Friday's Favorite Things!

Friday! Friday means my FAVORITE things!! I am enjoying this and it has really helped me to see the good through the day. The MANY blessing the Lord has given me. Ever notice how something small can be such a HUGE blessing??? Friday's Favorite Things, has lifted my spirits and opened my eyes! So many many many blessings! God is good. Here is today's list!

-how Dan's heart is for our family

-feeling God's hand holding me

-For the reminder to "go into my closet" and talk to God. (thanks grandma)

-watching Ruth reach over and hold Ben's hand

-having 5 tooth brushes in the bathroom

-listening to rain

-My dad! (happy birthday!)

-having quiet prayer

-taking pictures of my kids

-carmel apple cider from star bucks

-having alone time with my piano

-hearing a first word, watching a first step

-Healthy children!

-Paperwork getting finished!

Friday's Favorite Things!

Today is the one year mark of my D and C. The day I became "NOT pregnant". What a terrible, terrible day that was! But God is good. Life is hard, God is good. SO, today I am gonna try something new. Kinda of a weekly "Count Your Blessings". Philippians 4:6-9 says-

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those thing, which ye have bother learned and received, and heard and seen in me, DO, and the God of peace shall be with you.

And so in my effort to keep my mind on the right, positive things, I have started a list. A list of "my favorite things". You know the song...rain drops on roses and warm woolen mittens...(sorry is that song stuck in your head now??) As a tool for myself, to help me focus on the good. I am gonna try and post my "Friday's Favorite Things" So here are this weeks, "Favorite Things".

-I get to meet my little Sprout one day! Praise the Lord!

-One year from losing my baby, I have a third baby to hold! Praise the Lord!

-How Ruth's smile can melt my heart

-when Ben wraps his arms around me and says he "wubs" me

-how Hannah can be so tough, and yet always need to "wock" with mama

-how Dan can lift my spirits, by simply walking through the door

-a closet floor full of little shoes

-singing deep and wide to Ben EVERY night!

-making breakfast for three hungry blessings every morning

-little arms reaching up for me

-listening to giggles in the bath tub

-laying down in bed at the end of a long day, with my best

friend.

"ARE YOU CRAZY????"

Am I? To tell the truth, I am. I am CRAZY! Since receiving our latest "blessing" in the form of a little girl, there have been several who have asked us "are you crazy?" The other day Dan came home and was telling me about some co workers who had said that to him, when he shared we were adopting another child. And we TOTALLY get how looking from the outside in, it can come across crazy.

The truth is, YES we are CRAZY! We are CRAZY about this little one year old. This precious girl who has stolen our hearts. Everyday she is here, she fits in more and more. Tonight, she cried when Dan left the room, reaching for him! This is the same girl who was scared of him when we first met her. We are CRAZY about how she plays and sings and dances with her brother and sister.

The adjustment from 2 kids to 3, is challenging, but going well. At the end of the day, I do feel a bit CRAZY, LOCO, and totally worn out. (who wouldn't be, with 3 kids 3 and under) But it is a good thing, like how you feel so good when you go to bed after a full days work.

So yeah, I guess the answer to everyone's question "ARE YOU CRAZY?" is a big loud joyful "YES" We are CRAZY about our new little daughter.

What was I doing...What AM I doing?

One year ago, I was laying in my bed. At the lowest I had ever been. I had just found out that the little precious baby I had inside, had passed away. I was waiting for my body to respond. The long slow minutes, and the sleepless nights. The wondering why and wishing it was not for real. The Lord was with me, carried me and saw me through it. That's what I was doing last year.

Today, what AM I doing? I am rocking a new little one. YEP! I may have lost our sprout, but today the remembering is a little less painful. I am distracted by this blue eyed beauty, needing me, reaching for me and smiling at me. How good God is. His timing is perfect. The Christmas I thought would be my hardest, was one of the best. These days that are the one year anniversary of my baby dying, are sweeter than I could have imagined. They are filled with a third baby.

And so today, while I still hold sadness for losing my baby, I am overwhelmed at how God knows, just what I need, when I need it. I NEVER thought these days, could be so sweet. God is good and I am grateful and blessed!

Gymnastics

Today B and H started gymnastics. It was so neat to see them so excited. Hannah was the little social butterfly! Walking around asking the other kids what their name was and telling EVERYONE her name :) Ben on the other hand took a little while to warm up. The kids needed to take their socks off, and that is when I realized I put tights on Hannah. So I took off her tights and then saw that the tights had been helping to hold up her pants! And that would not work, so I looked at our new little one (R), and noticed she had the same color pants on. So i took the 18 months pants of R and put them on H (our THREE year old) and it was a PERFECT FIT! So problem solved! The teacher came and got the kids, and Daddy, Mama and little sister R, sat and enjoyed watching them blossom! At one point the class sat on the mat and one at a time, each child would get up and do one of the tasks, and then the rest of the class would clap for them. Hannah chose the jumping mat, and when she was done and the class was clapping, instead of just sitting down, she TOOK A BOW!!! Yes, she took a bow! It was hilarious! Here are a few pics...

H, was into it right away. B was not so sure.

H, loving the "warm up" (B, still sitting and not so sure)

What's that??? The teacher talking about the new chipmunk movie, daddy just took B to see??? Ok, now B is READY!

Way to go H!

Perfect kick B!!!!!

"JUMP"

they have a GREAT teacher!

"climb that ladder!!"

Have You Ever Touched A Miracle?

Have you ever seen a miracle,
Beheld one with your eyes,
Seen the magic & the mystery,
The wonder & suprise?

Have you ever touched a miracle,
With your fingertips?
Have you ever kissed a miracle,

Brushed one with your lips?

Have you ever held a miracle,

Gently in your arms?

Knowing that you must protect

this precious gift from harm?

Have you ever loved a miracle,

loved right from the start,

loved with all your being,

loved with all your heart?

I have done all these things,

I do them everyday

I see miracles grow and learn

I see them laugh and play

I'm an ordinary person,
Not special at all, you see.
God gave me not one miracle,
He saw fit to give me three.

-Sue Saladino

Mommy Instincts

Being a mom is so easy for me. It is part of who I am, it was even before I had my own children. Becoming a mom seems to be where I have to struggle. With two adoptions under my belt, it is easy to forget just how hard a struggle it was to adopt our boy and girl. I had not forgotten that it was LONG and HARD, but I had forgotten the little hard details. The ones I am being reminded of, as we start again with this little 15 month old baby. The moment my eyes saw her, and my arms held her, the mother instincts kicked in, and I was one hundred percent dedicated to protecting, loving and nurturing this little wounded baby. When you go through fost adopt, there are perks and there are the draw backs. One of the perks, is that you get to receive the children and start bonding, instead of having to wait for the court to finalize. One of the draw backs, is knowing that your child is in foster care because of abuse or neglect. To hurt a child is beyond my minds understanding. And yet, there are three here in this house, who have know some form of abuse. As a mother, I would NEVER let anyone get away with hurting my child, and yet it feels like I have.

The fost adopt process is not for the faint of heart. I have had to start again with taking this little one to bio visits, until the court process can take place. I have to go from, holding her, rocking her, protecting her, to taking her and dropping her off to visit (supervised) with someone who has hurt her. As a MOM I would NEVER do that! And so begins the remembering how it was with our other two. How difficult it was to drop them off. Feeling like their mom, and yet having to act like I was not. The great thing is, that even though it felt like visits would never end, they did, and those two babies are ours forever. That is a good reminder for me, as I start the road again with this little precious one. I will do what I MUST and love her as much as I can. Protect her as much as I can, and try my best to balance my DUTY, with my MOMMY INSTINCTS. All three of my children are worth it. My feelings and struggles come second to their needs. And that is the most basic of Mommy Instincts.