Afraid of Failing

Pretty Sure

2012-02-09T07:37:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty sure I totally just fought through contractions to shave my legs in the shower this morning.

I'm pretty sure I just sacrificed 99% of my air supply, through contractions, to give a fresh coat of polish to my toenails. (A girl has GOT to look good when she is going into labor;)

I'm pretty sure that Josh and I have been talking like this trip to the hospital is a quick little getaway from the chaos of the already 4 excited children in our house, ha!

I'm pretty sure I am more than excited to see if I will be coming face-to-face with a little Jude or a little Talitha.

I'm pretty sure that I am more than ready to be done being pregnant for the rest of my life.

I'm pretty sure that Areyna was born 5 days late, Zeke was due on his due date, Cai was only 1 day late and that #4 (born to me) is coming on his/her due date...

Because I'm pretty sure that our baby is coming TODAY!

Oh Happy Day, it's Thursday:)

Yes, I AM A SuperMOM!

2012-02-08T19:49:00.002-05:00

And you are too!

So often we look at our mommy friends and see all the things that they are capable of. We look at how many kids they have. We see all the things they can accomplish in one day. We see their constant positive outlook on life. We see all that they are involved in.

And then we feel totally overwhelmed when we look at our own lives, like we don't even compare.

We don't have nearly as many creative ideas as they do, much less the follow-through to accomplish any of them. We can't find a single minute in the day to get that shower we've been meaning to take all day, much less the extra time it takes to apply make-up. Our to-do list continues to grow, instead of diminish, as the day progresses, as we can barely find the energy to even get lunch on the table.

Depression can very easily begin to creep in if one isn't careful...

That is sometimes how I can view myself in light of others.

But then I remember that I am one of those supermoms too! It comes from confidence in who God has made ME, excelling in the gifts that God has given ME and refusing to give into the comparison game which ravages so many of our female (and male) minds!

So, close that laptop, quit comparing what God has given you with what He has entrusted to someone else, open that Bible that has been collecting dust beside your bed and ask the Lord to search and know your heart and then ask Him to show you the SuperMOM who He has already created inside of you.

"...for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

Matthew 6:8

The View From Here: Tangled

2012-02-08T15:11:00.002-05:00

This And That

2012-02-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

I had to run out to the store yesterday (I know, BIG shocker, ha!) and after ringing up I stepped out from behind the counter and the lady that had just loaded up the 3 bags looked totally caught off guard when she saw the belly that preceded me as she said, "We'll be more than happy to help wheel you out to your car...I mean, help you wheel your groceries out to your car for you...gosh, I'm SO sorry!" I just laughed and told her I knew exactly what she meant, knowing that either way you look at it would have been a nice gesture, ha!

As you know, the baby "room" has been moved into our closet, which means that the nursing chair is in our bedroom. We have the perfect set-up. I saw an awesome idea, from an awesome friend, and decided to go for it. I think it was an idea from Pinterest. Super easy and costs less than $2! I told Josh how the normal light wood on tray tables makes me think of being sick, as I normally only use them for a sleeve of Saltines and A glass of GingerAle when I am sick, so I needed something to spice it up a little bit. I bought a can of spray paint and voila!

Zeke is into the question asking stage. But not just asking questions. He asks the same question over and over. And over. And over. I'm trying to work on a creative way of conquering this little "habit" that totally makes me want to pull my hair out. I think I've got a good one for the following scenario.

I hardly ever just buy candy to have around the house. Mostly because I will eat it all before anybody else in the family can get their hands on it, but also, it makes my kids turn into monsters...literally. They will whine and beg and ask for it non-stop until it is gone. Now, I am well aware that grandma's are supposed to come with goodies for the kids, especially around Valentine's day (and other holidays), (So, thank you Meme for the thoughtful gifts for the kids that they LOVE!!!!), I just have to get creative as to how to handle the monsters when they come out:)

So, I came up with a new rule which states: "Yes, you may have one piece of candy today!" I then have them repeat how many pieces they may have that day, just to make sure we are on the same page. Then, I go on with the rest of the rule. "Now, if you continue to ask or beg me for 'just one more piece' of candy I will throw a piece away." Yup, I'm a mean mama, ha! I will now throw away a piece of candy for every additional time candy is brought up. Oh how freeing it is!

So go ahead and bring on the candy monsters! I know how to beat 'em now:)

My parents just arrived this afternoon, after a call of desperation yesterday. They came bringing much needed energy for our kids, assurance that our kids will have someone here if this baby decides to make some progress in the middle of the night, and the traditional post-pardum yummy treats. Ahhh, I can breathe a sigh of relief now...which may actually help bring this little baby into the world! And if you have an opinion as to whether it is a boy or girl, which I KNOW you do, don't forget to go HERE and vote! (I promise you'll feel better after you get it out of your system, ha!) It's been fun to see what ya'll think:)

Speaking of...

...this is what is left of what I can see from standing up, almost straight. I have to bend just a tad to see the tips of my toes:)

I hope you all are having a fabulous Tuesday, because I was having a fabulous Thursday...until I was made aware that this is in fact not Thursday, but Tuesday, in which case I am now having a fabulous Tuesday. Thank goodness for homeschool and teaching the days of the week (and children who like to tell you when you are wrong:)!

For Lack Of Something Real To Blog About...

2012-02-06T19:14:00.000-05:00

Let's see what YOU think?

Fun Facts For Friday

2012-02-03T12:48:00.000-05:00

1 - We got our first piece of mail at our home for our homeschool this week. It just kind of made me smile as I opened up the invitation for the NC seminar. I think I kinda like homeschooling:)

2 - Alethia turned down eggs for another bowl of sugary American cereal this morning. This is a first ya'll, seeing as she would normally eat a dozen eggs on any given morning all by herself. Now, she did change her mind after she smelled the yummy scrambled eggs and saw her brother devouring a plate full, but that is a first for sure, ha!

3 - I went to Starbucks on the way home from my very disappointing OB appointment yesterday and used a gift card to pay for my purchase. An old man behind me looked in my wallet and called me out in front of the whole store saying "You got enough credit cards?!" I was totally shocked. First of all that he had the audacity to look in my wallet, and second that he would have the audacity to call me out about something that was NOT even accurate! I have 1 debit card, the ministry has 1 debit card, and we own 1 credit card to pay for online purchases for personal and ministry use. The rest of the cards are gift cards (thanks to Christmas), a million insurance cards for our growing family and grocery store savings cards. We make it a point to be very intentional with our money and by golly I wanted to tell him all about our whole budget strategy and put him in his place. So I turned to him and told him I had "one credit card" thank you very much, and that the others were "money savings cards". I could feel the steam coming out of my ears and took my own cue to leave him behind. I sure told him, ha!

4 - I have learned the art of falling asleep anywhere. Just this week alone I have fallen asleep on the couch watching the kids play on the swing set outside, resting my head on the table outside of Areyna's piano lesson and waiting for the Dr. to come in for my check-up:) I guess my body is just gearing up!

5 - I can't say enough about how much we have loved this "winter" weather! We've been outside the majority of the days. Areyna still gets sad every time I change the monthly calendar in the school room saying, "But mom, it hasn't snowed yet!!!!" Maybe we'll get a few flurries before the 6 additional weeks of winter come to a close:)

BONUS FACT: My friend's daughter saw a superstar this week and thought of me, knowing how much of a weather buff I am! She got Elizabeth Gardner's autograph for ME! She is a meteorologist at WRAL. Now if only I could meet Greg Fishel one day and get HIS autograph...but then again, Josh has already become leery of my infatuation with Sir Greg. I'll just keep dreaming;)

Happy Friday ya'll!

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - 39 Weeks

2012-02-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

I'm 39 weeks today.

I went to another appointment today...I know, two in a row, ha!

But still, the gods of active labor and progress were NOT impressed:)

Still NO progress...sigh...

What's another week, eh?

Happy Groundhog day.

I'll def. take 6 more weeks of THIS kind of "winter"!

The View From Here

2012-02-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

Ready, Set...

2012-01-31T15:34:00.001-05:00

I have spent the majority of the past two days purging, organizing, running errands and getting everything in order in our ministry and personal accounts to get ready for baby time. Thanks to Josh for letting me lock myself in our bedroom to sprawl out the entire 2011 tax year and to Sweetie Cherry who watched the kids so I could run a few quick errands, that wouldn't have been so quick with 4 littles tagging along!

As of today we are down to single digits. Ladies and gentlemen, my due date is on February 9th. That is 9 days ya'll!!!!!

I got all of our year-end contributions in the mail, closed out 2011 and got our own personal taxes as done as I could (I still need a couple of statements to come in the mail).

We had some sweet friends gift us our car seat and stroller set and they are both here and ready to tote a sweet little baby around in. (What crazy woman gives away ALL her baby items the month before conception anyway?!) We also had a shower given to us at our church. I felt so silly having to have a shower for baby #5 when I haven't had one since Areyna was born, but we sure appreciated all the blessings people poured on our family for these 2 newest additions!

I also put the finishing touches on the baby room, er... closet, yesterday:)

Who says you need a separate room for a baby? We cleared out our master bedroom closet and rearranged a few things in the house to make room for #5.

It is just enough room for a small tall-standing dresser,

pack-n-play with built-in changing table and

decorative baskets above,

with a small basket of toys.

What else does a baby need?:)

So, bring on the baby (P-L-E-A-S-E)! We're as ready as we're gonna be.

No Apologies

2012-01-30T09:49:00.001-05:00

I used to struggle with the fact that I was a stay-at-home mom.

I was used to working all day and now I just felt like I sat at home with a newborn, trying to find a purpose. I'd always been an on-the-go girl, and having a newborn kind of put a damper on that kind of lifestyle.

Then there were the other kinds of things like feeling guilty that I wasn't "out in the world" sharing my faith or doing mission/outreach projects or being more involved in my community or church.

The more kids we add to our growing family the more my mindset and perspective is changing and being realigned (I tend to be a slow learner sometimes).

I no longer view my day as just "sitting around". My daily to-do list is proof enough of that and I have plenty of "on-the-going" to keep my mind from slowing down at bedtime. In fact, these things that occupy my day (and these are just the ones that don't have 2 legs and 2 arms that follow me around the house all day) ARE the acts of love and service if I change my perspective to allow them to be. They just happen to be for the people that live under the same roof as me.

I feel more freedom saying that I'm a stay-at-home mom now more than ever! I see that my children are growing up so quickly and that I really only have a short amount of time to help them shape who they are and what they believe before they begin making their own choices and decisions. And if you really think about that too long you may begin seeing your own job as a mom in a whole new light.

Then there was that feeling of guilt for not being out in the world sharing my faith. Well, I'm still out in the world, just not in the work world, and my friends are other moms (and other women) who help encourage and support me as a wife and mom. Just think about your child's dance teacher, soccer coach, or the grocery clerk who rings you up on your third trip to the grocery store that week. These are all open opportunities to be who you are in Christ. We may have to be intentional in a different kind of way at this season of our lives, but we are in no way NOT being a light in this dark world.

And now for the biggest mission field for a mom. Her family! I am a sinful woman saved by grace and my children know who I say I am, but are they seeing me act it out on a daily basis in front of them? I am ashamed to say that yesterday was one of those days where I probably could have just shared my faith with a complete stranger and walked away easier than I displayed my faith among my own children who had to see this tired mama rant and rave in exhaustion instead of parent in that grace that God has given me to parent.

Being a stay-at-home mom who homeschools and administrates a ministry is the hardest job(s) I've EVER had and I will no longer make apologies or feel guilty about it! I am working on saying "no", even to fun activities or outings, if it means that I can keep myself more level headed in my "mission field" because that is my priority and I don't want to miss this very important opportunity in the 4 (almost 5) little lives that God has entrusted me with.

The View From Here

2012-01-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

Because you can never be too prepared for a fall (or a quick swim) when strapped into a baby swing...

The Topic Of Transition

2012-01-27T08:51:00.002-05:00

I can't even begin to capture all that the past two weeks have entailed in this brief summary on my blog, but oh how I want to try. I want to remember every moment of it!

Alethia has only been home for 2 weeks and 2 days, yet sometimes it feels like she has been here all along.

How is she doing? How is the adjustment and transition? How are your other children handling it?

These are the most common questions that we are receiving and they are easily answered in one wonderful word...GREAT!

We couldn't have asked for everything to go smoother, really!

I feel like the hardest transitions that we faced, as we got to know this new little addition to our family, were ironed out in Uganda. I truly believe that our time in Uganda has made this transition for all of us practically seamless. I also feel as though having our kids there made a world of difference to her feeling at home when she got here to America. She already knew her siblings and knew how to interact with each one of them from living with us in Uganda for so long. And that's just one blessing for all the delays we encountered while overseas:)

SLEEPING - From day one Alethia has been sleeping great! She begins asking, "Mommy, nite-nite? Mommy, nite-nite?" as soon as the sun begins to go down. We'll here that same repeated question over a dozen times throughout the evening while playing because her routine while living in Uganda was to go to bed right after the sun goes down. I mean, what else is there to do in the dark, ha! It is so funny to see her perplexed expression at the fact that it isn't bed time and that we still get to play for another couple of hours! Her and Areyna share a bed and really this has been the only consistent "issue" for her. She gets her feelings hurt if she wiggles over on Areyna's side of the bed, leaving little to no room for Areyna to sleep. We'll gently place her back on her side of the bed and then the whaling begins. It could last for up to an hour until she cries herself into exhaustion. One night Areyna had had enough, as Alethia kicked her way to Areyna's side of the bed, so Areyna pulled a blanket down and slept on the floor. That did NOT make Alethia happy, ha! But, besides that, she sleeps through the night, no nightmares to speak of and she stays in bed with Rainy until the "green sign" goes under the door at 9am!

POTTY-TRAINING - She has not digressed at all in this area. She wears a pull-up during naptime and at night, but other than that she stays completely dry. She even got brave enough to go all by herself, without any help from me or Areyna after about 3 days.

EATING - She has gone through the stage of eating EVERYTHING I place in front of her to only eating the things she likes, but she will try anything and food really hasn't been much of an issue at all. I can tell you that she'll do anything for one of Zeke's homemade Oatmeal cookies though:)

INTERACTION -
Alethia and Areyna are like long lost sisters! They work on projects together, put makeup on each other and play VERY well together. Again, the only real kink in their relationship is the bedtime issue. We may be looking at getting another set of bunkbeds in the very near future. Areyna helps her pick out her clothes in the mornings and is a HUGE help in every other area as I learn to juggle 4 kids by myself.
Alethia and Zeke are very similar in their bond. They play very well together and you can tell that Zeke treasures his new little sister. I know that this phrase will become old hat very soon, but he still has the mentality that he "will share my toys with Alethia because she didn't have any in Africa". We wants to give her everything:)

Alethia and Micaiah just picked up their relationship where they left off in Uganda. It's a love/hate relationship with the emphasis on the "love". They are like two peas in a pod. They frequently fight over toys, which leaves Alethia crying. (We've got to toughen her up!) He eventually gets bored with the activity and gently hands it back to Alethia, which then wants nothing to do with it, as she is mad because he took it away in the first place. I'm telling you, this girl is sensitive... They copy everything each other does! School time has been very pleasant as they keep each other occupied, for the most part, so I can work with Rainy and Zeke. Cai and Alethia play "family" and "kitchen". It's so cute:)

A Little Game They Like To Call "Crazy Undies"...don't ask:)

ON BEING LEFT BEHIND - Alethia made it through a complete service at church in her class last week! She did GREAT! We have left her for small group and did amazing. Josh and I even went on a date this week and she was totally fine! She knows her brothers and sister are still with her and she sees that mommy and daddy ALWAYS come back for her!

INTRODUCTIONS - It's interesting to see the people she warms up to verses shy's away from. Most of the time though, if you are visiting in our home she will run up and give you a big hug and want to show you around HER house and give you a tour...especially of her room. I LOVE IT!

AROUND THE HOUSE - We have been working hard on maintaining order in our house. When a meal is done the trash goes in the trashcan and the dishes go in the sink. If you finish playing with a set of toys you clean it up before moving on to the next. She is NO slacker in this area. I'd even go as far to say that she does a better job at this than the rest of the kids!

HEALTH - She had no health transitions to speak of until this past Sunday. Within an hour she went from just acting tired (with little to no fever) to having a 104.4 fever. We automatically though, Malaria, as she had just gotten over it in the babies home before Josh went to pick her up. After about 12 hours in the ER and several traumatic events with needles, IV's and X-rays it was confirmed. There are 4 main strains of Malaria and hers landed smack dab in the middle of intensity. Thankfully the type that she had is not known for fatalities! She is bouncing back like a pro. She also has a UTI so she is on meds for that as well. She begins her 2nd type of Malaria treatment, which is supposed to put her Malaria "on hold" until the medication she really needs becomes available and then she'll be on that medication for several weeks. Other than that she is doing great!

AS FOR MOM AND DAD - We are adjusting well. I've only had a few breakdowns, but I'd say they were mainly due to exhaustion from being so pregnant. I'm in full waddle mode and totally ready to get this baby thing moving! Josh is getting into the swing of things at work, which is good, considering our total lack of motivation while we were in the holding pattern just a month ago. I will say that getting everyone dressed and out the door leaves me with little patience if I'm not careful, and if I don't get up early enough in the morning to "gather myself" and spend time with Jesus it is way more transparent to my kids, as well as everyone else around me, than I'd ever want it to be.

So, we're learning, and will continue to, as our children and our family grow. We thank God for his consistent grace that He gives us and for the blessing of these little lives which we have been entrusted with.

Lessons From The Classroom - A New Year, A New System

2012-01-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

After a crazy semester of school I realized that I had better get my act together fast. I was losing momentum and it was showing in my kids attitudes toward school.

After evaluating this past semester we did finish all my goals, even with the adoption and living in Uganda, thanks to my mom and mother-in-law for helping us out (THANK YOU SO MUCH), but we just barely got through.

Areyna completed Kindergarten in December and is well on her way into first grade! We are using Horizons Math and Explode The Code for phonics and reading. She also has an additional reading time where she reads aloud every day.

Zeke has made it to Explode The Code - Book C and is doing fairly well. After we finish book C we are really going to work on letter recognition and reviewing all his letters to prepare for the next step. He still has a hard time retaining the letter of the week, even while we're working on it. We're still working on figuring out the best way to help him remember:) Teaching him has been such a challenge, but it has been really good for me (and my patience:). We are also using the Horizons Preschool curriculum book for his math to help him with his numbers. We are still on numbers 1-10 but he's beginning to catch on, I can just feel it, ha!

This year I wanted to find some fun activities to do that we could do in addition to their normal work to help motivate all of us and keep school interesting. Some of the things I want to do are still ideas and haven't actually happened, but I think we've got a great start as I look back on this past month.

One of these new additions to our school day has been a fun site that my friend, Heidi, told me about. It is called CurrClick. You could spend hours on the site, but if you are just wondering what I chose you can do a search for "Remember Me Pockets for January". It is under $5 for a whole month of January Themed activities and lessons, but you can also find many FREE lessons as well!

There is NO WAY we could cover all that this month had to offer so I planned one fun activity to do each week for our "group time".

My kids have learned the difference between an author (a writer of stories) and a composer (a writer of music), they have learned the format to write a real letter and how to address an envelope, and we have done several activities with oatmeal, because January is National Oatmeal Month, which EVERYONE should know, right, ha!

One morning we made regular oatmeal and placed several different toppings in the middle of the table and we let the kids pick and choose their toppings and then we made a graph of our families favorite toppings for the oatmeal.

We talked about the health benefits of oatmeal and all the different uses for it. It's been lots of fun. Oatmeal is now a super affordable staple around this Via household!

Zeke and I even baked oatmeal cookies last night! It was fun to talk to him about measurements and ingredients.

In addition to our activity in our "group time" every day we are focusing on our Church's curriculum and doing activities and memorizing verses to go along with what they are learning in their classes on the weekends. We follow up in the evening during family devotions as well!

One more thing. I have got to be organized if this whole homeschool thing is going to work for us and I was running out of room in my 3-ring binder very quickly with all my new, fun material. In my organizing and rearranging for baby #5 I pulled down our shoe hanger from our closet and have reattached it in the hall closet by our school room. There are enough rows for each week for the month and enough columns to cover each day in the week. It makes it easier to place my lesson plans for a whole month out after all the printables and worksheets have been prepared! It has worked really well so far.

So, January is almost over and I'm excited to move on to February...oh wait, we're about to have a baby. Sheesh, one of these days maybe life will slow down...or not;)

Words Of Wisdom

2012-01-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

***a dialog during family devotion tonight***

Josh: "So, what is self control?"

Zeke: "It's waiting to have the M&M's until after school like mommy says instead of sneaking in the kitchen to get them when she is in the shower or in her room and eating some."

Josh: "Hmmm, sounds like that MAY have happened before?"

Zeke: "No way. Huh-uh. I'm just saying..."

____________________________________

Looks like I need to find a new hiding place for the school incentives;)

Not Me Monday

2012-01-23T11:38:00.001-05:00

I never neglect my own Dr. appointments.

Nope, not me.

I am "by-the-book-Betty" when it comes to things like that.

Yup.

And it's a good thing too, because if I were to, say, have missed 2 more OBGYN appointments and call to reschedule this morning, they would have to tell me that my file had been flagged and that if I missed another one I'd be let go due to non-compliance...

And then I'd feel like I had just been reprimanded at the principal's office:(

But that's just NOT something I would do.

Nope, not me!

**********************************************************

Alethia update: many of you know we had to take Alethia to the ER yesterday due to a rapid escalating fever and restricted breathing. By the time I took her temp it was 104.4. We had a feeling that she had Malaria and after several hours of tests, procedures and blood work it was confirmed. She does, in fact, have Malaria and also a UTI. We finally got her fever stabilized around 100 and her breathing slowed down tremendously with this. We made it home around 3:30am and have a follow-up this afternoon to confirm some more test results and learn more about the strain of Malaria that she has.

Thank you for all your prayers for our little girl!

PS-When I went in to put her to bed with Rainy last night, Areyna was cuddled up with Alethia's picture:) She loves that sister of hers!

Lessons Learned The First Week

2012-01-19T21:24:00.002-05:00

1 - Paper plates significantly cut down on the number of times I have to run the dishwasher on a daily basis.

2 - One extra mouth to feed doesn't seem like it would make that big of a difference. I now beg to differ:)

3 - Having one extra ~~little~~ voice doesn't seem like it would really make that much of a difference in the volume in this house. I now beg to differ!

4 - One extra body doesn't seem like it would create that many more clothes to wash. I now beg to differ, as I am more grateful than ever that I get to wash these winter clothes for this family of six in a washing machine.

5 - I can't count on my memory/brain for anything any more. There just isn't enough room for any more information in there at this time...please try again later...

6 - If you have tried to call me over the past week and it has gone straight to voicemail it's either not intentional, because I simply cannot keep up with my phone (see number 5), or it is intentional because I simply cannot hear the person on the other end (see number 3).

7 - My OBGYN will only get more and more irritated with me the more appointments I don't show up for. (Again, see number 5...or just realize that after the first few kids it just doesn't seem that important to come in and pee in a cup, see all the weight I gained and have them tell me "there's nothing going on down there" if I know that the baby is moving and kicking and rolling and...)

8 - A standoff for an apology between #1 and #3 is bound to make you want to pull your hair out. I am determined that the children NEVER had to apologize for anything at the babies home, even if it was for biting, ha!

9 - "You got to moisturize that hair, girl!" Oh yes, these are familiar words of advice to me now. I have found a great hair product for Alethia's hair. It's lotion for the hair ya'll. I'm only hitting the tip of the ice burg with this new found knowledge, and ready or not, I'm gonna be learning a ton more. (Thanks, Tashia, for the help:)

10 - I may be totally out of my element and completely frazzled and exhausted, and I may have had a few exasperated melt-down moments in this short week, but I really wouldn't have it any other way. We are finding a new normal and continuing to lean on God because this 37-week pregnant mama doesn't have any left of her own to give. But God ya'll, He is so good and He knows what I need, and what my kids need from me...can I get an AMEN!

Ruby Red Slippers

2012-01-18T20:55:00.000-05:00


Alethia got some beautiful satin red dress shoes...and CAI can't get enough of them:)

Firsts

2012-01-16T10:04:00.001-05:00

Alethia has been home for less than a week, but we have already had so many happy firsts (and only a couple of not-so-happy ones, ha!), and this is only the beginning of a lifetime of them!

The first time she saw our house while we pulled up the driveway she gave giddy shouts and squeals as she kicked her feet and clapped her hands saying "Home! Home! Home!"

Seeing her run around her new house, wide-eyed, as she explored this mansion of a home.

Her first all-out wrestling match with her siblings and daddy on the CARPET! She's never had carpet before. I'm sure textures in and of themselves around the house are their very own experience for her:)

She loves to look out the window of the car and shout out "Mommy! Daddy!" at every new thing she sees.

Her first experience with the washing machine and drier were comical. She helped me sort the laundry in our room as she shouted out each persons clothing she took out of the laundry basket. Then she scurried down the hallway after me to put the laundry in the machine. She inquisitively watched her clothes disappear inside the big white box as I closed the lid. She kept asking, "Mommy, clothes?" until the washer finally stopped. We went over and she watched me transfer them into the dryer. She LOVED helping me hand wash our laundry in Uganda (and she did rather well at it BTW) so this was very new for her:)

The first time she saw her cold food come out of the microwave "Hot!" was no different.

The first time I got to cook for our WHOLE family! I'm sure I won't be so excited about this one in a few days, but I sure enjoyed watching her devour every bite:)

Watching her swing on the new swing set in the backyard with that big smile.

Going through a dozen eggs for one breakfast! My babies LOVE them some eggs!

The first "looks" that everyone talks about when a white family walks in a restaurant with a black child. You really do feel on display, ha!

The first time getting all 4 kids ready for church by myself. That was no simple task!

Our first family pizza/movie night in the living room:)

Watching Zeke proudly show off his new sister to his teachers at church on Sunday.

Seeing Areyna and Alethia close themselves in their room for "sister/girl time".

Finally seeing Alethia occupy the space that Cai makes beside him as he plays with his stickers and his cars.

Cai demanding Alethia to play with him by shouting "Jangu, Shabiya!" down the hallway.

Family cuddle time in mommy and daddy's bed:) Nothing sweeter...although we really are running out of room, and we are about to add another one!

Shouting, "Girls, no more tickling! It's nite-nite time:)"

I catch myself just sitting and watching my children interact together. In one moment it all seems so normal and old hat, while the next I'm blown away that Alethia is actually here, as part of our family! I am a very blessed woman. I know that Alethia being home doesn't (and shouldn't) complete me, but it sure does fill that void I felt when I had to leave her behind, not knowing if I'd ever get to see her again, and it does bring me to my knees in thankfulness for this miracle we've experienced first hand.

So, here's to a thousand more firsts...

The View From Here

2012-01-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Sisters!

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - Weeks 33-36

2012-01-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

Four more weeks! Wow, this pregnancy has really flown by...I sure mostly due to the anticipation of getting Alethia home where she belongs. It just didn't seem right to be having #5 before #4 could come and joine us:)

My belly continues to grow as this bundle inside continues to develop. I went to my check-up this week (which made for a happy OB since I'd skipped out on the last two) and everything looks and sounds great! Right on track for a February 9th arrival. The Dr. assured me that I'd be pregnant for quite a bit longer, which just means that there is no "progress", ha! I was expecting as much:)

It becomes increasingly difficult to do normal things around the house. I have to turn sideways as I strain to get the clothes from the back of the washing machine. My belly is right at counter level in the kitchen so I am forced to use the stool if I want anything above the first shelf. Cai continues to be a rough and rumbly boy as he runs across the room for quick hugs. The only problem is that his height makes him run into my belly before the rest of his body does, ha! My lap is getting significantly smaller, which makes for frustrated cuddlers and my air supply makes for very short games if any cardiovascular attempt is made. Driving, oh driving...we already know that parking next to a shopping cart drop-off is a no-go, but just trying to get INTO the car and the maneuver of steering has become cumbersome. It's quite comical actually, watching me try to get around, especially if it's off of my comfy couch...and I don't even need to mention Preggo-face. It's just bound to happen to this pregnant mama, no matter how hard I wish it away:) Oh well, we're almost to the end!

So, as we bask in the joy and delight of Alethia being home and transitioning to life as a family of six, we begin to slowly switch gears for that day which is just around the corner of the life as a family of seven:)

36-Week Belly

The View From Here

2012-01-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

Today Is The Day

2012-01-11T09:26:00.002-05:00

Let the countdown to forever begin!

Not Me Monday

2012-01-09T08:29:00.000-05:00

I would never give up an hour away from my kids to go sit by myself with a hot Starbucks beverage for a quiet trip to the grocery store instead.

Nope, not me.

But if I DID go to the grocery store (in peace) instead, I'd surely have made it worth my time by having all my coupons in order and taking advantage of Harris Teeter's triple coupons, instead of lazily walking up and down the isles at the nearest grocery store without even a list in hand.

Nope, not this motivated, frugal mama!

'Cause that could only happen if I didn't completely chunk my whole coupon stash when arriving home from Uganda...because I would NEVER throw coupons away.

Nope, not me.

But let's just say that I did throw away every coupon in my possession and then tell my mother-in-law that I'd rather go get groceries, kid-less, than sit and sip on coffee.

That would make for a more eventful story, right?

Right.

So, saying the previous events did happen...

I did NOT park my massive SUV right next to the shopping cart return in order to avoid having to walk any more than necessary.

Nope, not me!

I always take advantage of every opportunity to exercise and keep this body in shape, ha!

Anyway, if I tried to park next to the shopping cart return, I may just get so close that I have to literally squeeze this 35-week pregnant belly between the open door and the car, just to get IN the grocery store.

And that would look really ridiculous. Not to mention embarrassing.

And then upon returning with a cart full of groceries, realize that my automatic unlock button no longer works on my key ring and have to shimmy my way back to the driver's side to unlock the car, then shimmy back out to unload the groceries in the back, return my cart that I gratefully didn't have to exercise to return, and climb through the passenger side door to the drivers seat just to get back IN my car. (And I'm not even going to paint a mental picture of me squeezing my belly down between the steering wheel and the seat.)

Oh no. I would never do something like that!

Nope, not me.

Story In Pictures - Best Christmas Present EVER!

2012-01-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

The View From Here

2012-01-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

Thoughts From The Sifted

2012-01-03T08:47:00.001-05:00

I think when a lot of people go through tough times they question why God would allow "it" to happen.

For me, I GET that God has a BEST plan. I GET that His timing is perfect. I get that He knows what is best for me. I GET that crappy things are going to happen, even to His children, EVEN when they are following closely behind Him in obedience (because so often people question if they heard God correctly if their walk of obedience becomes difficult). I GET that life sucks sometimes and that we are never going to totally understand WHY exactly God does allow hurtful and painful things to happen. I GET all of that. I truly do!

Josh and I have been reading a book called "Sifted", by Rick Lawrence (Thanks Katy!). It couldn't be more of a perfect book for the season of life that we are stepping out of.

In Luke Jesus says one of the most chilling (in my opinion) phrases of the Bible:

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

If you notice, Satan went to Jesus to ask permission. He sought Peter out. That's a little unnerving. God was gracious enough to give Peter a warning at least, ha! And then He graciously went on to tell Peter that he had prayed for his faith and that Peter would, in turn, strengthen his brothers after he had been "sifted".

Wow!

When Josh and I were in the midst of our "sifting" in Uganda we often questioned why things were going so "un"planned. We often questioned how in the world everything would work out. We even questioned if we'd ever get back home (this would have been a very low point in our journey:). I'm sure we had underlying doubt and questions about why this was going so unpredictably for us while others were zooming in and out of country in less than 3 weeks!

Oh we questioned. (Here is where I want to say that I believe we are allowed to question God and speak from our hearts to His.) But we finally grasped (at least part of) the reason behind it. We had a lot of learning to do.

This "sifting" that we were going through was a hurt that God had allowed. While we weren't particularly rejoicing in the fact that we were facing obstacles at every turn we were confident that God had a plan. While we weren't sure how the end would play out, we were confident that God had a plan. While we weren't sure if we could hang on any longer, we were confident that God was holding us.

After beginning this book and realizing the significance of being "sifted" I believe we could embrace the hardship a little easier. Our thoughts turned from wondering how it would all play out to "I hope we can finish strong" and "I pray we can pass this test".

Instead of questioning God through all of this, I'm questioning my own heart and motives. I want to pass this test! I want God to get as much glory out of our sifting as He can! I don't want my own fears and insecurities to get in the way of what God is teaching me!

I'm all about being transparent and open, because I believe it can help others, but this is a little hard to admit.

Here is the weird thing. When we finally got word that we had been approved to bring Alethia home I was beyond thrilled and relieved. But at the same time I felt a strange spiritual finality, as though the sifting were over. That the test was complete. I felt like I'd passed, maybe not with flying colors, but at least I survived, but for some reason that wasn't enough. I wasn't ready to be done being sifted. I don't want God to stop testing me. I know it doesn't make sense.

It took some time to sort these things out in my swirling head and I believe I now understand what was going on. It's not that I want heartache or difficulty all the time, but I don't ever want to feel like God is done with me. I want to be in a place where I continue to grow!

Oh, don't get me wrong. I am more than ready to have my whole family on American soil, in our own home, TOGETHER! I am so ready to have this baby and begin to live a normal life again. But I don't ever want to forget the sifting we have been through and I don't ever want to be so comfortable doing life that I would cave in the midst of another sifting season.

So for now, I pray that we can enjoy the victory when this season of sifting is complete (because this will be the time to gain strength for the next one), and pray that when our testing is complete that we can turn back and strengthen our brothers, because that is when God will get the glory!

Not Me Monday

2012-01-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

To say that I'm a list girl would be an extreme understatement.

I make lists for lists for goodness sakes!

But I would NEVER succumb to the temptation of actually adding something to my list, half-way through the day that has already been accomplished, just for the sheer pleasure, enjoyment, and rush that one gets for being able to check yet another thing off of one's list for the day.

Oh no, not me!

The View From Here

2011-12-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

And the swingset should be ready in about 267 days:)

With One Voice

2011-12-25T20:40:00.001-05:00

The prayers uttered from our kids after family devotions tonight:

Zeke: "Dear God, please help us get the VISA to bring Shabila home soon. Give daddy a safe trip to go get her. Let Shabila realize it when she comes home. Amen"

Cai: "Dear God, lksjfoahwekefsido Billa home. lkajsdhfaowiefof. Amen"

Areyna: "Dear God, I am sorry that I keep sinning. I am SO sorry. Help us all to have good attitudes tomorrow and help me to obey mommy. And please help us be able to bring Shabby home very soon and give daddy and Shabby a safe trip when they come home. And please help the adoptions to go through for all the other people and for us. In your name I pray, Amen"

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Comes Early This Year

2011-12-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Since Christmas lands on a Sunday this year our church is shaking things up a little bit.

We're doing church ON SATURDAY!

We'd LOVE to have you come join us Saturday morning for one of our 3 services:

8:40am, 10:15am and 11:55am

Make sure you come early to help with parking and get a good seat.

You won't want to miss the opener!

CLICK HERE for directions and additional info.

Celebrating In True Via Form

2011-12-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, Monday was a day to celebrate!

We celebrated the quick communication from Nairobi about our case.
We celebrated the immediate "Approval" from USCIS instead of the request for more evidence.
We celebrated the fact that Alethia will be with us in just a number of DAYS!
We celebrated God's "YES" to our heart's plea.

Oh so many things to be thankful for!

We all celebrated in our own ways, but you better believe that some good ol' "field sledding" would ensue as a response to the gratitude and excitement in our hearts, ha!

The only problem is that we are going to need to buy a bigger sled for the winter:)

The Things That Seem Most Important

2011-12-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

I am finding that the things that used to seem so important and urgent to me just are not so important anymore.

These used to be the things that would occupy the majority of my time, besides wiping bottoms and piling food on little plates, of course.

These things would call out to me, just begging for more attention.

Granted, some of these things really must be done and truly are important, but they just don't hold the urgency that they used to.

Things like paying the bills (I just got caught up on this yesterday for the first time since coming home), figuring out what is for dinner, checking the mail (shocking, I know), couponing (this one is definitely a necessity for our budget, but it certainly doesn't consume me like it used to), keeping the dreads out of Areyna's lovely locks and the mindless task of keeping up with laundry (don't get me wrong, I am beyond grateful to have a relationship with a washing machine again), just to name a few.

Then there are the things that go along with the season like making the perfect Christmas list, going to parties, or picking the most elegant Christmas card that has "my family written all over it".

And I can't forget the ministry stuff like, the "End Of Year Giving" (which totally got neglected this year) or promoting my family devotional as the perfect Christmas gift.

None of it just seems all that important to me anymore.

Granted, I am much more motivated since we got the news of our approval to bring Alethia home, but I still cannot shake the perspective that comes along with the past 3 months that we have lived. I don't even think I want it to fade away! I like where we are and who we have become. I pray that we will continue to hear God's voice as clearly as we have, and that we will continue to seek him above all else, even when we aren't forced to hang on for dear life.

I think I've found my New Year's Resolution...

Keeping With Traditions

2011-12-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

Josh started a tradition with our family several years ago. Every year he buys each of us an ornament that represents the events of the past year.

Sometimes he gets frustrated because he can't the "perfect" ornament that he is thinks is appropriate. For instance, this year he was looking for a Chicken ornament for Areyna and simply could not find one. He opted for the Ballerina Barbie since Areyna can always find a way to get dolled up:)

Zeke got Green Lantern to add to his Super Hero ornament collection.

Cai was given a Mater. I think anything to do with cars would have sufficed, ha!

Josh found the perfect ornament for Alethia and Me. It was a home that said "Forever Family". It is perfect!

Now that we know Alethia will be home in the next week or two Josh is on the hunt for the perfect ornament for her first Christmas with her Forever Family:)

Caption Please

2011-12-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is my son.

No, he does NOT have pants on.

Yes he is wearing angel wings and a halo.

Yes, this mama forgot to bring "backup" clothes.

And YES, this is the kind of goodness you can expect at Journey Church!

I love my church!:)

BTW - How cute is my little "angel"?!

The View From Here:The Best Part Of Waking Up...

2011-12-16T08:49:00.001-05:00

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - Weeks 29-32

2011-12-15T18:55:00.001-05:00

I am 32 weeks pregnant today. I have 56 days left to be pregnant, but who's counting, right?!

I know that one can tend to get sentimental toward the end of a pregnancy, especially if they know it is their last one. But...that just simply is not the case for me, ha! Quite honestly, I CANNOT wait to be un-pregnant:)

Don't get me wrong or misinterpret what I'm saying here...honestly, some of you all jump to conclusions way too quickly;)

I KNOW that pregnancy is a blessing, believe me, I've been on both ends of the spectrum all too many times, but I also KNOW that I am little, that babies only continue to grow and grow, which only means that there is less and less room for my stuff inside my belly and this tends to make this mama downright ~~grumpy~~ uncomfortable...right.about.now!

I am grateful that I've been blessed to be pregnant just one more time (even if I DID give all our baby stuff away a month before we found out we were pregnant again, ha!), I'm thankful for a healthy pregnancy, especially spending so much of the time in Uganda, and I'm excited to see if this growing bundle in my belly is going to be named Jude Warren Via or Talitha Hope Via!

In fact, I was so antsy to actually do something to prepare for this little guy/gal that I went ahead and set up its sleeping quarters:)

So, the countdown continues. Here is my 32-week pregnant self for a few kicks and grins!

Not Me Monday

2011-12-12T11:23:00.001-05:00

We did not completely sleep through our dentist appointments on purpose this morning.

Nope, not us!

I have not been crying so much over the past few months that every time my kids hear me sniffing they automatically think I'm crying again and quickly run to wrap their arms around me to comfort me.

Oh no, not me!

Josh did not accidentally pour egg nog in his coffee instead of half-n-half.

Nope, we're always totally aware of our surroundings:)

We would never put off Christmas shopping until the very last minute just because we don't want to think about it...bah humbug

Oh no.

I'm always done with my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving even comes around...oh wait, we were in Uganda!

Cai would never get so acclimated to the Ugandan lifestyle that he continues to call all motorcycle-ish vehicles a boda:)

I would never continue to get pregnant after knowing the inside scoop about the lack of muscle control in the, ahem, "bladder area", that would cause you to pee in your pants EVERY.TIME.YOU.SNEEZE.

Nope, not me!

I never put myself in awkward situations and I would NEVER pee in my pants!

I would never put off unpacking from a trip. Nope, I always delve right in. Unless that one last suitcase contained a sleeping bag, toys and sweet memories of my daughter that is living 8,000 miles away, because that really might make me have one of the afore mentioned crying episodes.

And I already told you, that just isn't happening around here:)

Love you all! Happy Monday!

A Tree For Alethia

2011-12-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Josh and I decided that, given the fact that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away, it was time to get in the Christmas spirit. It's not like we were trying to be the Grinch, but it is just taking us a while to morph back into normalcy.

We decided that Josh had had plenty of time to soak in the Fall season, 3 days to be exact, and that it was time to dive right into the next, ha!

We took the family to a tree lot here in Rolesville in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Not only did we find the PERFECT tree for perfect spot in our living room, but I spotted another perfect little tree:)

If you read my letter to Alethia last night you'll know where I'm going with this.

Knowing that Alethia couldn't be here with us this Christmas we had a choice to make. We needed a fresh new perspective and, although this may seem silly to you all, we decided to dedicate a little tree to our sweet daughter who is on the other side of the world.

What we have begun to do is print out little love letters, notes of encouragement and prayers on Alethia's behalf to hang in ornaments on her little tree. We are fully aware that she won't have a clue what any of this means for a few more years, but we want her to know that she is loved and thought of by so many people all over the world and that our journey to get her has impacted so many of you.

We don't know the ending to this chapter we have been living out, but we do know that God is good and He has a perfect plan. We do know that we have been placed in Alethia's life right now, and I think these letters and prayers will be quite a treasure for her as she grows up, no matter where she is!

So, if you would like to participate we'd love to have you write something for her tree. You can email them to us or leave it in a comment below or hop over to our adoption blog and write it in any of the comments there throughout the season.

Many of you have commented throughout the journey and we'll be trying to compiling some of those as well, but feel free to keep them coming!

Slow Motion

2011-12-05T18:27:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a whirlwind. I'm staring at life scurrying all around me and I can't seem to keep up. I don't even think I want to keep up. I kind of feel like our lives are standing still while shoppers are getting ready for Christmas and people are rushing off to work.

It's kind of strange to explain. No, we're not wallowing in self-pity, nor are we depressed...we are just indifferent to life right now. Things that used to matter so much all of a sudden seem so silly and irrelevant.

Josh made it home to the rest of us (minus Alethia, of course) but we are together, again, as a family.

We are slowly getting back to life as normal, but normal will just never be the same as it was before September. We don't want normal to be the same.

My mom is here to help us gather our lives back together here and she let Josh and I get away for a coffee date this afternoon. Josh and I both agree that we are so not feeling this Christmas season. Sure, we know it's more than the gifts and Christmas trees, and we will always come back to the true meaning of Christmas, but life goes on outside of our family and the extended family continues to live life as normal. But for Josh and I, this Christmas is different. We both looked at each other saying that we agreed that this year needed to be different...somehow...we just don't know what that "different" needs to be yet.

Living in Uganda for 2+ months really makes you reevaluate wants vs. needs and things that are truly important to you and your family. We don't want to quickly forget the life we lived in Uganda, or the way those people served and gave of themselves from nothing.

Anyway, as I creep back over here to the life we left behind, we want to be forever changed!

We are continuing to keep our adoption blog going. Feel free to grab the code on the right to link to our adoption journal to share our story and to help you remember to pray for our sweet Alethia. We'll be keeping you up to date on any new information on our case as it comes.

Thank you for holding us during this time of transition:)

We're Home

2011-11-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

Well some of us are home, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to blog on this blog yet. This blog is about our normal lives, as abnormal as it may be sometimes, and life just is NOT normal right now.

If you haven't been keeping up with our adoption journey you may have missed the big announcement! We were granted legal guardianship of our daughter, but on the final leg of our journey she was denied her VISA at the US Embassy in Kampala. We can't bring our daughter home...

I, being 28 weeks pregnant and having just entered my 3rd trimester, needed to get home and begin preparing to bring another life in the world.

We split our family up on Sunday, the 20th, as I got on an airplane with Areyna and Zeke to make our trek home on a flight that was meant to be for our ENTIRE FAMILY!

While I prepare for this new little one to enter this world, Josh continues to live in Uganda with our little girl and fight for her little life to have a family in this world!

We have been to hell and back over the past 2 months...wait we still feel the heat of this very real battle, but we are going to fight this until the bitter end. It's time for our little girl to come home!

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Hambrick

Seeing my Cai-bo at the airport for the first time in 2 weeks.

He came home with his Meme.

You can continue to follow our family over at

www.alethiagrace.wordpress.com

until I can get the nerve to come back to the land of the "normal".

~Make sure to leave me your email address so I can get you the password~

Let's Go!!!!!

2011-09-26T09:45:00.001-04:00

Well, today is the day!

The laundry is done.
The kids are all clean...a bath on Saturday counts, right? RIGHT?:)
The bags are packed.
The toilets are clean (because my mom always said you can't leave the house without scrubbing the toilets:)...well, they were, and then Zeke had to pee, ha!
The refrigerator has been purged.
And the tasks to keep our lives on track here in America have been divied out to our sweet friends and family.

I can't believe it's here.

We fly out at 6:20pm and our checklist is finally dwindling to just a few last minute items.

This will be my last post from this blog until we return.
We'd love for you to continue to follow our journey to get Alethia on our password protected blog. Just email or message me with your email address if you would like the password.

We'll let you all know when we're returning home.
We'd love to see you at the airport so you can meet our beautiful new addition!!!!

Because We All Need To Laugh Until Our Cheeks Hurt

2011-09-24T09:38:00.000-04:00

For your viewing pleasure:) Either this truly is one of the funniest commercials I've ever seen in my life, or it just hits way too close to home, ha!

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - Weeks 17-20

2011-09-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

So, that little baby bump that would be oh-so-tiny when you woke up in the morning, but would grow with every meal you ate throughout the day will no longer fluctuate in size. You are full-fledged, 100% showing now!

People will no longer come up to you asking if you've put on a little weight, but will instead ask when you are due. That question will then immediately be followed by, "Aren't you adopting?!":)

Your absentmindedness will continue to increase. No surprise there.

The fact that you have problems brushing your teeth are now becoming a problem. Invest in some mouth wash...please!

The fact that you are pregnant has finally begun to sink in, but let's accomplish the pick-up of #4 first:)

Your 5-year-old will continue to ask if you have gotten that baby out of your tummy yet. He'll be ready to sweet that sweet wrinkly face.

Your 6-year-old will continue to remind you of how much bigger you are getting day-by-day, but the look on her face when she gets to feel the baby move is priceless!

Your 2-year-old will continue to be oblivious to the shrinking lap that he frequents on an hourly basis, making it more and more uncomfortable as he plops down for cuddle time.

Your 31-year-old husband will continue to look down at your growing belly and smile in sweet anticipation of its arrival.
_______________________________________________
Yes, I am definitely showing now. You know that 4 pounds that I'd gained by the last little update? Let's just say that I've gained, ahem, a little more by this check-up:)

We've had some issues regarding Malaria prevention medication for me. I am unable to take the safer meds because I'm pregnant, and the one that I should be able to take (which can cause hallucinations and panic attacks) I'm unable to take because of my anxiety medication. I've gotten several opinions and I've had to choose if I'd rather get Malaria or have anxiety during this process overseas. You can definitely be in prayer for us over this issue. I'm not worried about it, but Josh has seen the effects of Malaria first-hand and is a little, um, ~~paranoid~~ concerned. Especially since my OB told me that Malaria can be deadly to a fetus, even if the mother comes out okay. We're just running out of time to decide...

I'm still having bouts of nausea. I'm pretty ready for that to be gone, but I still can't complain:)

The little flutters in my belly have turned into kicks and somersaults. I love feeling little hick-ups, even though I'm not sure they are as sweet to the victim bouncing around inside as a result of them, ha!

So, I've reached the half-way mark and going strong.

Here's a quick 20-week belly shot for the scrapbook;)

Oh, and here's a quick "Thank You" to all my friends and family who have clothed this pregnant belly lately, since I still can't fit into any of my maternity clothes:)

I'm Gonna Miss...

2011-09-22T08:51:00.001-04:00

The fall...it's my favorite time of year

Ice...oh how I love ice, and being that we can't drink the water, and ice is made from the water, ice is a no go for the next 6 weeks

My pillows...don't worry, I'm packing my favorite one, but when I'm pregnant I'm usually surrounded by nice, fluffy pillows

My bed...

Dependable internet and electricity...

My girlfriends...I've really been blessed with so many sweet friends that surround me and I'm going to miss them dearly

Dependable warm water

Familiar food

A washing machine...I'm really gonna miss this one:)
_________________________________________________.

But I CANNOT wait for...

The familiar burning smell of Uganda...I know, it may sound weird, and I may regret writing this as I'll be pregnant this time around, but that smell brings back so many sweet memories

The beautiful land...

The crazy animals...I can't wait to show the kids all the monkeys in the trees and the lizards in our bedrooms:)

The unforgettable people of Uganda...

The red clay...it sticks to everything and can't hardly be washed out of your clothes, but there's just something about it that I love

The sweet kids in the orphanage...I can't wait to see their smiling faces

But there is one of those kids, in particular, that I can't wait to wrap my arms around and call "daughter".

There is so much to look forward to!!!

Finding The Green Grass On Your Own Side Of The Fence

2011-09-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

It's so easy to see the grass that is green in someone else's yard, but nearly impossible to see the green grass in our own yard.

Why is that?

I have a few reasons why this has been the case in my own life.

1 - Selfishness - we want all the good things to come to us. But in this, we are forgetting that God knows what is best for us and He knows what we can/cannot handle.

2 - Comparison - we are always comparing our lives to someone else's. But have you ever noticed that we always compare up? There is always going to be someone richer, smarter, better, more creative than us...we need to stop comparing! We only compare down if it makes us look better...Ouch!

3 -Perspective - we see someone's green grass and it appears to be perfect. We are only seeing part of the story. I've talked about this a lot. A person's "profile" can look picture perfect, while their life's content can be crumbling apart.

Pastor Jimmy had some wonderful things to say about it here on the June 5th message.

Just some food for thought as I count my own blessings today.

I want to play in my own green grass today!

More Than Bags And Airplane Rides

2011-09-20T08:44:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that we have been running full steam ahead this week trying to tie up all the lose ends here in America before venturing off to the beautiful land of Uganda to pitch our tent for a few weeks while we finalize our adoption.

Josh's parents offered to keep the kids for an extra few days after vacation so Josh and I could be free to run all the errands we need without having to drag them along. I must say that I feel like I've been working 12 hour days this week(end) getting things done and I can't even imagine how much longer each trip would be taking if I had 3 kids to add to the mix. So thank you, Meme and Poppy!

It's been kind of quiet around the house without those three. Josh and I have caught ourselves waking up at night because we've thought we've heard one of them crying or kicking the wall with their feet:). Weird. I've enjoyed getting things done, but I sure do miss them...

But in this quiet house, while Josh is away working on his latest project, I've had a lot of time to think. A lot of time to pray. A lot of time to prepare.

I feel like during this part of the adoption process we can get so caught up in the details that must be done, like buying medication, packing bags and games and food and clothes and..., printing documents, emailing, faxing, signing, that we can miss a very important part of the preparation.

We are bringing another life into our family. She is already a beautiful little 2 1/2 year old girl with very strong likes and dislikes;) She has a place she calls "home", she has friends that she plays with, and caretakers that she depends on. This is probably going to be scary for her when it really sinks in that she will no longer be at the only familiar place to her.

We have some big transitions just around the corner.

Our biological children have some big transitions just around the corner.

Their toys are not going to be just theirs anymore. Cai is going to have to compete more than ever for the love and affection that Alethia so passionately needs as well. Areyna will not be the only girl in the family. In fact she is going to be sharing a room with her little sister that will most likely eat her lip gloss and tear out her princess pictures.

We are also very aware of the strong spiritual presence in Uganda. Unlike America, which is saturated with internet and technology that distracts us just enough to ignorantly look the other way, we have seen some very scary and very real spiritual warfare while in Uganda. It is eye opening. It can be hair raising and chilling. We have been praying intently for our children's tender hearts and minds (as well as our own) as we venture overseas for the next six weeks.

I am less concerned about the dangers of this world but of the things that are unseen, yet all around us.

My mind has been consumed with my to-do lists, yes, but more so for the changes that are up ahead.

It is exciting! Oh yes, so much so that words cannot describe my feelings.

It is terrifying. More so than I'd like to admit sometimes.

It is a picture of God's faithfulness. Because I could not do this in my own strength...

To God be the glory...even in this!

Not Me Monday

2011-09-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

I never feel the need to impress my children.

Nope, not me!

Especially if it's as silly as gaining cool points for making up graceful mermaid moves in the pool.

Nope, absolutely not!

And most certainly not as a 19 week old pregnant mama in a strapless bathing suit.

Oh no, not this mama.

Because if that kind of impressing were going to take place to a 19-week preggers mama in a strapless bathing suit, the "audience" may get a little more than they bargained for while beautifully jumping out of the wave, pretending to lift up on the glistening rock as the water splashes down my back and tail fin.

But, hopefully if that were to happen, the only "audience" would be a very impressed 6-year old daughter, an oblivious 5-year old son and a very ~~excited~~ shocked husband, ha!

But...

that would never happen to me.

Nope, not me!

Not My Words

2011-09-13T09:53:00.001-04:00

The words in this post are not my words...but totally worth your time!

If you are a mom who struggles with your identity as "just a mom" or if you are a mom at all you need to read this!

It's a very refreshing perspective about finding enjoyment and fulfillment as a "M"om, not just a "m"om.

I Need A Vacation

2011-09-10T07:02:00.000-04:00

~Good thing VACATION STARTS TODAY~

Nags Head, here we come!!!!!!!!!

The Results Are In! We're Having Another Little Baby...

2011-09-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

...with a sweet little face...

...and tiny little feet...

...and a perfect little figure...

...with no area of health concern at all...

who's sex we are going to find out in 22 weeks when it makes it's arrival!

I mean why not?!:)

Sorry to keep you in suspense,

but how sweet will it be to find out when we see him/her face to face.

The View From Here

2011-09-08T20:41:00.000-04:00

I told you Zeke likes to be creative:)

Fun Facts For Friday - On Thursday

2011-09-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

For some reason Zeke always puts his jammies on when we are getting ready for bed, even though he takes them off before actually climbing up his ladder to get in bed. He likes to sleep in his undies:) That's just one of the reasons I love that boy!

Another thing that makes me love him is when he bursts out of his bedroom in the morning screaming, "I need to get the smacko!!!! There is a big red ant on the floor!" The "smacker" is the fly swatter, but when it comes out of his mouth it is so stinkin' cute!

I love that Areyna is doing school with her daddy right now and cramming in today and tomorrow's lessons so she can be done for VACATION! She is a self-motivated little girl and when she is determined nothing will slow her down:)

I love how Cai has started wanting me to cuddle in his bed with him at night. I went in the other night because he has a tendency to kick the wall next to his bed when he is asleep and it scares the heebly-jeeblies out of me, especially when I'm alone! So, when I went in to gently shift him in his bed he half-way opened his eyes, poked his pillow and told me "nite-nite". He wanted me to lay down with him and cuddle. *smiles* *melting heart* *contentment* *sigh*

I love how my husband knows me. He has been so busy trying to tie up all his loose ends with the Journey Worship project and our ministry that he has been gone at all hours of the day. He has been working so hard to help us get our family to Uganda. Which leaves me to try to run around and get little details faxed, or bought, or copied, with all the kids. We set aside last night as my shopping night so I could get a big chunk of things checked off our get-ready-to-go-to-Uganda list, because he knows I need that time.

So, when he got home last night he said through a big smile, "Why are you still here?! Get out of here and don't come back until the kids are in bed!:)"

So I did. I left them to their dinner plans I'd prepared and went on my merry way. I had been perfecting my list of things we needed to purchase all week so I was ready. I walked up and down the medicine isles making sure we had everything we needed for every possible ailment. I may have stopped by the Starbucks in Target to partake in a Pumpkin Spice Latte too...ahhhh....

It was a glorious night of accomplishing things, having alone time and being in my favorite store;)

So now, we have our plane tickets (we leave in 17 days, by the way!), we have our prescriptions and antibiotics, we have every other kind of thing you could think of that you might need to live in Uganda for 6 weeks...except for...well, I guess I'll always have a few things I've forgotten, but it sure feels good to have the majority of the stuff checked off!

In other news, I have a very important baby appointment tomorrow! Any guesses as to what the tie-breaker baby will be? After bringing home Alethia we'll have 2 boys and 2 girls...hmmmm...what do you think?!

Times Before

2011-09-06T11:22:00.000-04:00

We only have to mow the grass 2, maybe 3 times before...

We only have to go grocery shopping 1 more time before...

I turn 20 weeks pregnant right before...

We only have 1 more week of school (after we finish this week) before...

We have less than 3 weeks before...

We get one week of vacation before...

We only have 2 small group meetings before...

I only have to get 1 more prescription refill before...

I only have a couple of weeks to process the rest of this process before...

The Rolesville weather forecast will only apply to me for 19 more days before...

I only have 2 more baby appointments before...

I will only be able to ask 288 more questions to our agency before...

I will only change out the towels in the house to wash them 3 more times before...

We will only be going to the chiropractor 2 more times before...

We will only be running to Target or Wal-mart to get supplies for our trip 1,217 more times before...

We will only have 3 kids for 3 more weeks before...

We are only a family of 5 for 3 more weeks before...

...we leave for Uganda and become a family of 6!

Surely God is my help, he is the one that sustains me.
Psalm 54:4
Thanks to my friend, Jenn, for that great reminder this morning!

Password Protected Blog

2011-09-05T17:16:00.002-04:00

Well, we are quickly working on checking things off of our list before we head to Uganda in 20 days (but who's counting:)!

One of the things we've been aware of that we have to do is password protect our blog.

Since Blogger does not have that option we have created a Wordpress blog so you can follow our journey. I won't be posting on there until our trip is underway and you will need the password to read the content once our trip has begun.

You can go ahead and get familiar with the new blog so you know where it is. I'll also leave a link on here when we make the trek overseas so you don't lose contact with us!

Leave a comment below with your email address or find us on Facebook or Twitter to request the password. You can share it with your friends and family. We'd love to have you come along!

The View From Here

2011-09-03T16:12:00.000-04:00

22 DAYS!

Fun Facts For Friday - This Is A Good One

2011-09-02T09:15:00.000-04:00

Where to begin...

My mind is moving 100 miles a minute. I can hardly write as fast as my brain is working to put a post together. It's been like that since we got the phone call. Sleep has been nearly impossible!

What phone call?

If you follow me on twitter you already know, but for the rest of you, we got some BIG news this week!

We have a court date!!!!!!

I still get butterflies in my stomach when I say it, or think it, or write it...

October 5th is the big day!

We are working on booking our flights and it looks like we'll be traveling sometime around the 25th or 26th of September.

Wait, isn't it September NOW?!?! We don't have long to prepare...ahhhh...

My prayer is that I don't over-complicate this whole thing. I want to keep it simple. It is going to be an adventure for sure. It's not going to be a glamorous 6 weeks. It's not going to be a smooth 6 weeks with every day mapped out the way I like it. There is going to be no schedule, no normal, no familiarity, but it is going to be good.

Last night Josh and I sat down to start making a list of things we need to do. It turned into making a list of all the lists we need to accomplish before leaving:) That's just the way I roll.

We have all but $2300 in hand to reach our $33000 adoption goal! We have a few short weeks to watch the Lord unravel this feat, which is no problem for Him...I know this full well.

In other news...I had a baby appointment yesterday and had the scare of a lifetime. It was just the standard check-up, you know, pee in a cup, blood pressure and iron check, weight check (I've gained a total of 4 pounds this pregnancy, oh boy, ha!), and then the measurements and heart beat check. Everything was going smoothly until she pulled out the little doppler thing and tried to find the heartbeat. And tried...and tried...and tried... I could tell she was getting concerned by the look on her face, and the fact that she called out in the hallway for the ultrasound machine. She said I wasn't leaving there until she saw that heartbeat. After turning on the machine she searched around for what seemed like 5 minutes and then we saw it! The head, the sweet little feet...and the heartbeat just beating away. Relief, exhausting, thankfulness.

Josh has been away most of this week working on a recording project so the kids and I have been looking for ways to spend our extra alone time in the evenings. The night after we got the Court Date news I decided I wanted to check something off of my list, so we treked out to Target to get a little backpack for the littles. Zeke and Areyna already have bags that follow us around everywhere, but Cai and Alethia needed a little bag to bring their fun treasures on the airplane. Cai was very particular while picking his out:)

Alright, it's time for me to get going here. We've got a lot to do today. WE'RE GOING TO UGANDA!!!!!

And She Shall Be Called...

2011-09-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

Names are important to Josh and I.

It takes us FOREVER to come up with baby names, and after one of my best friends gave birth to a little boy after being promised that it was a girl, I never 100% believe the ultrasound technician when they tell us either way. We always have a back-up name "just in case":)

So, choosing a name for our Ugandan daughter has been no different.

Yes, she already has a name. A beautiful name! We are used to calling her by her birth name.

We have checked with reliable sources, thanks Andrew, to find the background and meaning to her birth name. It means, "Lively Life". A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. MY little girl!

*sigh*

But to us, we are bringing her into a new family. A new life. A new season.

You know when a new convert from the Muslim religion to Christianity changes their Muslim name to a Christian name? Well, that is kind of how I am looking at it.

We are bringing her out of her Orphan state and giving her a loving family. She is going to become ours.

Honestly, I've kind of struggled with the whole name changing thing, for some reason. I guess I just felt like we were changing enough on her all at once, and changing her name was something that was hers. Something that was familiar that she could hold on to.

But after Josh spoke his feelings toward the name change to me I've agreed that this is important to the whole transition into our family.

We've always loved the name we chose and are still working on a middle name, wanting to stick with her heritage and roots somewhere in there. So now we are trying to mentally make the transition from thinking of her as Shabila to our Alethia.

Alethia is Greek for Truth, and we pray that she will know the Truth and that she will boldly shine the light of that Truth to others!

Now That's A Good Daddy

2011-08-31T12:42:00.000-04:00

Areyna loves girly things.

She loves fixing hair (never her own though:), putting on makeup, wearing dresses and sparkly accessories and...

...painting nails.

It doesn't matter who it is, as long as she can use your nails as her canvas!

Yesterday she asked if Josh would like her to paint his nails. His usual response is, "Nope, I'm good:)" and she is fine with that.

But yesterday his response was a little different.

He said, "Sure, do you have any boy colors?"

They proceeded to go through the color selections and pick the perfect boy blend of color for daddy.

It was precious to watch her carefully apply the polish to his fingers as he sat patiently for her to be done.

I must admit that the shiny platinum catches me off guard when it flashes across the room, but I absolutely LOVE it!

Not Me Monday (On Tuesday)

2011-08-30T09:39:00.000-04:00

I do not become a pillow snob when pregnant.

Nope, not me!

Really? That is just so vain. Becoming partial to a pillow, ha!

That just would never happen to this down-to-earth momma.

Nope.

But, if for some reason I were to become that ridiculous...

I would NEVER make the one pillow that I absolutely have to have...my daughters!

Oh no, not me.

That's like stealing candy from ~~a baby~~ Micaiah...except it's stealing a pillow from Areyna.

And what kind of mother goes around stealing pillows from their daughter?

Not this mama.

Because if I did, I'd have to start hiding it after every use, in fear that my daughter would see that, in fact, her mother had stolen her Cinderella adorned pillow, and decide to steal it right back.

And that would not make for a very happy mama.

So, nope, no pillow-stealin'-mama around here!

Nope.

The View From Here

2011-08-29T20:25:00.002-04:00

Family Devotions With Friends

What To Expect When You Are Expecting...#5 - Weeks 13-16

2011-08-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

You may begin to feel those sweet little baby flutters this month, but remember, holding your breathe for more will only cause a black out, not more of those sweet little movements in your tummy:)

You may as well get used to cooking but not being able to eat it. For some reason dinner only looks appetizing if someone else fixes it, ha!

You know "the smell test" you use to see if laundry is clean or dirty? Yeah, don't even try it!

Unlike your first pregnancy when you could hardly wait to be showing and wearing those cute maternity clothes, you may find yourself squeezing into your normal clothes for as long as you possibly can. Just be aware that you may look like the "fat guy in a little coat" if you wait too long to make the transition:)

Gas-X and Tums will most certainly become your best friend.

Eating the leftover bites off of your kid's plates is no longer considered a meal! Calories are needed at this point.

Your tolerance for other people's kids will deplete day by day. Just tell your friends and family not to hold it against you:)

It will help if you can keep natural disasters coming (i.e. Earthquakes and Hurricanes). It will give you something else to blame your children's insanely hyperactive tendencies on, instead of your ~~lazy~~ weary parenting approach caused from your lack of energy and motivation.

If brushing your teeth continues to be an issue, begin buying packs of gum in bulk. It's cheaper!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This month has been an emotional roller coaster, but I have continued to stay vomit-free! Bouts of nausea are still eminent on a daily basis, but still, I can't complain.

Headaches are the big issue for me this time around.

I have had 2 really bad colds this month! It is taking me so long to get over these little illnesses. They are more of a nuisance than anything. I know my immune system is shot.

I am ~~patiently~~ waiting for that surge of energy to come during this second trimester, but I'm beginning to feel less hopeful that it will happen this time around.

And for your viewing pleasure...a shiny 16-week photo because I still haven't figured out how to take a good picture with my camera:)

16-Week Belly

The Weather Nerd Dictionary For Dummies

2011-08-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

This gust was pushing me over.

Here's a post for all you weather nerd wannabe's. Just a few tidbits about Hurricane season and the definitions surrounding the storm.

Hurricane Categories -

■ Category 1 hurricanes have sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph. These very dangerous winds will produce some damage.
■ Category 2 hurricanes have sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph. These extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.
■ Category 3 hurricanes have sustained winds of 111 to 130 mph. Devastating damage will occur.
■ Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph. Catastrophic damage will occur.
■ Category 5 hurricanes have sustained winds greater than 155 mph. Catastrophic damage will occur.
Source: NOAA

Storm Surge - a rise in level of coastal water - a rise in sea level above the usual tide as a hurricane or other intense storm moves over water, causing flooding when the storm comes ashore.

Deteriorating Conditions - for some reason everyone just likes to use this phrase...over and over...when talking about the hurricane conditions:)

Overwash - a deposit of marine-derived sediments landward of a barrier system, often formed during large storms; transport of sediment landward of the active beach by coastal flooding during a tsunami, hurricane, or other event with extreme wave action

Why is everyone freaking out about a Category 1 Hurricane? Because of it's size and duration.

Eye Wall - The eye wall of a hurricane surrounds the eye of the hurricane with a wall of clouds that is considered the most deadly area of a hurricane. The eye wall removes any trace of a storm from the hurricane's eye and produces deadly winds more than 150 mph.

Eye - the center of the storm as well as the calmest part of the storm. When you see a photo of a hurricane, the eye is the empty hole in the middle of the storm that the bands of the hurricane surround. The eye is calm and almost serene, and is where the weather service flies its planes into to determine the ferocity of the storm.

Spiral Bands - Hurricanes have spiral bands that surround the eye wall of the storm. These bands are what produce the vast majority of the wind and rain that hurricanes produce and are the largest part of the storm.

Hurricane Season - Begins June 1 and ends November 30.

The View From Here

2011-08-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-08-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday felt so much like a Friday to me that I woke up feeling like today is a Saturday. It's a weird feeling...

I have had a terrible cold this week...again. The kind that makes your head hurt from coughing so hard. The kind that makes your nose drip when you tilt your head forward to talk to the kids. The kind where you eat a wonderfully tasty meal but can't actually taste a thing because your nose is so stuffy. The kind where just walking outside to hang the laundry up on the line feels like you just ran a marathon.

I'm 16 weeks pregnant! Where is the time going?! Two weeks from today we can find out if it is a boy or a girl...now that is crazy!

Hurricane Irene is said to make an appearance tomorrow. I can't help but get giddy...it's the weather nerd in me:) I remember growing up in Texas and frantically preparing the yard for the coming Tornado or other awesome storm that came our way! I loved the excitement of the dark clouds moving in and the gentle breeze blowing before the storm approached while I excitedly ran around picking up the small toys in the yard that would inevitably end up in the neighbors yard.

All this word typing has made my arms and fingers feel like spaghetti so it's time for me to rest:)

But first, a picture to start your day with.

My adventurous boys:)

Happy Friday ya'll!

The (Temporary) Death Of A Super Hero

2011-08-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

Zeke woke up this morning with a massive swollen bug bite on his arm. He was itching it and saying that it hurt. So, naturally, I gave him the proper dosage of Benadryl.

About 20 minutes later we noticed a huge change in Zeke.

He was no longer climbing on the walls and door frames.

He was no longer begging to wrestle.

He was no longer jumping off of furniture.

He wasn't even interested in getting into any kind of Super Hero costume.

Instead, he was quietly sitting around.

He was contently playing his Leapster.

He cuddled up with Josh for a while.

He concentrated through his school work.

Instead of asking for wrestling he asked for us to read him a book.

He even asked if I would let him take a nap this afternoon.

No fits.

No outbursts.

I kinda like my medicated little boy:)

It's kind of like when you see your kids and how sweet they can be when they are sleeping...

I must admit, though, I kinda miss my hyperactive little boy that I'm used to.

You know, the one who is full of life and energy.

The one who can turn anything into a guitar to play.

The one who rescues his Princess sister from the bad guys and sits on his protesting little brother.

I'm sure he'll be back in full swing in a few short hours!

The View From Here

2011-08-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Sweet Baby Hannah (my niece) taking a nap this afternoon

Straw Bale Gardening 101

2011-08-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

Now, don't be jealous when you see the beautiful pictures of my garden!

Just kidding. You're allowed your one moment of jealousy.

Especially when you see the luscious, green grass growing all around the perimeter:)

And when you see just how fertile these straw bales have really become!

For some reason when people come over we have to keep repeating that it is a garden

and NOT a pet cemetery...

In all seriousness though, I am just laughing it off. I mean really, what's a woman supposed to do when she leaves for weeks at a time during the hottest part of the summer. Her garden goes unattended and dries up.

I've been reading in the New Testament over the past few weeks. All these vineyard and field owners just hired workers and slaves to do the work for them. I am beginning to realize that this just might be the way to go. I can just pay them in beans and pumpkins, ha!

There's always next year:)

Wait, this year's not over yet! I think I'll try to use these super fertile bales for some good. I think we're gonna clear out the beautiful, green grass around the inside and plant some fall crops. Anyone want to come get a Pumpkin from our patch this fall?

Conversation Piece

2011-08-23T09:04:00.001-04:00

If you know our family at all you know that attire is not a battle worth fighting on most occasions around here. I guess I am just so used to my kids wearing costumes that when we need to run a quick errand I don't even think twice about the fact that instead of loading up Zeke and Areyna into the car, I have, in fact, loaded up Ariel and Iron Man.

Most of the time it just slips my mind until we enter the public scene and we begin getting the usual reactions that range from "Awww, they are so cute:)" to looks of "what in the world was that mom thinking letting her children out in public in that!".

It has kind of become their trade mark around town and church.

We'll walk into band rehearsal on Thursday nights and the sound and tech team are just guessing which superhero Zeke will be on that particular night.

But, just last week I realized that there may be a little more to this sure-wear-your-brother's-too-small-Batman-costume-that-reveals-way-too-much attitude.

I walked into our small town post office and prepped myself to have a happy heart, no matter what attitude our postal worker may have. She tends to be a bit abrasive, harsh and just plain bitter. She very rarely smiles...unless she sees Zeke. OR unless she is talking about his cute little costumes.

This particular day she was her normal grumpy self as I smiled my way through my transaction. Then, she began asking questions about our little "blonde-haired boy with the little boots and red cape". Her face lit up as she began to chuckle just thinking about him:)

Maybe my sweet, quirky little boy, will help bring light to a very bitter soul. Maybe he will help open up conversation that would never have the opportunity of even arising.

So, I will proudly continue to let Superman run errands with me and just wait for an opportunity for him to shine!

Not Me Monday

2011-08-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

I am so glad that I am as patient as I am.

Yup. I'm patient.

In fact, when I am waiting on something to happen, I just wait. I don't manipulate or will for something to happen.

Nope, not me!

I am always living in the moment. Never thinking about the future possibilities of the desired thing I am waiting patiently for.

Nope, not me.

So for me, the fact that the Ugandan courts reconvened last Monday meant absolutely nothing.

I did not wait expectantly with my phone by my side, checking my email at least 10 times ~~an hour~~ a day in anticipation of hearing something about our case.

No way, not me!

The View From Here

2011-08-21T20:12:00.001-04:00

Watching the storm roll in

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-08-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

It's been a little different around our house this week.

My brother and his wife drove in from the DC area to come and visit. It was nice to have them here and catch up on their lives up north. We really don't get to see my family all that much because of distance and craziness of life, so it was pretty sweet to be able to connect outside of the holiday hustle and bustle.

Another update is that my parents will be moving back here to the East Coast from Colorado! I have mixed feelings about all that. Only because selfishly it was nice to know that we had a get-away in the mountains to go to. But really, with 5 (soon to be 7) plain tickets to purchase it was tough to really "get away", so we are welcoming their move to Marion, NC in just a couple of weeks! Bring on the 1.7 Acres of fun to run around on:)

I felt the first baby flutters this week. Every morning our little one wakes up with me and gives a little kick to let me know he/she's up and at 'em for the morning. I-Love-It! They are getting more frequent throughout the day now. Can you believe we can find out if it's a boy or a girl in just 3 short weeks!

With little to no warning Cai has entered into the "Terrible Two's". I mean, running full force and busting down the door into this stage! The whole arching the back, throwing down on the floor and screaming has hit a new level within just the past few days...and so it goes...another stage of life begins for our sweet, sweet little Cai-bo. Dear Lord give me patience!

I am so ready for fall that I can hardly stand it. I am having to restrain myself from opening up all the windows at 7am when it is nice and cool, knowing that it will soon be muggy and hot by the time the kids get out of bed. But soon enough it will be here.

Ahhhh, the football playing in the background, the kids running around in the yard, the pumpkin spice candles burning throughout the house and something yummy baking in the oven...

Josh just called and he landed safely in Memphis. He is there playing at Fellowship Memphis again this weekend. I know he feels totally out of his element, but I absolutely love hearing him practice his black gospel sets for this church! Brings back so many good BSU memories from college:)

Have I mentioned how much I love my man lately?!

Wow, can you tell my husband is gone. I could go on and on today. I must have a lot of extra words to get out, ha!

I better stop while I'm ahead though:)

Have a GREAT Friday, ya'll!

Eliminating Anxiety

2011-08-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

After going off of my anxiety medication for this pregnancy I quickly realized that I was going to have to work extra hard at finding the triggers for my anxiety if I was going to be able to cope well as a pregnant mommy and wife.

Some of my triggers are just things that are necessary for our family to do to get by. One of those is couponing. Just thinking about the whole process that needs to be done to get a grocery list together was becoming overwhelming to me, though!

But, I needed to prioritize what was best for our family in this season in our lives. I had to decide to put my family and our sanity before saving a few bucks at the grocery store.

Couponing isn't bad. But getting anxious and overwhelmed just thinking about it IS! The solution...no pressure. Josh totally took the pressure off by confirming that if it made me anxious to get rid of it. Just hearing him say it took a load off my chest (as if he wouldn't support me otherwise...oh yea of little faith:).

I have continued to keep up with expired coupons and cutting and organizing them but with no strings attached. If I have time (and motivation) I'll get online and get my deals and grocery list ready, but there is NO pressure. Otherwise, I'll just make a grocery list the way I used to and go to the store with the cheapest prices. I just have to choose to buy less and make healthier choices with the money we do have.

It was hard to not feel guilty at first, but I am all about eliminating anxiety triggers to keep this baby healthy, not to mention my relationships with my other family members:)

I know that this is just a season and I'll be back on the couponing wagon again, but for now, I choose sanity and tranquility, ha!

What triggers your anxiety that you just have to choose to cut out of your life sometimes?

The View From Here

2011-08-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

Lessons From The Classroom - Progress Report

2011-08-16T08:45:00.003-04:00

Well, we've made it past our first month of school. It has been a learning curve for all of us, but I feel like we've got a great routine now and am excited for what's to come!

Now, I am about to become very vulnerable here, so no snickering:) It's time to reveal the name I've chosen for our school.

Ready?

"Learning Together"

I know, I know. Super cheesy, but they have all these little requirements for choosing your school name, and I have no clue what I'm doing so I figured it was the perfect name for a first-time Home School mom and her first-time Home Schooled kids.

Last week Zeke finished up Get Ready for the Code - Book a with 5 stars! I am so proud of him and all the little light bulbs (no matter how dim they are) that have gone off in his little brain as he begins piecing together the things he's learned with everyday life:)

The next two weeks or so we are going to review the letters one-by-one that he learned in this book before moving on. I've got some fun activities planned and reading as he finds the letter of the day. It should be fun!

Areyna has been flying through her lessons. I went ahead and started her in Explode the Code 1 to make sure we didn't leave anything out with her other reading book. It is really easy for her right now, but there are a few things that this curriculum has added that have been really good for her.

For example: This activity below was new for her. She had to think of 2 words for each of the endings I wrote on her paper and sound the words out to write them down herself. I've been very impressed with her progress. I'm wondering if I should be a little worried with the last word choice for -eg, ha!

I didn't anticipate her moving so quickly so now we're waiting on Explode the Code Book 2 to get here. We should be finished with that one by Christmas.

Math is, by far, Areyna's favorite thing to work on. She will be finished with her first book of Horizons Math K SET of 2 Student Workbooks K-1 and K-2. Again, I went ahead and began with Kindergarten to get her used to the curriculum and to make sure we aren't leaving anything out. She should be all caught up and completed with first grade on time at the rate she is going!

She can now tell time on the hour. She can write and count to 100 by 5's and 10's. Her addition is getting quicker, she is counting money and she is getting much better at following the directions.

So, I give my class an A+ for the first 6 weeks (almost) of school.

I wasn't so impressed with their teacher for the first few weeks, but I think she is getting used to her class and her responsibilities. She is more comfortable saying "no" to things because school must be done, and she is actually beginning to enjoy teaching her children:)

Not Me Monday

2011-08-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

Photo Compliments of Areyna Via

I did not drive straight past my house the other night. Nope, we've lived here for almost 2 years now. I know my driveway!

I did not get into a super cleaning mood the other day and actually scrub down all the sticky baseboards and cabinets in my whole kitchen. Nope not me.

I did not get sucked into watching "Staying Alive" instead of taking a nap the other day. Nope, nothing gets in the way of my sleep. Especially, some old flick on the CW Sunday Afternoon Cinema Channel:)

I do not have a mountain of laundry piled on the couch where the kids have been digging out clothes and jammies to wear for the past three days. Nope, not me.

I do not continually leave my husband stranded around 9pm every night because I can't seem to keep my eyes open any later. Nope, not me.

I cannot drink coffee when I'm pregnant. Not because of the caffeine and I think it hurts the baby, but because my taste buds change and I simply cannot stomach it. So, I would NEVER hold my nose and endure a cup just to "get things moving" if ya know what I mean. Oh no, not me!

I would never admit why I've been a religious coffee drinker over the past week, when I can hardly stomach the stuff, to the whole blogosphere. Nope, not me!

Darn it. There goes my tongue again, spouting off whatever comes to mind. Sheesh!

Happy Not Me Monday:)

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-08-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

I think we've found a great routine here at the Via Home Of Schooling:) (No, that's not the name of our school, it just sounded fun at the moment, ha!) We've found our groove and we're sticking to it. I'll give a full recap of the past month of school next week. It's been going great, and I must say, the kid's teacher has had a much better attitude toward teaching our kids over the past few weeks.

My bestest bud and her hubby had their baby yesterday morning! New life never gets old to me. I still get giddy every time I get a text from someone saying they are on their way to the hospital to have their baby. Hey, that'll be us in less than 6 months!

Yes, 6 more months. I am growing out of my regular clothes on a daily basis now:( Oh well...I can take it...6 more months...

We received our first check from Just Love Coffee. This organization is helping us raise money for our adoption one bag of coffee at a time. For every bag you buy, we get $5 toward our personal adoption! So, go get you some coffee worth two great causes...a happy heart for you in the morning, and support to get our little girl home!

The Ugandan courts reconvene on MONDAY! We hope to hear something soon after they re-open so we'll have a more definite time line of when we'll be traveling.

After last weekends Yard Sale we are down to about $4000 to raise! That's it...I can't believe it. You can help that number go down by buying our coffee and/or by cashing in your Change For Change that you've been saving up. Go ahead and send those on in! We're getting close ya'll!

We have new service times this weekend at Journey. Take your pick and come on out to join us!
8:40am, 10:15am, 11:55am. Oh, and go sign up for a LUGGAGE GIVE AWAY that is going along with our new series!

On a different note, the weather has been absolutely beautiful in the mornings. The kids and I even spent a few hours outside before lunch yesterday! Bring on the FALL!

Here's a sweet picture to leave you with this morning!

I went back and noticed that most of my pictures recently have been of Cai. *sigh* He's just growing up so fast, and his recent birthday has just been a reminder of how big he is getting:)

Have a great Friday ya'll!

The View From Here

2011-08-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

Cousins

Your Storeroom Is Full

2011-08-11T08:41:00.000-04:00

We each have a storeroom.

Each of them are full.

But what are they full of?

Is your storeroom full of encouragement for others? Or maybe bitterness, jealousy, envy, joy, faith, love...

Whatever fills your storeroom is what overflows from your mouth!

"For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good,

and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.

I tell you that on the day of judgment

people will have to account for every careless word they speak."

Matthew 12: 34-36

The View From Here

2011-08-10T14:35:00.000-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Kelly Via

A Birthday, A Total and A Fun Little Road Trip

2011-08-09T09:36:00.000-04:00

Our sweet ~~little~~ Cai turned 2 years old on Saturday. He's no longer my baby boy.

He is now our sweet little boy who walks in a single file line between classes at church, and sits at the table to work intently on whatever project has captured his attention, who is beginning to formulate short sentences to let us know how he's feeling, and who decided to peepee in the potty for the first time on Sunday morning, what?!?!

We celebrated his birthday in the midst of the second day of the Via and Via Yard Sale.

Speaking of yard sales:)

Friday went without a hitch, with the usual ongoing flow of shoppers.

Saturday, on the other hand, was a bit of a washout...literally! We woke up to thunder and rain pouring down. It lasted until about 11, and then by the time we finally got everything dried off and set up, it began pouring again! We didn't actually get to begin the sale until around lunchtime. The crowd was really slow the whole day, until we started advertising everything for $1-$5! We did that until it was almost too dark to see what we were doing. By that time we were advertising, "Fill Up Your Truck/Van for $10, ha! (And even then, somebody had the nerve to ask if we could "do any better than that". Really, a van full for $10 is too steep?)

It was a fun filled weekend and WELL WORTH IT!

The grand total for the weekend was: $2587!!!!

That means that each family is now $1200 closer to our goal to bring home our little girls!

Two stupidist comments of the weekend that I just HAVE to document:
"So, when you get those girls are you gonna keep 'em?"
"Awww, it's just like when you see a sweet puppy on the side of the road and you wanna take 'em home."

This clearly shows how the majority of the US feels about adoption...very sad!

Moving on...

The excitement doesn't end there!

Josh won us some tickets to go see Hillsong United tonight in Greenville, SC! I'm so excited! I've never seen Hillsong live. PLUS, we are taking our buddy Andy Cherry, and his sweet wife Michelle. It's going to be awesome.

So, I better get packing. Have a GREAT Tuesday, ya'll!

Not Me Monday

2011-08-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Zeke is really big on details.

Yup.

He's also really good at keeping funny stories to himself.

Uh...yeah...

So, after hearing a certain story about his Aunt Kelly going down a slide and going swimming, naked, with only her undies, he would certainly keep it to himself.

Oh yes!

He'd never run around telling everyone in earshot.

But if he did he'd certainly forget about it after a day or two.

Because after a day or two it would be a church day and he'd want to blurt it out to his classmates and teachers telling them that his aunt Kelly likes to go swimming in only her undies.

And if he did that he might forget to mention that it was when she was a toddler and NOT in her current days!

And my son would NEVER embarrass her like that.

Oh no, Not Him!

The View From Here / The Final Hoorah

2011-08-04T15:07:00.001-04:00

We are having our FINAL yard sale this weekend!

I'm so grateful to have such nice items to sell, so thank you to all who have

(and still are) donating.

WHEN: Friday and Saturday

WHAT TIME: Early to as long as we can take the heat, ha!

WHERE: Our humble abode in Rolesville

(let me know if you need our address)

I can honestly say that if I never have another yard sale during the rest of my lifetime I will be okay with that:) We are trying to do all we can to raise the remainder of our money for this adoption, so come join us this weekend, because once again, we will be hosting the Yard Sale event of the year here in Rolesville. And once again, it will be of EPIC proportions (ie-my yard will look like the city flea market:)

Items are listed but NOT limited to:

Children's clothes

Children's shoes

Baby clothes

Pack-n-play

Strollers and

TONS of baby gear

Baby bedding

Other size bedding

Pillows

Stuffed Animals

LOTS of kitchen appliances

Shelving

Bikes

Telescopes

Books

Cookbooks

Baskets

TONS of Toys

Bags

Exercise Equipment

TV's, VHS players, Computer programs, Printers, Scanners

Electrical Dog Fence

Dryer

And the list goes on and on.

Come join us!

I'm sure there is SOMETHING here you need!

Mommy Emotions

2011-08-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

I'm not one to get very sentimental when it comes to my kids growing up. I'm just not.

I know, I cry about everything else, from sappy commercials to cartoon animated movies (i.e.-UP), but "older" stages just aren't one of those areas...for now anyway.

That being said...

I opened my email this afternoon to an email about Micaiah moving up to his new class at church. It went into detail about the fun activities he will be doing and all the snacks he gets to eat and the sweet teachers he'll have.

Then the email continued. It shared about the Bible Story and worship time that he'd be participating in on a weekly basis...and then the tears began to flow.

I honestly can't wait to peak in on his little class and see him interacting with others as he learns about his great maker!

I love that we go to a church that understands that children, even as young as 2 years old, are old enough to begin learning about the stories and characters of Jesus from the Bible.

Now that's enough to make a momma tear up a little bit:)

Not A Feeling

2011-08-01T20:31:00.004-04:00

Sometimes my spiritual walk feels so full that I simply cannot keep it in. I have to share what the Lord is teaching me. I feel so close to Him.

Then, there are times in my spiritual walk where I can hardly keep my mind focused enough to read through a single chapter in the Bible. I have to read and reread through it and force my mind to comprehend what I'm reading. My mind wanders, my thoughts trail off, and it's difficult for me to feel like I can find Him.

It is such a comfort to know that our Lord doesn't leave. He doesn't drift away. I may drift from Him, but He is always here. He is constant. He is always consistent.

Just because I don't "feel" Him doesn't mean He is not near. Even when I can't formulate the words to pray to Him. I can simply be in His presence, mind wandering and thoughts trailing off and all. He knows. He hears. He loves.

He's here.

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - Weeks 7-12

2011-07-29T16:30:00.005-04:00

You will most likely begin to start craving things. But they will most likely be things that are terribly good for you, ie. chocolate frosting, chips and dip (any dip, dip is good, dip is very good), and big juicy steaks and burgers, cookies and crackers, and most any other food that lands in the snack category. I need not even mention the temptation you will have living near a Sonic.

Moving on...

You may begin to notice that your clothes are getting a little snug. It may be a little disheartening that it is in the butt and thigh area instead of where the baby actually is! It's okay, keep telling yourself that this is normal and it'll be okay. Besides, you've always got the Belly Band:)

A 10-week belly + Bathing suit + the beach = questioning looks wondering if you're actually pregnant or just letting yourself go, ha!

You may begin experiencing some misgivings doubt and fear, realizing that you are about to be the mother of five, Five, FIVE small children. No matter how you say it, it's still gonna be scary. Just begin to get used to that fact;)

Smells. Oh the smells. They will leave you running and gagging and leave the kids running to get their daddy for back-up.

The act of holding your tongue may become non-existent at this time. Keep trying to fight the urge to spout off the first thoughts that come to your mind, so be prepared to have an apology ready at all times.

*****************************************

This month:

I changed practices. I LOVE my new practice and how personable they are!

We told the families!

I grew out of my first pair of jeans:(

We finally told the world!

I have completely given over the task of doing dishes. I can handle unloading the dishwasher, of course, and loading straight in, but if the dishes have been sitting for any length of time the afore mentioned running and gagging begins to occur. Josh gladly took over dish duty, as I'm sure that gagging sounds are not all that pleasant for those within earshot.

I began really not feeling well around 11 weeks. In fact, I hadn't thrown up until almost 12 weeks. How's that for timing. You think you are all in the clear and then, bam! But, it helps when hardly anyone knows about it so there's not much complaining going on (except to poor Josh, sorry baby:).

12-week belly

Life Without My Husband

2011-07-27T13:04:00.000-04:00

Since Josh and I have 3 little rug rats now ( we won't talk about having 5 soon...eesh), and because I have become quite the homebody, I have been traveling less with Josh. It is nice to have the freedom to do this and not feel the pressure of having to leave all the time. But that means that Josh has to leave us at home a lot.

So inevitably I get asked a lot, "How do you do it?"

Here are a few things that help get us through the time without daddy.

The first thing I do is try to put it in perspective.

My sister's husband is in the Army and she has spent several months/years of her life without the help of a husband. I respect her so much for all she was able to accomplish while living life alone with her boys.

Then I think about the women who live life as single moms. I have no idea how they do it! I personally know several single moms who don't just get by, but thrive as mothers as they find what works for them and their kids.

So, when I get to the end of Josh's two week mission trip and I can't seem to pull myself together I think about how so many others do it all day, every day, for an indefinite amount of time...and then I give my sister a call because she is always so encouraging, even though 2 weeks is nothing compared to what she had to do:)

But, knowing myself and my kids, when it is for just one night without daddy, an extended weekend or a mission trip overseas, I know that we all do better with a plan.

So, here are a few tips to keep you going so you can make the best of this time with your kids, because I have come to realize that these times alone with them are some of the most special times I have.

1 - It's amazing how God gives you exactly what you need when you need it. This past weekend I was playing at Journey while Josh lead worship in Missouri. I wasn't sure how late we'd be to rehearsal Sunday morning, with the morning sickness and coming down with a cold, and three kids. But quite honestly, since I knew it was all on me I was more proactive to get everything set out the night before, I made sure I woke the kids up in enough time to get them all ready AND made a Starbucks run, while making it to church 5 minutes EARLY, what?! God gives you what you need, if you rely on Him to do it through you.

2 - Themed dinners - You may remember a couple of years ago when we lived in Charlotte. Each night of the week we had a themed dinner. We made a whole day out of the theme with library books and activities. It gave the kids something fun to look forward to, and something fun for me to work toward.

3 - House Projects - I like to rearrange. Josh doesn't appreciate me moving heavy furniture or flipping the mattress without him, but I like to think of small projects around the house that will keep us occupied. It might be organizing a messy closet, or rearranging...something...anything:)

4 - Be Proactive - I try to calculate what I'll need while Josh is gone so I get groceries and run my errands before he leaves town. That way I won't have that task hanging over my head with all three kids, but can be used for an extra outing if we get antsy in the house.

5 - Backup - When we were a one-car family I needed to make sure someone could come to my rescue if I need it.

6 - To-Do List - I try to keep my to-do list to a minimum. If I happen to have a ton of tasks waiting for me I get antsy, grumpy with if the kids interrupt, and always feel preoccupied, giving me no desire for that special time alone with the kids.

7 - Sleeping - I try to remember to close the blinds and curtains right before dark so I don't have to look out at the pitch black night, which only gets my imagination whirling.

8 - Music - Our house makes lots of crazy noises. LOTS of crazy noises. So I try not to keep it quiet, especially at night time.

9 - Play Dates - This is a great time to get in lots of play time with friends. Make it a point to get out of the house, if you have an extra car, to go see some friends. It's nice for the mom's to be able to chat too:)

10 - I just couldn't end on 9, ha! Oh wait, happy hearts...that's a pretty big deal...that can make or break your time.

So, there you have it.

What are some things that keep you going when you know no backup is coming?

What To Expect When You're Expecting...#5 - Weeks 1-6

2011-07-26T11:17:00.001-04:00

You don't even have to take a pregnancy test because you know that "empty feeling" in your stomach. You know that feeling. Even after you just ate a full meal.

You may begin to fall asleep every time you sit down to read, sit down to fold clothes, sit down to eat, sit down...alright, you get the picture.

You will most likely use any excuse to mandate another room time or rest time for your other kids, just to sneak in another little power nap.

Normal tasty treats, such as Pineapple Casserole, make you feel as though you just ate 100 year old Egg Nog (do you remember that from Fear Factor, ha!) and you may need to formulate a path to the toilet IMMEDIATELY!

You are hungry, but can't eat. You aren't hungry, but have to eat.

Swallowing things, such as a prenatal vitamins, or brushing your teeth, may become difficult and maybe even non-existent for a time. It's okay, children's gummie vitamin's will do until you can swallow your vitamin and gum works great for those weeks that you can't force yourself to brush your teeth without gagging;)

People's reactions will be across the board, especially if you are adopting. Don't get discouraged. All 738 people who found out on my blog yesterday just will not understand, and that's okay, but God will not give you more than you can handle!

********************************************************

Yes, I was, in fact, pregnant.

Was it a surprise? Yes!

Was it planned? No!

Were you preventing? Yes!

Were you charting? Yes!

We had decided that my body needed a break after one of the scariest weeks of my life back in December, but apparently the Lord had other plans! BIGger plans...

I can't help but think that it had something to do with my surrender a month prior to this news.

I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I may never get pregnant again and was truly fine with that. Yes, content, and was trying to look at it from a positive angle. I could finally let my body stay the same size! My "normal figure" would be my figure. No more in-between stages. Now that's pretty positive! Another pretty positive thing was less stuff. No more baby stuff in the attic or in the house. No more waking up in the middle of the night for feedings as well as all the other things that go along with the infant stage. Totally content...

Then there is the baby stuff. I had just given all our baby stuff away the month before!

Our minds were whirling! We didn't have our baby stuff anymore and we were in the middle of adopting. We were preventing, so how in the world did this happen?!

OK, so we KNOW how it happened, but you know what I mean;)

So, we made a call to my OBGYN, because we were instructed that I needed to call them right away if I were to ever get a positive pregnancy test after my surgery. I spent the next several weeks in doctors visits, getting blood work done and early sonograms, to make sure that everything was good and healthy.

I don't think I've gained any weight by the time I reached 6 weeks. Maybe a pound or 2?

I took myself off of my anxiety medicine immediately. That's been a fun experience...for NOBODY!

I've been pretty lightheaded, mostly because my blood pressure has been consistently low since I got pregnant. That and the fact that I've been off my meds and fuzziness, lightheaded(ness) and numb body parts are a side effect of going off cold turkey.

We decided that we wanted to keep it a secret for as long as we could. First of all, we wanted to make sure that everyone was healthy and okay. Second, we thought it would be fun to announce the sex at the same time we told people we were pregnant. But, as you can tell from this picture, by the third meal of the day, especially if it's a good one, there isn't much hiding it, ha! We'll see how long we can keep it a secret. It's a little harder when you have family that lives near you and sees you often.

6 Weeks Preggers

Oh Boy...(Or Girl!)

2011-07-25T12:16:00.001-04:00

The View From Here

2011-07-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-07-22T13:05:00.004-04:00

Just mentioning the name "Chuck-E-Cheese" makes my anxiety level go up.

But, it is all Zeke asked for for his Birthday.

We figured we'd do a joint celebration for the boys since Cai's birthday is in 2 weeks! We didn't really get to celebrate Zeke as a 5-year-old as a family, and you know how I am with planning parties. Cai will never know the difference, ha!

Plus the fact that we kept getting FREE tokens and great deal coupons in the mail for their birthdays:)

We very quickly learned that Cai really, Really, REALLY is effected by all the bright lights, screaming children, noises, music and scary monsters 15 times his size.

We also learned very quickly that he really, Really, REALLY likes Root Beer. Our kids never get soda, but I figured it was a special day, were they ever surprised. You should have seen the look on Cai's face every time he took a sip of the bubbly stuff:)

About half-way through our Chuck-E-Cheese adventure Zeke came up to me and asked if he could take Cai to go play some games. He took Cai's hand and led him around to find something Cai wanted to do. They ended up in the toddler area on the slide together. Nothing melts this momma's heart more that seeing my sweet kids helping so sweet together...

I came home to a totally fried garden last weekend. With no water and temperatures in the 100's I guess it was bound to happen. My flowers on the front porch are crispy and brown too. *sigh* I am still getting tons of tomatoes but everything else is just plain dead. Oh well.

I have been so torn lately. To continue to try to find new ways (which I'm not even sure exist) or just to pray and wait in great expectation of what God is going to do. We still have quite a ways to go with our fundraising for the adoption. I just want that whole part of it to be over with, ya know. I've totally run out of creative juices as well as resources to raise this money. I know the Lord will provide...I just wonder how it will happen. And just as I had about given up on the grants we'd applied for, we received word that we got one yesterday!!!!! It was the best mail day ever! I may or may not have immediately began bawling, reassuring my kids that they were happy tears and we had reason to celebrate God's provision!!! It was such a significant chunk that we are down to only having to raise around $5000. That's it! But then I think about the time we are gone...6 weeks without any paid gigs and still needing to pay these bills at home...we are going to try to go above and beyond. It will all work out, I know it will...

Speaking of raising funds. I know it is totally out of my control. But...cleaning and organizing is not, ha! In order to keep my sanity I've been nesting like crazy. I mean, it's not like we can go outside this week or anything, geesh!

This weekend Josh has a gig in Missouri so that means I'm flying solo. I don't mind it, but it will be a little weird being on stage without my baby on Sunday:) I love being able to worship with him!

I'm sure you are sad that this rambling post is coming to an end. Don't fear though, I have something very exciting to share with you next week;)

Happy Friday ya'll!

Story In Pictures - Just Singin' In The Rain

2011-07-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

Notes Of Encouragement

2011-07-20T11:45:00.002-04:00

"Dear Mom I

love you I am

so so sorry

that Zeke and Cai fall apart"

This sweet little note of encouragement from Areyna pretty much sums up the majority of the past 2 weeks of my life as a parent.

Zeke freaks out about something very small. His screaming, kicking, stomping and thrashing has been beyond embarrassing as I drag him away from the pool at the beach or out of the cafeteria (AKA Marlins...mmmm) or all the way home from church.

Zeke's antics are so contagious that Cai has begun to join in on the fun.

So then I have 1 boy acting out in total defiance and another one learning the ropes to total defiance.

I know it's a stage, but man am I ready for it to be over!

I am catching up on a few parenting reads to help get me through. But not just to get me through, to help me reach their little hearts.

So, if I've seemed a bit distant over the past week or so it's because I have been. I'm exhausted and tired. But don't be alarmed, today has been a much better day...so far! We've been implementing the Marble game today:)

If My Calculations Are Correct...

2011-07-19T15:09:00.001-04:00

...well, you can't really have any calculations in the adoption process. As a matter of fact, you can't really have expectations at all. All you can do is go with the flow and wait for the next step.

As of July 15th, the Ugandan courts have taken their summer break. They will reconvene on August 15.

It's kind of nice to have this month. We aren't in anticipation for anything. We know we've done our part. We are just coasting (and trying to get creative on how to raise the rest of our funds).

As many of you know we found out, last Monday, that our case had been submitted to court. And, surprisingly we have already been assigned to a judge! We are thrilled to hear this news.

The only step left is to hear word that we can travel. That's the only thing that stands in our way, from being on our way:)

If my calculations are correct we have right around $10,000 left to raise. Adoption is so expensive, but to be honest, half the cost is traveling and living expenses overseas. The money really adds up once you add in all of those costs. So, basically, all we have left to raise is the money for airline tickets for our family. If you put it that way, it doesn't seem so bad.

So, we press on...it is coming quickly! I'd love to have a new little one to take trick-or-treating this year, because that is one thing I know about her, she loves her some "sweeties"!

Roadie

2011-07-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

Cai was determined to help the band pack up last night. (It was an AWESOME concert, by the way) He pushed this box all the way to the trailer with very minimal help from me:) The guys captured the moment, and I thought it was just too cute not to share!

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-07-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

We just made it back home from a wonderful week at camp. It was such a neat experience. Usually the anticipation is built up until the last night where all the kids come out of the wood works and profess all the changes that God has done in their life all week. This week was a little different. The first night they absolutely came unglued. We had 7 professions of faith that first night and the momentum didn't die a bit as the week progressed. It was amazing! I'm glad I brought my camera and NEVER EVEN TOOK IT OUT OF MY BAG ALL WEEK! That's awesome.

Speaking of just getting home, we did just.get.home. I left pancakes for dinner up to dad as I sit here moving only what is necessary to type this nice little post:) We are exhausted, to say the least.

But, we get a whole week home before we head back to the beach for another week-long camp. It'll be great.

Here's a random fact for you on this Friday evening: 90% of all dusk particles in your house are made up of dead skin particles...ewww.

We have a fun weekend in store, and if you are in the Raleigh area this weekend you can come join in on the fun! Our buddy, Andy Cherry will be helping us lead worship this Sunday morning and then Josh and I (and our awesome band) are opening up for a concert with him Sunday night as part of his "Offering Love" tour. Come join us at Journey this weekend!

Alright, the scent that is following my children around the house is unacceptable and the bathtub is calling. Time for me to own up to my motherly duty and bathe them.

Happy Friday Ya'll!

The View From Here

2011-07-14T16:30:00.002-04:00

Living By The Rules

2011-07-13T13:44:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, our children's pastor, Aaron Bauer, gave an excellent message. The whole thing was good, and you can listen to it here, but there was one thing that has stuck out and really penetrated my heart.

Our current series is "Once Upon A Time". The series is going through many of the popular parables of the Bible and practically explaining them and relating them to our own lives.

This past week Aaron spoke about 3 parables, but the one that hit home was the story of the Prodigal Son. We've all heard the story a million times. In fact, I used to hate the story because we had to listen to James Dobson's (I think) video series in youth group as a teenager all.the.time.

But anyway...:)

This time Aaron addressed both of the brother's in the story. We all know about the son that took his inheritance and squandered it until it was totally gone and he was left eating with the pigs...literally.

But what about the other brother? He is a very important part of the story as well. I've been the brother that ran away, making the foolish choices, and then came running back to my Father. But, sometimes, embarrassingly enough, I've found myself being the other brother.

See, this other brother lived life by the rules. He always obeyed, he was a hard worker and he did what he was supposed to do. But when his wayward brother came home repenting, and received a party, this other brother was upset. No...he was downright angry!

I would have been too, to be quite honest. But there it is in it's ugliest form...the issue of the heart!

That is the sad thing. I find myself as that other brother sometimes. I live life by the rules now. I do things that I'm supposed to do. If I'm supposed to do something I'll do it without making a fuss. I won't ask a ton of questions, I just do it. So, when someone else, who does things differently, comes along, I have a hard time when they get the party. Or when they get "additional blessings". Or if they get all the attention.

I'm just being honest. It's really hard for me. It's my selfish side. It's my prideful side.

Here's the eye opening thing for me as a parent - as I constantly have to explain to my kids that "it isn't all about you, you know" I am talking more and more to myself.

The Lord has really been working on perspective with me. He's been helping me see that blessings for other people are for them and opening my eyes to the blessings that He has given me. He is constantly opening my eyes to the Eternal things. Some things just don't matter in this life. In fact, not much that is gratifying from this life here on earth is Eternal at all. But that often seems to be what we fight for isn't it.

I'm glad I don't serve a God who will give up on me. I pray that he will help me be a supportive "brother", an encouraging "brother", truly loving and obeying and following the rules with a pure heart, not out of selfish ambition.

Not Me Monday

2011-07-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

We did not just get word that our case has FINALLY been submitted to court!

Nope, not our case!!

That would mean that we're getting SO close to bringing our little girl home.

And if that's the case, then we have a lot of stuff to do and a lot of money to raise.

And that would make me freak a out, just a little bit;)

But then the reality of actually bringing this little girl home that we've been praying for every day since we decided that we wanted her to be part of our family would take over my freak out moment and I'd just get giddy with excitement thinking about how close we actually are!

Fun Facts For Friday

2011-07-08T15:20:00.000-04:00

We are heading to the beach on Sunday to prepare for next week's Student Camp for Journey Church. By this time last year we'd already been to Myrtle Beach about 3 or 4 times, but this is the first for this summer so we're pumped! The kids are excited for the 8 pools at the specific "resort"...oh the choices for all their swimming delight and pleasure:)

This morning we headed down the road about 15 minutes to a Migrant Camp. I think we counted about 12 children and only 2 adult women. The rest of the camp was out in the fields working the crops. We were joining 2 other ladies and their children who go almost everyday and bring the children lunch and toys. We were able to bring a couple of bags of clothes that Journey people had donated for them. You could tell they were so thankful! It was so neat to see Josh and Zeke kicking the soccer ball with some of the boys while Areyna colored and played with My Little Pony's with the girls. Cai just bullied around with the other kids his ~~size~~ age. It's crazy to see those kinds of conditions in your own backyard.

No adoption news. Nothing. Sometimes I still forget we are in this process. We literally haven't done anything from our end in months besides try to raise this money to get over to Uganda and get our little one. I'd like to at least think we're getting a little bit better at waiting, ha! But really, Josh and I are really trying to focus on what the Lord has to teach us during these times of waiting. I mean, what if we missed it?! Then it would all be for nothing. The hard times are the refining times, ya know...

That's all I've got ya'll! Not even a picture to go along with my post. I'm pooped...again, so I'm going to go make my third batch of homemade salsa from our garden and take a nap:)

It's Friday Ya'll! Have a GREAT weekend!

"I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be Like..."

2011-07-07T14:22:00.003-04:00

My dear, sweet daughter...

...is just.like.me.

My poor, sweet daughter...

...is just.like.me.

For example:

She refuses to do anything on anyone else's time line. She wants it to be in her timing.

She doesn't like to practice much of anything. She wants to master something the first time she attempts a new feat. It is frustrating for her to fail at something, even if she does it perfectly the very next try.

She is a neat freak. Literally. She tries to "convince" Micaiah to put his cars away instead of leaving them on the floor. This really is a nice trait for one of your children to possess, unless it is during a time when the other siblings are actually playing with the cars/toys. She gets so upset when the house is a wreck, even during play time.

When we did the whole house rearrange a few months ago we bought a CD player to go in Areyna's room. She decided that she wanted to "decorate" it. The stickers that she carefully placed over the entire player were absolutely stunning. (insert sarcasm) I held my tongue and just let her decorate away. A couple of days later she was sitting on the couch while we were just hanging out and she jumped up and told me that she HAD to get those stickers off of her CD player because it made her feel like her room was all messy. Hmmm, where does she get that from?!

I've witnessed her say some of the rudest things to her brothers.

And then I realized that she is just taking my lead. I talk to them so rude sometimes. I forget that they are little people with big feelings. I forget that the family unit, while the parents hold the control, must have mutual respect. I forget that it's okay for the house to be a wreck while we are playing and having fun. I forget that Areyna's (and Zeke's and Micaiah's) creative juices flow differently than mine do, and that's ok! I forget that practice is what makes us better and that repetition in the areas that we aren't so good at is healthy. I forget that other people have walked the same path that I'm walking now and that I can learn a lot from others and their suggestions.

As I watch my children grow up to be more and more like me it makes me realize that I have a lot to learn. I want to exemplify what God wants his children to be like.

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	Jude Warren - It's A Boy!
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