day that He calls us again to something. I pray that I have ears to hear the invitation & that my response is an unwavering, "Yes, Lord" because I can't imagine what my life would look like if I had not said "yes" to adoption.

How about you? Is the Lord tugging on your heart? Please let me know if I can pray for you about something...Either leave me a comment or contact me through the email linked to my profile.

Family Friday: Group Pictures

Here's the final batch of pictures. If you didn't see the others & would like to, check out my last two posts.

When I look at these pictures, I am amazed at how our family has changed & grown in this last year. Just last night after Kam's basketball game, an elderly gentlemen stood waiting for me to come down from our spot in the bleachers. I was holding Kendi, & he said, "Did you adopt her?" Evidently, he & his wife had been observing us during the game & they were genuinely interested, so I took some time to share.

And then he said, "You must be very special people." This embarrasses me to no end, & I always try to fit into the minute I have left to chat the truth. The truth is that we are not "special". Quite frankly, I'm flawed, & there are days that feel like I get it wrong more than I get it right.

However, I do serve a special God. An awesome God who desires that every one of us not be satisfied with a life of "status quo" nor a life lived chasing the American dream. He has unique hopes & dreams for each of us. What I wanted so much for this man to see is that the only thing special about me is that I trusted God, said "yes" & allowed Him to begin a work in me.

While our family has changed drastically in the last year, understand that this journey began many years ago. This has not been an overnight thing, & honestly, it's an ongoing work in progress. And while the adoption of 3 children through 3 different avenues has been part of the journey, it's definitely not the only aspect of the journey. It's been about transformation.

The way I view my relationship with Him is different.

The way I view myself is different.

The way I pray is different.

My relationship with my husband & children is different.

My hopes & dreams are different.

Again, it's not always easy & it's definitely not perfect. But one thing's for sure: I will never be the same, & I don't want to be. And the reality is, even though I've come a long way, I know I've still got a long way to go. But instead of fearing that, I pray that I would be in anticipation of continued growth so that I can be & experience everything that He desires for my life.

And you thought you were just getting pictures. ;o)

I pray that 2011 is full of many blessings & that we recognize & seek Him in every moment.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Batch #2 of Pictures: Individuals

I started posting the pictures we had done for Christmas yesterday. If you missed those & would like to see them, click here.

Today, I'm sharing all of the individual pictures of my babies. :o) I'm also telling a bit about each of them, just cuz. And while I'm at it, I'll throw in the one of me & my hubby. We were told once at a marriage retreat to make a point of having pictures of just the two of us to symbolize that our marriage is a priority, so we do because it is!

Joe & Dardi

Kaelee, Junior in College, Early Childhood Education Major

Kearsten, Sophomore in College, Intervention Specialist Major (Special Education)

Kameryn, Sophomore in High School, Varsity Basketball

Kyler, Freshman in High School, Student Athletic Trainer

Kade, 5th Grade, Football & Basketball

K'Tyo, 5 yrs/Preschool, Seems to be Liking the Sports Scene

Kaya, 3 Yrs., Princess & Cheerleader (According to Her!)

Kendi, 11 Weeks, Princess-in-the-Making :o)

I intend to post the group pictures tomorrow. Three blog posts in 3 days??? Dude...it's unheard of for me!

Wonderful {Almost} Wordless Wednesday

For Christmas, we got family pictures taken by a photographer. So as not to put you on cuteness overload, I will be posting them in groups over the next few days! ;o)

Our wonderful photographer gave me watermarked digital files so I could share them with all of you with a bit of protection added! :o)