Challenges and Changes

Big title for not posting in awhile. I don't really know if many read this or not, but I still blog if for nothing else for myself. This might be a little longer post than usually since I haven't posted in awhile. We have went through a few changes in the last couple of months, some good and some not.
One of the changes is that our dog of 8 years died. It was unexpected, he got into the trash and ate something that he shouldn't have and we believe he choked on something. He died before we could get him to the vet. It was very sad, as he was our family dog and lived in the house. Steven pretty well grew up with him and he was the first animal Josie and Thomas ever had. We all still miss him, but the kids remember the good times we had with him. I have never been a huge animal lover to the point of being really sad over a pet, but I was sad over Bronson too and still miss him, most of the time:) (don't miss him tearing out the trash, or eating anything in sight, or chasing him b/c he would leave the yard), but all the same we still miss him. But, some very great friends surprised our kids with a new husky puppy. And our cat had 3 kittens (thanks kids for letting her out when we told you not too). But they did get to have a very educational experience watching our cat and new life, thank God she only had 3 (and she is doing very good with them).
Another big shock that we have been dealing with is that Mike's job downsized and they let him go (along with other's there also-one group the Monday before Thanksgiving and the next the Monday after). They let him go the day they were supposed to pay him for the next month (go figure). He was obviously pretty down about it and is looking for a job. It is harder than you think to get a job when he is highly qualified, so lower paying jobs won't hire him b/c he will leave when something higher paying comes up, and those higher paying jobs just aren't there right now, and not a lot of jobs are hiring right now. Have we been getting by? Well, yes, but it has been hard for 5 people living off of my teacher's aide check. God has provided through friends, family and our wonderful church family. I know that God will take care of our needs. He sees that Mike is looking hard and he sees what is needed in our life. The interesting thing is, a few weeks before this happened, Mike prayed and asked God if this is where he wanted Mike to stay then show him, but if he has another plan for Mike and our family, then show him that as well. Well, I believe he answered Mike's question. Mike said that he wished God would have given him a little notice:), but things are what they are, and God will get us through. During this time, our TV also broke (after a month, we should be getting it back-it was still under warrantee by 4 days-another thing that God had his hand on). Most of our children's Christmas gifts were already bought before this happened, so that was a blessing. Are things hard, absolutely, but sometimes God will take you down to nothing just to use you to show everyone exactly how big he is and just what he can do. Although some days are much more frustrating than others, we still wake up each day and thank God for what we have. We have been blessed so much. I look at our children and know the blessing each of them are. Their qualities are so different, but so special. They learn so much from each other and we learn a lot from them too. Our life may look a little chaotic at times if you see us:), but I could never imagine our life without the chaos, and I wouldn't want it. Each ones has added so much and is so special. I love each so much. Are there hard days? Are you kidding me, of course we have hard days, very hard days, but usually God shows me something in those hard days, something I wouldn't have seen or learned if the day had been easy. My heart is different b/c of my kids, different in a good way. When those arms go around my neck or a kiss goes on my cheek, or a picture or "project" is made just for me, my heart melts just a little more, b/c then I see into their heart. Is their heart hurt or broken at times? Absolutely. My kids have had heartache, all three of them. Some in different ways than others, but each has had heartache, but those heartaches along with the love they get from us and each other and most of all God, will make them into the people God wants them to be, the people he has planned all along for them to be. I know that our two youngest have had their whole world crumble around them and have absolutely no control over it. They have seen things, I couldn't even imagine and had no choice but to continue living, broken pieces and all. Most people don't take the time to think about where they came from, not just Liberia, but their struggles and heartaches. Our oldest has had heartaches too, not the same life starting out as our younger ones, but he has seen what death can do and how life is not just about him or what his wants are, it is about helping others and doing what God wants us to do. Is that easy, not all the time, in fact it can be the hardest thing you have ever had to do? Is it worth it, absolutely. Sometimes it is discouraging (like my husband losing his job), but I have to keep moving on and knowing that God has a plan, it may not be easy, but if I follow him, he will get us where he wants us. It may not look the way we thought it would, but it will be so much better than we could have imagined ourselves.
I say all of this because we couldn't live life without challenges and change. Change is going to happen, or we would never grow, and we would miss out on so much. Change is by no means easy, but with God's help you will get through it. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who loves me more than I could dream of. He loves me despite my many shortcomings, and sticks with me through thick and thin. I have been blessed with great kids ( most of the time-LOL), and God uses them to sure teach us a lot. A lot about ourselves and God's love for us. I have a great family, absolutely wonderful friends, and an awesome church family.
I hope that some of our current challenges will be conquered very soon. Then I realized once it is over, new challenges await:). I am working hard to have my time each day with God, b/c if I don't things become so much harder. The new year will bring another set of Challenges and Changes, but I would hate to miss out of them.





































































































































































































Good news, some very good friends knew what happened with our dog and felt very sorry for the kids and asked if they could get the kids another dog. It was not supposed to come until Christmas, but within a few days of losing our other dog, they found a Siberian Husky puppy and wanted to get it for our kids. Now you must know, Steven has wanted a Husky for many years. That was usually on the top of his Christmas list every year, so when they surprised the kids with the puppy, you can only imagine their response. There was many smiles and even a few tears of joy.


All three of the kids have truly enjoyed the puppy. The even take her out to use the bathroom (most of the time)! She is adorable. Yes, yes, I know that the puppy stage will end and she will grow. I am happy when the whining at night is over and she is fully potty trained, but we will enjoy the puppy stage while we have it, then enjoy the big dog stage when it gets here too. We will also get a brush, b/c I know that there will be lots of time that we will be brushing her too.
Then, we got some pretty bad news the week after Thanksgiving, Mike's job downsized and they let him and others go. One group was before Thanksgiving, and one group was after (the day before he was supposed to get paid). Mike was contracted with this company, so he wasn't eligible for unemployment. So as of right now, we are living on my pay (which I am a teacher's aide). God provided wonderful friends and our awesome church family to help us through this time and my wonderful sister. We didn't tell a lot of people about this, as this is something that isn't the most happy of times. But, I have felt that we are going through this for a reason, and one of those reasons is to show others just exactly what God can do.

Last Year At This Time...

Last year at this time I was flying over the ocean going on the biggest journey of my life. The journey to get our little girl. I know I was terrified as turbulence hit while flying over that ocean. I did a lot of praying, and as he had promised God got me through it, the airports, checkpoints and eventually to Liberia where the best gift of all was waiting for me. I will never forget as long as I live the moment that she walked around the corner of the dining room at the guesthouse. I seen those big brown eyes that captured my heart many months before and they never let go. I looked at Josie many times today and thought, oh how this year has flown by. It seems like she has always been with me. As I hold her today (she has a double ear infection:( ), I rubbed my finger on her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose and I think of how blessed I am to have her, and our two sons for that matter. Josie is part of my heart, a part that I didn't know was missing until I seen her picture, a part of my heart that I was searching for for so long, a part of my heart that was filled a year ago tomorrow. I thank God for her everyday and that I was so blessed for him to have chosen me to be her mommy! We love you Josie, my beautiful baby girl!

It's Been Awhile

Well, I know that it has been awhile since I last posted. I must confess that I post quite a bit on Facebook. I have just found that with the kids and going back to work, that just a quick post is a lot easier than logging in and thinking of a new blog. Since I last posted, we have started back to school. Josie has started school, and can I say, she absolutely loves it. Thomas is really liking school too. His teacher and class are great and he actually enjoys going to school. He actually comes home and wants to play school. He is working very hard and it shows. Steven is the same as always, liking school and reading, reading, reading:). I am back to school and have to admit that I like the routine. Now, I need to tell myself that of a morning, but I really like having the routine. I also love the group of people that I work with, and I know that that makes things a lot easier. I am very grateful for my job.
Steven has started football. He didn't really like it much at first, but once he got going he has liked it a lot better. Mike is one of his coaches, so I know that he enjoys that. His team is in first place.
Thomas has started soccer again. He is doing well and enjoying playing again. He has also been doing a lot of playing in the yard. Most of the summer consisted of him putting on a baseball uniform and playing his own game of baseball in the front yard (homemade dugout and consession stand and all). He loves to play outside.
Josie is just flurishing in school. She is so eager to learn and loves her teacher. Her teacher said that she is one of her best students.
We have made one major change in the last few months. We have started to attend another church. This was not an easy decision, but one the God has stood beside us and helped us through. We were invited to a church a few months ago by a friend. One day at the end of July, we decided that we would visit. Well, one Sunday led into the next Sunday and so on. They have been so welcoming and we just feel like one of the family there. It was hard to leave a church that I have attended for most all of my life. Many people there knew my parents and knew me when I was little, but I felt that God was leading us somewhere else. I see such a difference in our family and in myself. What I also love about this church is they are so supportive to fostering and adopting. They understand the call to adopt and they welcome our kids with open arms. Though our other church will always hold a special place in our hearts, God has taught me that he wants us where he does for a reason, and I trust him that he will guide us right where he wants us. I have learned a lot since my trip to Liberia last year. I have learned more about trusting God and stepping out of my comfort zone, because when you do, he has so many great things planned for you.

You will notice quite a few pictures. Some are of the kids on their first day of school (the boys started a few days before Josie). Then you can see the boys plays their sports and then a couple of our vacation to Kings Island before school started. Hope you enjoy seeing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

New Pictures

Well, I got back the pictures that my brother took of the kids a few weeks ago. They turned out very good and have already ordered mine (yes Pam, I am sending some home with Micheal for you:)). There is also a couple of my nephew who is visiting with his girlfriend from Florida. I haven't seen him in 2+ years (way too long). I sure have missed him. I would have liked it if everyone else in his family could have come too, but we will take what we can get:) It has been so nice to visit with him and spend time with him and meet his girlfriend. He had never met Thomas and Josie before, but they have sure enjoyed him being here. They all acted like they had been together all of their lives, but I guess that is what family does, no matter how many miles separate us, once you are back together it was like you just pick up where you left off (I just wish that there were a little less miles between us).

Judge Not

Those are strong words, but a command given by God. I have thought a lot about those two words lately and how easily it is to do the opposite and in fact judge others. In two recent situations, I have had the opportunity to be the person on the "outside looking in". Now, it is very easy to judge and say that "I wouldn't do that", or "I can't believe that they would do such a thing". Have I ever judged someone, well I am human so I would have to say yes, but was it wrong, again I would have to say yes. God has laid upon my heart lately not to be so judgemental with others. I have been on the other end and have been judged before and it is not fun at all, in fact it is a pretty lonely place. God did not intend for us to be the judge or the jury, he just intended for us to be him to those people that need it. Being judged is a lonely and scary place to be, but it is also a place where that person so much needs God and Godly people. You don't have to agree with what the person did necessarily, but to turn your back entirely is not what God wants either. He wants us to reach out our hand and be him to those people. Whether they did right or wrong is God's job not ours'. Judging them doesn't make God happy, just remember how you felt when other's have judged you. God is the judge not us!

Father's Day

First of all, Happy Father's Day!! I want to especially thank my Heavenly Father for his love and acceptance of me. I also want to say how blessed I was to have a wonderful earthly father. He truly showed me what it was to have a wonderful father and showed me what a real dad was and showed me what to demand in a father for my children. He loved us and put us way before himself. He showed us what hard work and love was for your family. He provided for us even when our mom and him had to do without. I know now how lucky and blessed we were to have him, even if it was for just a short while, the lessons I learned and the time he spent with me will be with me the rest of my life.
Now for my husband, the father of our children. I really couldn't ask for a better man. He has given so much of himself for our family. He has went without, just so our children could have what they needed and a lot of what they wanted:). He has sacrificed so that our children could even have a life, period. He has taught them that his love is there no matter what. He volunteers as coaches, in their school, he takes time to go places with us and play games with them. In fact, he had the opportunity to go to the Cincinnati Reds games and pregames festivities this past Saturday. The ticket was free and he would have had an awesome seat. He tried to get at least 3 tickets (one for him and our two boys--I would have liked to went, but as long as they went that was what was important). Well, all he could get was 2 and he told them that he couldn't unless there were at least 3 so both boys could go, he said that he couldn't take one without the other and he wouldn't go without them. Now, what kind of dad would do that and stay home so he could coach his son's baseball team? Not a lot, and this isn't the first time he passed up a wonderful opportunity with pro. athletes (that he would have loved) to be with his children--whom he loves much more! I told him that little things like that will come back to him one day:). This is just one of the things that he does to show how much he loves us. He spends all of his nonworking time with us. God did bless me with a wonderful husband and father for our children. I just want to tell my husband thanks for everything that he does for our family. Being a good father is not always easy, but you never give up, we know that we are always your top priority! Happy Father's Day, thanks for being a great dad to our kids!

A Day At The Pool

Well, we went to the pool today. It was just too nice of a day to stay in, so we went to the pool. This was our second trip, but our first with warmer temps. and also batteries in the camera. Josie just loved the pool, she jumped in, went under and loved being in the water. Thomas is already a little fish, he loves the water too, he still loves to play with mom in the pool. Steven has always loved the water, but now I have noticed that time with mom is a little shorter than before, friends are now cool to play with at the pool, but mom always has an eye out for where he is and who he is hanging out with. Here are a few pictures of our time at the pool. You can see in the pictures of the kids getting ready to go, Steven isn't as excited as the other two are about getting pictures, but he still enjoys it every now and then. You can see Thomas wrapped up in the towel by the food stand (his favorite place), Steven with his friends, and Josie just having fun(she also looks so cute with all of her swimming stuff).