Jonathan's Adoption Day and Sarah's 10th Birthday!!! Get away....and much more!!!

 Jonathan's 5th Adoption Day way on May 4th!!  Wow am I behind or what??  Ummm....yes well who can resist this face??  He is one cute little guy and man from that first referral picture we were hooked!!!!

 Happy Adoption Day!!!!!!  This little guy is full of surprises!  He is a practical joker and has the best giggle!  He loves snuggles, wrestling with his big brothers, swimming, anything having to do with Batman or Ninjago (not even sure how to spell it- you know that Lego things). 

 Those eyes!!!! 

 Doesn't get any cuter than our little Ethiopian sweetheart!!!!  He had a great day and loved his presents. 

 So on Jonathan's Adoption Day we went out to Dairy Queen....knowing that we were away the weekend before, and on Sarah's Birthday we were going to Disney.  So we decided to let everyone pick a treat and share the time :).  Gotta do what works. 

 I think Sarah and Jonathan loved the idea!!!  :)  So a fun time was had by all!

 Boys hanging out! 

 Daddy and his girls....

 My and little mister!!!  OH SO SOME AMAZING UPDATES with Michael.  And yes I need to be doing more posts because I definitely have a lot to say...just have some schedule changes that haven't allowed me to post! 

So back to the AMAZING MICHAEL!!!  He can now drink through a straw!!!!!  WAHOOOO!!!!!
ANNNDDDDD.......drum roll please.........he is feeding himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So to understand how huge this is- Michael has never really held onto anything.  Part of that is sensory thing, but also his CP etc.  So he is now holding his spoon- enough so that he is scooping and feeding himself!!!!  Now of course he is a toddler and it is messy, and sometimes we help him "get the food" scooping motion down, but THIS IS SOOO HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Proud mommy moments :)

 And this young lady- turned 10!!!!!!!  Happy Birthday Sarah!!! 

 She got a nerf bow!!!  :) 

 So much fun because Sarah is really maturing and we love to see her personality develop.  She loves to sing and is very good!  She loves reading, playing with her sisters, and drawing and making notes.  Which I thoroughly enjoy!!!

 

 My sweetie!!!  She also is becoming quite the care taker and loves helping out with Michael.  I love seeing her work with him and love on him.  You can often find her reading to him or working on his walking.  This seriously warms my heart!!!

 Now this was our getaway weekend- the very first weekend of May!!  Whew a looonnnggg time ago now.  But like I said I dropped off the grid due to Joanna needing extra time with us at night.  Along with the fact I have been doing more home studies, and have had a lot going on with my clients with Christian Adoption Consultant- which is AMAZING!!!  (2 babies born just this week!!)

Oh and I have been sick.  :(  Which has not bee much fun at all!!  Over a week ago now I was diagnosed with kidney infection, but the medications they have given me really haven't helped.  I have however been using oils- which have definitely helped the pain.  They aren't sure now if that is it or if it is something else.  So we will see!!! 

 This was our room for the weekend.....nice!!!  Our bathroom was HUGE!!!  Our whole family could have fit in there and not touched each other!!!  CRAZY!!!  We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria- which is right next to Disney. 

 It was gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!  We left Friday- got back Sunday.

 The only bad part- it was raining all of Friday and Saturday :/, but we just dealt with it because hey at least we got some time away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was nice to recharge and connect!!!!!

 Hey, just buy a rain poncho from Disney and get over it!!  So after the huge down pours right around lunch we went to the Magic Kingdom. 

 Saturday since it was raining again we went to Downtown Disney. 

 We had lunch at Planet Hollywood! 

 It's always fun to look around to see everything :).

 Aren't we cute? 

 Just me and Mr. Potato.....

 Who recognizes these toys??  Yep- I am old. 

 Drinks were on the house- he he he ....of course they were non alcoholic.....
 View out our front window. 

 Sunday before heading home we played a round of miniature golf at Disney. 

 Of course that day it was beautiful and sunny!!

 It was so fun there and because we have Florida residents weekday passes- we god 1/2 price!!  Sweet!!!

We definitely enjoyed our weekend!!!  THANKFUL for Joe and Lisa for looking after the kiddos for us too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOVE having those who love your children and willing to travel several hours to help you out and give you a break!  HUGE GIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To my mom

 So yesterday someone posted in their FB feed what are your favorite memories of your mother.  Which caused some things to immediately come to my mind, but there is just sooo much more!!  My mother is me really.  She and I not only look a lot alike, we sound alike, and well we have a lot of the same personality too! 

 Favorite memories......

Seeing her daily reading her Bible and doing devotions at our kitchen table.  She inspires me!  Her dedication to the Lord is something for me to continue to strive for.  I want that closeness, that dedication, and yearning that I saw in her! 

 When I was 8 and had cancer I was in the hospital for months after the surgery for radiation.  Of course if you have ever lived a "hospital life" you know you hurry up and wait.  My mom would always have her Bible.  She found things to be thankful for and would share many scriptures with me.

There were so many people praying for our family, for me, for complete healing- my mom never took that for granted and praised God for the support and love of family, friends, and complete strangers that loved our family!!!

Oh and of course she found time to do math problems and other homework with me as we waited too!  Silly me I thought the old "chalk boards" in the patient rooms were for enjoyment?  ;) Or for catching up on all the school I was missing!!! 

 My mom LOVED pictures!!!!  Think I get that from her???  :)  Doesn't have to be a perfect picture just something that reminds you of someone, the feelings you share, the love you share, the fun you have.  She literally has stacks and stacks of photo albums!!  She always said if there was a fire those photos would be the one thing besides obviously family she would want to get out of the house!!

**Thank the Lord for digital pics now!!!  ;)

She cooked out of necessity.  She loved to bake cookies and breads!  Yep- that's me!! 

 She hugs and kisses lots!
Never hesitates to tell you I love you!
She can strike up a conversation with anyone! 
She would spend many hours of her time helping the neighbor kiddos who didn't have stable families, or just had parents that both worked a lot- homework help and love on the side!!
She also would visit and care for my dad's parents and sooo many other people in nursing homes or in their own homes!  Taking them to doctor's appointments, to get their hair done, or whatever.  
She couldn't "give" a spelling test to save her life.  Her pronunciations were ummm......interesting ;).
She loves life!! She doesn't hold back!!

 She loves playing with the grandkids!  Games, reading, talking, walking, etc.
She PRAYS fervently for our whole family!!!  For the work we do with other families, for the children needing homes, for those that have been placed in new homes, for adoptive and birth families we work with!!

She is interested in others and wants to know how she can pray for them! 

 One time she stood up to embarrass me and started doing a cheer on her own in the stands.  (I was a cheerleader).  Didn't work because I stood up next to her and cheered alongside her ;).  Two peas in a pod.

Except we did have a time of a few years where it was hard.  Really hard.  It was mostly to do with my stubbornness meeting her stubbornness.... what can I say the apple didn't fall far from the tree! 

 She loved riding rides at the theme parks!!!  YES!!!! (Not as much anymore, but sometimes she surprises me). 
She was there at every concert, audition, basketball game, musical, marching band performance, honor band, All State honor band, etc.  AND believe me there were many many many many of them!  She is my ongoing cheerleader throughout life!!
Every time we have phoned to say- we feel God calling us to -------- she is there praying and cheering us on!!!  Never once called us crazy to our face ;).  She just loves us and cares for us no matter what! 

 She loves to find the good in everything.  I love that about her!!!

 She loves to laugh....and yes our laugh is the same too :)! 

 People gave Jason a hard time saying- you want to know what Dawn will be like as she gets older?  Just look at her mom.  It's true!  I pray I can be that person.  The loving, compassionate, dedicated to God, example in my life that I couldn't imagine my life without!!! 

 She won't probably see this post.... because one of the differences between us, besides the fact that I tend to pronounce things better than her, is that she doesn't have a computer.  She doesn't even like the thought of them.  Which is fine.  Because I LOVE HER!! 

MOM- I know you know this, but I COULDN'T LOVE YOU ANY MORE THAN I DO!!!  You gave me the gift of life, but so much more!  You gave me and have continued showing me a faith in Jesus that is amazing!  I appreciate all your love, your great example of a loving mother and wife, your dedication to our family, and your deep love of our Lord and Savior!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Connectional Parenting

 Today's pictures are brought to you by a trip to Siesta Key Beach :)... last week. 

 So it was a little over a year ago we went to the Empowered To Connect Conference in Orlando.  You know the conference I never wanted to go to in the first place, but Jason said let's go it's only $25 and in Orlando.  OK I guess....but I had thought that Karyn Purvis approach was giving in to everything your children wanted kind of parenting. 

 ;) YEP!  Well....let's just say that I WAS WRONG!  COMPLETELY WRONG!!!!  We decided that we wanted to study even further about Connectional Parenting and took the intensive course in Dallas, TX with Amy & Michael Monroe.  In order to teach the parenting class here locally to help other families, but let's be honest- WE NEEDED HELP FOR OUR FAMILY TOO!!! 

 AND HELP CAME!!!!  Empowered To Connect is now "the way we parent".  It is something we talk about often and we use the techniques daily.  Now don't get me wrong- it is not about perfect parenting!!  Because that would require perfect people.  HA and we are far from that!!! 

 But the fact that we try to remember our children's sensory needs, we try to make sure our children have plenty of water, snacks, and ways to calm themselves down. 
 We remember time ins not time outs. 
We don't send our children out of the room- unless it is imminent danger for us or them ;). 
We use play to connect to our children. 
We ask for hands and eyes. 
We do RE DO's often. 
We say can you try that again in a big girl voice? 
Or Whoa.....can we try that again with respect? 

 We try to remember how our past hurts.....and our buttons affect our reactions to our children.
We remember that our children all come from "hard places" and need our understanding! 

 That sometimes we have to work hard to connect!  Sometimes we have to earn and re-earn their trust!
Some days are just PLAIN HARD!!!!!! 
Some are better!! 

 We have really tried to help remind each other over and over about Compromises, Choices, Redo's, IDEAL responses, Connecting While Correcting, Repair, Balance, Compassion!!!!!  OVER AND OVER!!!!

 I have to say I loved Amy Monroe's response when they first talked with Karyn Purvis - she said she was talking on the phone.....said you are crazy!  And hung up!  Yep, I had that in my mind many times over the past year!!!!  MANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I mean- to give voice, compromise, do redo's, choices, saying yes, playing, and doing time in's when really all you want to do is explode at your children???  TAKES AN IMMENSE amount of control- ON MY SIDE!!!!  OYE!!!!!!!!!!!!  There were many times when I thought....am I ever going to get this??  EVER??? 

 I think teaching the class last fall was great because we got to relive all we had learned again.  It was a good refresher, and we would need it.  Because moving is hard for children from hard places!!!  In addition to just being hard in general. 

 OH BUT IT HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE WORTH IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 The extra time spent! 

 The millions of conversations with ourselves, as a couple, and growing the Lord has done in both of us!!!!  It has been a release of control over things I thought were keeping me in control- if that makes sense.  Releasing my hurts, my fears, my insecurities.  Because people- you can't go with your child to the hurting places if you aren't willing to experience those hurts with them. 

 YEP!  That means reliving your hurts too!  That means digging down deep when your child ignores you or rolls their eyes at you!  That means uttering prayers when you feel your temperature rising inside you! 

 It also means a lot more peace in your home.  Not as in- my children are perfect....he he he he...uummmmm...no.  BUT as in in your life.  In your heart.  In their hearts- they see a change in you and how you aren't always screaming at them because they have all flipped their lids and made you flip yours! 

 It means that you are able to connect on a much deeper level to help your children!  It means you can relax and enjoy your children even when those days are hard!!!  It means that you can know that it is a temporary set back and not permanent when your child flips their lid and yells I hate you! 

 If you have ever thought I need help!  I need to understand how to help my child.  I encourage you to please go to Empowered To Connect Conference!!!!!  PLEASE!!!!  Fly there!!!!  Do what it takes!!!  Your child is worth it!!!  Your sanity is worth it!!!! 

 Do you long to have connection??  ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!  It is what the scriptures talk about with family.  It is what all our hearts yearn for!  This is not a quick fix!  This isn't a my son does this how can I make him stop.  It is a change in method....a change in your heart...a change in your mindset about why your children do what they do.  It is an understanding about the fact that traditional parenting doesn't always work!   That this form of parenting is also Biblical!!! 

 I believe with all my heart that more than anything else as parents we are to teach our children about faith and grace!  To show them what the Love of God looks like in human form!  I think in our family we have been able to see that through the connections we have made.  Through using different ways to serve our children better with understanding. 

 I was the biggest skeptic!  I thought it was all a bunch of silly "new age" techniques that sounded silly. 

 Until.......we started to see changes.  Not just any changes, but HUGE, POSITIVE changes.  Not just in our children, but in US too!!!!!! 

 Don't forget children from hard places can be hard on your marriages too!  So it is worth it- to help your children heal, to help yourself heal, to help heal your marriage!!!!  :)  GO HERE for more information!!!!!!  Conferences, books, resources, tons of short videos and articles!!!!  PLEASE because I used to think we were alone too.  BUT YOU AREN'T!!! 

***Yes this is creepy.....it's Jason's fault ;) 

We will be getting away this weekend just Jason and I.  Getting some breathing space, some renewal, and some time to just pour into each other.  Would love some prayer because we want to make our marriage strong!  We need each other to parent, to do our work, and to spread Jesus!  :)