A little while later I heard Daddy Steve go back up the stairs to his office. I peeked into the living room to see this:
Guess Barrett decided he didn't want to fight sleep any longer.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Afternoon Nap
The other day I walked into the living room after lunch to see this:
Barrett wasn't moving. He was hunched over Namaw just staring at Daddy Steve. He looked like he could fall asleep in this position!
A little while later I heard Daddy Steve go back up the stairs to his office. I peeked into the living room to see this:
A little while later I heard Daddy Steve go back up the stairs to his office. I peeked into the living room to see this:
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
"I couldn't find my paper!"
On Tuesday I picked Brody up from preschool and immediately noticed his pants.
That's right. He had used a red marker to draw on the upper thighs of his jeans. Not to mention he colored on one of the only pair of pants he owns without holes in the knees (I've got to learn to patch jeans!) When I asked him, "Why in the would would you color on your jeans?!?" He responded very matter-of-factly with, "I couldn't find my paper!"
I may have only been a mom for 3 1/2 years now...but even I'm not buying that excuse! I couldn't get a hold of Mike on the phone, so I called my parents. I asked what my punishment would've been if I had colored on my jeans with markers when I was 3 years old. They suggested that we have Brody do some jobs for us to earn enough money to pay for a new pair of pants (I decided that consignment store prices provided enough jobs for him).
Here's the chart I made so that Brody can see how many jobs he has to do. (Yes, it's supposed to look like a pair of jeans. What can I say? I'm definitely not an artist!) Last night he helped me empty and reload the dishwasher and he also picked up his room and Barrett's room by himself (usually I help so that it gets done in a more timely fashion). Two jobs down...fourteen more to go.
I may have only been a mom for 3 1/2 years now...but even I'm not buying that excuse! I couldn't get a hold of Mike on the phone, so I called my parents. I asked what my punishment would've been if I had colored on my jeans with markers when I was 3 years old. They suggested that we have Brody do some jobs for us to earn enough money to pay for a new pair of pants (I decided that consignment store prices provided enough jobs for him).
Here's the chart I made so that Brody can see how many jobs he has to do. (Yes, it's supposed to look like a pair of jeans. What can I say? I'm definitely not an artist!) Last night he helped me empty and reload the dishwasher and he also picked up his room and Barrett's room by himself (usually I help so that it gets done in a more timely fashion). Two jobs down...fourteen more to go.
The odd/good thing is that 3 years olds are so eager to help that he's loving this punishment. I have to keep reminding him that instead of getting a toy with all the money he's earning...he'll get to buy a pair of pants. It sobers him...for a split second.
Monday, February 01, 2010
New Project
Just an FYI:
I've been spending every spare moment working on our adoption profile book. I just want you to know that I haven't forgotten about you and that I'll be back shortly with more posts about our life. Maybe in the next day or two I'll even be ready to post pictures of our adoption profile book for your critique!
I've been spending every spare moment working on our adoption profile book. I just want you to know that I haven't forgotten about you and that I'll be back shortly with more posts about our life. Maybe in the next day or two I'll even be ready to post pictures of our adoption profile book for your critique!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
He's still got it
Do you remember this post? Well, this is proof that Brody still looks good in jeans and boots. Today was western day at school. People mistook him for George Straight!
(This picture was of him being silly. He was walking around the pool singing, "Cowboy Baby!" over and over...just those words...not the whole song.)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
"Stolen" Game Ball
If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you've probably come to the conclusion that my life is an open book. I love to share the stories of my life with others (sometimes sharing more than I probably should). Last night something rather embarrassing happened. In fact, as we were falling asleep I asked Mike not to tell anyone about it! You might wonder why I'd be mentioning it on a public forum like my blog? Well, it's because I'm not good at hiding things! If I don't just go ahead and admit to it, every time I see these people I have a feeling of guilt...even though they wouldn't know that I did it! It's really not a big deal. In fact...it's kinda funny! However, I have a feeling that it's something that I'm gonna get ragged on for doing.
Last night Mike's softball team had a double header. Mike, Caleb, and Brody went to the batting cages before the game and then Audria, Barrett, and I met them at the game. It was a good game (at least what I saw while trying to corral the boys and talk with friends in the stands while still keeping an eye on the game) and I know Mike hit at least 2 home runs. Our team (PR Black) won the game! After the game was over, Brody got to play catch with Mike on the ball diamond! He was sooooo excited about this. He even (much to my dismay) practiced sliding. He was filthy when they walked off the field!
Since the 2nd game didn't start until 7:50 pm, I decided to take the boys home and get them to bed.
I knew we'd be getting home way past bedtime, so I told Brody that he was going to get to hear his bedtime story in the car on our way home. As soon as we got in the car I started telling him a story about a boy named Cody who had magic boots. We were already engrossed in the story as we pulled out of the parking lot. I was driving down the dark street when I saw a bright yellow softball in the middle of the road. I felt like I'd just struck gold! I know that they guys are always contributing money to buy game balls and here I'd found one that had obviously been forgotten about from a previous game! I backed up the car, opened the door, leaned out of the car to pick up the ball, and then put it in my purse in the seat beside me...all the while not breaking stride in the story that I was telling Brody.
We arrived home 20 minutes later and I hurried to get the boys in bed. After they were in bed I pulled the ball out of my purse and was a little surprised to see "BLACK" printed in sharpie on the softball. That's the name of our team! I thought, "I'm glad I grabbed that ball! They'll be happy that I found one of their lost softballs! I can't wait for Mike to get home so I can show him!"
Mike arrived home a half our later and I asked (proudly), "Did you see the ball on the desk? I found one of y'alls softballs in the middle of the road!"
Mike's eyes got really wide and he said, "That was you?!?!?!?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
He responded, "One of our guys hit a home run. He went to retrieve the ball and came back empty handed. He told us, 'I was almost to the ball when a white car stopped, grabbed our ball, and then drove off! I've never seen anything like that before! No one's ever stopped and stolen our ball during the middle of the game!'"
WHAT?!?!?!? I guess I was so engrossed in the story I was telling the boys that I didn't even realize that I was directly behind the ball diamond...and it never even crossed my mind that I could be "stealing" the game ball!!! I was mortified! Thankfully that wasn't their last ball. Can you imagine if I'd caused them to lose (a game that they won) because I'd "stolen" their last ball! I knew I'd never hear the end of it from Mike's softball team. I told Mike that I'd never be able to go to a softball game again. He just kept laughing about it (which was making it worse). He finally told me that he'd just sneak the ball back in place with the other balls at the next game. I felt like I'd gotten away with something and decided to try to go to sleep.
As I was falling asleep, I couldn't stop laughing. All I could think about was the player running back and talking about the "white car" who "stole" the game ball...and thinking about how I was the white car! I finally decided that I'd feel better if I just let everyone else in on the joke. You can all laugh about it with me...and then I'll be able to show my face at the next game. I'm sure I'll still get a few comments...but it's ok. I'll be laughing right along with them. Good thing "stealing" a game ball isn't a felony in the state of Texas! I'd hate for my "act of kindness" to put a kink in our adoption process!
Last night Mike's softball team had a double header. Mike, Caleb, and Brody went to the batting cages before the game and then Audria, Barrett, and I met them at the game. It was a good game (at least what I saw while trying to corral the boys and talk with friends in the stands while still keeping an eye on the game) and I know Mike hit at least 2 home runs. Our team (PR Black) won the game! After the game was over, Brody got to play catch with Mike on the ball diamond! He was sooooo excited about this. He even (much to my dismay) practiced sliding. He was filthy when they walked off the field!
I knew we'd be getting home way past bedtime, so I told Brody that he was going to get to hear his bedtime story in the car on our way home. As soon as we got in the car I started telling him a story about a boy named Cody who had magic boots. We were already engrossed in the story as we pulled out of the parking lot. I was driving down the dark street when I saw a bright yellow softball in the middle of the road. I felt like I'd just struck gold! I know that they guys are always contributing money to buy game balls and here I'd found one that had obviously been forgotten about from a previous game! I backed up the car, opened the door, leaned out of the car to pick up the ball, and then put it in my purse in the seat beside me...all the while not breaking stride in the story that I was telling Brody.
We arrived home 20 minutes later and I hurried to get the boys in bed. After they were in bed I pulled the ball out of my purse and was a little surprised to see "BLACK" printed in sharpie on the softball. That's the name of our team! I thought, "I'm glad I grabbed that ball! They'll be happy that I found one of their lost softballs! I can't wait for Mike to get home so I can show him!"
Mike arrived home a half our later and I asked (proudly), "Did you see the ball on the desk? I found one of y'alls softballs in the middle of the road!"
Mike's eyes got really wide and he said, "That was you?!?!?!?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
He responded, "One of our guys hit a home run. He went to retrieve the ball and came back empty handed. He told us, 'I was almost to the ball when a white car stopped, grabbed our ball, and then drove off! I've never seen anything like that before! No one's ever stopped and stolen our ball during the middle of the game!'"
WHAT?!?!?!? I guess I was so engrossed in the story I was telling the boys that I didn't even realize that I was directly behind the ball diamond...and it never even crossed my mind that I could be "stealing" the game ball!!! I was mortified! Thankfully that wasn't their last ball. Can you imagine if I'd caused them to lose (a game that they won) because I'd "stolen" their last ball! I knew I'd never hear the end of it from Mike's softball team. I told Mike that I'd never be able to go to a softball game again. He just kept laughing about it (which was making it worse). He finally told me that he'd just sneak the ball back in place with the other balls at the next game. I felt like I'd gotten away with something and decided to try to go to sleep.
As I was falling asleep, I couldn't stop laughing. All I could think about was the player running back and talking about the "white car" who "stole" the game ball...and thinking about how I was the white car! I finally decided that I'd feel better if I just let everyone else in on the joke. You can all laugh about it with me...and then I'll be able to show my face at the next game. I'm sure I'll still get a few comments...but it's ok. I'll be laughing right along with them. Good thing "stealing" a game ball isn't a felony in the state of Texas! I'd hate for my "act of kindness" to put a kink in our adoption process!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Blessed at 30
Daddy Steve took a few pictures of me and the boys after church today. Namaw made a big lunch and a lot of our family came over to celebrate my 30th birthday! I couldn't pick my favorite out of the pictures that he took. Which one or two are your favorites?
(In this picture Brody is looking at my birthday present. It's a bracelet with Brody, Baby K, and Barrett's birthstones on it. It's beautiful!)
Barrett's had a virus and hasn't been feeling very peppy. There was no way he was going to smile for a picture...but he doesn't have to! He still looks precious!
Surprise!!!
Friday night Mike and I got dressed up and got in the car to go to dinner to celebrate my 30th birthday. He said that we needed to drop off his racquet for Audria to use when she went with Caleb to go play racquetball. I was surprised when Mike took the racquet to their door and they stepped out of their house dressed up...ready to go to dinner with us! I was excited that they were going to join us, but I still didn't know where we were going.
We drove to downtown Ft. Worth and parked in Mike's parking garage (for work). Then we stood around on the street talking for a little while. I was beginning to wonder what we were just standing around for when I turned around and saw Tyler and Ann walking towards us! Mike just grinned at the surprise that he'd pulled off.
We walked to Texas de Brazil for dinner. If you're a vegetarian, this is not the restaurant for you! It's an all you can eat restaurant. You can start off with salad and side items (soup, potatoes, etc) or, like Tyler, you can go straight for the meat. The servers come around with different kids of meat and cut off pieces for you. There was everything (chicken, pork, bacon wrapped fillet minion, ribs. and all cuts of steaks).
We ate until we were stuffed and then we headed back towards the parking garage.
On the way we decided to stop at Starbucks for some coffee (it was a little chilly with the wind blowing). (I know that some people's eyes look a little strange in this picture...this was the best my red eye corrector would do!)
We drove to downtown Ft. Worth and parked in Mike's parking garage (for work). Then we stood around on the street talking for a little while. I was beginning to wonder what we were just standing around for when I turned around and saw Tyler and Ann walking towards us! Mike just grinned at the surprise that he'd pulled off.
We walked to Texas de Brazil for dinner. If you're a vegetarian, this is not the restaurant for you! It's an all you can eat restaurant. You can start off with salad and side items (soup, potatoes, etc) or, like Tyler, you can go straight for the meat. The servers come around with different kids of meat and cut off pieces for you. There was everything (chicken, pork, bacon wrapped fillet minion, ribs. and all cuts of steaks).
When we left Starbucks I thought we were all going home. I was wrong! Instead, we stopped at the improv comedy club (4 Day Weekend). It was hilarious! We were all laughing so hard we were crying.
It was such a fun night. Mike did a great job of surprising me and planning out the evening. We didn't get to bed until 1 am (and had to get up at 6:15 am on Saturday for our adoption training)...but it was totally worth it. Thanks Mike (and Caleb, Audria, Tyler, & Ann) for making my 30th birthday so special!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Answering His Call - Part VIII
(Start at the beginning Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII,Part VIII)
This morning we got up at 6:15 am to finish proofing our adoption application and make copies of everything for us to keep. By 8:30 we were in the car headed towards Covenant Kids.
There were 3 other couples who attended the training class with us. CK limits the number of verified, waiting adoptive parents to 12 couples. I guess that means that 1/3 of their couples were at our training session.
The day was spent (9 am - 5 pm) talking about CK's adoption process, challenges we might face in raising an adoptive child, openness with the birth parents, and various other things. We also received encouragement and advice from the social workers that will be helping us thru this journey.
We learned of a few things we need to do before our home study. The main modifications to our home include getting a gun safe, building a fence around the pool pump so that we can have it under lock and key (CPS standards), and putting locks on the cabinets that house our medicine. Some of these things seem a little silly (like the fence around the pool pump...not sure what they're afraid of there?!?)...but if we have to jump thru a few hoops...then that's what we'll do. We know that it'll be worth it in the end.
The social workers will be reviewing our application and contacting us within the next few weeks to conduct our home study. In the meantime, I'm going to start working on our profile book. This is the book that we'll give CK for them to show to potential birth parents. I'm a little overwhelmed with the importance of this book. For a person that had over 300 pictures from just Christmas day...I have a lot of pictures to narrow down!
Continue to pray for the birth family and for us as we prepare for the home study.
This morning we got up at 6:15 am to finish proofing our adoption application and make copies of everything for us to keep. By 8:30 we were in the car headed towards Covenant Kids.
There were 3 other couples who attended the training class with us. CK limits the number of verified, waiting adoptive parents to 12 couples. I guess that means that 1/3 of their couples were at our training session.
The day was spent (9 am - 5 pm) talking about CK's adoption process, challenges we might face in raising an adoptive child, openness with the birth parents, and various other things. We also received encouragement and advice from the social workers that will be helping us thru this journey.
We learned of a few things we need to do before our home study. The main modifications to our home include getting a gun safe, building a fence around the pool pump so that we can have it under lock and key (CPS standards), and putting locks on the cabinets that house our medicine. Some of these things seem a little silly (like the fence around the pool pump...not sure what they're afraid of there?!?)...but if we have to jump thru a few hoops...then that's what we'll do. We know that it'll be worth it in the end.
The social workers will be reviewing our application and contacting us within the next few weeks to conduct our home study. In the meantime, I'm going to start working on our profile book. This is the book that we'll give CK for them to show to potential birth parents. I'm a little overwhelmed with the importance of this book. For a person that had over 300 pictures from just Christmas day...I have a lot of pictures to narrow down!
Continue to pray for the birth family and for us as we prepare for the home study.
Friday, January 22, 2010
13 going on 30
On January 24, 1993 I turned 13 years old. My mom came up with a birthday present idea that she thought would be a great mother/daughter event. For my birthday I received a makeover. Mom and I went to the home of a lady who specialized in make up. She did my colors and figured out what make up worked with my skin tones. She also showed me how to use make up and sent me home with a bag of make up (base, blush, eye shadows, etc).
What 13 year old girl wouldn't love this birthday present? A girl named Staci! This was my attitude at 13...
I had fun playing with my brothers. Yes, some of my friends at school had begun to wear make up...but I was not one that was in a hurry to look like a teenager! I was very gracious to my mom and to the make up lady during the makeover (little did they know I was holding back tears). I got home and hurried to my room with the bag of makeup. I then shut the door and started crying! I realized that this was one gift that I couldn't pretend to like. I remember walking into Mom's room crying and her asking me "what's wrong?" I remember saying, "I don't want to wear makeup! I don't like the feel on my face." She was very loving (she didn't even let on if she was disappointed) and she took me in her arms and told me that it was ok. She said that I didn't have to wear the make up if I didn't want. She told me that she had thought it would be something that I would like. I felt terrible for not liking my birthday present...but I was glad that I was honest and expressed my feelings to Mom.
Little did she know that she would have to wait until I was turning 30 before I'd willingly ask for such a present! That's right. When Dad & Mom asked what I wanted for my birthday this year I told them that I wanted to get Bare Minerals make up. Mom was excited to make a day of it and go with me to get a makeover (and tutorial) at the Bare Minerals store in the mall.
What 13 year old girl wouldn't love this birthday present? A girl named Staci! This was my attitude at 13...
Little did she know that she would have to wait until I was turning 30 before I'd willingly ask for such a present! That's right. When Dad & Mom asked what I wanted for my birthday this year I told them that I wanted to get Bare Minerals make up. Mom was excited to make a day of it and go with me to get a makeover (and tutorial) at the Bare Minerals store in the mall.
I'm a minimalist when it comes to make up, so I may have felt a little like Cleopatra when the lady put eyeliner on my eyes (the make up lady couldn't help but laugh when I said that because she'd used the very thinnest brush and applied the smallest amount possible)...but I had fun learning how to use the new makeup and am actually excited to start using it on a daily basis.
Thanks, Mom, for being patient...and for waiting 17 years for me to enjoy the present that was intended for my 13th birthday!
Answering His Call - Part VII
(Start at the beginning Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII,Part VIII)
On December 7, 2009 we had our orientation meeting at Covenant Kids. Some of our questions were answered…and we were given many more papers to fill out and obligations to meet. We've had background checks, TB tests (yes, for the boys too), and our FBI fingerprints are scheduled to be taken today. We had to get a statement from our physician saying we're physically and mentally capable to be verified as an adopted parent. Our doctor wrote the following on my physician's statement form, "Well developed, well nourished female free of communicable diseases." LOL!!! Should I take offense to the "well nourished" part? When I hear someone say that a person is well fed, it usually means they have some extra fat on their bones! We've also had to make copies of every legal document that we own (or so it seems) and fill out several pages of thought provoking essay questions.
January 21, 2010 (yesterday) we had a Fire Safety Inspection of our house. We passed with flying colors (whew!) and the nice thing...it didn't cost a penny! Thank you to our wonderful "little" city. When the fireman left our house Brody said, "Did he say yes?" I asked what he meant and he said, "Did the fireman say we can adopt a baby?!?" I told him "yes" and he proceeded to jump up and down with his arms in the air saying "yes! yes!" He's excited! The Health Safety Inspection is still to come and will be a part of the home study that CK conducts.
On January 23, 2010 (the day before I turn the big 3-0) we will go to Covenant Kids for a day of training. At that point we will turn in all of the paperwork that we’ve been gathering and (hopefully) after our training day we’ll be ready for our home study!
I think I’ve now caught you up to date on our adoption journey. I hope that you will join us in praying. Pray for the birth mom and dad. Pray for the precious child that will join our family. Pray for our family as we wait and prepare. Pray that God will use this journey for His glory and in ways that we can’t even imagine!
Don't worry...this is only the beginning. There will be many more editions of "Answering His Call". I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about after training tomorrow.
On December 7, 2009 we had our orientation meeting at Covenant Kids. Some of our questions were answered…and we were given many more papers to fill out and obligations to meet. We've had background checks, TB tests (yes, for the boys too), and our FBI fingerprints are scheduled to be taken today. We had to get a statement from our physician saying we're physically and mentally capable to be verified as an adopted parent. Our doctor wrote the following on my physician's statement form, "Well developed, well nourished female free of communicable diseases." LOL!!! Should I take offense to the "well nourished" part? When I hear someone say that a person is well fed, it usually means they have some extra fat on their bones! We've also had to make copies of every legal document that we own (or so it seems) and fill out several pages of thought provoking essay questions.
January 21, 2010 (yesterday) we had a Fire Safety Inspection of our house. We passed with flying colors (whew!) and the nice thing...it didn't cost a penny! Thank you to our wonderful "little" city. When the fireman left our house Brody said, "Did he say yes?" I asked what he meant and he said, "Did the fireman say we can adopt a baby?!?" I told him "yes" and he proceeded to jump up and down with his arms in the air saying "yes! yes!" He's excited! The Health Safety Inspection is still to come and will be a part of the home study that CK conducts.
On January 23, 2010 (the day before I turn the big 3-0) we will go to Covenant Kids for a day of training. At that point we will turn in all of the paperwork that we’ve been gathering and (hopefully) after our training day we’ll be ready for our home study!
I think I’ve now caught you up to date on our adoption journey. I hope that you will join us in praying. Pray for the birth mom and dad. Pray for the precious child that will join our family. Pray for our family as we wait and prepare. Pray that God will use this journey for His glory and in ways that we can’t even imagine!
Don't worry...this is only the beginning. There will be many more editions of "Answering His Call". I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about after training tomorrow.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Playin' in the Dark
Last night on the way home from church Brody said, "Can we play Ghost and Explorers when we get home?" I was suddenly taken back. Taken back to a time where I was laying in bed listening to my dad tell me stories about when he was a kid. I remember him telling me all about the game called Ghost and Explorers; but I don't ever remember playing it. I know that we played hide and seek in the dark...but not Ghost and Explorers. As soon as those words were out of Brody's mouth I knew that Daddy Steve had been telling him stories.
I asked Brody if Daddy Steve told him a story about playing Ghost and Explorers and he said, "We played it before church, but Daddy Steve said it works better when it's darker." I asked him how you play (just to see if he really knew what he was talking about). He responded, "One person has a flashlight {the Explorer} and they count to 8 while the other person {the Ghost} goes and hides. Then the Explorer looks for the Ghost with a flashlight and when they get close the Ghost jumps out and scares them!" He described the game just like I remembered from the stories I'd been told as a kid. When we got home, we grabbed a flashlight and played 2 times before going to bed.
As soon as it got dark tonight, Brody begged to go outside and play Ghost and Explorers. Mike and Barrett were playing inside, so I headed outside with Brody (or Bubba as he's called a lot around our house...don't know if I've ever mentioned that on here...but that's all Barrett will call him!) We played game after game after game. It was fairly easy to find Brody because he'd start laughing uncontrollably whenever I'd get within 15 feet of him! I tried to hide where it was a challenge to find me. After Brody looked for maybe 45 seconds, he'd start shouting, "Mommy? Where are you???" I'd clear my throat or rustle some leaves to get him moving in the right direction. He'd laugh so hard he'd fall down when he'd find me. Of course, that had me laughing too!
I could tell he had a lot of pent up energy, so I suggested playing tag. It's a little more challenging to play tag in the dark (and avoid running into trees, the shed, tripping down a hill, etc). Thankfully we didn't get hurt...but we did have a lot of fun! When we started to get tired of chasing each other, we sat down in the grass and looked up at the stars. Brody exclaimed, "WOW! There are MILLIONS of stars up there!" We talked while we looked at the stars and then we used the flashlight to look at the tops of the trees. We talked about everything from how God made the stars to what worms eat to "why do leaves have to die?". Such is the mind of a 3-year-old boy. I love it!
When we came inside it was almost bedtime, but the boys couldn't go to bed without a few races on Brody's race car track. Mike, Brody, and Barrett all took turns racing. Brody and Barrett were pretty disappointed when I announced that it was time for jammies.
At bedtime tonight, Mike got out a photo album that had pictures of Remington as a puppy. He told Brody stories about when we first brought Remington home and what life was like our first year in Kansas. Brody soaked up every word that Mike told him...and I'm sure I'll hear the stories repeated tomorrow.
We had a wonderful night as a family tonight. I'm so in love with my boys (all three of them)!
I asked Brody if Daddy Steve told him a story about playing Ghost and Explorers and he said, "We played it before church, but Daddy Steve said it works better when it's darker." I asked him how you play (just to see if he really knew what he was talking about). He responded, "One person has a flashlight {the Explorer} and they count to 8 while the other person {the Ghost} goes and hides. Then the Explorer looks for the Ghost with a flashlight and when they get close the Ghost jumps out and scares them!" He described the game just like I remembered from the stories I'd been told as a kid. When we got home, we grabbed a flashlight and played 2 times before going to bed.
As soon as it got dark tonight, Brody begged to go outside and play Ghost and Explorers. Mike and Barrett were playing inside, so I headed outside with Brody (or Bubba as he's called a lot around our house...don't know if I've ever mentioned that on here...but that's all Barrett will call him!) We played game after game after game. It was fairly easy to find Brody because he'd start laughing uncontrollably whenever I'd get within 15 feet of him! I tried to hide where it was a challenge to find me. After Brody looked for maybe 45 seconds, he'd start shouting, "Mommy? Where are you???" I'd clear my throat or rustle some leaves to get him moving in the right direction. He'd laugh so hard he'd fall down when he'd find me. Of course, that had me laughing too!
I could tell he had a lot of pent up energy, so I suggested playing tag. It's a little more challenging to play tag in the dark (and avoid running into trees, the shed, tripping down a hill, etc). Thankfully we didn't get hurt...but we did have a lot of fun! When we started to get tired of chasing each other, we sat down in the grass and looked up at the stars. Brody exclaimed, "WOW! There are MILLIONS of stars up there!" We talked while we looked at the stars and then we used the flashlight to look at the tops of the trees. We talked about everything from how God made the stars to what worms eat to "why do leaves have to die?". Such is the mind of a 3-year-old boy. I love it!
When we came inside it was almost bedtime, but the boys couldn't go to bed without a few races on Brody's race car track. Mike, Brody, and Barrett all took turns racing. Brody and Barrett were pretty disappointed when I announced that it was time for jammies.
At bedtime tonight, Mike got out a photo album that had pictures of Remington as a puppy. He told Brody stories about when we first brought Remington home and what life was like our first year in Kansas. Brody soaked up every word that Mike told him...and I'm sure I'll hear the stories repeated tomorrow.
We had a wonderful night as a family tonight. I'm so in love with my boys (all three of them)!
Answering His Call - Part VI
(Start at the beginning Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII,Part VIII)
We received information from Covenant Kids that we poured over and prayed over. By October 15, 2009 we submitted our first application to become adoptive parents.
At this point we began to tell our friends and family about our dream. Everyone is excited for us; however, almost all of them have asked the question, “Why?” They want to know why we would adopt when we could have more biological children. What an absolute joy it has been to be able to tell people about how God has worked in our lives to bring us to this point in time. Not only will we be adding a new member to our family, but just the beginning process of adoption has allowed us to share our faith with friends, family, and even total strangers!
Barrett is still a little young to understand, however, Brody is super excited. He prays for our new little baby on a daily basis (multiple times). He asks if the baby will be in my tummy and I tell him “no” and then we talk about the process of adoption. He currently insists that he wants a baby sister (but a month ago he was insistent on another brother). We explain to him that we don’t know what sex of child God will bless us with, but the baby God gives us will be a special baby that was meant to be a part of our family. At least once a week he asks me when Mike and I will be going to the hospital to get our new baby. It’s fun to see the excitement that I feel in my heart on display in my 3-year-old son.
I marvel at each new change I see in myself as a result of simply saying “yes” to God. I find myself burdened on a daily basis to pray for a woman out there who will make an incredibly hard choice…to parent or not to parent? Mike and I want to be able to show our child’s birth mom and dad how much God loves them and in turn how much we love them.
We received information from Covenant Kids that we poured over and prayed over. By October 15, 2009 we submitted our first application to become adoptive parents.
At this point we began to tell our friends and family about our dream. Everyone is excited for us; however, almost all of them have asked the question, “Why?” They want to know why we would adopt when we could have more biological children. What an absolute joy it has been to be able to tell people about how God has worked in our lives to bring us to this point in time. Not only will we be adding a new member to our family, but just the beginning process of adoption has allowed us to share our faith with friends, family, and even total strangers!
Barrett is still a little young to understand, however, Brody is super excited. He prays for our new little baby on a daily basis (multiple times). He asks if the baby will be in my tummy and I tell him “no” and then we talk about the process of adoption. He currently insists that he wants a baby sister (but a month ago he was insistent on another brother). We explain to him that we don’t know what sex of child God will bless us with, but the baby God gives us will be a special baby that was meant to be a part of our family. At least once a week he asks me when Mike and I will be going to the hospital to get our new baby. It’s fun to see the excitement that I feel in my heart on display in my 3-year-old son.
I marvel at each new change I see in myself as a result of simply saying “yes” to God. I find myself burdened on a daily basis to pray for a woman out there who will make an incredibly hard choice…to parent or not to parent? Mike and I want to be able to show our child’s birth mom and dad how much God loves them and in turn how much we love them.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Name This Picture
What should this picture be titled? Leave your idea in the comments...
**** Edited to add****
I have no clue what Ann and I were discussing in this picture. Here was the first picture that Daddy Steve captured of our conversation. It looks pretty serious. Ann is either counting off something that she's telling me...or she's examining her nails while we talk (meaning maybe not quite so serious).
Answering His Call - Part V
(Start at the beginning Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII,Part VIII)
About 4 years after Mike and I got married, I was ready to start having kids. Mike, on the other hand, needed another 3 years before he’d decide he was ready. That time in my life was very difficult emotionally. Looking back…I’m sooooo glad that we waited…but at the time it was hard. Every time I’d see a pregnant woman or a new little baby, I’d feel jealousy rising up in me. It was a nasty feeling, but one that was very hard to overcome. Last summer those feeling begin to resurface again. I was ready for another baby and when I saw a pregnant woman, I knew the joy she was experiencing and I was a little jealous. It wasn’t all consuming and it wasn’t something I thought about all the time, but it was there when I had visual reminders.
Back to when I knew that God’s desire had become my own…
I was sitting in the patient room of my midwife’s office waiting for my yearly exam. I could hear people in the room next to me and suddenly I heard it… “thump thump …thump thump”. It was the sound of a baby’s heartbeat thru a Doppler machine. What a glorious sound! I waited for it…for the feelings of jealousy to wash over me. For the thoughts of, “I wish that was my belly that was producing that sound.” I waited…and waited…and waited. Instead, all I felt was immense joy! I felt so much joy for the people in the room next to me! Tears were streaming down my face as I sat there and listened to the miracle of life thru the thin walls of a doctor’s office. I immediately began praising God and right then and there I began praying for the woman that will carry our child. My heart was overflowing with love and joy and I struggled to hold myself together and make small talk with the midwife when she came in for my exam.
I left my midwife’s office with my shoulders high and a heart overflowing with joy. I called Mike and he was just as overjoyed about my experience. Later that day we began talking with agencies and friends trying to find out where we needed to start our journey. After talking with Angela and a caseworker at Covenant Kids, we knew that CK was the right fit for us.
About 4 years after Mike and I got married, I was ready to start having kids. Mike, on the other hand, needed another 3 years before he’d decide he was ready. That time in my life was very difficult emotionally. Looking back…I’m sooooo glad that we waited…but at the time it was hard. Every time I’d see a pregnant woman or a new little baby, I’d feel jealousy rising up in me. It was a nasty feeling, but one that was very hard to overcome. Last summer those feeling begin to resurface again. I was ready for another baby and when I saw a pregnant woman, I knew the joy she was experiencing and I was a little jealous. It wasn’t all consuming and it wasn’t something I thought about all the time, but it was there when I had visual reminders.
Back to when I knew that God’s desire had become my own…
I was sitting in the patient room of my midwife’s office waiting for my yearly exam. I could hear people in the room next to me and suddenly I heard it… “thump thump …thump thump”. It was the sound of a baby’s heartbeat thru a Doppler machine. What a glorious sound! I waited for it…for the feelings of jealousy to wash over me. For the thoughts of, “I wish that was my belly that was producing that sound.” I waited…and waited…and waited. Instead, all I felt was immense joy! I felt so much joy for the people in the room next to me! Tears were streaming down my face as I sat there and listened to the miracle of life thru the thin walls of a doctor’s office. I immediately began praising God and right then and there I began praying for the woman that will carry our child. My heart was overflowing with love and joy and I struggled to hold myself together and make small talk with the midwife when she came in for my exam.
I left my midwife’s office with my shoulders high and a heart overflowing with joy. I called Mike and he was just as overjoyed about my experience. Later that day we began talking with agencies and friends trying to find out where we needed to start our journey. After talking with Angela and a caseworker at Covenant Kids, we knew that CK was the right fit for us.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Answering His Call - Part IV
(Start at the beginning Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII,Part VIII)
The week after Angela left, I finally decided to broach the subject with Mike. I think, in a way, I was hoping that he wouldn’t feel the same way as me and then I’d have an easy out. It wasn’t like I would try to force my husband to adopt a child against his will! It was a Tuesday evening (just after Mike got home from work). The boys were still taking naps so the house was quiet. I told Mike the story I told you (about my experience while at The Village and about the burning of the Holy Spirit in my heart). I was also honest with him and told him that this still wasn’t something that I was 100% wanting to do…but that I felt it was what God wanted us to do. I was surprised when he quickly agreed and told me that he’d been feeling the same way.
After talking with Mike, it was like I finally was able to tell God, “Ok! I’m ready to obey now.” Over the matter of a week or two my heart and thoughts completely changed. I went from resisting the idea of adoption…to wholeheartedly desiring adopting a child. The only explanation for this change is God working in me. There was actually one moment in time that I will never forget…the moment where I knew for a fact that God’s desire had become my own.
The week after Angela left, I finally decided to broach the subject with Mike. I think, in a way, I was hoping that he wouldn’t feel the same way as me and then I’d have an easy out. It wasn’t like I would try to force my husband to adopt a child against his will! It was a Tuesday evening (just after Mike got home from work). The boys were still taking naps so the house was quiet. I told Mike the story I told you (about my experience while at The Village and about the burning of the Holy Spirit in my heart). I was also honest with him and told him that this still wasn’t something that I was 100% wanting to do…but that I felt it was what God wanted us to do. I was surprised when he quickly agreed and told me that he’d been feeling the same way.
After talking with Mike, it was like I finally was able to tell God, “Ok! I’m ready to obey now.” Over the matter of a week or two my heart and thoughts completely changed. I went from resisting the idea of adoption…to wholeheartedly desiring adopting a child. The only explanation for this change is God working in me. There was actually one moment in time that I will never forget…the moment where I knew for a fact that God’s desire had become my own.
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