Stoning Grandma

Destin turned 3 this month. He is so darn cute. I just love that kid. Sometimes he sounds like he is talking with an English accent. He recently broke his arm. We were all thankful that he didn't get a pink cast! He loves pink. Silly boy.

My mom and I took him to Zaxbys one day and while we were sitting there, Destin puts his hand on my shoulder and gets right in my face and says with a grin:
"I stone grandma!" "
"What? Destin! That's not very nice."
"I stone grandma!"

My mom is laughing and says to ask him what he stoned her with.
The answer: a bouncy ball (which he calls a gumball) and an empty icing container from his kitchen.



Apparently my mom has been reading David and Goliath to him and stoning has been taken to a new level! Maybe we should wait to tell him about the stoning of Stephen!

Sidewalk

Our house is kinda in the woods. Meaning there is not a concrete driveway. The rocks have been so crushed that now when we drive up there is a whirlwind of dust surrounding our car. When it rains the water puddles up and we have to wade to the car. Our driveway is such that a paving company left a flyer at our house! HAHA! You know it's bad when that happens! So anyway, Brent corrected one problem by building the sidewalk pictured below. It's very nice! I like it!





PS: if you noticed the camo in the back ground - it's Brent's water balloon gun he built! It's awesome!

6 years

Brent and I have been married for 6 years now!
The week before, Brent backed into my car. So while my car was being fixed we got to drive this car. It was pretty nice. Too bad it's not a keeper!


This is some of our family. We had the best time with them that day!

I love this room.....

Fall Cleaning

Lately, cleaning has become depressing. The house just gets dirty again, and again, and again. However it is imperative to my sanity, which has become non-existant. So off to clean I go.

Happy thought: I can pull out all the fall decorations today.

10 Good Things

Well here are a few good things from this week:

1. We received an email and back to the doctor we go. A few medical tests have been added, so we think we may have to get these complete soon. But our agency is checking in to it, so we should know by next week. But it's no big deal. Possible new blood tests and an x-ray. But what I love about this is that it means, SNA has our file and is reviewing it! Hooray!

2. I ordered five books on adoption from CBD the other day. They will be arriving soon.

3. I started working on some craft projects that have been sitting around for weeks!

4. Last week, Brent issued a challenge to our students, to carry the lunch trays of the peers when lunch was over. Some have participated, some have not. One girl in particular really had interesting experiences. The first few days, the kids poured milk on her, put ketchup on her, piled up the trays till they fell over, laughed at her, etc. She kept on for the next week. Yesterday and today the kids have begun to appriecate her kind gesture by thanking her and were not rude. Today the princpal asked her what she was doing and why. She explained she was trying to show kindness to others and be able to show them Jesus. So she got to share her faith with her principal and then her principal started helping her carry the trays to the kitchen! This chick is in 9th grade. We were proud of her!

5. Brent was able to speak to a football team, cheerleaders, and coaches this week.
He's getting to speak a lot this month.

6. Our 6 year wedding anniversary was Saturday! Posting some pics later.

7. One cute thing, my nephew is about to be 3. The other day my mom was saying the blessing at lunch. At the end of her prayer Destin says, "Thank You God for the pickles." How cute!

8. My jewelry shows are going well.

9. April and Tobi got to hear their baby's heartbeat today.

10. Eleven ladies were going to Planned Parenthood for an abortion. They changed their mind! Eleven little lives were saved! - I heard this on the radio from a group that was praying outside Planned Parenthood. We always give praise for LIFE!

What good things are happening in your life? What do you have to give praise for?

A Little News

Okay, not really, but it was a more uplifting title than no news!
We actually did hear from our agency in a group update. The Peruivan consejo meets once or twice a month to place children. This time around no one from the United States was chosen! We will possibly wait a year. This okay with me. I do know that God has His timing, so it could be early than a year, but let's face it, Abraham waited 13 years to have Issac!! It could be longer. I am okay with God's timing. I do not feel impatient right now. I do think God has lots to work on me before a child comes to our home!

Sometimes the adoption can consume our entire world. Our thoughts, financial decisions, our conversations, this blog, etc. Other times I feel like any moment now, we will just say "Suprize, haha, just kidding, we are not really adopting!" What I mean by saying that is, sometimes it doesn't seem real that there is a little girl or boy somewhere in Peru that is coming to our home some day. It seems more like a dream. I think, this is for "real" adults, people who know what they are doing and have children, (even though adopting a baby is way different than having a birth child - so I've heard! ha!) or people know more and have prepared more, something!!

We have friends who have adopted or are in waiting, like us, but I do wish they were closer. There are several churches around our area who have adoption support groups, however we are so busy at our church, we have not taken the initiative to get connected to a support group. I think I would like for us to do that soon.

Plus, I thought the other day that while I'm glad we have chosen to adopt a boy or a girl and are approved for 2 children from the ages of infancy to four, I have no idea how to get ready. What size clothes should we buy, what type of toys, bottles or sippy cups, pink or blue, baby blanket or toddler bed, and the list goes on........ According to what we have seen, there is only about 30 days from the time of acceptance to travel to country! 30 days to get physically ready for 1 or 2 more lives in our house! WOW!! :) But God makes all things possible, so I don't think I'll worry about that, until the day comes!

We have been busy the past few months. I counted the other day and between now and January, we have 2 weekends where nothing is scheduled! I hope to post a little more often and a little less serious!

My fantastic sister-in-law, April, is pregnant! May 20 will add another niece or nephew to our family! They are super excited and it is so fitting that she is pregnant at this time. I am so glad for her!

Well this is far too long. Gotta run.....leave some love!

In Her Shoes

These are my favorite shoes. They were under $10 at Shoe Dept,so that makes them even better.

Yesterday I met a lady at a jewelry show. I think I would like to walk in her shoes a bit. Here are her fun facts, in no particular order.

P is 70-ish. She and her husband, J, lived in Germany for 5 years. She used to be a shoe model and got to keep every pair she modeled. P and a friend were once kidnapped for about an hour in the Philippines. After much praying, they were able escape because the car broke down. She and her friend had a private tour of the President's home in another country and viewed many places the general public is not allowed to visit. She speaks on prayer. J is an evanglism teacher. The President of the seminary where J teaches used to be one of J's students. They have lived all over the world. They places they have not lived, they have visited. Once while in Sweden, they watched the sun set and then bounce right back up. They have been married for 53 years. They vacationed in Hawaii for 5 weeks and spent a few days on a remote Hawaiian island living in a tree house. J now has cancer and they will soon be returning to their home state.

Every ounce of P shines with her love of Jesus and life. She is bouncy and light-hearted. I loved getting to meet her. I do wish I had more time to visit with her. I imagine she has many more stories to tell and much more to live.

Update

I love fall. I am glad it is coming up and I hope that the weather cools off so that it actually feels like fall!

Our dossier is now in Peru. It is being translated and legalized there. It should be ready and submitted this week. The wait continues. But it is okay. Please pray for the Lord to keep moving in Peru. For all families involved.

We actually almost adopted 4 kids. In fact we were making very, very tenetive plans to add on to our house! I know, we were shocked too!! But mostly excited. Our social worker was really hoping they would make an exception, but the answer was no, too young by two years. Then a five week old baby was left a hospital in a town nearby and some friends asked if we would consider adopting this baby, however it would completely halt everything going in Peru. I am truly thankful that the Lord is directing our steps and that His plan will succeed. I know that this baby in the hospital has another family waiting somewhere. I pray that someone will adopt those 4kids who need love and a home. The need for adoption is so great.

Premier Designs jewelry shows are going well.

We really need a week's vacation, but alas I do not think it is to be this year. However, we are going somewhere before traveling to Peru! haha.....we hope! :)

Happy Fall!

Mission

Last week Brent and 4 other guys from our church and another church in town returned from Peru. They left August 3rd. Brent and Jeremy returned home early to attend the funeral of Jeremy's grandfather. The others returned yesterday.

I hope that Brent will blog about his trip this week.

Our dossier is on it's way or should be at the consulate now. The next stop is Peru!
I am getting worried that we are going to wait longer than anticipated. By longer I mean 18 months - 2 years. I don't know why. To Brent, longer is February 2011. But that seems a short time away for me. I know God has things all in His timing. It's been my experience that when God decides it time for something to happen, it all comes about very quickly!! So if we could all pray 2 Chronicles 29:36 -
"And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly."

The jewelry sells for our adoption are going very well! I hope it continues to go so well. I don't have any parties booked for September, but it's just the middle of August. Perhaps, you would book a party?

Rather randomly, I've been considering a masters degree in psychology. What do you think?