Traditions

Happy Thursday to everyone. Hope it's been a great week for you all. I am still trying to get adjusted to a much earlier and busier day now that I am caring for twin 1-year-olds Monday-Friday. They are sweet little girls and I enjoy the "noise" of their coos and babble filling our home. Eden loves to make them laugh and it's sweet to watch her with them. I can tell she will be a great big sister one day. Eden and I are also enjoying our school time each morning during the twins nap time.

I have to share an Eden funny. Yesterday we were getting ready to leave to go to my morning Bible study I lead and I went to her room to tell her it was time to go. She said, "But mommy, I have to make a phone call." I told her to do it quickly and come on. So I'm loading babies and diaper bags in the car and I hear her chatting on her "cell phone" to her make-believe friend. It's the normal, "Oh hey, how are you? Really? Me, too!" Then I hear her say, "Oh, I had to walk in another room because I didn't have signal in there." I CRACKED UP! She hears me say that all the time because our signal is weak in our house. Don't you love it when your kids make you belly laugh out of the blue? It's one of my favorite parts of being a mom.

On another note, our family gets so busy sometimes we forget to spend time making memories and traditions together. Or, when we do, we don't even think about getting pictures to document. When my friend died unexpectedly last week, it caused me to really think about how I spend my time and where I put my energy. I have been making sure to tell my husband I love him before we go to sleep each night and taking the time to stop and listen to Eden even when I'm busy. Anyway, last night we decided to make fall cookies and decorate them. I grew up decorating homemade sugar cookies for Christmas each year and it's a tradition I want to continue in our home. My homemade sugar cookie dough, however, is always so sticky it takes all the joy out of the experience because it's so irritating trying to cut the cookies out. SO, I used the Betty Crocker bagged mix, rolled it out, and cut them out...it was a lot easier and the cookies are good...not as good as my mom's...but they will do.

Eden wanted to use icing so I went to Publix and asked them if I could buy some of the bakery's butter cream icing. They sold me a container of it for $2.85 and I used icing dye I had to make 5-6 different colors. Daddy joined in for the decorating and we had a great time. We missed bedtime and loaded up on sugar right before bed...but we made a great memory...and I have pictures to prove it. Enjoy!

Eden hard at work

Of course we must lick our fingers during the process...100 times!

Eden's pumpkin

Finished product

Enjoying the "fruits" of our labor

One happy girl

Please Pray

Hello to you all. I just wanted to hop on really quickly to ask you to please pray for my friend, Kim Smith, and her 6-year-old daughter, Hannah. Kim's husband Michael passed away unexpectedly in his sleep early Friday morning. My heart is so heavy for her and the days ahead.

Michael was my boss when I worked at Hunter Street Baptist Church in the student ministry from 2001-2004. He was one of the funniest people I have ever known. He loved students and invested his life to further the Gospel in the next generation. He worked as a youth minister from the time he was 18 until his death at age 40. I know He is with the Lord and there is hope in that for Kim and Hannah...but my heart just hurts to the core for their loss.

This weekend I was able to take a trip with the ladies I lead in Bible study at our church to Chattanooga, TN to the Precept Ministries Women's Conference. The theme for the weekend was, "Having Hope in a World With No Hope." Continually throughout the weekend as I silently lifted up prayers for Kim, I was reminded by God's Word that He is our hope...He is Kim's hope and Hannah's hope...and Michael's faith has become sight because his hope was in Christ. I prayed throughout the weekend that the Lord would remind his family of these truths in the coming days, weeks and months.

Please join so many of us who are praying for Kim and Hannah as they face what I'm sure is the darkest days they've ever known. So many of you who read have faced devastating losses so I know you will pray...and know how to pray for them.

Life is fleeting, and short, and unpredictable. I cannot end this post without asking you if you are at peace with your Creator? The Bible says in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; and no one comes to God except through Him. Please know that this is what God says, not me. All men have rebelled against God and so our relationship with God is broken. But God the Father has not left us as orphans. Because God is holy (set apart and different) sin had to be judged...His anger towards man's disobedience had to be poured out. He is just and He cannot ignore sin. Instead of pouring it out on us, the sinners, He poured it out on the perfect sacrifice, His sinless Son, Jesus. Christ was born into the fallen world and was tempted in every way we are, yet never sinned. Therefore, He could be the blameless sacrifice and bear God's anger and punishment for the sins of the world. He willingly gave up His life on the cross, was dead for 3 days, and was raised back to life. The penalty for sin is death (see Romans 1-3), and Christ tasted death and defeated death. Now, through faith in Christ, you can be saved from the penalty of sin...and you can live the life God created you to have here on earth.

If you do not have a personal relationship with Christ, I beg you to read the book of John in the Bible. Message me or find someone you know who does have a relationship with Christ and talk to them.

I know that Michael would want his life to be remembered as being a passionate follower of Christ. Nothing would bring him more joy than for his death to result in others trusting in Christ.

Please pray for Kim and Hannah. And cherish your loved ones...love them well...none of us are promised to wake up. Each day is a gift. Make them count!

Love you all...

Long Time, No Post

I'm baaaack! Okay, I know it's been forever. I'm not even sure if anyone reads this anymore...but I'm going to crank it back up anyway. I've missed yall! It has been so long there is no way to completely update what's been going on around here, so I'm going to hit the high points.

Probably the biggest change is that I began home schooling Eden in K-5 in August. It's not something I set out to do when I became a mom, but I just know it's what I want and need to be doing in this season. We will continue to seek the Lord's direction each year and take it one step at a time. She is still 4, but already knew all letters so we went ahead with a kindergarten curriculum. I love what we're using. It's called My Father's World and it's very hands-on. It is a unit approach and it has 26 units (one for each letter of the alphabet). The science, language arts and Bible are all connected. We spent the first 10 days learning about creation. To give an example, our first unit we studied the letter "S" in language arts, studied the sun in science (we made raisins out of grapes and a sun dial to tell time), and learned that Jesus is the light of the world, memorizing John 8:12.

We are both enjoying this time so much. It only takes about 1.5 hours each day, and we take Fridays off. We stuck a 4-ft. table and 2 chairs up in our bonus room (it's also the playroom and guest room) and put a big bulletin board up and we were ready for school! Here is a picture of Eden doing her handwriting work:

I have also just started a job...at home. I am the proud nanny of 11-month-old twin girls, Madison and Ava. They are adorable and such good babies. They are VERY scheduled so that makes it even better. We are able to do school during their morning nap, and then mommy can rest during their afternoon nap. Their mom is a teacher so holidays and summers are free. I am so thankful that the Lord provided this opportunity to earn money and still be at home to care for my family.

We had an unusually busy summer, but were able to take a much-needed vacation to Panama City beach in September. Here's a couple of pictures:


Eden and I were also able to fly to Oklahoma to spend time with our family there at Grand Lake. It was so relaxing and refreshing. The weather was cool and we went on boat rides to see the white penguins migrating to south TX, played games, made smores, and went to the OK State Fair. Eden even learned how to make homemade biscuits from her great-aunt Ginger. Eden also had lots of time with her cousin, Camp.

Lastly, there's nothing to report at the moment on our adoption. However, we are so excited and hopeful about what we see the Lord doing to provide for us financially so we can pursue the child we know He has for us somewhere. We are in a time right now of seeking the Lord about our plans versus His plans. We want to be sure we are in line with His plan for our family. We will be fund raising again over the holidays with Ornaments for Orphans and are hopeful about resuming our home study in January if all goes well.

I cannot wait to show you the ornaments we are making. I hope to have them online for orders by the beginning of November. The ornaments will be $10 (plus shipping) again this year with the proceeds going to our adoption fund. So if you need teacher gifts, secret pal, stocking stuffers, etc., please consider shopping here to give those gifts and help bring a little one home. We are humbled by the way the Lord uses others to accomplish His plan.

That's all the news I have for now. I will leave you with a picture of Eden that pretty much sums up her personality these days...she is hilarious.

My next post won't be so long because I'm not gonna wait 6 months next time...I promise! Comment to let me know you still read! Love yall...

Meant to Be

Keri recently spoke about our adoption at a church Bible study and I made this video at her request to show at the event.  Hard to believe it's been 3 years since we stepped off the plane from China with now-not-so-little Eden Hope.  Enjoying every minute of it!