Bedlam at the.........

Pearl Harbor with the kids!

2012-01-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

We finally did it! Went to Pearl Harbor, well I finally took the kids! Hannah recently read a book called "I Survived Pearl Harbor" and has been wanting to go see it. They did great and learned a lot! Its fun having kids all at the learning age :-)
Pearl Harbor always chokes me up. I held back tears three times today, I dont think the kids caught on. It also makes me think about how much I miss my Grandpa Emmett. :-( You cant help but leave there thinking "All for what?" Wars pass, time goes on, countries heal, but these men and women are dead forever...

Mom-Cation 2012

2012-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful husband who understands that once a year when my nerves are fried, I need a Mom-Cation! I waited until the last minute this year, but was thankfully able to find a little cottage on the North Shore that was available for the dates I wanted. (The only other option was literally a tree house you had to hike up a mountain to get to!) Last year I took a week break, and saw the kids twice in that time ;-) This year I only took four days, and stayed away the whole time.

In addition to LOTS of relaxing, here are a few other things I did on my break:
ate some shrimp out of a dirty van...

visited the mac nut farm...

saw some pretty stuff...

ate some killer fish tacos!

browsed a little shop with weird stuff...

and found my future dream house...

Lukes Christmas Card

2012-01-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

Im late posting this, but Luke wrote Christmas Cards to everyone, and they were so sweet :-)

Cross one off the bucket list!

2012-01-09T15:36:00.001-08:00

Since I was about 16, I have LOVED Elton John!!! I dont know why, Im not a huge music fan, but I just love his music! Each place we have lived, he has put on a concert but I have never been able to go, so for Christmas Calvin surprised me with a ticket :-) And where better to live out this dream, than in Honolulu!
In Hawaii style, the concert started late. Then the lights dimmed, and thousands of people my parents age began screaming and whistling! Then slowly, he approached the stage, the outline of a short boxy man in a glittery suit coat! AHHH! SO EXCITING! Couldnt believe it! It was so fun to sit and watch all these people reliving the nostalgia of their youth. What can I say, that dude can rock a piano!
And nothing in my life is ever simple, so my concert experience included my own little side show, it went something like this:
I was sitting alone, enjoying the music..... The two seats next to me were empty (go figure the two people not to show up to a sold out concert were seated next to me!) thus making it clear I was alone. The drunk lady behind me must have felt sorry for me, and after talking REALLY loud the first half of the concert, she decided Id make a nice new friend! Our friendship included me taking photos of her, her leaning in every three minutes to yell "HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT HE'S SAYING!", her grabbing my shoulders, flipping my ponytail, and trying to get me to get in photos WITH them! Yes, this was DURING the concert. Then her 50 yr old man friend decided I MUST be lonely and tried to insist I take some photos with him, which I barely convinced him I did not want, so he took photos of me sitting alone on the ladies camera. Then the lady thought I hurt his feelings, so she comforted him for awhile. I tried to distance myself to watch the concert, until they decided I needed help clapping. Oh my. It was interesting to say the least! (Im pretty sure there are awful photos of me on someones fb from that night).
All in all, a great time, a great concert, and a great memory :-)

17 ALREADY?!?!

2012-01-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

17 feels like such a big number! It feels like Meya is older than 16, but 17 feels so big! A few months ago, Meya read a book called “My Father, Maker Of The Trees” by Eric Irivuzumugabe. It is a true story of how Eric survived the Rwandan genocide, by hiding in a tree. Meya read the book as part of her school reading assignments. The book captivated her and inspired her. She was so touched by his story, his bravery and his resilience that she asked to donate her birthday money to his organization. We are all touched by her generous and beautiful heart!
5.5 years ago when we met Meya, she was a shy and timid girl. She still possesses many of those same traits, and with it has been revealed amazing qualities and generous compassion for others! We are so proud of the amazing young woman she has become. Amazing people come from amazing role models (and the Grace of God), and it has been clear since day 1 that Meyas Mother was surely a very amazing woman! She set an example for Meya that lives on every day!

Gifts

2011-12-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

The most cherished gift...... $3 easy bake oven from the thrift store of course!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

This Christmas season has been nice. I think the recent visit with family helped me not fall into a depressive homesick pit. Last year was really hard.
We have a lot to be thankful for!
-Calvin is employed!
-Everyone is in great health!
-Homeschooling is going well!
-Marees foot has healed great! She is back to all her normal activities!
-Meya is beginning to consider her future and has matured a great deal!
-Hannah is growing in her many talents!
-Luke is still willing to cuddle with his Mama :-)
Some of the kids first gingerbread houses!

Fall photos

2011-11-26T05:35:00.001-08:00

Then it was time to say Good-Bye...

2011-11-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

The night my family left was heart wrenching. I came home that night, and through tears wrote the following. I debated on posting it here, and decided to.

To the owners of the adoption agency,
I have a few things I need to say to you, that I understand you don’t care about, but I will write them out for my own mental health reasons.
Nearly six years ago you sent workers to sweep through the Soddo region of Southern Ethiopia, to gather up (recruit, coerce, harvest) as many youth as possible to ‘create’ an adoption program there. One of the men you got ahold of was named XXXXX, and you convinced him that giving his children to you was going to improve their lives. You told him that they would have a great education, they would have opportunities people in Ethiopia only dream of, you told him they would come back to him, you told him this thing called ‘adoption’ was good for them. He was a broken man, his wife had passed away and his children were sad. They had a strong family unit, but in this moment of vulnerability, you swooped in like a vulture and took his children.
His youngest three daughters were scared; they didn’t know what this meant for them. They thought about running away instead, because how could they even process what was ahead for them. Going to a foreign land to live with strangers?!! But they were too afraid to run away, so the day came that a man showed up ahead of schedule and loaded three hopeless and sad girls into a car hired by your agency. They cried and held each other, and drove 8 hours on a rough road to Addis. They were given candy and told how lucky they were and how happy they would be. They were promised they would come back soon to visit their family.
Maybe you didn’t know? Maybe you were naive? Maybe you believed the lies you were selling? Maybe not? Maybe it was all about money? Maybe it was all about finding a way to afford the lifestyle you have enjoyed on this Earth? At all costs. I don’t know.
But what I do know, is 5.5 years after your employees loaded those girls in that car that day, their pain hasn’t ended. Their ‘fairytale’ life hasn’t been handed to them. They are still hurting. The pain from your involvement in breaking up their family goes on. They have yet to see their fathers face again, to feel his long warm arms around them, to cry on this shoulder.
The girls just spent 10 days together, laughing, connecting, holding each other. Its been 2 years since they last saw each other, because they don’t live together. Not only were they torn away from Ethiopia because of your lies, they were torn apart in the US also because of your lies.
After each visit, they feel torn apart all over again. Like that vulture of yours swoops back down and violently rips their hearts out all over again, leaving them in a pool of grief. Over and over. This is their reality. This is your lasting impact.
These girls represent just a few of the many lives you so selfishly shook the foundation of. SO many living constantly with the lasting scars created by this elaborate scam that ripped through Ethiopia, just as it has with many countries before. And all of this for what…your own personal monetary gain?
--------------------

As I dropped my family off that night, I helped unload the luggage while fighting back tears. We hugged, and said a final good bye. Then I cried all the way home, where I was met by two girls who cried the whole rest of the night....

Family visit

2011-11-26T04:16:00.000-08:00

My family came for a visit!!! My parents, my aunt Eileen and Journee came for 10 days at the beginning of November. The visit went great, everyone had a wonderful time, and the kids had lots of bonding time :-) We did a TON of stuff, such as:
Took my Dad to Pearl Harbor...

Grandpa tried to play the Ukulele...

Saw some seals...

Hannah helped Grandpa with the Ukulele...

Went to a Luau...

Took walks on the beach...

Relaxed on the beach...

Did some sight seeing...

Ate some Hawaiian shaved ice...

Took some cute pics...

Ran in some bubbles...

Struck a pose...

Pearl guy tried to pick Eileen up...

Kids went to visit Mr. Lewis!

Then the Hula guy tried to pick Eileen up...

Went to the International Market Place...

Watched the sunrise...

Grew some facial hair...

Hannah and Luke ran a restaurant...

Went hiking...

Luke beat Journee up...

Played lots of games...

Hung with some Hula dancers...

Maree turned 13!!!

Doubled as pineapples...

Sittin' in a tree...

Ordered some shrimp out of the back of a truck...

Visited the Dole Plantation...

Saw some sea turtles...

One of my favorite photos...

A Daytime Date :-)

2011-10-17T02:10:00.000-07:00

While sitting in church today, my handsome husband leaned over and asked if Id like to go on a date. Of course I would :-) So after we got home, I made lunch and got the kids settled in. Then he whisked me away to what was to be a surprise location!
It was just gorgeous!!!

And these young men were not considering the sanity of their mothers when jumping off that huge cliff!

Thanks Babe :-)

Government...

2011-10-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ill be honest here, Im not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to understanding how our Government works. This past spring, I took the kids on a trip to Washington DC. We had lived in Virginia for three years, yet hadnt made the trip, so we needed to do it before moving! While in DC, Maree had about 20,000 questions that I didnt know the answers to! Once home, I began some research to find her a Governement program to study this school year. I wanted something that kind of outlined things, so first she did this. She did a great job of undehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrstanding the information, so she followed that up with reading 'Painless American Government'. I feel they were both good. But she got a much better understanding from the book. She would come to me and start her questions by saying "Mom, is it true that....". So, if it was something I knew, we would discuss it. If it was something I didnt know, then I learned something! She seemed to really enjoy learning about our Government and her role and rights as a citizen! We might be taking a HUGE leap here, but I also signed her up for a college level course on the Constitution that is being offered for free to homeschool high school students. And since she isnt really in a specific grade, she wanted to go for it! Ive listened to parts of the lectures, and they are heavy. But I think with a bit of prep work, she will learn a lot and get her first exposure to what college is!
Here is the link to the course.

They grow up so fast!!!

2011-10-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Luke turned 7 in Aug, and I've been in denial. I LOVE watching my kids grow up, but I also am sad to see them grow up. Make sense??? Well, Luke read his first chapter book this week, and has knocked out a few more since! He is such a smart kiddo :-) Maree is passionate about reading, and its a blessing, because she sets such a good example for the the other kids!

Science!

2011-10-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Maree has decided to join a homeschool team that will be competing in a local Science Olympiad! She is VERY excited about it! We dont know what her categories will be yet, so in the mean time, we are doing other activities at home. Hannah and Luke have been learning about echolocation in their 'Living Creatures of the Fifth Day' book, so they built a telephone! Maree is covering a more broad base this year, and her current chapter is discussing water density. Her experiment was to see if water density changes when salt is added to the water. You will have to try it to find out ;-)

FINALLY!

2011-10-08T17:02:00.001-07:00

After seven weeks in a cast (well three casts), Maree's foot is free! The Doc pulled out the pins. (I nearly threw up!) She now has a boot, which she can walk on and is much more comfortable :-)

Finding myself...

2011-10-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Something happened about five years ago, I fell into a depression. Its been painful, exhausting and all consuming. I tried medications, counseling and food. Yes, food. The medications and counseling fell through, but the food became my companion. My trusty companion, always ready to comfort me in the last hours of the night while we watched tv together, Hershey and I and our good friend Doritos. My friends were so loyal, theyd meet me all kinds of places, like hiding in my room, in my car, where ever I needed them! We spent so much time together, that when we were apart, I thought about them. Thought about seeing them again, when I could sneak away from the kids to spend time with them.
Yes, I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I do.
I became so dependent on food, that I lost myself. Id look in the mirror and I didnt see me. I dont know who I was looking at, maybe a worn out aged version of who I used to be. I looked old.
8 days ago I started a juice fast with my Mom. Yesterday I went to Sears, because they are having clearance sales. While there, I was in the dressing room trying on a few things and I saw someone I havent seen for years, I saw ME! I saw myself, a glimps of myself, who I used to be. I didnt look as worn out, or as old. Its been such a short time, I was shocked to feel this way. I felt hopeful! Im still here! Under this weight of life, under these layers of stress, Im still here! There is hope!
I realized this isnt a weight issue, its an emotional one. This past week has shown me how emotionally unhealthy I am. My kidneys have some damage from a medication I should not have been taking, and now I need to use the foods God created for us, so it can heal my body, the way God created it to do! The more I learn about food, the more I realize how perfect God has made things, and how screwed up man is for messing it up! If only God created Hershey bars to grow from the Earth, but he didnt. :-( He gave us foods rich in K2 to heal our bodies! He gave us foods rich in Iron and protein and vitamin D so we can LIVE!
Im excited about this new path, about where it will lead! Im planning to juice for a full 30 days, and will post a full update with photos then!

Just had to share :-)

2011-10-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

9 Years!

2011-10-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

9 Years ago I married my best friend. You hear people say that, but truely, he was my best friend! We hung out, did lots of Bible studies, he washed his clothes at my house, we were just friends. Best friends. Then, on my 22nd birthday, out of the clear blue sky, after three years of friendship, he suggested we get married. I played it cool and told him we should pray about it, (inside I felt like bursting out "He choose me!") I wanted to call my Mom that night, but it was really late, so I tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning when I knew she was getting ready for work to share my news.
Nine years ago, I could not have imagined the path our life together would take! Wow, what a nine years! Nine years, filled with joy and pain, hope and loss, anticipation and regret.
For our anniversary, we went on a dinner cruise in Waikiki. It was a five star, seven course meal. It was YUMMY!!! While getting our private tour of the ship and staff, the man showing us around asked what the special event was and we told him. He replied "Wow, I bet you could write a book", and I replied "Yes, but Id guess most people could". Ive come to a place of seeing that life is hard. It just is, its hard. We live in a fallen world, and most of us are living hard lives. BUT, that doesnt mean we have to live in despair! Sure, we could write a book 11 people might read, but we wont, we are too busy living!!
Heres to another 9, with my best friend, the love of my life, my soul mate!

Multiplication....

2011-08-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Its time for Hannah and Luke to learn multiplication. I cant honestly say that this excited me, Im not great at math. But thanks to YouTube, Im able to find some great help! I found this VIDEO, and it was a HUGE help! First, I wrote the numbers on Hannahs fingers, then we made a pair of 'Multiplication Gloves'!

Broken foot :-(

2011-08-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our first broken bone in the family, and Maree went with four at once!! :-( Because Maree has a very high pain tolerance, it is hard to know when something is severe. She seems to disassociate from the pain to survive, a skill some kids learn as a cooping skill from traumatic events in life :-(
When I took her in to the ER after ibuprofen and ice didnt seem to help the swelling I expected to learn that it was sprained. When the xray popped up, I nearly vomited and burst out crying. HOW has she limped around on a foot with FOUR completely broken bones?!! My poor child!! :-(

Post Op she came to in A LOT of pain!! It took the nurse awhile to get her pain under control. The Morphine wasnt doing any good so they did something more powerful, then finally she crashed again, and got some rest.

Three of the four bones needed pins in them, the fourth they feel will heal straight on its own.

Maree went in for surgery at 5am. They expected to discharge her around noon,but it took much longer to get her pain under control. Around 3pm she was finally more comfortable and able to eat a few bites. She was finally able to head home close to 8pm.

She is getting around on her crutches pretty well. Just short trips to the restroom and such for now. She is sleeping a lot, from the Tylenol with Codine. But we are starting to drop that dosage a bit, and hopefully she will begin to recover with less pain and more time awake.
Moral of the story, Do Not Use Your Foot To Stop A Skateboard!

Homeschooling advantures

2011-08-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Creating a current...

Art class...

Sibling love...

Writing a report...

And yummy food...

Cake pops

2011-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt at cake pops. It wasnt a huge success... :-( And to be honest, the supplies cost too much to justify trying more. Im actually wondering how people make any money selling them for $1 each. But the time you factor in supplies and gas to the store, there isnt anything left. But, they are cute and yummy!

North Shore Farmers Market

2011-08-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

After church, we headed up to the North Shore in search of some turtles. We didnt find turtles, but did find a farmers market! We picked up some local honey and produce, the kids tried on hats, and we bought fresh fruit at a road side stand. All in all, a fun day :-)
This guy had A LOT of Nutella!!

Hannah's photo op...

2011-08-18T22:00:00.001-07:00

Five Years...

2011-08-18T21:05:00.001-07:00

August 15th marked the five year anniversary since the day I met the girls in Ethiopia for the first time, and we had their embassy appointment. I remember about a week after the devastating realization that we had found ourselves in the middle of an adoption scam, I was sitting in my bedroom in NM asking God where we would be in five years. I asked God if we would all still be ok? Where we would be? Would our family be whole? Now here we are. Five years later. Surely I could not have imagined we would be in Hawaii. And Im glad that God didn’t show me at the time that in fact we would not be whole. And Im also glad He didn’t show me the struggles everyone would endure along the way. Ive decided its better NOT to know ahead of time.
Earlier in the evening I stopped by the local grocery store to grab a cake and asked to have them write 5 Years on it. And inevitably I was asked what the occasion was. I paused a second while my bones cringed (much like they do when unassuming strangers with a huge smile on their face ask if the kids are adopted), it’s a place I don’t like to go. But, I decided to kindly answer that it is my daughters adoption anniversary. The gal smiled and said Congratulations, and I said Thank You.
We ate dinner, then I told the kids I had a surprise for them. I brought out the cake and asked if they knew what day it was. One of the girls got excited and commented that it didn’t feel like five years, the other commented that everyday feels like a thousand years. Ug. :-( So, I made the speech that started as it always does, something like this “I know there are a lot of mixed emotions about your adoption, but I wanted to get you each a gift because this represents the day we became a family together……”
It never goes away. The post fraudulent adoption depression eventually fades, the adoption trauma the children carry may lighten some, but the scars never disappear. Never will ‘Family Day’ be all smiles and gooey feelings. Never will the adoption anniversary not bring with it feelings of deception, rejection, betrayal, failure, anger, sadness and longing. Never will we eat our cake and not have Journee on our minds and hearts, and all the emotions surrounding our girls loss of their sister or our failure to parent her.
Cake was followed by the gifts. First, a pillow for each child printed with a photo of the four children together. Three of the children liked the pillows. One is struggling to like anything. Then I gave each of the three girls and Ethiopian dress, and Luke a shirt. The girls posed for a photo in theirs, and I will soon take the kids out to a beautiful location to do more.
So time goes on. Everyone tries to cope with conflicting emotions, but it never goes away.

The B has made it to Hawaii!

2011-08-13T00:58:00.001-07:00

I found the B at a flee market in New Mexico about 6 years ago and Loved it :-) So, I bought it and the B has followed us around since. New Mexico to Virginia and now to Hawaii :-)
But it doesnt stay looking this nice and charming, I keep finding it knocked over with the chair tossed to the side after the kids have been searching for lizards!!!

Lizards!!!

2011-08-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

There are lizards EVERYWHERE here! I love lizards and am enjoying their company :-) Here is one on our bedroom window one night, we watching him hunt and catch a fly! There is almost always at least one sitting on the kitchen window sill, they must know that some insects are bound to find my cooking appetizing ;-)

Neighborhood kids

2011-08-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Luke are LOVING having a few neighborhood kids to play with. And Im glad there are only a few ;-)

Another school year

2011-08-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

Things have been BUSY!!! In one week, I unpacked the entire house! Everything has been sorted and put away, or sorted and put into plastic containers to go into storage (once we build the shed). I also sorted, organized and set up our school room. I have a pretty good plan for the year, we will see how it goes...

Honolulu Aquarium

2011-07-18T21:24:00.001-07:00

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout & Hike

2011-07-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Calvin's work picnic

2011-07-18T21:14:00.001-07:00

Pearl Harbor swimming pool!

2011-07-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Pearl Harbor has the coolest swimming pool, FREE swimming pool! It has lap swimming, two diving boards, a rock wall, and a big slide!

Waterfall..

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

A big hike, with a beautiful prize at the end :-) On the way down the mountain Hannah asked "Shouldn't we be getting really skinny?" I wish it was that simple!

Polynesian Cultural Center

2011-06-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Calvin took a few days of leave, so we can extend our vacation a bit ;-) It was a really great experience! There are six sets of islands that make up the Polynesian Islands: Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawai'i, Tahiti and Tonga.

We began the day going village to village learning about the different islands.
In Samoa we saw a guy climb a coconut tree, start fire, peal and clean/prepare the coconut, make the coconut into milk, ect. This guy was SO funny too, very entertaining! We also attempted to make fish out of banana tree leaves....

In Hawai'i we tried Poi and pork steamed in banana leaves. And Hannah jumped on stage with the Hula instructor!

We got tattoos in Tahiti!

In Fiji we learned how to play music with Bamboo shoots!

There was a Canoe Pageant where the 6 Islands came out on boats and danced tribal dances. Calvin loved all the yelling involved!

We also went on a Canoe ride.

At dinner time we made our way to the Lu'au.

The evening concluded with a performance called "HA. Breath Of Life". The show was REALLY neat!!! I wasnt allowed to take pictures, but if you go to their website, you can see a Utube video. Definitely on my list of suggestions when visiting Oahu! (And if anyone comes to visit us, we can hook you up with discounted tickets on base!)

My Friends Blog

2011-06-16T01:33:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share a link quick. My dear friend Jillian is one of the most resilient women on Earth! For reasons you can read about on her blog, her son with RAD has had to go to a treatment facility out of state from where she lives. As part of his treatment, she has to travel once a month to visit him as part of the program, with four other kids at home, while her husband is in Afghanistan. If you would like to donate to her travel expenses, I will attach a link to her blog. Or, if you would just like to 'meet' her via her blog, she will inspire you!!!
http://familyrootedinlove.blogspot.com/2011/06/visiting-vivace.html

Manoa Falls

2011-06-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a very adventurous hike, one mile up a slippery mountain to a 160 ft waterfall! It was beautiful! Everyone survived, only a few small falls. Kind of a hard day for me, a reminder that we may give 100% in our parenting efforts and might not always feel our efforts are producing fruit. Trauma is such a nasty monster. Now to bed, Im tired....

Fresh Coconut Milk

2011-06-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

Luke kept begging to try fresh coconut milk, he wasnt as impressed as he had expected to be. But, he said it was ok, and Maree liked it enough to have a few sips also. Meya and Hannah werent fans however...

An afternoon snack at St.Germains Bakery in Waikiki.

Makapu'u Trail

2011-06-12T01:17:00.000-07:00

Another amazing day of hiking! Today Hannah said while looking out at the ocean "Mom, its like someone took a picture, but its moving!" I love how she thinks :-)

Kapena Falls

2011-06-11T00:42:00.001-07:00

We have pretty much declared hiking our new family activity! Today we went looking for something called Kapena Falls. We followed the directions to get to the location. Once there, the book said to follow the trail to the left. We couldnt see a trail.... Upon further inspection, there was what appeared to be something like a trail, if you walked through some really tall grass..... so we did.... and Look what we found!!!!

When we walked back out, Hannah said "Mom, its like our own secret garden, like in the book!"

Diamond Head Mt Trail

2011-06-10T00:04:00.000-07:00

We went for our first Hawaii hike today at Diamond Head! It was a beautiful hike with breathtaking views, and the kids did great!!! Hannah is NOT a hiker, we usually spend most of the time trying to convince her it is fun, but today she didnt complain once, she didnt ask for snack once, and at the end she proclaimed "That was SO fun!"

Wave of emotions

2011-06-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

I’ve had a hard time sitting down, and putting words to my emotions. But they aren’t like other emotions, the ones that are blatantly happy, sad, worried, ect. They’re different, a heightened level of emotion that can’t be explained other than to sit is still silence and be felt from one persons soul to anothers.
June 1st, I went to bed somewhere around 1am with the alarm set for 2am. The alarm greeted us way too early, but with anticipation of what was to come. Hawaii! Wow, how fortunate were we to get a government paid three year vacation to Paradise! I’d spent the last few months wrestling with guilt over the newest assignment. Why us? Why did we get such a great assignment? Maybe someone else should get to go, someone less fortunate than us. What about all the people in Africa who don’t even have clean water to drink? Or the girls trapped in brothels in India? Meanwhile our government will put us up in the Embassy Suites Waikiki. I don’t know that I ever resolved the conflict in my heart over it all, but came to finally accept it. And also resolved to enjoy it!
We have never been much of a tech junkie family. But the thought of 16 hours of travel with four kids felt overwhelming in the midst of everything else so I begged my sweet husband to get the kids DS’s to have for the flight, and for future flights. He reluctantly agreed, because he loves to have a happy wife :-) As we gathered up our luggage to depart from the hotel, the kids found their surprise DS’s in their back packs and were THRILLED!!!! (of course!) The first flight was only 2 hours from Norfolk to Atlanta. With uncontrollable excitement over the new gadgets, the kids didn’t sleep, they played! Quietly :-)
As the plane began its decent into Atlanta, the steward on the plane made an announcement “We ask that everyone remain seated upon landing out of respect for the fallen service member aboard our flight as the honor guard pays respect during the removal of the casket” (Or something like that). He made the announcement three times. The plane landed in utter silence. It felt like a blanket of grief was laid over the whole plane. I tried to hold back tears, digging my nails deep into the palms of my hands in an attempt to create a physical pain to over shadow the emotional pain. I’d done this before, during one of Calvin’s pre-deployment briefings last spring. It worked then, broke some skin, but I kept my composure. It didn’t work this time, the tears fell. I covered my face with my shirt, the kids confused why I was upset. They didn’t know what a fallen soldier was. They didn’t know what the Honor Guard was doing outside the window, wearing reflective vests over their uniforms. They didn’t know ‘fallen’ meant ‘killed’. They didn’t know someones family was at the airport that day to pick up their son or daughter in a military casket. People watched out the window in pure silence. I couldn’t look. I didn’t want to look. I caught an accidental glimpse out of my peripheral vision and felt a wave of reality. Our country is at war. My husband came home from Afghanistan breathing and now we are heading to Hawaii. This soldier came home in a box, on our flight. The silence lasted until the last few people left the plane. I noticed one other lady with red eyes and that comforted me.
The kids were concerned, and after maybe 20 minutes I had swallowed the lump in my throat enough to tell them why I had cried. A short simple answer that they accepted like any small child would. Will this memory resurface for them the next time Calvin deploys? I don’t know…
The next flight was 10 hours. Atlanta to Honolulu. The DS’s were a life saver, now I see why they are called ‘babysitters’! Calvin and I were able to get a bit of rest, much needed rest. In between a few short naps and assisting the kids with snacks and restroom breaks, I was reading a book. The book is called “Scarred” by Dave Roever, a Vietnam vet injured during the Vietnam war who shares his story and path to healing. It’s been in my ‘need to read’ pile for months, and just happened to be what I took on the plane to read. I’ll review it soon. I’d love to hear him speak some day.
As the plane touched down in Honolulu an explosion of applause erupted. Vacationers full of anticipation and excitement. Folks returning home after years of living on the mainland. Stark contrast to the last flight landing.
After we got checked into our hotel, I sat on the edge of the bed watching the tide roll in on the beach, and wondered who the fallen soldier was…

Our first day out in Hawaii!

2011-06-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

In front of the entrance to the International Market Place.

Seeing our first Hawaiian dancers!

The kids got to hold birds :-)

Here we are ordering ice cream at the Market Place, the lady was so sweet. She literally cut a wedge of pineapple and stuck ice cream on top! :-)

One thing we like to do as we travel around, is collect souvenir coins, we have a book full of them! Here Hannah was picking a hula girl!

We picked up a few fun touristy things, including these painted nut shell necklaces.

Yesterday was rainy all day, but the kids still got in time at the hotel pool. Today Im determined to finally make it to the beach, armed with an umbrella!

Aloha Hawaii!

2011-06-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

We made it! More to come...

New Pics!

2011-05-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

The kids got some photos done by Jessica, our final photos in VA! Thanks Jessica!

And that's that....

2011-05-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

Our three years in our Virginia home has come to an end. Our household goods were packed up and moved this week. Today we went to the house for a few hours of deep cleaning, and the only thing remaining is a box of cleanex and a rug the movers forgot to pack.
When we moved into the house, Luke was 3, Hannah was 4, Maree was 9, and Meya was 13. I remember driving from NM to VA and we were discussing how old everyone would be when we moved again. It feels like that was just yesterday. Its amazing to think three full years have just flown by! I look back over the years on my blog, and have a sense of satisfaction of all the wonderful things we saw, did, and achieved. But also a sense of sadness, of the days we will never live again. I struggle with change, with the idea of the kids growing up, with the reality that things could change and never the be same again. It makes me feel grieved. Not sure if that is normal?! But, I also very much look forward to what is ahead! HAWAII!! In the midst of the stress of the move, I hope we are able to slow down a bit and really embrace the moment and create lasting memories in it.

My Baby read a chapter book!

2011-05-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

They grow up so fast....

Awana Awards Night

2011-05-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to move, the academic year is coming to an end. This week in addition to two of the three sets of movers coming to pack and haul away some belongings, we also have Awana Awards Night and the last day of Homeschool Coop, complete with Talent Show! Im very thankful that we didnt move early, and the kids were able to finish out these events. So often we move in the middle of a program or year, and the kids dont get to participate and 'finales'.

Hannah made out best year this, and let me tell you, she earned her awards! She and Luke studied ALL WEEK LONG, week after week after week on their verses! Luke didnt get all of his verses done, but he will have another year in Sparkys to finish up. Next year, Hannah moves up a class to T&T Girls! My baby is growing up :-(
Maree missed too much of the program to get any awards, but she did great and worked hard as well!
Meya was a helper in the Sparkys room this year, and had a great time!

Kids 4 Alabama

2011-05-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

I read on another Moms blog, about this organization Kids4AL where kids are building care package for other kids effected by the recent tornadoes in Alabama.
I thought it sounded like a wonderful opportunity for the kids to think beyond themselves, pray for other kids and learn about Alabama for their state studies! We went to the store and the kids each got a container and basics like a tooth brush, comb, ect. Next they could choose 2 food/candy items, then add in some more personalized gifts. They choose things like journals, stationary, toys, pens, stickers, lip gloss, nail polish, ect. Then they each wrote a letter to the child who would receive their box. Perhaps they will gain a penpal in the process!
Check out the website! Kids4AL

End of the year....

2011-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Its that time again, end of the school year. Our kids do half time homeschool thru the summer, so its not really and end for them. But its the end of the homeschool coop year. This is the last Friday that is a full day. And next week is a half day followed by a talent show. As we will not be returning next year (because of the move), the kids took cupcakes today, as well as flip flop suckers with their contact info attached for their friends.

Some Crazy Cookin'!

2011-05-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Trying to use up random ingredients prior to moving makes for some interesting meals! This particular evening was some who-knows-how-old frozen pollock made into this recipe. Amazingly, ALL the kids LOVED IT! That will be a keeper! And along with the pollock was some repurposed bean curry on rice with paneer (which was made using up some expired milk).
And I believe that evening dessert was some sort of blueberry pie. I hate for things to go to waste, so Im trying to use what I can. Today I made some Wacky Buckwheat Spice Cake in an attempt to use up the half bag of buckwheat flour in the cabinet. The kids enjoyed it, so Ill be making about three more pans of it tonight!
Tomorrow, who knows what will be for lunch and dinner, but Im sure it will be interesting as we get down to the wire! :-)

Learning clocks

2011-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

We are working on clocks and time here at Bradshaw University. I printed these items off a helpful website and laminated them.

Homemade Marshmallows!!!

2011-05-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hannah just finished up learning about Japan in World Studies. In addition to learning about their culture, language and history, she learned about the recent earth quake and tsunami. She was so sad to hear about their pain and loss, she wanted to do a fundraiser to donate to help the survivors. She will donate the money raised to Samaritans Purse Japan project.
Each cute box will come with 8 individually wrapped marshmallows! They are about 1 inch square each. But they are not perfect squares ;-) Each mailed box is $10, and that includes shipping.
Purchases can be made via paypal, using the email address of abradenterprises@gmail.com (Please leave your mailing address in the 'notes' section).
Thanks for your support!

My baby....

2011-05-05T09:56:00.001-07:00

I miss my little pookie, he's getting so big these days....

How Cute Are These?!!

2011-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

How cute is this bag?!! And how cute is the model?! ;-)
I purchased this bag from the Awaka Childrens Foundation website. If you go to Awakauganda.blogspot.com, you can see their variety of wonderful handmade items! This bag is so cute and very well made! I just had to share!

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

How NOT to pull a tooth!

2011-04-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hannah had another loose tooth. Her first front top tooth! Exciting for her, sad for me :-( She is growing up TOO FAST!!! Well, it was good and loose, so she asked me to pull it. Maree has lost all of her baby teeth here, this wasnt my first rodeo, Ive pulled a lot of teeth. SO, this should have gone better....

Notice the tooth is still there...

Until Dad pulled it out!

My little reader :-)

2011-04-17T06:29:00.001-07:00

Luke is the only one of the kids that I have been the sole person to teach him how to read. In nine months he went from knowing the alphabet and a few sounds, to reading at a 1st-2nd grade level. And I have loved watching this amazing milestone day after day! He is into Garfield books, which is what he is reading here. We keep lots of books in the house. Its not uncommon to walk in a room on any given day and someone is reading a book. I love books, and I love to see my kids loving them too!

I feel like this donkey...

2011-04-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

I feel so overwhelmed with this move. Im running, but going no where. Im trying desperately to organize my thoughts, and house, and garage,and school, for this move. I make list after list of what will go and when and where and how. Then I start over and get confused and cant think straight. I make lists of homeschool items we have and need, what is on order and not yet on order and what to look for on ebay and what teacher manual I need for what book and what grade... ug. My brain is stressed and tired and one child failed adverbs this morning I dont want to think about it anymore!!!
Maybe if I get boxes, that will help. I can label them all, and have the house covered in boxes, labeled with what they are-when to send them- how to send them- where to send them. Perhaps I should use a color code system... I think Ill pack a school bag for each child with a months worth of work books, then Ill have to decide between four options of sending the rest! This is all really too complicated!!!
Thankfully the kids have Awana tonight, so I can drop them off, run to the store, pick up some boxes if they havent crushed them yet behind the commissary, and make some attempt to organize my life.... or get overwhelmed and watch mindless tv...

Spring Break Day 3

2011-04-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

After a very late night, we woke up, showered and packed up the van. I didnt want to delay the drive back home, so we got on the road with the idea to stop if we find something interesting on the way home. We stopped in Fredericksburg to eat some left over Injera near a fishing pier. Then headed to Richmond. As we werent able to get in on a White House/Capital tour in DC, I wanted to take the kids into the State Capital, so they could experience what it is like inside. I remember as a child on a field trip, being in awe in the Iowa State Capital, and wanted my kids to have that experience!

If you look close, you can see people in this photo, in 'chambers'. Something clicked in Maree when we saw the meeting behind the doors. She had a million questions, and has a great desire to understand government better! Im going to try to find a good middle school age government program. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Then we made our final stint home. Physically tired, and full of a whole new set of memories to cherish :-)

Spring Break Day 2!

2011-04-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

The second day we drove into Union Station (which is gorgeous!) and parked the van. ...and found out the hard way that the monuments are further apart than they look on the map, but we did it, we walked the whole thing!

Checked out the Postal Museum...

Then found our way to our Nations Capital Building!

10 minutes later, someone was pouting...

After an attitude adjustment, there was so much to see and do!

And VERY best of all, we got to see Liz and her family!!! The kids had a blast together!

Spring Break Day 1!

2011-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Monday the kids did school work. Tuesday they started their work, but I was feeling restless, so I told them "Pack a bag, we are going to DC!" I found a place called Duncans Family Campground online pretty cheap.

Took a good four hours to get to Upper Marlboro. We unloaded, and headed to DC for dinner! I got a great coupon on Restaurant.com a few weeks ago to Tegeste Ethiopian Restaurant. The food was SOOOO good!!! And Tegeste was SO sweet!

We had a great evening, and enough left overs for two more meals!

Thanks Aunt Sarah!

2011-04-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Sarah has become the 'fun' Aunt. During her visit last summer, Luke overheard a comment she made about a water bra. He was so confused, about how a bra could be made out of water? I couldnt satisfy his curiosity about water bras, as I had never owned one! So, fun Aunt Sarah, mailed him one, complete with safety goggles to once and for all settle the mystery of whats inside!

Nesting for the move...

2011-04-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

My life feels so out of order these days, Im trying to organize to gain some sense of control! Today this:

Became this:

I LOOOOOVE my label maker! Every woman should get one for a wedding gift!

Yorktown, VA

2011-03-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

Im pretty sure we picked the coldest day of the year! But we saw a bit of Yorktown...

State Capitals Project!

2011-03-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

We have had to do a bit of reorganizing our homeschool schedule. One child was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the current set up. One thing Ive learned at this point is life, that is being flexible is VITAL! In the process of reorganizing, I thought it would be a great time to get the three younger kids working on learning state capitals! Since we have a limited amount of time left in VA, I decided to start with where we are now, and do as much of the East Coast as we can. I got binders, page protectors and lined sheet paper. The front of the binder has a map of the US. As we learn about the state, the child will color in that state. So on this binder, you can see it is colored Green.

Next, Maree helped the little ones learn how to do a bit a research and looked up basic facts about VA.

Here they each colored the State and filled in the Capital.

In addition, we watched a video on the history of this area of Virginia. To include the founding of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. We have already seen Jamestown and Williamsburg, so the kids enjoyed reliving those experiences. And this weekend we will try to make a drive out to Yorktown.
Maree is older than the others, so she had an added assignment to read a short book about the history of VA, and write a report. All the kids are enjoying this project so far, and I am too ;-) Rather than just memorizing the names, we are learning a bit about the state as well. We will continue to do one state a week. Next week will be Maryland, and the following will be DC. We need to fit in a DC trip before we move! Plus, I grew up confused about what state DC was in, so Im going to help my kids try to grasp the concept of a district that doesnt belong to a state! (Ill be honest here, I grew up thinking DC was in Washington. I thought there were two states named Washington... sad, huh?!)

I love these things!

2011-03-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

I went to the store the other day to get a few things. One item I needed was thumb tacks. I found these packs on clearance, and paid 25 cents for 6. I thought it was pricey for 6 thumb tacks, but they were larger and less likely to loose, so I got them. I didnt realize until later what they were. They are Magnetic thumb tacks! Here is how they worked out PERFECTLY for the kids place value board!

So, I can change out the number cards, without poking more holes in the wall! I was so excited, I went back to get more, and will invest in some cork boards once we move.
The Place Value board was from a local educators store, I paid like $2.19 for it. And the number cards I printed at home and laminated (Thanks Mom for the laminater!) and the tacks were 25 cents for 6. In all, this whole thing cost less than $3. Not too shabby!

The heart of a man...

2011-03-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, drinking a bitter cup of coffee, it makes me smile. My parents weren’t coffee drinkers. But my Grandparents were. I remember being very young, maybe 6 or 7 years old, and tasting my Grandpa Bradley’s coffee one morning after staying the night at their house. I thought it was AWFUL!!! I couldn’t understand why he would choose that over the sugary cereal I was enjoying. I was sure I would never drink coffee. Not only did it taste awful, but there is nothing worse than being in close proximity to someone who just downed a cup of coffee. In seventh grade I went to a Catholic school, and part of what contributed to the negative mark it left in my memory, was the principal breathing coffee breath over my shoulder to be sure I was ‘applying myself’. Perhaps her attempt to disprove my dyslexia??
So, now I sit here, with a mug gifted from my husband labeled ‘My Girl’, drinking some Hawaiian coffee. I bought the coffee days before we found out we were given orders to relocate to Hawaii. Ironic?? ;-)
As I drink my Hawaiian coffee, I miss my Grandpa. I loved him dearly. I’m sure he knew it. Admittedly, I was his favorite. Yes, he admitted it, in front of all my girl cousins at my bridal shower. (Ok, maybe he said one of his favorites). Oh, how I loved him. Everyone deserves a Grandpa like mine. A Grandpa who handed out candy at the post office each morning before school. A Grandpa who sang “Hickory Dickory Dock” in Irish. (Or at least we believed him when he said that is what he was doing!) A Grandpa who said silly things like “Come back when you cant stay so long” with a big grin on his face. A Grandpa with gentle eyes and soft hands. A Grandpa who helps the grandkids save for things like Cabbage Patch Dolls, and slips extra money in the bank when they aren’t looking. A Grandpa who notices how much you like chocolate covered raisins and buys then anticipating your next visit. A Grandpa who hugs you tight and crys when you are about to leave for basic training. Who through tears tells you how proud he is of you. A Grandpa who stands at the door waving as you drive away until you are out of sight. A Grandpa who writes you letters, and includes in them the newest ‘Bushism’ and ponders how such a man attains the status of President.
My Grandpa was born in 1919, and spent his life in Iowa. My marriage came as a bit of a shock to him. We were from very different generations. He wasn’t sure how to process the first interracial marriage in the family. (Well, my brother had married a woman who was half Iranian, but that wasn’t as visually obvious). He never said anything to me, he was very thoughtful of my feelings as he processed our marriage. But my Grandpa was a baby guy, he LOVED babies. When Hannah was 6 weeks old, we made our first trip back to Iowa for a visit. In an instant, my Grandpas heart melted and color no longer existed. He picked her up, and insisted she was the most beautiful baby in the world! As she grew, she challenged me. She was not an easy baby by any stretch of the imagination. As she sat fussing on his floor at about 6 months old, I commented on how exhausting she was. He came quick to her defense and insisted she was perfect and very well behaved. He could find no flaw in her, even the obvious, he couldn’t see. He insisted the way to handle her was to just give her everything she wanted, as he handed her cookies. I love my Grandpa 
My Grandpa passed soon after Luke was born. Sadly, none of my kids have any memories of him. The older girls never got to meet him, oh how they would have loved one another! And how he would have loved Hannah’s spunk! But Luke is the timid one and the baby, so Luke would have stolen his heart.
My kids aren’t growing up with memories of ‘Breakfast with Grandpa’. They don’t walk home from the bus stop the long way so they can stop in at Grandpa and Grandma’s house to see if there are any cookies in the cookie jar. They don’t get to make bets for a quarter over silly things like ‘I bet I can do a back bend!’ Being in the military has its advantages and disadvantages. Just like life.
All that to say, today I miss my Grandpa…

Mardi Gras!

2011-03-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

We decided this year, to observe Lent as a family. Today we ate far too much, but hey, it was Fat Tuesday!!! We each picked our 'thing' to give up, so here is to 40 days without chocolate!

The cake...

The kids ready to party!

Maree found the baby Jesus!

Ft. Monroe, VA

2011-03-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

If you are ever in Eastern Virginia, you gotta make time to see the Casemate Museum at Ft. Monroe!

Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Ft. Monroe!

Lukes head would make a good canon ball!

1st Women in the Army.

Checking out Ft.Wool, which can only be accessed via boat or helicopter.

Seats in the chapel where President Eisenhower and President Wilson sat!

2011-03-07T20:14:00.001-08:00

Hawaii or bust!

2011-03-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

Looks like we are headed to Hawaii!!! Not a location we asked for, but hey, we arent complaining!!! Sitting in transition is the hardest, because you begin to emotionally disengage from where you are, anxious to get where you are going! In the mean time, we are researching and gobbling up all the info we can find!

Of late...

2011-03-07T05:45:00.000-08:00

When my girls grow up, I hope they marry a man who will play board games with their kids..... :-)

I passed on the fine art of embroidery floss bracelet making to my Mini Me, oh how I LOVE having a child with my same interests! Its as if I get to relive my childhood through her!

Maree got tired of being addressed as 'young man' or 'sir', so we fixed that with some extreme extensions! I mean, can she be more beautiful?!!

Building a village!

2011-02-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

The kids finished their homework early today, we didnt have anything on the schedule, so we decided we needed to build a fort in the grove! Well, the fort turned into the beginnings of a village!
We wondered awhile until the kids showed me and old hollowed out tree they like to climb through, and had decided that was the perfect location for a fort. Maree and Luke got busy on forts, while Hannah ran back to the house for paint! So, she painted what she called the 'canoe'. So, she is the village artist!
They all did a great job, and it was tons of fun!

Maymont Park

2011-02-19T22:27:00.001-08:00

Maymont is surely the most beautiful park in all of Virginia! In fact, its the most beautiful park Ive ever be too! Cant wait to take the kids back when all the flowers are in bloom!

Weekend To Remember...

2011-02-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Albuquerque and Hannah and Luke were babies, I used to listen to Family Life Radio. I loved it. Randy Carlson would have an afternoon program where parents would call in with issues. As the kids got older, it was harder to listen, because the kids preferred music. But I remember when he would talk about the Weekend To Remember Conference. I would want to go, but we had small kids and no family to watch them for us to attend.
Then we moved to VA, and the only radio station here is KLOVE. Which is fine, the kids like it. But I really miss Family Life Radio!
Two weeks ago at church, there was an announcement in the bulletin that military couples could attend the Weekend to Remember Conference for half price! I went home and looked up the website, and we decided we could make it work.
The Conference was from 11-13 Feb. The first night we got there, and had dinner together. Then found a seat. The first nights topics were: why marriages fail and communication. Then there was a project to do that evening together. The second day was a variety of issues like different needs, how to improve your marriage, why we fight, and intimate issues ;-) Midway through the second day was a Love Letter project that turned out to be very powerful for us. Then again a project to do together that night. The last day began with the men going to one room and the women in another. Each talking about issues specific to them. Then how to have a thriving marriage and leaving a legacy.
Im SO grateful that we made the time and effort to go! I feel like it was very helpful for us. It brought us to a new level of communication. It brought up some issues, and with that, healing. We have a long way to go, but I think we will always agree that we would have to credit last weekend to having a vital role in us moving forward as a couple and as a family :-)

Valentines Day 2011

2011-02-16T11:06:00.001-08:00

Three years ago, I began a tradition. I decided to include the kids in whatever Valentines Day plans I made. Its a day about love, and I love my whole family! So, in 2009 we did this, and in 2010 we did this.
This year was an Ice Cream and Cake party!!! Complete with the kids doing the ice cream and cake dance which I video taped, but they did it only under the condition that I would not share it online :-( But no one said anything about sharing it at events like weddings or graduations! hahahaha!
Each got a scoop of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and loaded it with a variety of toppings. They had a pretty drink, two pink cupcakes, and a gift. Meya got earrings, Maree got a small ceramic box with some cash (she is saving for a DS), Hannah got a Ken and Barbie set, and Luke got a pocket watch with chain. It is so cute seeing Luke pull out his watch and announce the time, he loves that thing!
It was a great time, and the kids agreed it was the best so far! Then, Calvin and I attempted to watch a love story on Netfix, but it was so lame we turned it off.
Here are some photos:

What people dont talk about...

2011-02-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found yourself behind a vehicle with a sticker that reads “Proud Vietnam War Vet”. I have. I grew up learning that people like my Uncle Jim were looked down upon for their part in the Vietnam War, regardless of whether they wanted to be there or not. Most did not. And of the ones who were fortunate enough to return home outside of a body bag, few were whole. I thought I knew what this meant. I didn’t.
When Calvin deployed to Afghanistan this past spring, I was more worried about what would happen if I became overly independent more than anything else. I mean, come on, he’s in the Air Force. He isn’t one of those guys with the dangerous jobs. We would get through it, and go on with life.
While he was gone, there was talk of reintegration. I thought that didn’t ‘really’ apply to us. We are Air Force, you know desk worriers. Reintegration is for Army, or Marines.
And he did get through it. He came home safe. What more could we ask for?
He’s been home three months. Why isn’t life back to normal? Why isn’t my husband back to normal?
I was driving down the street yesterday. A truck in front of me had a sticker on the window, it read “Vietnam Vet”. My eyes watered. This sticker just became deeply personal. I wanted to follow this man home. I want to cry in his wives arms and have her tell me it will be alright. That life will return to normal and we will all be ok. I want her to tell me how she did it. I want her to give me her magical bag of tricks. I want her to teach me how to calm him when he is angry and how to reconnect with the man I married. I want her to tell me how to find my husband in the eyes of the man who came home.

New Chore Chart System

2011-01-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

A friend of Calvin's told him that they were doing chore charts with their son, and rewarding him with allowance. So, we used some of their ideas and here is what we are doing.
Each of the children were give two jars. One marked 'Allowance' and one marked 'Tithe'. We then put $5 worth of dimes into each 'Allowance' jar to get them started.

We also have a 'Food Waste' jar. This is mainly because we have some children who like to use about 2 cups of milk in their bowl of cereal, then throw it all away. So, if they do this, they owe me 10 cents. (Im so sick of wasting more milk than gets consumed!!!)

Next, we printed off these chore charts and I filled them in with each childs daily chores and tasks. When they have finished the chore or task, they put a sticker on the chart.

Here is last weeks chart (we started late in the week). Where you see X's means that the chore didnt need to be done that day. Where you see -10 means the child didnt do the chore and therefor will loose 10cents of their allowance. They have the ability to earn a dollar a week.

When I sit down to do allowance, I give them each a dollar. Then then move 10 cents to their tithe jar and put the dollar in their allowance jar. Next, I check their charts. If they did everything, they keep their whole dollar. If they didnt do 3 things, they have to give me 3 dimes, ect. So, they have the ability to earn a dollar a week on their regular chores and tasks.
Yesterday they each earned an extra few dollars by raking and bagging leaves.

A post worth reading!

2010-12-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

A blog post worth reading!
Why We Are Not Adopting From Ethiopia Again

It never snows in Virginia

2010-12-26T07:40:00.001-08:00

When we were house shopping in Virginia, I remember asking our realtor what the winters are like. And I distinctly remember her saying, "We never get snow in this part of Virginia, because its too close to the coast." I thought, Thats great! And never bothered to look for snow pants and such on the off season.
Well, the first winter we got snow, I thought it was like a miracle! Still didnt gather snow clothes. The second winter, more snow, still assumed it was a fluke. Now this is winter three, and today we got our second large amount of snow. If we werent moving this summer, Id be looking for snow clothes on sale! In fact, Ill likely just go ahead and do it, and as long as we dont go to Hawaii, we will probably need them!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

Here we are, Christmas 2010. Crazy that the year is already over. I remember when Calvin deployed in the Spring, I thought if we could just get to Christmas, everything would be back to normal. Oh, how I had no idea what was in store. I couldnt have anticipated the stress that was awaiting us.
But, here we are. Calvin returned safely, which we are very grateful for. The kids are all healthy. And Calvin is still employed. So, a lot to be thankful for as well.
Im especially homesick this year. Not sure why. Four years in a row of not being in Iowa with my family on Christmas. Everyone is gathered at my sisters house today, all the cousins are sharing (or bragging about) their new toys, eating lots of sugar, and creating memories. Memories we havent been a part of for four years. :-( I really hope we can go home next Christmas...
Here are a few photos of what we have been up to in the past few months.

We make cookies each year, to take to local firefighters, neighbors, workmates and friends.

Only in Virginia!

Gotta love Christmas morning bedhead!!!

What are we afraid of???

2010-12-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

I remember back in 2007 when the movie 'Meet the Robinsons' came out, every adoption blog in Earth was all up in a tizzy about it. Oh, it was anti-adoption and anti-adoptive parents, and anti everything else. There was an urge on these boards to write to Disney, to boycott the movie, ect. I took my kids to the movie, and they enjoyed it!
Here we are three years later, and now the big tizzy is over the movie 'Tangled'. I didnt watch this movie with the kids, but all four of them did. They watched it a week ago, and all four LOVED it!!! It wasnt until tonight that I even learned that there is an adoption theme to it, if you would call it that. Im sure for MANY birth mothers out there, their adoptions did feel a bit like this movie. Based on the many birth mother blogs I read, it is not uncommon for women to feel their babies were basically stolen from them (for various reasons). With all the trafficking of babies that has taken place in the past internationally, and is now claimed to be taking place in Ethiopia, we cant honestly say baby stealing doesnt go on! Are all adopted children stolen, of course not! So, for the sake of this arguement, lets just call the movie theme adoption.
Ok, so the girl in the movie is stolen as a baby by a witch, and 18 years later goes looking for her 'real' parents. This is apparently the plot of the movie. This has a lot of adoptive parents upset. And as an adoptive parent, Id like to ask, WHY?!?!?!?!!!! Why is it upsetting that a human being would want to know their roots?!! Their blood?!! Why do so many adoptive parents take on this Us vs. Them approach to adoption?!! Havent studies shown that open adoptions are almost always in the best interest on the child?!!
In my opinion, this type of extreme knee jerk reaction (Boycott Disney) to a movie based on feelings associated with adoption shows fear. Why do you feel the need to 'protect' your adopted child from the evils of watching a cartoon character search for her biological parents? What are you afraid of?!! Are you afraid your adopted child will think you are a wicked witch who stole him/her from their crib? Really, I doubt that thought will cross any childs mind! They will think the movie is about hair, like my kids did.
So, at dinner tonight, I brought up the topic that there are adoptive parents upset about this movie, that they feel it shines a bad light on adoption. Meya started laughing, while Maree sat confused. After a moment, Maree said, "Is that because the witch stole the baby? Its a witch, no one thinks a witch is the same as a parent. Besides, its just a movie, witches arent even real!" Then Meya replied something to the effect that it is irrational to get worked up over the movie, everyone knows its just a cartoon.
Our girls know their family, so they wont need to go searching, they know where to find them. But if they didnt, Id be first in line to help them search! I am secure enough in my relationship with them, and with myself, that Im not afraid of their family. I feel sad and sometimes angry about some decisions on the part of their bio father, but I do NOT feel like he and I are in some kind of battle to win the kids title as 'most loved parent'. They love him and always will, even when they are angry. And someday when they get married, I hope they will have a ceremony here, and travel back to Ethiopia to have one there with their bio family as well! If he lived closer, he would be invited to every big event in their lives. If he ever got a visa to visit the US, he would be welcomed to stay in my home!
Im not trying to toot my own horn, and act like Im stronger or better then these parents who are upset about the movie. I just think everyone needs to take a chill pill. Stop being SOOO afraid! Talk with your kids about adoption! Pray with your kids for their birth families! Let them know that where they come from is not bad, or shameful! And lastly, let them know its not about them being your child, or anyone elses. Its about them being GODS child!
Now, I guess I should go watch the movie...

Away She Goes!

2010-12-22T13:12:00.001-08:00

Dont worry, she came back :-)
With Meya's 16th Birthday less then two weeks away, Calvin decided it was a good time to take her on her first driving lesson! She drove up and down our road a few times, and even backed up! I dont think her speed exceeded 5mph, and she did great! They just grow up so fast...

Hannah Hair

2010-12-20T03:46:00.001-08:00

Hannah has some seriously THICK hair! I decided to blow dry her hair the other night, because she wanted it flat ironed. These pics are prior to the flat iron, thankfully! But what I can I say, my baby can rock an afro!
This holiday season, we are staying focused on the reason for the season. Today the kids went on their annual 'Take cookies to the neighbors' trip. In a few days we will head to the Fire Station, with treats for the Firefighters.
We did gift giving simple this year, one gift her child. The older girls decided they would rather have the money, so that is what they will receive. I was actually relieved that one of them chose money, because last year I spent months driving all over town and ordering off the internet all kinds of rasta colored items, and she hasnt worn or used any of it. So, rather than exhaust myself for unwanted items, Id much rather give money!
And we plan to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. I need to do a bit of Googling around to see what creative ways I can make it more fun for the kids. But Im sure in the end we will be glad we did things this way. Not only is money tight, but our kids are growing up in such a materialist world, I think it will be a good experience for them to step back and remember to be grateful even for small things! We all need that reality check, right?! I know I sure do!
We are on the list to move again this summer. We have very mixed feelings about this. On one hand, we havent fallen in love with Virginia, so it doesnt make us too sad. But on the other, moving is so hard. Its hard on the kids, its exhausting... And I think hardest of all, might be the five month wait to find out WHERE IN THE WORLD we are going next!!! Sounds like it will most likely be here in the US. But we have little clue beyond that... Having children with different needs, its hard not having any idea, because there are resources that I need to be researching in whatever area we will be going to! I sit up some nights, researching different possible areas, but really, thats just wasting time. Im worried Hannah will have the hardest time with this next move. She loves to make friends, and loves to keep them also. The shift from public school to home school was hard for her. She misses her friends at school dearly. She is quickly making friends in the home school coop we just joined, and I know she will be heart broken to again loose them after this school year is over. Being a military family is hard. Calvins job will likely always move every 2-3 years, and some days I feel so heavy with guilt that the kids are growing up this way. Hopefully we are only 3-4 more assignments away from Retirement.

All About Spelling

2010-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wait until we had used the All About Spelling program for awhile before writing much about it. In September Hannah began Level 2 and Luke began Level 1 of the program. I cant remember how I came across it, but I found it one night online, from another blog that I happened upon. When the kit arrived, I was a bit disappointed that I had to do a bit of work. The letter tiles were all stuck together, I had to cut them apart, attach magnet to the backs and sort out all the cards. (How lazy am I to complain!! haha).
Well, it is a WONDERFUL program!!! Hannah and Luke are not only able to do their spelling words, the program also covers English language rules. I use it as half their language arts. Hannah is also doing a Sylvan program on the computer. And Luke is also doing click'n'kids, but is about to start a Hooked On Phonics program. Two of our other kids have used the Hooked On Phonics program as well, and we have found it to be pretty good. One thing about the All About Spelling program that I love so much, is that it is so easy to use! (remember note from above, Im lazy!) But really, I find some programs to be a bit confusing in how they are set up, but this one is great. Very user friendly! And the kids love to practice spelling their words with letter tiles before they take their written test.
In Aug. Luke was only able to read small early reader books, like 'Sam ran', and still needed some help. He is now reading 1st grade level stories with little help. He still gets tripped up on some words, but has made huge progress! And I just love watching him read :-)

2010-11-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

I have NEVER wanted to be a teacher. I have never envied them, or thought they had a great job. Prior to this year, I went to conferences, completely content with the way things ran. I would look over their paperwork, as the teacher explained it to me. The teacher would show me their progress from the beginning of the year, up until the time of the conference. Then we would chat a bit and say good-bye. Conference over and on with life.
But I see things so differently now! I now get to walk with them, day by day, and experience the milestones with them! One day last week, as I was helping Luke through his spelling lesson he processed an English language rule, and learned how to spell a set of words for the first time. I couldnt believe he actually did it! I was so proud, my heart swelled! It was like experiencing his first word and his first step! In that moment, I realized what I had been missing out on before. Missing their milestones! Something about watching a concept click in a childs mind is magical. Something about the moment they 'get it'. And I was missing this all before!
Now, Im not saying everyone should homeschool. I dont think everyone should, and I know some who want to cant. But I am glad we made the decision to, because Id hate to be missing out ;-)

A week to myself...

2010-11-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure there are about 500 posts in my head, that just never make it to my finger tips... Life just keeps going and going, and I just keep trying to keep up with it!
My husband is AMAZING!!! REALLY AMAZING!!! Some 11ish days ago, I had a mini meltdown. It had something to do with cutting trim wrong in the kitchen and the 5 new white paint shades not matching the spot I need to repair on the ceiling. After tears and me leaving the house four times to go cry in the car (clearing trying to get his attention over a football game), he kindly said to me "You never got your break when I got home, why dont you go?!" In the past, when offered an extended break, I banter off 100 reasons why it wont work. But I was exhausted, no, beyond exhausted. So, I took him up on it. He booked me a room for rent in a house across the water, on the boarder of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake for a WHOLE WEEK! It was SO wonderful! I left on Sunday. On Tuesday he brought the kids for a visit. Then I was missing them all so much I went home for about 24 hours from Thursday to Friday. Friday was the kids 1st day of Home School Coop, and I didnt want to miss that! Then, I went back to my room Friday evening until Sunday noon. I spent the first evening playing with photoshop, which I NEVER have time to do! Then the next three days STRAIGHT attempting to catch up scrapbooks! I got mostly through the end of 2009! Now I need to find a local scrapbook group to join to keep me on task!

I took the kids to do Fall/Christmas pics, but Im having a hard time falling in love with one for Christmas cards. So, I finally just made 4x6 collages on Walmarts website and will send those out.
Here are some that didnt make the cut:

And here are a few of my favorites! Can you tell who the clown of the family is?!

Not the Christmas photo...

2010-11-23T06:58:00.001-08:00

But Hannah said this can not be the photo, because it is a Fall photo, not a Christmas one. Im not sure where she thinks we are going to find snow in Virginia!

Maree's 12th Birthday!

2010-11-12T21:14:00.000-08:00

This is one of the first photos we ever saw of Maree. Its amazing how small she was there, and how she has grown! Of course, the age listed above was not correct. We went through the process of coming to a 'best guess' on her most possibly accurate age, and the conclusion was that she was not turning 10 this year, but actually turning 12! I think we have her correct age now, and either way, its staying!

At the risk of causing some psychological damage from having missed a few years, we celebrated all three ages! Really, it was just to be funny :-)

And a recent photo of Maree, what a beautiful young woman she is blossoming into! She has surely become her own person. She LOVES sci-fi, super heros and anything magical that provides an escape from reality! She loves science and wants to be a scientist when she grows up. And dreams of building a time machine!

A guest blog author!

2010-11-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

I guess that's what its called... My dear friend Jillian allowed me to be a guest author on her blog today! If you don't already follow her blog, go check it out! She is not only a fellow military wife and adoptive mom, she's AMAZING and INSPIRING!!!

Book Giveaway!

2010-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

I LOVE BOOKS! And I have more than can even be justified! :-) We are beginning to pack our home to put it on the market to sell. In doing so, I was sorting through some books and found some Id like to rehome. The first is The Shack by William Young. I have to confess, I couldnt get into this book. Im a lover of true stories, but gave this book a try based on its popularity. But truth is, I just couldnt get into it.
The second is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES! I somehow ended up with two copies and would love to share one! It is The Color Of Water by James McBride. This is not a faith based book, and has a few undesirable words in it. He is a man born to a white mother and black father, and this is his story. This book was captivating to me. By the end of the story, I felt like we were close personal friends and I wanted to go visit him! I read the end of the story slowly, I wanted it to continue!
Both books are now claimed, but as I continue to sort, I will have more up for grabs!

Almost like an open adoption...

2010-11-10T00:25:00.000-08:00

I guess we could say our adoption is almost like an open adoption if the open adoption was where older children were told they would be exchange students and had no concept of adoption. The reason I say open adoption, is because we keep contact with the girls bio family. In the beginning it was because there was still confusion about what had just happened, and we wanted answers. So writing directly to their family seemed like the most promising option. When it became clear that our questions were not going to be answered, and in reply we would only get requests for money, frustrations grew. But communication continued, due to feeling an obligation to the bio side, for the sake of the girls. And now being their second mother, I longed and still long to know more about the many years they lived in Ethiopia, experiencing a daily life I can’t even pretend to have any knowledge of. They remember things like baby photos, that I would just DIE to see, but have yet to receive any copies of. :-(
Our adoption situation is very complex. Its not tucked nicely into a box where we tell them their parents were too poor, so God loved them enough to give them another family. First of all, I don’t feel like that is the best explanation for any child. And secondly, they remember their life there and would know it’s a lie! So, its complicated… A few months ago, we received photos of their brothers college graduation. With those photos came a flood of emotions for one of our girls. Excitement turned to anger within the first few minutes. Anger that they were sent away, yet since they left, there has been money for three more siblings to attend college. They came to the reality that college in Ethiopia would have likely happened, but college here in the US likely won’t happen. Moments like this, where they receive photos of family events, celebrations or milestones that they are no part of, is like reopening a never healing wound… then pouring acid on it. It is hard for them to process. They find themselves trapped between a place of longing to be there with their family, and utter rejection. They feel abandoned. Unwanted. Angry. Frustrated. Powerless.
Another dynamic, is that one of our children deeply longs for the simple life she would have had in Ethiopia. The life she grew up thinking she would have and desires. Life is America still feels overwhelming to her, after four years, things like clothes shopping is too much to process. Everything we do in American feels much more overwhelming for her. She so longs for a life that is small and simple. Not easy, simple. I know life in Ethiopia is not easy, I would never suspect it to be. She recently watched a film called “Amish Grace” and decided that is the life she will live. It is as close to the life she desires as she can get in the US, and feels too hurt to think of returning to Ethiopia. So, Amish seems the right path for her to take. She feels it would be simple, thus removing so many of the things that overwhelm her and make her feel insecure. But, we know that isn’t the answer, it would only be an attempt to run and hide. If life in Ethiopia is what she desires, then that is the life she should seek. But, before that can happen, healing must come…
We pray often for the girls hearts. That God can heal their hearts, and that He will restore their relationships with their bio family. No matter if they return or stay in the US, we would never want to see them live their whole lives with anger in their hearts.

These children....

2010-11-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

I spend hours looking at photos of these children, and cry...

What if:
-True orphans arent babies
-True orphans arent healthy
-True orphans arent picture perfect
Would you still care? Would you still feel 'called'?
I carry a tremendous amount of guilt over adopting non-orphans (unknowingly). Our girls are basically here on what they were told is an education program. Their bio family is not poor. Three of their siblings are college educated.
So while we intended to adopt orphans, we didnt. The TRUE orphan statistics were not impacted at all by our adoption. Three orphans who should have been adopted were not. And because I know this, I MUST share websites like Reeces Rainbow, in hopes that TRUE orphans will be found and adopted!
If we REALLY love orphans, we must be willing to adopt TRUE orphans, no matter what baggage that includes. And if we REALLY love orphans, we westerners must stop demanding healthy babies be found for us. Thats the cold hard truth, as I see it...

Adventures Of Daddy Doll

2010-11-08T16:41:00.001-08:00

I havent been motivated to blog, without a camera, because lets be real, most people just want to see the photos! To my shock and delight, my sisters and mother replaced my stolen camera, the the new one is AMAZING!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

I wanted to show pics of the Daddy Doll book. Daddy Doll was a pillow I ordered for the little kids after Calvin left. Its a pillow with a full body shot of Calvin on them. So, during the deployment, Daddy Doll went EVERYWHERE with us! We took the photos of his adventures and put them into a binder turned into a scrapbook. He went on many great adventures, from the NM state fair to Balloon Fiesta!

Day 172, DAD IS HOME!!!!

2010-10-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

By the Grace of God, Calvin is home, alive and well!!! We are grateful, REALLY grateful!
Last night I had two dreams that we missed his arrival at the airport, so this caused me to decide to be extra early. We arrived around 11:30, with his plane expected to arrive around 12:30. That made for lots of trips to the bathroom, water fountain and gift shop. The hour actually went by pretty quickly. The kids stood anxiously with welcome signs and balloons in hand! As he emerged through the rotating security door, the kids ran to embrace him. I stood back briefly to capture the moment on my camera. It was strange, for the first time having to share him upon his return. Remember that old commercial that said "Kids change everything", its SO true! I enjoyed watching them, and capturing them, then ran to give him a welcome from me :-) (His last deployment was when I was pregnant with Hannah, so I had him all to myself.)
The kids were SO thrilled to have him back, their stories began pouring out, talking over each other, so anxious to fill him in on all he had missed. After baggage check, we decided to eat at Texas Land & Cattle, because kids eat free on Saturdays. The meal was good, and Calvin was presented with a scrapbook we made while he was away titled "The Adventures of Daddy Doll". While he was deployed, we took a pillow like doll of him everywhere, and took photos so he could be included on our adventures.
Then I took the three smaller kids outside to get loaded up, as Calvin and Meya waited inside to take care of the bill. As I got to the truck, it appeared something had happened to our passenger side door handle, then a glance inside made it clear that something was wrong, as things were out of place. Calvin them emerged, and I notified him I think the truck has been broken into. He checked for his laptop, and sure enough, it was gone :-( We called the police, who said all we could do is file a report online. Half way home I realized my camera was also gone. My heart sank and I cried the rest of the way home. My photos, I didnt even preview them to see the expressions on the kids faces, and now they are gone... forever...
We got home to a living room decorated for a "Welcome home/Birthday Party" for Calvin, but there was little left to celebrate. So, I packed everything back up and put it away, while he went online to change all of our passwords, file a police report, and file a claim with insurance (even though they basically said we are out of luck). I went in the bathroom and cried some more, my Canon Rebel was gone, the camera that has literally been around the world with me, the camera that it took me two years of begging to talk Calvin into, the camera that has captured every holiday and special and not so special event since Luke was a baby.... gone...
What a damper that put on our day...
After a few hours, the extreme feeling of violation let up a bit and the kids cuddled with Dad on the sofa for some stories, followed by the cake intended for the party.
I placed an ad on Craigslist, with the off chance that someone will see it and be willing to sell our possessions back to us. And tomorrow we will call around to pawn shops. There is nothing else we can do.
At the moment, Calvin is asleep on the sofa, and it feels great glancing over and knowing he is here, FINALLY! Though not easily at the moment, a laptop and camera are replaceable. But family isn't. My husband is NOT replaceable, and I'm VERY thankful I got him back! And my children are NOT replaceable, so I'm grateful no one has stolen them from me! I may never get those photos back, but I DO have the people in them, and that is much more valuable and completely irreplaceable!
Thank you all for your prayers through this deployment!

Inside our little world of Homeschooling!

2010-10-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

Our MathUSee program finally arrived in the mail!!! Hannah and Luke could not resist, they spent an hour last night playing with it and working on their workbooks! Today they did some more work, and are really enjoying using the blocks. Its fun to see them working together :-)

Maree was struggling with the concept of fractions, so I went online and found printable worksheets at THIS website. She does three each day and is doing great. She will finish up in about 6-7 days. I'm very pleased with it and would buy it again!

We all had an itch to get out of the house, so we went to an antique coal museum. On the drive there, the kids each took turns reading information about coal mines. It was so cute listening to Luke take his turn. I LOVE watching him learn to read, and OH how he desires to read like this sisters!!! I couldn't help but sit with a grin the size of Texas on my face, and admire these children God has trusted me with. I'm not sure why, I don't know If I would trust me with them! ;-) The museum was a blast and I took tons of pictures.
Ive got to say, I didn't expect to enjoy homeschooling this much. Even when we talked about doing it, it was because we thought it would be best, not because I wanted to do it! Ive learned alot in the past two months of life, here's a short list of those things:
-That I LOVE teaching my kids!
-That I LOVE deciding what they learn!
-That I will be a better Mom when I can get regular breaks ;-)
-That I have awesome kids!
-That Its great not having an alarm clock!
-That Hannah is a happier human when she wakes up on her own!
-That it feels pretty great when one of my kids grasps a new concept for the first time!
-That its OK to do school work on the floor...or outside..or in bed!
-That grading papers is overrated!
-That lapbooks rock!
-That my kids feel like the center of my universe and love being there :-)
I remember people saying that if we just jumped into homeschooling and never looked back we would love it, I doubted them, REALLY DOUBTED THEM!!! But, Ive gotta say, They were right!
Now I will leave you with my favorite pic of the day!

(No worries, this is not in our back yard, it was at the museum!)

Four years....

2010-10-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

What a difference four years makes!

Bedtime stories, lapbooks, and things I dont deserve...

2010-09-30T23:32:00.001-07:00

If you know me well, you know I HATE to read out loud, and not only that, Im HORRIBLE at it! The kids always want a bedtime story, and since Calvin has been gone, we have done more stories for some reason. Maybe because I dont have to worry about him walking in and hearing what a horrible reader I am!!! I LOVE to read, Im just not good at it, and hate doing it in front of people! A few weeks ago, I got a great deal on thrift store books. Amongst the books, was 'Little Women'. I never read it as a child, but know it to be a classic. I decided that would be the book, and we will do a chapter each night. I had no idea how perfect the book would be! In the story the girls father is off at war, and in chapter 8, Meg just learned a hard lesson about making poor decisions. The kids are LOVING the story, and LOVING the time together. I enjoy hearing them all giggle as I read things like "The old man kept him shut up in the house all day" :-) And for the kids, this is a very special time. How many other 15 yr olds would get this excited about a bedtime story! Its great!
Im currently working on another lapbook for the kids. I want to do a big project with the kids, on genocide. I know, not a real crowd pleaser. But I want my kids to find passion in helping people, seeking justice and the redeeming power of knowing Christ! In it, we will have three parts: the Holocaust, Sudan and Abortion. We will also do projects with each, read books, watch videos and study missionaries working in those areas. In this, we will include making bones for 'One Million Bones', and hopefully find other interested homeschool students to join us!
Last night I had to run an evening errand. I wasnt gone too long, and arrived home with the kids fast asleep. To my surprise, my bed had been made and there was a card on top. Meya made me a very beautiful card, declaring me 'The Worlds Best Mom'. How thoughtful, how sweet, yes...I cried. :-) She is truely a gem, I dont deserve her. She has had to really step up and take on more responsibility with Calvin away, and she has done it with very little resistance. She is dependable and helpful. She is quick to consider others before herself, and is such a great example to her younger siblings (most of the time ;-) In getting the card, I realized that Ive made progress as well. I didnt feel guilty or face a huge confusing range of emotions, as I usually do. It was just sweet, and I felt her intentions and appreciated them SO much. I dont know why God allowed me to be her second Mom, but Im honored He found me to be fit. And maybe, just maybe her birth mother would agree too...

Our first Lapbook!

2010-09-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

I think Ive mentioned this before, I LOVE the concept of lapbooks! When it was revealed that one of the kids was having a hard time remembering the months of the year, it seemed appropriate to make that our first lapbook! So, we are on day two of working on them and the kids are having fun. Being that I enjoy crafts, this is right up my alley! Im sure there will be many more lapbooks in our future!!!