Red Rover, Red Rover, Let Daniel Come Over!!!

We have a new son! Looking forward to getting him home!!

One year ago today I woke to the sound of men praising God. Dogs were barking and a rooster crowed. The air was just a little bit damp and just a little bit cold. Exhaust, a city smell, mixed with wood burning hung in the air. I looked out my window and saw children scurrying back and forth from their little bedrooms to a sink outside. I tried to zero in on their little faces. I quickly and quietly dressed, so I wouldn't wake the six children I had brought with me. I went outside and stood by the door of a small playroom. One by one I met my new children. Quiet and shy and so small! Sweet little faces and rough little hands. I didn't take my camera. I wanted this to be private and I wanted to focus. Just us.

Poor little bloggy...

You will have to wait. I am taking my little boy by the hand and going for a walk. You'll still be here. ;o)

Shed a little light...

Let's be frivolous for a minute. We have moved. In our new to us house there are some low spots that aren't working so well for the Mr. First area that needs to be fixed is the dining room light. I'd love to show you where it is going and what I am hoping to find, but Google+ doesn't like my name???? so I can't show you anything. The deal is: the dining room ceiling has this double tiered flower cut-out that fits around the chandelier mounting. The cut-out is made of wood and is freshly painted white. The flower looks pretty much like a flower I'd draw if I were to doodle on the side of my page. Now I need to find a flush mount light to go in it. Got any ideas? Do I go trite and get a ball that looks like a flower center or do I go serious and pretend I didn't notice it was a flower....

Just in case you ever wondered...

When I was younger it seems my friends and I would talk about pioneer times without realizing that the problems of those times still exist today in other places. Obviously as adults we know this...right? Seems like people would often say, "Yeah, during pioneer times people lost lots of kids to death...they probably just accepted it as a way of life..." I would often respond with, "You can't be serious. How could you get used to that. I disagree. I don't think they were ever ok with death." So just in case you ever wondered. Today it was called to our attention that five children in my daughter's class at school had lost their parents and been adopted. When I was discussing this with my son who has been in those shoes, his response was not, "How cool that all those kids were adopted." NO. He said, "Ohhhh, that is so terrible! In __________ each morning when I woke up I would hear about who died last night. EVERY DAY people died. DIED,DIED, DIED. It was soooo terrible....in America I do not know death."

Joys of the Newcomer

catching five fish, riding the zipline and swimming all before 7:30 am on the first morning in America Spin brushes Those little keebler elves driving a schoolbus

Inspiring Snoopy laughter

You know that part in the Peanuts cartoons when Snoopy is overcome with the giggles...One of my new little guys is seven years old. The other day his brother, age ten, having been out of the country for more than a month, needed a haircut in the worst way. Walmart was the easiest option, but I was concerned about taking my new little seven year old to a place like that. OK,he has never seen that much food in his life. We would get the haircur, buy some yogurt and leave. Suddenly in the aisle my seven year old is overcome with a case of the giggles. Like hold your gut and stagger kind of giggling! It was the Keebler Elves and their yellow cardboard schoolbus! These kids love cars and to see those dumb elves driving a bus full of cookies was too much. I will always get a case of joyful, giddy giggles as long as I live when I see one of those back to school displays! Adorable! Just as funny...mom playing on the playground equipment!

Hazards of the Newcomer

Do not open car doors when the car is moving Model Magic is not food Stay clear of swings

Catching fireflies...

Last night I was sitting on the bridge. Little girl was catching fireflies. FarmBoy was fishing. The big kids were swimming and eating watermelon. Seemed like the perfect place for our new kids to be. The blackberries are almost gone. Sure would like to share a bowl full with my waiting trio. Looks like their first fireflies will be next season...Wishing you were here on the bridge, on my lap with the weight of you grinding my ankle bones into thr concrete bridge rather than sitting here with the wait of you grinding into our hearts. If you are ok, then I can be ok. I wont know if you were ok for such a long time...praying for you always...

Carrying Eachothers Burdens

It took me quite a few years to get smart about the little purses ans other trinkets my oldest liked to bring with her on outings. "Can you hold this, mom?"I and then you've.the one ealking around at a party with Betsy-Wets-and-Pees, a silly puttu egg with six pennies in it and a half chewed but very special curly straw. Useless burdens, right? Distractiins. Annoyances. Almost like black flies, really. Pretty soon you really meamn it when you say "Leave Betsy here or carry her yourself. "I a" How about that big plate of food at the party? You were distracted ...talking...and your four year old has two drumsticks, 85 cheese puffs, 6 chocolate cookies and gobs of red jello with fruit cocktail sticking to his fingers, the side of his face and he's coming towards you in your cute white capris. You takethe the plate, right? Cause it's one of those stupid paper plates that you really need ten of, but he only took one cause he listened to that part and he was rying to be really big and get his own stuff. Besides you were talking again. Now he has more than he can handle and you take the plate, right? You wouldn't consider making him carry this teetering pile of goo. You sacrifice your cute white capris. You cut your conversation off. You find a place for him to sit. You stand. You try to get that jello off your pants with a babywipe. See, you're distracted again. Some kids are like this. Some of them carry big messy plates and we would never consider making them carry that plate alone. What if you took the same kid with you to the post office at Christmas time. He's 4coming years old. Your car is full of the bocce sets you are mailing to your nieces and nephews. He hasn't eaten. You're on the phone. You tell him to get out of the van and carry those packages for mommy. You get out, keep talking and roll your eyes that he's walking. So slow. You wouldn't do that!! Maybe he could carry one ball. You'd never expext more. You'd carry the rest. Even if it took several trips. Maybe you'd even ask for help. If you could see that floppy plate. If you could feel the weight of that bocce set, you'd never want him to carry even a tenth of what tou are. But he is. And you've gotten distracted and you've forgotten what it feels like to be a kid with baggage. Dear God, help me to love the jello stains. Help me to not buy those white capris. Help me to always see those burdens.

Now would be...

...a good time for a panic attack...if I had TIME!! Did I mention that we are in the middle of a musical that I am not sure we have advertised enough for ALL the kid while we will be bringing our three beautul new children home...soon...

It's a Boy!...and a Girl!...and another Boy!!!

Can you believe it??? We get to have more kids! Yeah!!!!!

A lamb is in my kitchen...

...because you only live once. And because you only live once, I said "yes" to Farm Boy when he asked if the lamb could sleep in his room tonight! My aunt emailed me at 2am that she had found a lamb on craigslist. I promised her I would not name it after her. Since it won't be Nadine, it sounds like it could be: Oatmeal, Skater or Cardigan. By afternoon we had worked out a trade: lamb for goat and drove out to make the trade. It is a cute little thing. I can hear the kids in the kitchen. They have the food scale out and are measuring and weighing formula for dinner in the lamb's bottle. This evening The Hero and I took a drive in the country and ate an early dinner at a country pub. He talked about his dahlia garden and his plans for some rock work around our place. That and a lamb in our kitchen are music to my ears . That means we are getting back to normal around here! We have weathered the storm and come out to singing! Constantly. I can hear four simultaneous songs and a lamb baaing right now: I'm a Believer (we are all so sad about Jones), Gloria, Theme from Aladdin. And On My Own...

for the past month...

...we have been praying over our adoption situation. We prayed at home and adoration and read books about aligning our will with God's Will. We are changing scenery here...new country, same need! God is holding the compass!!

While I am sure...

...that waiting is both noble and virtuous. I am really not in this to adopt good habits, I am really doing this to adopt some kids. I can work on those other virtues all day for the rest of our lives together: waiting for them to get in the car, waiting at the doctor's office, waiting for them to get their pajamas on...

It's not funny. I'm not laughing.

We have been in this process for more than two years now. Now all we get to do is our endless piles of paperwork again. And pay more money. And deal with other unforeseen complications. Wouldn't it be great if we were waiting because we were not needed? This is sick! I know there are millions of children who can not heal because they are living with open emotional wounds in limbo land. Enough of this beauricratic horror. I think of all the families who have quit because "God must be shutting the doors." NO, people! God is not shutting the doors. God does not want these children left as orphans. It is ugly. It is not funny. I am not laughing, but I am not quitting either.

Nissan NV3500 HD

Hello Fellow Reader (you know who you are) On a recent road trip I saw one of these! It is a new sweet ride for 12 passengers.

I can see clearly now that that burden is gone!

    We had to make some mighty big decisions in our family recently.  How God has rewarded!!  Peace and joy have bathed our fears and healed our wounds.  It is so much fun to trust GOD!  My children have experienced their father as a true hero and advocate for all children.  What more could you want as a child than to have a father like that?  It is incredible how much less is lost when you are not afraid to lose.  That is not to say that we have not all suffered with sadness, but an abundance of gifts has already been given.  Prune away, GOD!  Over the last few years I have felt this pruning going on:  letting the big house go, leaving my three best friends, shedding ourselves of material belongings.  Once again I feel so strongly that this latest pruning has been a very special way to prepare all of us to embrace our new children with UNCONDITIONAL compassion. My children had to leave their school last week.  They had mostly wonderful teachers at their school.  They have fantastic friends.  To tell you the truth, I was the saddest about them missing out on the two minutes here and three minutes there of their daily antics with their friends.  They love, love, love their friends!  I do, too.  We had been dealing with something unsettling for four months.  Unfortunately, the welfare of children was being put below the welfare of "the institution".  Unfortunately, despite great efforts on the part of the hero, our children suffered broken hearts.  The gift in this?  How much more compassion do you think they will have when their new siblings come home after having lost their parents, their culture, the familiarity of their surroundings and their new friends at the orphanage that they have made while waiting for us?  Losing a school is so much less than all of this.  Prune away!  We are ready to serve YOU GOD!

Rick Santorum

If I had readers, I would tell them to look up the Rick Santorum family on youtube ...

Vote for Mom

Today at the end of mass, the priest gave a reminder that elections are this week. He said, "Be responsible Christians and get out and vote for the people you want to spend eternity with." Little Girl turned to me and whispered,"Vote for Mom!" Now, don't you think my little girl is PRECIOUS!