4!

MY BABY IS 4 Years old! I love you Ben Boy!

Adoption Books

Right from the moment we met Benjamin, it was on my mind. How will I be able to explain adoption to my child. How can I make sure he understands the concept of adoption and just how amazing he is and how much we love him. I wanted my children to understand, as much as they could, at age appropriate levels. As we went through the adoption process, with each of them I kept a journal. A journal of what happened, how court went, who testified, meeting the birth parents...etc. But those are "adult" age journals, that I will give them after they are grown when they are able to really understand. What I needed was something for NOW when they are still too young for the "hard" parts of adoption, but old enough to learn about the basics. Of course we received classes about "Life Books" and I loved the concept, but I am SOOOO not a scrap-booker! I just can't do it. Sitting there and trying to come up with the page designs and the stickers to match and all that, just not my thing. So I decided to go with the concept and make it mine! I know I love to tell kids stories, and I love to write. And that is what I did. I sat down and wrote each child's adoption story in a Children's Book form! Something we could read before bed or after nap. Something that explained the basics, made them feel special and still was age appropriate. Even with this idea I knew I would need help. Help with the illustrating. Making the story come to life! And when kids are young, it is the pictures that tell the story to them. Since this was not my talent, I enlisted a family friend, Tabitha! She was so willing and I was grateful! She did a WONDERFUL job bringing these stories to life and my children light up when they see the pictures of themselves that she made. What a wonderful friend to give my children a life long gift like this! They point to the pages and talk about the colors and the objects and LOVE "THEIR" book! This is what I wanted. For my kids to LOVE learning about how they were adopted. Tabitha was such a big part of this! My words come to life for the kids, when her illustrations are added! It was NO small favor I asked of her, but she was the perfect one for the job! She will always hold a special place in my heart, for what she has done for my children. (THANKS Tab!) I wanted to share some of the pictures with you! They turned out so great! I have covered the words of the stories, making sure that the details of their stories are kept private, but wanted to show how great they turned out. That there is another option, other than just a scrap book, for those of us not gifted in that area!

Hannah's Cover

Dedication Page. I think she will cherish this book for years!

On this page is when we all met Hannah for the first time! SHE LOVES pointing to everyone!

The day we brought our Hannah home! (she loves the "baby Hannah's blankie")

This page talks about her being sick and flying in a helicopter when she was only 6wks old. She really thinks that its "COOL" she has flown in a helicopter!

This page talks about all the traveling we did for birth visits.

This is her favorite! The one with her "petty" dress on!

The last page! MY FAV!

Ben's Cover! ( HE LOVES THE "WOCKET"!)

Dedication page.

This page explains that every baby is born, and tells him when and where he was born! He seems to really be able to grasp the concept in the story form!

This page begins to explain birth moms and birth dads.

This page explains about his name!

I LOVE THIS ONE! This page is all about Ben being Native American and all about his tribe!

Thought I would share a bit about how the story is written.

He LOVES this page. He says he is "GROWING AND GROWING UP"

And MY Fav! Adoption DAY!

Friday's Favorite Things!

I have been so incredibly busy the last couple weeks.

So busy, and when I am not busy, I am EXAUGHISTED from being busy.

I have found myself feeling a bit "low" and "lethargic", which has made it

difficult to have the motivation for things like laundry, or vacuuming or

pretty much anything. This has caused a build up of chores to do!

I have made a list of things I NEED to get done

whether I feel like it or not, and I am hoping once I do them,

I will get back on track. But just because my weak human self has been in the dumps

does NOT mean my Lord has stopped the shower of BLESSINGS! So here is today's

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE THINGS!

-my new (to me) Minivan! SOOOOO much room! LOVE it (we have named it "Lilly" because Hannah calls it the "lilly band" this is the closes she can get to saying "minivan")

-my boy, out of the blue, saying "mom I wub you too"

-My little Ruth, who has made HUGE progress this past week. It is like she FINALLY feels like she belongs! So nice to see her relax!

-My spunky Hannah, that her fall was not too serious and that only stitches were needed. Oh how I love that girl!

-that I had MY mom there with me to support me through taking Hannah to the hospital for stitches. No matter how old you get, there are some times when you just need your "mommy"

-Getting Ben's Adoption book! It looks AWESOME... (blog on this coming soon!)

-watching my husband carry our babies to bed. He means so much to me, and I am so blessed to have him!

-Most of ALL, This week, my MOST FAVORITE thing is that

HE IS RISEN!

because of that, I am able to have sweet Salvation!

Friday's Favorite Things!

This weekly "counting of my blessings" has helped to make sure I take the time to see the good. But it is not only on Friday's (or more like late thursday nights). I find myself through out the week, telling myself "this can go on Friday's Favorite Things list". And that is what I am glad about. The mind set that has creeped into my daily thought process. This was my goal when I started "Friday's Favorite Things", to change how I thought and to lift my spirits! Like the song "you've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative."

-realizing that this year I will have THREE children in my easter pics!!!

-watching Ruth, completely change from a stressed worried, mad little girl, to a happy care free child when she walks through the door of our house!

-hearing my children play "pretend"

-This wonderful, marvelous, beautiful California weather!!!!!

-connecting with an old friend!

-hearing some good old gospel singing!

-painting my two girl's, nails!

-did I mention the PERFECT weather? LOVING IT!

Friday's Favorite Things!

FRIDAY! What a crazy week this has been. I knew this week was going to be crazy and busy, and so WEEKS ago I planned out every little detail! I planned for it, prepared for it and had it all set! But when this week came everything fell through, and NOTHING has gone as planned. I spent so much of my time planning, and here I am finishing this week FRAZZLED! But still, it was a good week. I was blessed. And here are some of the blessings sent my way!

- shopping and getting GREAT deals on kids clothes for my young'ns

- feeling the Lord with me as I had to hear my little one cry all the way home from a visit. (knowing the Lord is there, helps me so much through those hard times)

- hearing Ben say his first prayer from start to finish on his OWN! (they usually repeat what we say) want to know what the prayer was??? OK! We were at church Sunday morning and Ben was wanting to go to Sunday School class! I told him we had to wait, and pray and sing first. So during the prayer he bowed his head, folded his little hands and said "dear Ward, pwease wet us go to clwass REEEEAL FAST! in Jesus name AMEN!"

-Hearing our Ruth say "MAMA"!!! YES!

- get to go to a Sharks game with my husband tomorrow!! YAY!

- God's protection when the ladder in the truck in front of us came flying out onto the road while going 65 mile per hour!!!! (YIKES it was a bit scary!)

- My husband!

I work in Construction

To say that in the last 4 years my life has changed is an understatement! 4 years ago, we were a family of 2, I was teaching piano full time at a private school in town, Dan was working at a great agency, and we had just finished our classes with the adoption agency, and wondering just how long it would be to get a child. It happened faster than we thought and more wonderful than we ever imagined. Now, our walls have pictures, numbers, letters and chore charts hanging on them. My life is completely different and I have switched careers, from Piano teacher to Construction worker! Yep, during this last Sunday's sermon, the pastor touched on a verse that spoke to my heart and put a "title" on my occupation! A title that convicted me and motivated me. It clarified my job discription and gave me a good swift kick in the pants.

Proverbs 14 :1 -

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

It hit me when I heard him read the words, and the Lord got my attention. I was holding one sleeping baby in my arms and tending to another at my side, while Dan had another on his lap, but the Lord spoke through and got my attention. Have I been following this verse. Have I been building up my house, or tearing it down? I am the Foreman and I have a job to do, and make sure it is done right so as to be a strong house hold and not one easily torn down. But I was reminded that I could be the one tearing down my house... this world and environment, I have spent so much of my time energy and effort to build up. My actions, my tone of voice, my focus on "what must get done" and not on the little story my boy wants to tell me about "wockets". The "don't bug me right now" and the so busy schedule that the people who matter most are pushed to the back. I am guilty of this more than I want to admit. I think it is good to get a refresher of our "job description" now and then.

I read in a book once, that Christ and His disciples are a good example of how we are to teach and raise our children in the truth. How he taught them and how was patient and kind and a strong leader. But what really caught me was when the author brought out the fact that the MAIN thing that Christ did with his disciples was that He was WITH them! He traveled with them lived with them ate, slept, and shared His life with them. The point is, that if it is my job as a mama, to lead these little ones and teach them...then I need to be the one who is with them. The Lord gave these children to Dan and I, not to a babysitter, or a grandparent, but to us. I don't want to sound "judgmental" of others who must work and have to make ends meet. I understand that I am SO blessed to have a husband with a job that is able to support us in a way that keeps me home. This is just simply MY conviction on the subject. And I felt it was a valid point that the author brought out. How would the disciples have learned all the stories and seen all the great works if Christ was only with them at night and on the weekends. The benefits of being there to teach, lead, comfort and love my children are so great! But what I have to remember, is that even though my body may be here, that does not automatically make me "there" for my family. If my mind is else where, busy with other things, then I am not available, I am not teaching, leading or loving my family. My physical presence is a must, but I must be ALL THE WAY there for my family, MIND BODY AND SOUL. Ready at anytime to hammer another nail in the structure of this home of ours. Because that is my job. And as in proverbs, if I am a WISE woman... I will build up my house. I will not let the stress and the busy craziness of life PLUCK down my house. I have worked too hard building it up, to turn around and tear it down.

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about Lessons in Adoption, and how that it is God who is teaching me how to be the best mama to my babies. Well, He is constantly with me too. When I am in need of anything, He is there. I want to follow that example. I want to Build Up my house. I may not know about wood, nails and all that goes into building a physical house, but I am in charge of building MY household. The only way I can do that is to stay close to HIM my example and work like CRAZY to not let anything especially ME to tear it down!

Friday's Favorite Things!

This Friday I woke up and knew,

there is going to be ONE thing listed on todays post.

Not that there were not a bunch of little blessings this week,

but because the biggest one, deserves a spotlight of it own!!

One worth celebration and attention!!

There was a court date this week

for our new little one year old

fost-adopt daughter.

NO reunification.....

SHE IS HERE TO STAY!!!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!