Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mildly Obsessed

I have been planning Sweetpea's first birthday for awhile now, and I am more than obsessed.

Oh, and before I get there- sorry my post was full of short blurbs- I was tired to say the least. :)

Anyway, her birthday party. Mark your calendars- it will be on December 4th.

Now, I need your help! WHO DO YOU INVITE??

After inviting my family and neighbors, the number is already up to 55, (if everyone from every family shows up).

Then of our friends, we are up to 50+, (if everyone from every family shows up).

So yeah, we could have over 100 people in our house if everyone showed up. Now from my experience, less than half will probably show. This happens to be in Dec where there are already so many Christmas parties, etc. And it is for a little girl's first birthday so many won't think it is important enough to attend, (ps I'm not bothered by this lol I'm just stating facts lol).

Do I take the risk and invite everyone, assuming a lot of people will not come? If not, who do I take off the list?

I KNOW it is her first birthday, but it is extra special to us. We will have just gotten her a few months prior ;), and she will just have received termination a few days prior. HUGE CELEBRATION. Also, I want her to look back and see what a celebration we had for her, even before she could remember it, and before she was officially adopted. This girl is special and deserves to know it.

I am planning things to do for the older kids, and I will be serving lunch, (finger foods- not like sit down lunch lol).

What are your thoughts?

Also, I need your help. For my game for the older kids, I am collecting toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Can you start saving some for me too?

Oh, and if we DO get Nemo, this will be a combined party- I may be crazy enough to throw a huge first birthday party, but I am not crazy enough to throw 2 in a row when they are born a month apart, (and when both birthdays fall in huge holiday months)! lol

Sorry for no pictures- all my plans are on lock down. ;) Unless you come over and I show them to you- you may not get me to shut up. ;)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Long Time Comin

Our adoption is finally happening.

I am just so tired. It has been a long time coming to say the least.

Another road block? Nemo.

He was broadcast on Friday. What does that mean?

He can be chosen by other people. We may not get him. Needless to say we are worried and discouraged. Please pray for him!

HOWEVER, Sweetpea Beauty will be home with us this FRIDAY PERMANENTLY. Long time coming, but we will finally be parents without having to worry about losing her. She is ours!!! PRAISE GOD!

I have been planning Sweetpea's first birthday for awhile now, and I am pretty much obsessed. :)

This adoption road has been so much longer than I ever dreamed, and I will admit once again that I am tired. Please do not let this deter you from pursing adoptions. IT IS SO WORTH IT IN THE END!

We had her with us at Walmart and we were talking to the greeter about adopting. When we parted ways he said congrats and that he knew, "she is sure going to have a great Christmas this year." RIP MY HEART OUT!!! What a blessing to hear things like this from total strangers!We are going to have a good Christmas indeed. :)

{Please ignore my ginormous turkey neck here. Where did that come from- stupid angle. lol}

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Swagger Wagon

So what was I up to yesterday?


I was buying a MINI VAN!!!


Yes, I had to majorly swallow my pride on this one- I was sooo embarrassed at even the thought of driving one.

BUT, I LOVE IT!!!

I cannot tell you enough: if you have one child or more- you NEED a mini van!!!!! Seriously!

Now, they may not be the coolest things, but they are the most practical.


Yes, I know that July 08 I bought my Mommy car. Not too long ago.

Once we put a car seat and stroller in it, it became apparent that it was just too small. We worked it out to where we would brake even on this car- if we had to owe more we would not do it. It worked out- PRAISE GOD!!! You see, the thought of paying off the Journey, then turning around and buying ANOTHER car stressed me out. Now we don't have to worry about that! :)

Because of the money saved, (and miles- this has 22k miles less than our car did), I have found a love for my van. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we are so much closer to being debt free, (after this, the only debt we will have is the house), and that I know I have a very good, smart, economical, mommy car. :)
Sorry, it was night, and we already put it in the garage. But, you get the drift. :)
Years ago, I always said if I HAD to drive a minivan, I would ONLY drive the Chrysler/Dodge van. :) After doing research, we found this is the best one to buy. Mr. Incredible will elaborate on that later. :)
Bolt LOVES going bye bye in the car- no this was not set up. We opened it up to take pics and he jumped in. He went crazy smelling and exploring it. :)
I think he approves. :)
I love the little clock on the dash. :)

Final Farewell

I meant to post this yesterday, but we got caught up somewhere doing something that will shock most of you. Will post about that tomorrow. Maybe tonight. Depending on how badly you want to know. ;)

Yesterday was Woody's birthday and it was also the day we were "moving on" from them. When they were taken from us, we were told to give it a few months because they had hope that they might return to us.

We pretty much knew after 2 months that they would not be coming home, but we had agreed to wait for 3, so yesterday was our official goodbye day. We needed this closure.
I made a photobook of them in July, and I refused to purchase it until I knew they were not coming back. Well, I had free shipping a few weeks ago, so I ordered it earlier than I planned. It was supposed to come last week- it came yesterday. It was like God was giving me a hug and honoring our loss. :)

Speaking of final farewells- that something we did somewhere yesterday that would shock you- well I had to say farewell to my pride- there is a hint for ya. ;) More info to come with pictures! :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

"Back" Again

Yes! Second day this week posting! ;)

So, I spent about 7 hours in bed yesterday with my BFF who is also on bed rest.

I feel perfect right now!!! Praise God!

I finally read up on healing back pain just now and it said to do a day or 2 on bed rest and then start stretching, etc. It said that you can get meds for this first week. I have been trying to heal it sans meds, and since yesterday marked the end of the first week, I think it seems to be healing nicely!

While I would rather not have a pulled back, and my BFF would rather not be severely preg sick, (like on IV sick), it is still hard not to cherish these times together just one on one. :)Here is Sweetpea- very proud of herself because she can feed herself. Since my back was hurting, I was VERY thankful she could feed herself! (and no, she is not on the chair like that- she is on my legs- 100% safe). :) {pic from my 2 year old phone that is hanging on for dear life}

Monday, October 18, 2010

I'm "Back"

Sorry Sorry Sorry.

If you are anything like me, (and I know some of you are), you are peeved that I am just now posting A WEEK LATER. Sorry.

Tuesday, my computer was slow. Wednesday Mr. Incredible took off for an adoption training. Thursday I got Sweetpea- had her over the weekend as well. Oh, and did I mention I pulled a muscle in my back last Monday. I didn't realize how bad it was till Wednesday evening. So, for a few days I didn't take it easy- oops. Then Thursday I got the baby.

The most painful things I had to do: load Sweetpea in the car seat, and change her diaper. Even when I am just standing I am in pain, but those were the worst things.

I will have pics tomorrow hopefully. I am on bed rest this week to try to get my back healed so hopefully I can get back to my regular posting self. :)

Monday, October 11, 2010

All is Well

The past week was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster, but it was still good.

We got news on our babies, I remembered my sister, I got flack for posts on here, and I spent time with my babies and a sick hubby.

Thursday was particularly difficult. You see, I got flack for the blog posts recently that I posted about Truth on here. That is fine. I do not post stuff like that for my glory, but for God's.

Something else happened that day that blew that out of the water. After this happened I didn't even remember the drama my post caused.

I got a phone call from our agency saying they had a placement for us. Ok, well, we already have 2 babies we are working to get.

She said it was a newborn black baby girl born the day before.

RIP MY HEART OUT.

Ok, I can handle three babies.

After begging Mr. Incredible to trust in my mommy skills, he agreed, and we ALMOST took her. Before I said yes, I asked if I could call her right back.

You see she needed an answer immediately.

I was about to say yes, and then I felt I needed to make one phone call first, (thank You, Holy Spirit). I called the babies' foster mom and told her the situation. She told me that by law I was only allowed 2 babies under 18mths under my roof at one time.

Ok, that solved the problem. It was still super hard turning away a newborn, but I had to do what was best for my family.

When the dust settled, I realized how CRAZY I was! HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I TAKE CARE OF 2 SPECIAL NEEDS BABIES UNDER A YEAR OLD AND A NEW BORN???

Now, I do believe I could handle that IF I had had the babies for their whole lives- you know, they were fully attached to me, and I was a pro at dealing with their special needs and all that that entails.

BUT they are barely attached to me, and I am just now really learning what I have to do to meet their needs.

I had temporarily lost my mind. Well, you know how guys think with their OTHER brain. Well, I have another brain too- my heart. I was thinking with that a little too much.

Please pray for that little girl. Pray that they find an adoptive family for her quickly. It breaks my heart to not have taken her.

BTW, if you are wondering about adoption, the cost, the waiting period, etc. Well, we are adopting through the state and I got a call 2 months after requesting a black baby girl 0-3 for a NEW BORN! IT happens people! If you ever want more info on adopting, please ask away!!

Something that makes it all better?

Spending time with my babies. We had Sweetpea on Saturday to continue the CPS appointed visits until she is permanently placed with us later this month. Nemo came by for a visit to scope out our place as well.
Little Nemo. Struggling to bend his knees in his jeans. ;) What is it about babies in jeans- SO CUTE!!!
I introduced them to their stroller and it was a hit!!!

Having both of them in the house at once made me realize how utterly crazy I was to think I could also handle a new born as well. I have two babies that I will have to load into the car, into the stroller, carry through stores, etc. How can I do that with three, when it is hard enough with two?

Sweetpea has to be held pretty much all the time. She is immobile. Nemo crawls all over the house, and is pulling up on furniture. I will have a toddler soon. BUT, when he is sad, he too needs to be held. I have two arms, I do not have 3.

I wish I could show you Nemo's face. He is painfully beautiful! Pray for termination soon on both babies, and then you can see their precious faces!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Faithful Friday

God is so faithful. Even when life is not what we wanted- He is still faithful.

In the words of Steven Curtis Chapman's song Faithful:
I will proclaim it to the world

I will declare it to my heart

I will sing it when the sun is shining

I will scream it in the dark

You are faithful, You are faithful

When You give and when You take away

Even then still Your name is faithful

You are faithful



I am so filled with joy today. For many reasons, one of which is that I have my little girl asleep in her crib. Does a Mama good! I wish I could show you how beautiful she looks sleeping, (I could watch her all day), but until we get termination, you will have to settle for these:

Someone else is in love with Sweetpea Beauty. He could watch her all day too! ;) Thanks to awesome family- that bedding will be gone soon! lol EXCEPT her cheetah blanket- that is here to stay!!! :)

She loves her mobile, thanks to Ms. Auburn!! I kept her head in the shot so you could see that she is not imaginary. ;) {oh and do you see her cupcake boppy? :) I know boppies aren't supposed to be in the crib- she needs it for her Spina Bifida!}
When I first started planning her room, I saw this guy and I KNEW if I ever did carry out my plans, I HAD to have him. He is no ordinary giraffe. He is also a sound machine! How cool is that?!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

A Litte More to Say

Yesterday, Mr. Incredible had this to add to my post, but I did not have time to post it till now. Which, by the way, happens to be a perfect follow up to a comment on yesterday's post.

'By believing that someone who is in heaven looking down, you are in fact belittling God. How can this be? Think about it, Christ and all His Glory is so incomprehensible and His presence is magnificent in all. If you yourself were to die (hopefully you are a believer in Christ), do you think you would take the time to look down on those still on earth? I highly doubt it. Being in the presence of Christ, you will not worry about what is happening on earth. The logic that society has subscribed to concludes that people who have passed away still look down on us and have some divine power of some sorts to display in the aid to those loved ones on earth.

Well, sounds good and comforting, huh? This is like eating a gallon of ice cream because you had a bad day, sure it's comfort, but it doesn't change reality at all. Society would rather people be comfortable than truthful, which is another way of satan disguising the truth.

So what is the truth you might ask? It's Christ. By some how fabricating the power and Grace of God as something a passed away loved one has done, it is in fact devaluing Christ. God the Father, God the Son (Christ Jesus), and God the Spirit are the only ones with divine Power.... PERIOD!

Society would rather have us celebrate a diseased human that give Praise to God. Only God makes rainbows, only God makes butterflies, only God gives life, and only God can take life.

Some might say this is unfair, but in reality it is God's Grace. Ask a true Christian about death and they SHOULD answer what the Apostle Paul said in .................... that "to die is to gain, but to live is for Christ" He is saying that to live is for service to Christ, but to die is to gain. In other words, death to a Christian is being immediately into the presence of the Almighty King Jesus. What a wonderful blessing to be in the presence of the Lord where there is no tears, pain, hurt, or worries! Praise God!
'


Yes, it is no wonder why I married him. :)

Yesterday Carrie Underwood had a concert. Perfect timining. You see, a few months before she died, my sister sang the song "Don't forget to remember me," on a karaoke stage. We were able to play it at her funeral. Perfect. :) And at that same funeral, I mentioned "Jesus take the Wheel" in my eulogy. Most people associate both songs with my sister, (which I have NO problem with- just don't THANK HER for playing them), but I think they forget why. Please reread my eulogy- especially if you think of Tracie every time you hear "Jesus take the Wheel."


************************************************
... One thing I would like to share with y’all is an analogy which has come to me in the last week. Many of you may be familiar with Carrie Underwood’s song “Jesus Take the Wheel.” These lyrics seem a little hard to swallow in light of recent events. However, if you really think about it, these lyrics are true and can be applied to Tracie.

Although we feel Tracie was stolen from us way too soon, we all should find comfort knowing that Jesus DID take the wheel during Tracie’s accident.

When Tracie lost control of her car, she easily could have hit on-coming traffic and hurt other people. But Jesus took her wheel and guided her out of everyone else’s way.

Not only did Jesus take the wheel in Tracie’s car that day, Jesus also took the wheel in Tracie’s life. Instead of putting her through pain, or putting us through anymore unnecessary pain, He took her immediately. He didn’t allow her to suffer, which also kept us from suffering more. By taking her quickly, He has brought peace to our hearts.

For us to have the hope of seeing Tracie again, we need to give the wheel of our lives to Jesus. This is another reason why this song is important for us to remember.

“Jesus take the wheel,
Take it from my hands,
Cause I can't do this all my own,
I'm letting go,
So give me one more chance,
To save me from this road I'm on,
Jesus take the wheel.”

Tracie gave her wheel to Jesus and now she is safe in Heaven with our G’ma. I, too, have given my wheel to Jesus, and I know Tracie and I encourage everyone here to let Jesus take your wheel. I still miss my sister but since I KNOW she is in Heaven, I have the peace to know I will see her again someday.

*************************************************
The main point of all I said was this:

Jesus took the wheel of her life, and mine, is referring to SALVATION. Tracie and I have trusted Christ and Christ alone for salvation. We KNOW He is the ONLY way to Heaven. I hope that when you remember this song, and my sister, you understand the NEED you have to let Jesus take YOUR wheel- to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

I KNOW how short life is. One minute your fine- driving down the road, healthy as a horse, not speeding, not drinking, not texting, etc and all of a sudden you lose control of the vehicle and you are dead. That happened to my sister. It can happen to any of us.

Do you know where you would go? If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Ask why you still have time.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Tracie, Glee and God.

This post is about Tracie, Glee and God- I know most everyone is interested in one if not all 3 of these, so I expect you to read this thoroughly.
  • First of all, thanks to everyone who is praying for and thinking of me today. That is very sweet of you.
  • Worse than the grief associated with today is my annoyance with this: TRACIE IS NOT WATCHING OVER US. TRACIE IS NOT AN ANGEL. TRACIE IS NOT HEARING OUR PRAYERS NOR ANSWERING THEM. TRACIE IS NOT SENDING BUTTERFLIES OR RAINBOWS.
- Watching over us: Tracie is in Heaven. She is at the throne of Christ. Honestly, she couldn't care less about what we are doing down here. But for the sake of argument, let's say she could. When we die we do not become omnipresent or omniscient. God is always the only One who is Omnipresent and Omniscient. So, if she was watching the world- how would you know she was watching YOU? Is there are heavenly calendar that tells people when certain days arrive? NO. That is absurd. There is no time in Heaven, not time as we know it now, so she is not up there counting down the days till those of us IN CHRIST rejoin her. She is WORSHIPING AT THE THRONE OF CHRIST.

- Angel: Angels are created by God. When we die we do not become angels. This is actually really a good thing. Angels will never know the grace of God. Unlike all of us sinners on earth, fallen angels do not have a second chance. Christ did not die for their place in Heaven, but for ours.

- Prayers, Butterflies and Rainbows: The only person who hears and answers prayers is GOD. Not Tracie, not the virgin Mary, not any other idol in the world. Praying to anyone/thing other than God- the One True God- is a waste of time and breath. God created butterflies- He does not give those in Heaven the power to send them to us on earth. RAINBOWS are strictly a GOD thing! He created them as a sign of His covenant with Noah that He would never send that flood again. Rainbows are a sign of God's promise. No one in Heaven sends them to us, except GOD.

  • Glee last night was about Religion. First of all, I am not a religious person. At all.
  • Grilled Cheesus- Eesh. There is one word to describe this nonsense: IDOL. If you are praying to ANYTHING other than GOD HIMSELF, (even a statue or picture of Him), you are praying to an IDOL. The second commandment says: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them..."
  • Genie in a bottle Jesus: Finn said it so nicely. We refer to these prayers as people believing that Jesus is a genie in a bottle. He hit the nail on the head. He showed us just how NOT to pray. God is not in the wish business, which leads me to..
  • Just because you pray, doesn't mean He will answer in the way YOU want. He always answers. Sometimes, His answer is NO. Sue does not believe in God because He didn't answer her prayers for her sister. He did answer you Sue: He said, "My child, I cannot do what you want me to do for her. I can, but I choose not to. I can see the big picture while you cannot. Trust Me, My ways are infinitely better than your wildest dreams."
  • Churches don't like Gays or women. guh Kurt my friend, you could not be more wrong.
- Gays: We love gay people, just as much as we love any other human being in the world. You see, we are ALL sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). Being Gay IS a sin, but so is telling a lie etc. We are ALL sinners. The only difference is Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. If we trust in Him alone for salvation, then our sins are paid for. Because of His gift, we repent of our sins and live a life of worship to Him.

- Women: The Bible is full of instructions to men on how to CARE for women. Case in point: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her... So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;" Ephesians 5:25, 28. Mr. Incredible is commanded to love me as CHRIST loved the Church. How much did Christ love the Church? Watch Passion of the Christ and you will see a bit. Those are just 2 verses in the Bible that show how men should treat women. I rest my case.

  • Separation of Church and State: Oh brother. The ONLY thing that separation of Church and state does is not allow the Government to MAKE you worship anything they say to. PERIOD. It does not say you cannot pray in school. It does not say you cannot talk about your beliefs in school. THAT IS YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. People are STEALING YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT FROM YOU. CLICK HERE for more information.


  • Let me tell you about Jesus. Not some made up, grilled cheese version. The real JESUS.
- God is one person in 3 forms- Father, Son, (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. It is kinda hard to wrap your mind around but think of it this way- water has three forms: Solid, liquid gas: Ice, water, steam. Steam is still water, ice is still water, and of course water is water. That is the Trinity. One God, in three forms.

- God did not create Jesus- Jesus Was always.

- Jesus humbled Himself out of love for us. He was fully God and fully man. He left some of His glory behind, and went into the womb of Mary to be born. He left shouts of worship in Heaven to be born- a helpless babe.

- Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, and performed many miracles to prove He was God. He was the awaited Messiah. Immanuel.

- He died on a cross- for wrongs He did not commit. He died to pay our penalty, (I will get to that in a minute). He died. He was buried. On the third day He rose from the dead. He stayed on the earth for 40 days, showing himself to over 5,000 people before ascending into Heaven.


Jesus died on a cross for us.

You see, we all have a disease, it is called SIN. We ALL are sinners. The only person to walk this earth that was not a sinner was Jesus. That is why He was able to pay that debt that we could not.

We are all sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). Don't believe me? ONE sin is enough to send you to Hell, (James 2:10). Have you ever told a lie? One teensy weensy white lie? Of course you have. If you say no, then you just told a lie, so this applies to you as well. This makes you are a sinner. We are all dirty, rotten sinners. The Bible says that the wages for sin is death, (Romans 6:23).

If we stop there, (and anyone who denies Christ does stop there- I know because I hear all the time that a loving God wouldn't do this etc), that is bad news. We are all on a one way street to Hell. No one can earn their way to Heaven. Yikes.

Why do we have to go to Hell in the first place? Well, lets say someone murdered your family. In court the man says to the judge, "look, I am really, really sorry. I know you are good and loving judge, so can we let this one slide. Can you just let me go free out of the goodness of your heart?" How would a good judge reply? How would you who were wronged so dearly want him to reply? The murderer must pay for his sins! We know that! So why do we expect to not have to pay for our sins to the Greatest Judge of all?

Well, God is gracious and merciful. He loves us so much that while we were still sinners, He sent His only Son Jesus to DIE FOR US. (Romans 5:8).

SO, lets return to the courtroom. YOU are the murderer. You have a death sentence, unless someone can bail you out with 50 billion dollars. Ok, you are a dead man walking. BUT then suddenly, someone comes in and PAYS YOUR FINE! You are now a free man cleared of all charges!!! Wouldn't you love that man?! Wouldn't you do ANYTHING to repay him?

Well, Jesus paid our fine. He suffered Hell so we wouldn't have to.

How do we get into Heaven. It is really SO SO SO simple.

All you have to do is trust that Jesus died for you sins, and His salvation and forgiveness are the only way you can go to Heaven. You cannot earn your way. Period. Don't even try because it will just frustrate you. Trust Him, let Him be Lord of your life.

Am I perfect? No. Do I still sin? Yes. I am forgiven. I WILL go to Heaven one day. I cannot lose my salvation. Do I sin all I want cause I know I will be forgiven anyway- absolutely not. That is foolish. I can never be holy as Jesus was, but I live my life- striving for holiness for His glory. I do this out of love for Him, not out of obligation. I already told you: I cannot earn my salvation, nor can I lose it.


Please, please, please talk to me if you have any questions. Life is short. 4 years ago today my sister was killed in a car accident. It was a beautiful day, (just like today actually), she was not speeding, she was not drinking, she was not on the phone/texting. She simply lost control of her vehicle and died. Life is too short to not know Christ.

Thankfully, she had trusted Christ, so I know she is in Heaven. I shutter to think where she would be if she hadn't trusted in Him and Him alone for salvation.





I come to the altar and I bow before You
You are everything my heart desires
A Friend that is closer than any brother could be
I’m so amazed I can call out to You
And You hear me

Salvation has a name
Mercy has a face
Holiness was crucified, rose to give us grace
Salvation has a name
Mercy has a face
Jesus, our holiness
Worthy of all praise

Every moment that I come to know You
I find a new dept of love surrounding me
Deeper than oceans higher than any mountain peak
I’m so amazed at the wonder You hold
I can hardly believe

Jesus, Father, the Maker of time
Healer Teacher the maker of light
You are Sustainer to every life
God our Savior



We did this to Him.


He did this for us.



What are YOU going to do about that?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Beauty Will Rise

Tomorrow is 4 years since my sister Tracie went to Heaven. I am choosing to start looking at this day as her Homecoming celebration, not her death day anymore.

Because of this anniversary, I really hated October.

First of all, I was no fan of fall. The colors, the temperature, everything is dying, etc. I don't like Halloween and I loathe Thanksgiving food. Fall is just not friend. Or, wasn't my friend. :) Her accident happening in October, obviously made me hate the season more. Now though, 4 years later, I can sing a new song this time of year.

Last year, we had one of the coldest winters in a long long time. I usually hate the cold. I loved every minute of it last year. So much so that I have been looking forward to fall. I have been looking forward to fall to decorate my house. I have been looking forward to fall to have my babies home with me. :)

Tomorrow is her Homecoming day, but it is also 4 1/2 years since Mr. Incredible and I met online. The next day is 3 1/2 years since we were wed. Yes, I miss my sister dearly, but this is a time to celebrate as well. Celebrate her. Celebrate marriage. Celebrate fall. Celebrate that Spring is Coming. {italicized because I took this from a Steven Curtis Chapman song. It is a figurative spring I am referring to. Italicized lyrics below are also from SCC}

This is a time to dance among the ruins. Praise God when He gives and takes away! Blessed be His name!

Another significant part of this fall is our baby situation. Woody and Buzz's birthdays are in the fall. I had been looking forward to them for quite awhile, and planning them all along. Obviously I don't get to throw those parties. But out of those ashes, beauty rose. Her name is Sweetpea Beauty and before October is over, she will be home with us forever.

As you can see, I have a lot to celebrate this October. While it is fall on the calendar, it is spring in our lives. The night is over and it is morning. I get to revel in the truth of Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. "




Out of these ashes... beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
We will see Him with our own eyes


Out of these ashes...
beauty will rise
For we know, joy is coming in the morning...
in the morning, beauty will rise

Monday, October 4, 2010

A Meaningful Life

This weekend was yucky for me. On Friday I had caught something. Luckily I have a super strong immune system, so I didn't come down with anything, I just fought it off, (which still left me feeling pretty crummy on Friday).

Saturday night I got a migraine. I used to suffer from migraines pretty often, and I used to get Botox to help in that area. Well, long story short, I am no longer on Botox, and I only get one migraine a month, around my period. I can live with that. Well, I am nowhere near that time of the month, and I can honestly say this was one of the worst migraines I have ever had, like I rank it #2 out of all my migraines in my lifetime. I lasted till about midnight last night. Miserable. I actually stayed home from Church. In the 6 years I have attended my church, I have missed about 3 Sundays. 1 because Bolt was in the ER till 5 AM, and the other 2 because I was under the weather. So, you know I was feeling pretty bad if I missed church.

Anyway, besides feeling bad, my weekend was also filled with adoption/orphans, (though I hadn't planned it that way).

We ran into the Christian store on Sunday on a whim and found the newest Veggie Tales had come out!!
Based on "It's a Wonderful Life." Now, this is the 3rd Veggie Tales of the new ones to come out. The first was Pistachio. The graphics were great, but the storyline, (in a godly sense), was very weak. We were quite disappointed.

The second was Sweetpea Beauty. It was broken into 2 parts, Snoodlerella and Sweetpea Beauty. We were not really impressed by any of the movie except the Sweetpea Beauty part. And, did you notice how the graphics seemed weak?

So, as much as I was giddy to watch the newest Veggie Tales, I was also reserved thinking it too may be a stinker. I was wrong.

It was one of the best Veggie Tales ever! The little girl in it is adopted! She is played by Stevey Joy Chapman, the youngest adopted daughter of Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. I won't go into more than that- you HAVE to see the movie! In the extras, it had a music video by SCC- grab the tissues!! Awesome!! And there is a video for their ministry Show Hope. Grab the tissues for that too!


On Friday, Mr. Incredible surprised me with a book I have been wanting for quite awhile now.
I read it all that Friday, and I was not disappointed! It is a must read for everyone!!! It deals with family, marriage, child birth, adoption, death and joy. You cannot read this book without getting a lot out of it, I promise!!

Thursday, Mr. Incredible is taking me to the Night with the Chapman's concert. I can't wait!! So I guess my whole week is not only filled with Adoption but with the Chapman family! This is a good week. :)

My friend Traci seems to be having a similar time right now! ♥ God is moving for orphans right now it seems. Why? I am not sure. Maybe it is so YOU, reader, will step up to care for orphans in whatever capacity you feel called to do. :) You can find out more at Show Hope.

Also at Show Hope, you can purchase Tshirts and accessories that will benefit orphans. I am hoping to find a few of these at the concert, or to receive some under the Christmas tree this year. ;) I want this, this, this and this.

What about MY Sweetpea Beauty? Our first transition visit was rescheduled from today to I don't know when. :/ Will keep you posted! Prayers appreciated!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Strollin' with the Hommies

Remember "Clueless" anyone? Brittany Murphy singing, "Rollin' with the hommies." lol

ANYWAY, ;) a few weeks ago I was at Babies R Us registering for Sweetpea's Shower, and I came across a REALLY cool stroller. It was a double and it was on sale. We were not sure if Nemo was going to be with us or not, so I didn't think to buy it. I did add it to my registry, or at least, I tried to. When I realized it wasn't on there, I ran back to add it and it was gone. I had NO idea what the brand was! I looked and looked online to find it and I had no luck. Long story short, I went back to Babies R Us a few times, finally asking for help. I was told a few possible brands and began my search online again. I was finally successful, and I began looking on Cragislist. After contacting over 6 people selling this with no response, I finally got lucky.
Bolt modeling his siblings' new stroller.
What is so cool about this stroller is that you can change the position of the seats. They can face each other, they can face away, they can both face forward or they can both face me. There is also an infant car seat attachment, and you can remove one seat all together to utilize more storage. The turning radius on this thing is amazing and it is SO easy to maneuver, even single handedly.

The reason I HAD to have this stroller is for the option that is shown in the pics. As I said in my post from yesterday, my kiddos LOVE each other. I thought this was just perfect for them. They can keep each other occupied just by looking at each other!

Eek!! I can't wait to go stollin' with my hommies, umm, I mean, babies! :)