To do list

*Clean house and keep clean before home visit on Thursday.

*Type up co-op weekly homework assignments.

*Fill out six (6!) grant applications.

*Survive one more week of swimming.

*Make doctor appointments for Kelly and I.

*Go to said dr. appointments.

*Start training to run this 5K.  Thinking of doing the C25K....as soon as I can pull myself out of bed before 7am.

*Figure out how we should pay for Little Sis's 4 cavities and 1 crown and the laughing gas that is NOT covered by the dental insurance...and then make that appointment.

*Take care of 3 meals a day for my family :) and snuggle baby in between. (this may seem like a given, but during the summer I struggle to cook, combine this with a year of morning sickness and third trimester unwillingness to cook, I should probably cook....)



I am aware all of these are not adoption related...or in any kind of order.  Just thought I'd give you a glimpse.

A heavy heart, but hope...

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

John 10:10a

for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20:5b-6

A daily battle rages for our souls.  What sins are you passing onto the next generation?  Call to the Lord to break the chains.  

Only One can do it.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3

July 16th, 2011

 7:30am - 2pm

*Volunteers needed to hold signs on the street, to wash cars, or to run the bake sale.  Email me or Facebook if you'd like to help or for the address so that you can stop by and get your car washed.  

*One or two volunteers needed to go to Panera Bread to get the free left over pastries from the day on Friday night and to bag or wrap them individually for sale on Saturday morning.

*Two volunteers needed to bake some goodies for the bake sale, ideas: muffins, cookies, or brownies.

The money anxiety

So, I've been having some nerves over money for the adoption.

Just trying to be transparent here. (Disclaimer: there may be some selfishness coming out in this post!)

We've been in pregnant/new baby mode for awhile now, but now I'm trying to be in adoption mode. But the next, very soon big chunk of money we will need is stressing me out just a bit. I see other families that are adopting have super successful fundraisers and am truly happy and cheering them on. I'm so happy they are rescuing an orphan and adding to their family, but then, I am so disappointed knowing that we did the same thing and came out with less than half of their results.

Why?

Why do we put in the same effort and have poor participation?

I wonder what lesson God is teaching me in this?

To trust Him more....I am trying

To lean on Him and not myself....it's sometimes so hard

That money is an idol of mine....probably, ugh, seeing that in type almost makes me ill.

I hate money, I do. Sometimes I really just wish it did grow on trees so I could do all the good that I want to with it, but what would the end result be? Would I depend on money more than God? Maybe.

I hate money...

I need money....

I wish it was all or nothing....

Now, I guess I'm just rambling...



I'm praying and trying to give it all to God.....and we're having a car wash on the 16th... :-)

The Ears are Pierced!

Both of them!!!!!

And yes, it was touch and go there for a bit.

Little Sis wanted to get her ears pierced for her big number seven.

If I had to guess before hand, I would have told you she was going to do as well, or better than Big Sis.

It. did. not. go. well.

We could have waited 30 minutes for another worker to get there and do both ears at the same time, but daddy was on lunch break, so we went with it.  After all....Big Sis did one ear at a time, no problem!

The first ear done....

and she cried....

big, crocodile tears.

And she refused to let the lady with the earring gun anywhere near her.

We begged and pleaded with her....

and she cried louder....

Finally, mommy sat down in the chair with said birthday girl on her lap and told her she was going to let the lady pierce her other ear, she had no choice in the matter.

And finally, as the store filled with more and more customers, as the lady with the earring gun was losing her patience, we succeeded in
forcing
getting the second ear pierced.

Don't judge me, you may think I'm a bad mom.

All that matters is that when the birthday girl was asked 5 minutes later if she was glad I had made her do it, she sheepishly grinned and said yes.

Birthday a success.

Ears pierced.

And the lady even gave me a hard time about it as I paid...she informed me that younger was better, if I wanted them to have earrings, just bring them in when they are babies.

I didn't even get into the fact that this was a privilege that my girls have by reaching a certain age.

No, next time, we will just do both ears at the same time...

New Hair Do and a T-shirt

So, it was time for a new hair do!  I had my hair trimmed about 3 weeks before Baby Sis was born so that I'd be ready for her early arrival.  Ha!  She decided to wait until the day before her due date to show up.  

I headed to a sweet lady's place from church and said, what do you think?

And this is what she came up with...I love it!

She did curl it up for me, by alas, I don't even own my own curling iron, gasp!  Little Sis wanted to know where my curls went..hey, I had to shower for church!

Also, I finally ordered my own fundraiser t-shirt, it's awesome.

A warning.....they run small.  Especially small if you order the ladies fitted style. (You have been warned...now order one!) ;-)

Happy Father's Day

And I will be your Father, 

and you will be my sons and daughters, 

says the Lord Almighty.

2 Cor. 6:18

 I did call my oh so sweet step dad.  I love him dearly.  He is so good to us kids, to the grandkids, and the best to my mom. 

But, I didn't call my real dad, my earthly father.  No, he is not someone that I look up to, not someone that I respect, and not even someone that I have a relationship with.

The Bible says to honor your father and mother, so I will not spew his mess here. But's it's there, preventing me from having a father.

That's okay, I am comforted by the verse above, the Lord promises that he will be my Father, I am adopted into his family, and He accepts me as is daughter, the daughter of a King.

I do want to take a minute to say that the best dad I know happens to be my sweet hubby.  He is such a wonderful dad, loving my girls, I couldn't have asked for a better man to be the father of my children.

Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there.

And to those of you who do not have an earthly father you can lean on or call for advice, there is One who will love you above all else!