My Journey to being a SAHM part 1

 So these are some pictures from our trip to the beach that is only a little over an hour from here :) !!!!! 

 It is called Siesta Key and as you can see it is clear and VERY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 The sand is seriously very very very soft!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 And the "drop off" point is very far out.......so very very kid friendly!!!  Which is great!!!!!

 Most of our crew hanging out in the water together...

 Ooooopppss one got away :) he he he he

 Look at the clarity :)

 Doing lots of sand fun today!!!

 Considering it is the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend- it wasn't bad.  Of course we were there by 8:30 in the morning.

 And we didn't leave until 3:30 in the afternoon.......at which time it was a bit more busy :)

 Look- awww......she looks like she is covered in sugar.  

 Awww......big girl play time.

 See this is after lunch time....a bit more busy, but not that bad. 

 time to get covered.

 Hey, cutie can I squeeze you?

Play time in the sand!!!!!

So what has been in my head is my journey to being a Stay At Home Mom.

*****WARNING!!!!!!!!  This is NOT condemnation toward any working mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is NOT to say EVERYONE should stay home with their kids and homeschool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is JUST MY STORY :)  JUST WANTING TO CLARIFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Because I think God's story is different for everyone :)  Ok....... 

So my story starts with how I grew up........my mom was a Stay At Home Mom :)  I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!  What can I say I loved my mom very much and having her be there meant the world to me!  Especially when I was older and understood all that this entails.  She had time for us, she helped keep the house clean, things organized, had daily time with God, kept us in line :), read us devotions daily, we sat 2 meals a day at the table together as a family!!!!  You see I was very very very BLESSED!!!  Now to show you that it wasn't easy....the flip side is I started my life living on a farm which I loved!  BUT the down trend in the 80's for farms in Iowa and the rent.....well forced us to do something else.  My dad then went on the road full time.  Before he actually did trucking local and part time to help with the farming.

So now get a bigger picture.  My mom not only was a SAHM, but was kind of like a single parent a LOT because my dad was over the road trucking all but 24 maybe 48 hours a week.  It was tough, and whenever I think about it I am AMAZED at the works God did to keep our family together.  PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Now, when my older brother and I were in high school and my younger brother was in middle school.  My mom did take a part time job at the school helping with office work and "babysitting" those in free period.  But it was always when we were already in school and she came home with us or usually before.  Then as we were getting ready to graduate she did take on a few more hours and helped with special needs children- which was a great pleasure for her!  She LOVED working with at risk children and she was GREAT at it :).  Hmmmmm......tells you where her heart is.

Now to change it around......my husband also had a Stay At Home Mom too.  Actually when he was younger his father did stay at home for a while, and then they switched.  So she too was very involved in his schooling, homework, being there for everything he was involved in.

So with that as our background you can see how we were both pretty set and talked about it at length that when we got married we wanted one of us to stay at home with the kids.  The funny part- we decided it would be Jason.  Why?  Well, looking back on it there were a few reasons.
1)  I just graduated with a Music Education Degree and couldn't wait to teach- LOVE TEACHING!!!
2)  Jason moved here......so it just fit that I would keep doing "my job".
3)  Jason is a very WONDERFUL daddy!!!!!!  And has gifts for being great with the kids.....
4)  Staying at home although I thought was necessary- I just couldn't picture myself doing it?  Not sure why?

Ok so there you have it......the beginning of my journey.......................hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Please pray...Jason got sick this weekend....and had to miss a day of work today :(  BOOO!!!!  Praying he is much better soon.  Trying to keep the kiddos occupied so he can get rest.  Hard to do in a very small space.

PRAISES and COUPONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK sadly I have no pictures for you :(  SORRY!!!!

So for the few people who will still read this post anyway :)  I want to ask a favor!!!!!

I have just started couponing.  Yes, I know why not before.....well with working and homeschooling- it just didn't happen.  BUT now that I am not working - he he he that sounds too funny- you know besides running a household, and homeschooling :)  I have started my new hobby/money saver.

Here is the deal- I WANT YOUR TIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You see I am going to a class for couponing - through True Couponing.com  which I am excited about, but it doesn't happen until June 20th :(  So I have attempted to start on my own reading up on a few things, but I WANT YOUR TIPS ON COUPONING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Great websites, how you organize, how you do it, anything you can think of regarding couponing tips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later I will be doing a post combining those tips and hopefully helping everyone out :)

And just so you know- I will NOT be dumpster diving for coupons, nor will I be hoarding a million tubes of toothpaste, or buying things I do not need/want- UNLESS I CAN DONATE IT TO A WORTHY CAUSE!!!!!  I know extreme couponing has turned people off because it seems like they just hoard and I get it, but I am talking a way to save my family money on things we use and need on a regular basis and with a larger family- it is not hard to use up a lot of things :). 

So let me have it!!!!  Couponing tips....ready, set, GO!!!!

****Please keep praying for that sweet 2 year old with autism he still needs a family!!!!
******Also there are some families that are really in distress over situations right now that really need some lifting up right now.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Pray you all have a GREAT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND- BE SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We actually get Memorial Day off this year- HAS NOT HAPPENED IN over 11 years in the camp ministry :)

Still sick :( and a 2 year old needs a home- PLEASE HELP!!!

 Nothing stops this little one now.  She loves her walker toy :) 

 Funny part is - this walker/sit on and ride toy has been around since Abigail first came to us!  Now that is one tough toy!!!!!

 Look at the excitement on her face :)  Awwwwww.......

 Ooooppppsss Stuck in a corner.  Need help please.  Glad she is racing around, but this momma is sick.  STILL!  Finally went to the doctor last night and stocked up on medicines- I have a severe case of bronchitis- YUCK!.....today has been ok, but still not in the game yet.  Have I mentioned I hate being sick?  Oh yeah, a million times- sorry. 

 So what have the kids been up to you might ask- well doing Google Earth- which is lots of fun :)

Playing games, and yes GASP watching some movies.  You gotta do what you gotta do to get through sometimes.  Praying I am feeling better soon because I totally miss our homeschooling times.  I miss reading to my kiddos when my voice is all but gone.  Yes you read that right and if you know me in real life you understand the craziness of that thought.  :)  Me without a voice is like peanut butter without jelly.  CRAZY stuff.

BUT I am STILL PRAISING GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Why- well because I am in love with my creator, but here are a couple of other reasons :)  That will make you smile!!!!!

THIS FAMILY now officially has a new son!!!!!!!!  One they have been fighting hard for for a long long long long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They went all the way to the Russian supreme court to ask one last time- may we take this child home and love him.......AND GOT A YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a long story, but the short version is there was a judge that said this boy would be better off in an institution than going to a family?  WHAT????  hello?????  Yeah, but now HE HAS A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!  Praising God with them :)

The other is ......remember the little boy Mattie who I introduced a few posts ago- asking for prayers.  He had his surgery today.  It wasn't the original surgery he was supposed to have, but it was good and he is doing well- PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YEAH GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW this is a situation that has stolen my heart!!!  There are many cases that come into the websites I check etc.  BUT THIS LITTLE BOY I DON'T KNOW has captured my heart.  Unfortunately we can't take him because we are not homestudy ready (as of now).  BUT I am praying that a friend of a friend, or someone out there knows of a family for this little man.

CC 2 year old recently diagnosed with mild autism.   He has met developmental milestones and is making eye contacts so prognosis is good.    Fees are expected to be high teens.  Creating Christian Families fee lowered to $500 for this case only.

IF YOU CONTACT Creating Christian Families- PLEASE TELL THEM DAWN WRIGHT SENT YOU :)  Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   If you have any questions please let me know!!!!!  Please pray that he can find a home!

ALL NEW CREATING CHRISTIAN FAMILIES!!!!!!

 Who knows what a consultant is?  Anyone, anyone, anyone???  Oh Joanna in the front row :)  Can you please tell the fine folks reading this post what a consultant is?

Why yes mommy I would be happy to.  You see a consultant is NOT an adoption agency.  They do not do the final paperwork, or any of that stuff.  INSTEAD it is like using LOTS OF AGENCIES at the same time!  It is a BONUS!!!!!  You see adoption consultants (not my mommy specifically, but other consulting agencies just to clarify) get calls from agencies from all over saying we have a child that will been born and no matching family.  Or a lot of times a "stork drop" which is when a baby is born at the last minute and needs a family - TODAY!

So Joanna what happens then?  Well the consultants have families singed up with them (it is usually around $2,000 cost) and they contact the families and let them know when new situations come up and if they want their profiles to be sent to them.

Why would you use a consultant Joanna instead of just going with an agency?  Well mommy because although there are MANY MANY great agencies, sometimes a larger family like ours needs some special help finding that certain someone- in your case mommy- ME!!!!!  Sometimes when you have children having special cases that are often found by consultants can get you matched quicker- MUCH QUICKER whether you have other children or not!  Average wait times for families using a consultant are WAAAYYY SHORTER :) 

Now any other questions out there because I want to tell you all about a special person who helped find me my family.  Her name is Deb O' Kane and she has started a new consulting agency called CREATING CHRISTIAN FAMILIES.  It is great because they are working with foster care systems, regular domestic adoption agencies, and even surrogate mommies to help more people have Christian families found for them!!!!

To check available situations go to CreatingChristianFamilies.com
Click on adoption tab
Then click children available for adoption

PLEASE if you sign up tell them my mommy - Dawn Wright sent you because that would make Deb very happy to know!!!!!  ALSO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS regarding using a consultant let my mommy know because she LOVES questions about adoption....just in case you didn't know already!!!!!

**Also keep up with Creating Christian Families by facebook too!   AND you can sign up on their website to have updates e-mailed or sent to you by text :) 

Have a Happy Day everyone :)  Love to all my adoring fans:  Joanna Faith Wright :)

Been a bit under the weather...

 What I wouldn't do to make you smile :)  hello bloggy friends this is me....losing my mind....do you see it anywhere?  Actually I did it because this may be a Wright household thing, but my kids fight over stickers from fruits.  Is that weird?  Anywho.....I took them all and put them on my face instead for once and they said you have to take a picture to put on blog because you would do that to us.  Fair enough it is true!  :)

 And here she comes sneaking around the bend....

 And she wanted mommy's stickers.....and well, she is too cute to say no to.  But she tried to eat one- this is her putting one in her mouth- don't worry I got it on time!  Whew....

 This is my baby girl making a fashion statement.  Do you like it?

 WHAT!  You don't like it- I'm crushed :(

Oh never mind....this is me belly laughing because really I don't care!!!  :)  He he he- I am the cutest baby girl on the planet why would I worry about fashion?  I have a family, health, and JESUS!!! :)

I am writing to say that this week has been tough.  Last week I thought I had it all under wraps.  Things weren't perfect, but they ticked along.  Welllllll........this week hit me like a ton of bricks!!!!  As in SICK!!!  YUCK!!!  I HATE being sick.  I don't have time to slow down :(  you know how it is.  If you are sick things don't get cleaned right, meals don't end up on the table, the kids run wild, and well......yeah.  Well the kids didn't run wild, but they did watch more movies than normal.  And we did do school, but not as much as normal because I couldn't cope as in:  severe chills think shaking body, fevers every night, headaches in the first 2 days that felt like an elephant sat on my head, and now this whole irritating wheezing, lung congestion thing hanging on just to be irritating.  Have I mentioned I don't like to be sick?

Well, I have to deal with it don't I.  We all do at some point.  When I was younger I got sick a lot.  After having cancer and then a lot of radiation it made my immune system pretty weak.  So I had to miss several weeks of school.  I hated it then too.  First the radiation made me sick then the after effects made me sick.  But you know what happened?  Eventually my immune system rebuilt itself- pretty amazing right?  Because that is how God rolls!  He doesn't just say you are sick- ha ha ha...no- HE rebuilds us.

This week I had the pleasure of writing a note to hang over Mattie's Wall.  Mattie is a baby that our family has been praying for - for quite a while- before he was even born :).  I chose the verses from Zephaniah3:14-17
 ¹⁴ Sing, Daughter Zion;
   shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
   Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The LORD has taken away your punishment,
   he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
   never again will you fear any harm.
¹⁶ On that day
   they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
   do not let your hands hang limp.
¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you,
   the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
   in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
   but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Now I pray you will pray with me for Mattie for his upcoming heart surgery, but I also want you to look at these verses and see how you too can sit at your Father's feet, rejoice with all your heart, God has taken your punishment.  God is with you will never again fear harm.  The Lord God is with you the MIGHTY WARRIOR who SAVES!!!  He will take GREAT DELIGHT IN YOU!!!!!!!!  In HIS love HE will no longer rebuke you but will REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING!!!!!!!!!

Do you see it?  Do you see what God is saying here for you?  He is saying come to me, take rest.  Do not be afraid- don't let your head hang low.  Yes.....sicknesses, not enough money, loss, hurts so deep and painful can take over your soul......now hand those over!  Because I not only want to give you rest, but I want you to know I am that knight in shining armor for YOU!  I will not wag my finger at you, but instead I will sing and rejoice over YOU!!!!!  What a wonderful thought.....a loving savior who sings over us and rejoices because of me?  Seems to good to be true doesn't it?  But it ISN'T!!!!

I pray you hear God's Word to you.  That you know HIS touch in your life.  Because I know I have Needed it this last week just to get through the minutes.....

***Also I have a couple of families that I follow for totally different reasons just need to be lifted up in prayer!!!!  Please join me.  Thanks :)

****And rejoicing with This Family as they added a little one to their family this week :)  CONGRATULATIONS!

This is NOT my HOME

 He he he...you can't really tell, but there were some blankets on the floor and Joanna spent a long time just rolling around on them- guess I should have grabbed the video camera instead.  It was cute giggling and all :)

 Here kitty kitty kitty.....good thing our cat is very kid friendly

 We went to the library last Friday- the kids were sooo excited.  We hadn't really gone to the library much before.  It was a little ways away and very small, but now....lots of libraries to chose from and LOOOTTTTSSSSS of books.  It was hard for them just to pick a few each.  But they have been reading them nonstop!  Which I LOVE!!!!  Can't wait for our next trip there.

Today for part of our homeschool we watched the shuttle launch which spurred many questions... :)  LOVE IT!!!!!

 This is what we did Saturday night!  We went to Busch Gardens (because we had a great deal on 2 year tickets :) !!!!!)  and they had Glory in the Gardens.  With Sidewalk Prophets- they were AMAZING!!!!  Loved the hearts for the Lord, the witness, and the great music.  **only down part- the rain....that stopped just about the time this guy stepped on stage afterwards........

 YEP- Micheal W. Smith!!!!  Have seen him before in concert, but LOVE the way he can lead worship!!!! 

 It seriously Blessed my heart!!!!

And our kids hadn't ever been to a concert before and they all loved it too- more once the rain stopped :)

So I have been pondering....trying to really focus on what God has been speaking to me.  If you know me well....you will know that I have a hard time stopping- for more than a few seconds.  It is seriously a challenge....which has benefits too, but not when it comes to listening to God!

Our pastor spoke on Sunday about how you can know it is God speaking and not just the world.  It really struck me as he took us deeper into the Word of God.  Today during my quiet time....I really felt like this struggle with not being settled permanently is ONLY A SITUATION.  NOT my life!!  Not about what God wants from me just circumstances which I have a habit of putting so much importance on.  :(

So I really felt like God was saying remember Dawn THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME!  Not even the house you hope to buy, not your husband - he is mine, not your children- they are mine, not your stuff for sure!  This is all temporary....so why are you so caught up in the circumstances?  Why are you waiting for the IRS refund like it is your world- I AM YOUR WORLD!!!  I am your stability!!!  Let me be your ROCK!!!  And I have to say it- once again totally Blessed by a God that loves and understands me for who I am.  He doesn't wag His finger at me and say hey you- stupid.  NO....he gently just reminds me of who I am IN HIM!

I pray that you too can rest in the fact that this is only temporary!  That life is short in the light of eternity.  That God longs for you and I to rest at His feet....to remember who we are IN HIM.  I pray that for all of you today :)

Our New Normal

 This is a drawing on our school board from Joshua.....awww...LOVE my young man :)  So happy that he sees us in this way.   I can't even tell you the joy because of where he came from was so much different.  God has done some really amazing healing in his heart!  I give God ALL THE PRAISE for that!

 Joanna still likes to get into all the cupboards...you know checking out what is in there. 

 YES, it has come to this.  We haven't lived in a 2 story for over 7 years.  At the last rental we kept sticking the toy boxes in front of it to block the stairs, but we decided rather than trip over them constantly and hurt ourselves we should get a gate. 

Jason was being silly and I warned him it was going on the blog- so here is his best "Vanna".

So our new normal has not been a train wreck this week so I say it is a SUCCESS!
6am  Wake up and start getting ready just parents :)
6:30 Wake up kiddos, baths, chores, and we do devotions and prayer time
7 Eat breakfast & family devotions
8 Daddy is out the door and we start school!
10:45 Pool time/ recess :) **a pretty nice pool here in the townhouse complex :)
12 Lunch
1 Quiet time rotation- older kids do writing, educational games on the computer, reading, quiet individual play time, and leapster.  While I get the littles to take a nap, do my personal quiet time, blog, facebook, and sometimes I take a quick nap too :)  BONUS!
3:30 Wake up and well- this time varies a bit, reading together, play time, go to the store, littles time with mommy, etc.
4:45 Mommy works on dinner the kiddos watch a movie or play Wii some help me with dinner :)
5:30ish Daddy is HOME!!!!!!!!!!!  and then we eat.
7 littles go to bed
8 olders go to bed and then mommy and daddy have time to be romantic do state taxes, research how to switch everything over to our new address, get insurances switched over.....and the list is very very very long!!!  BUT we have been able to cross off a few things.
11 usually in bed..sometimes later.

So this schedule pretty much kicked my back side works.  Except the staying up so late.  It is hard for us because we love to chat and we don't have that much time anymore.  We do text, but daddy only reads it at lunch or while getting into the car on the way home.  So that is hard, as well as Joanna EXCEPT last night has gotten up a time or two each night.  Not sure if it teething, new surrounding, mixture???

So today is Friday...and that never used to mean anything to me except - we had retreats coming in, but NOW it is a whole new ball game.  NOW it means WEEKEND with the family!!!!!!!!!!!  Daddy is HOME!!!  And I am very very very excited about that!!!!!

So those are my musings....that I didn't get to post last night because Blogger was having issues.  :)  Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

Lots of changes!

 So the  pictures from the last post were from this fun birthday party last Saturday!!!  It was at R & R Ranch for our blog friends....now real life friends too- Christina & Damion Boyce...well not them one of their three daughters :) 

 Is this a cute cowgirl or what?  Yeah, this party would have been my dream come true as a child...or maybe adult.  I LOVE HORSES!!!!!!!!!!  Always have!!!!  I missed not having a horse program at our last camp. 

 Here is the youngest sister- she is from the same orphanage as our son Jonathan :)  Isn't she adorable...checking out the goats. 

 Getting in on petting the chickens. 

 Yummy foods our kids LOVED!

 more fun climbing in with the chickens :)

 Awww.....bunnies too!

 And of course friends and family gathered around.

 Look at all the adorable kiddos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Uh oh.....baby sister is trying to steal my show.  Well, she is only 2 and had her birthday a couple of months ago....oh dear the confusion of it all.  Rest assured all was well.  Sibling rivalry.....known all over the world.  Thank you for inviting us we had a blast!!!

Here is Joanna starting to take more steps now- as in 4-10 steps at a time!!!!  How did that happen so fast????  I promise it was just yesterday we brought her home.  Ok my kids would say- moooommmmm no it wasn't right about now.  Because I say things like that all the time.

So lots of changes in the Wright family going on.  Daddy now leaves around 7:50 and gets home around 5:50.  Now for some this is really a short time.....but for us this is a huge change!!!  Not that daddy didn't go off to work when we were in the camping ministry, but it looked different.  Office work was usually done at home, his days were random most of the year 12 hrs today, 5 tomorrow, 16 the next, day off, 9 hrs, and so on....very random!!!  So now he goes to work and comes home at a more predictable time.  Which has plusses , and minuses.

Traveling a half hour to work is new to us too (because we used to live where we worked), but good thing he has a different mindset than me.  I am a racer when I get on the road- oh dear did I just admit that?  It's true :)  Jason is waaaayyy more relaxed about it.

We are back and doing school again- consistently!  With the big move, the scary rental, the nice rental that was too far from Jason's job, and now here.....our life has had way to much packing and unpacking going on.  Thankfully our "big stuff" and things we can do without for a bit are in storage (like winter clothes, clothes sizes we don't need at the moment, all our furniture, etc.)  That is going pretty well....except getting up a bit earlier than normal and the kids are struggling a tad with all that has gone on.

A bonus is that the townhouse complex we are in has a decent pool!!!  YEAH- so that is our recess time/PE time every day :). 

So this sounds really silly to most of you moms out there, but to me it is a huge change!!!!!!!!!  I am getting used to it, but praying that God continues to sustain me.  It is tough having my man gone...as it is for all of us.  I used to be able to drop by the Dining Hall, or go to the office in our home and just chat if I wanted.  We are extremely grateful for his job!  It is a WONDERFUL fit to him, our family, and we know ONLY GOD Had this in our plans!!!!! 

So through all these crazy transitions and changes....we remain thrilled at the fact that God has sustained us.  Provided and continues to grow us for HIS WORKS!!!