Wet Fun and Reflection

 So these pics are all from Universal- big surprise huh?  he he he......there is this area for kiddos to play and get wet!  PERFECT!  :)

 Soo......ummm....last year at this time- THIS WAS HAPPENING!  CRAZY!

 We said goodbye to people we dearly LOVE and to our camp home for the last 7+ years!!!!!  OUCH!  It was sooo hard, but God had lead us to this point and we trusted. 

 Trusted for provision of a job- THAT WE DID NOT HAVE WHEN WE PACKED UP AND MOVED!
Trusted that GOD would provide a home- THAT WE DID NOT HAVE WHEN WE PACKED UP AND MOVED!
Trusted that GOD would provide a church family- THAT WE DID NOT HAVE WHEN WE PACKED UP AND MOVED!
Yikes- THAT IS A LOT OF TRUST!!!  Especially with 8 treasures in tow........

 Then our first short term rental turned out to be in a very scary place.....YIKES!!!!!!  Yes God we are still TRUSTING!!!  Did I mention we had a birthday and adoption days to celebrate in that yucky time?

 So we lost money - and found a second short term rental.  Yes God we are still TRUSTING. 

 Then God gave Jason a job- at MEET THE NEED MINISTRIES!  WAHOOOOOO!!!!!  PRAISE GOD!!!!

 But, AGAIN we had to LOSE MONEY!!!!!!!  And MOVE AGAIN- Ummmm.....3rd time in 2 months!!!!!  Yes God WE ARE STILL TRUSTING!!!!!

 Did I mention this next rental was 1,100 sq ft with 10 people?  And no backyard?  And wayyy expensive.......but surely our tax refund was coming soon- right?  ;) yea right???

 YES LORD WE ARE STILL TRUSTING......and our money is running out. 

 PRAISE THE LORD - 5 months after we filed our taxes with the help of tax advocates- We got our tax return!!!!  WAHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ummmm.....now to find a home- YES LORD WE ARE STILL TRUSTING!!!

 Then God provided us with a HOME!  But, of course as with all good things- you have to WAIT :).  YES LORD WE ARE STILL TRUSTING!  By this time God had provided a CHURCH FAMILY!!!  WAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

And then- God had answered all our prayers- for a new job, new home, and a new church family!!!!!!!  We lost a lot of money, moved 3 times, things did NOT go as planned, it was hard, we struggled, we feared, we cried, we wanted it to go faster, move smoother, and be over sooner!!!!!!!

BUT YES LORD WE ARE STILL TRUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!

Some HUGE LESSONS learned for our whole family during that time.  IN EVERYTHING GIVE PRAISE!  EVEN when it is hard, when you don't want to, when you are stretched, when you feel you can't, when it doesn't go your way, when money is nonexistent, when changes seem too much!

In our Praise we can give it all to God!!  What do we have to hand over to HIM today???

And while you are thinking on that- go down pause the music and listen to this- OH YEA!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZvZWUZFevI&feature=youtu.be

Why Should I?

 OK you know the drill people- this is some serious CUTENESS GOING ON!!!!!!! 

 Little sister likes to rub someone's hair while she drinks her baba....sometimes her own, sometimes mine, and this time brother's :) 

 Don't look now Michael I think mommy and daddy are coming!

 Hello.....ummm......does it look like I am up to something?

 Action!!! 

 Quick we have to get all the foam balls into the vacuum tube!!!!!

 LOOK!

 Awww....guys I am too tired....I have to take a nap break.....

 Loading the balls again......

 Umm...hello again......I am still working on finding trouble ;)

 Look up....almost time for......

 All the balls to fall......

 Watch out- here they come again!!!

Hello everyone- I found some water to get into............  :)  But I am soo adorable that mommy just laughed and took this picture of me.  **The above pics were from our time at Universal a couple of weeks or so ago.

So people ask me: Dawn if you struggle with Reactive Attachment Disorder, if you went through sooo much heart ache to bring home your babes, if you struggle with behaviors, and you have to do paperwork, fingerprints, a million copies of papers- enough to kill at least 9 trees- PROBABLY MORE!, if you had to pay and fundraise and save lots of money over the years, go through interviews with community services, have had more social workers than I even remember visit our home- probably at least 300 times, if you have had to go through loss of 2 beautiful baby girls, and you have had to endure all of the above and then some- WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT OTHERS TO ADOPT?

A great question!  And my typical answer is Abigail, Andrew, Joshua, Matthew, Sarah, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Michael, and Joanna.  But that is only a skim answer.

The REAL ANSWER is simple- while I sit and type this right now- there are over 160 million children that are going without.  Without the BASICS!  Without being told I LOVE YOU, I believe in you, you can do it, I will hold you, I will cry with you, I will be happy with you, I will take care of you, I will help you learn that, I want to do whatever I can to go with you through this.

Today we talked about the Hindu religion from our World History books.  We talked about the fables of India and how there was (still are in all countries to differing degrees and according to the country's customs) Caste Systems in place.  What is that you ask.  Well a caste system is where there are those who are at the top, middle, and bottom......oh and then there are the UNTOUCHABLES- the bottom of the bottom of the bottom.

Now in the story there were priests at the top, farmers and merchants next, then servants, and then the UNTOUCHABLES.  I asked the kids about how it would be to be in the different "classes".  We then talked about what those classes were in Bible Times.  Then I asked- What about today?  What are the Caste systems of today?

We talked about people not having clean water or food.  Those who have HIV like our little Michael- but in most countries they can't get the medicines to help them live normal lives, and in ALL countries there is still a LOT of STIGMA with HIV.  Those who live on the streets.  Those who "smell".  Those who are in need of someone to love them.  To look them in the eye.  Those who are still shunned because of skin color.  Those who have Down Syndrome, or Autism, or other differences.  And many many more- didn't take much for our children to rattle them all off. 

Is is HARD?  YES!  You will have to get out of your comfort zone- your caste!!!  YOU WILL HAVE TO BE REJECTED!  You will face people who question you!!!  You will hear people say why should I give to help you with an adoption or a missions trip or in feeding  the hungry?  WHY?  Why do you want to get dirty and smelly?  Why do you want to go to a third world country?  Why do you want to take in "some one else's children"?

You see because in the scriptures......there are at least 283 times that the words orphan, widow, and poor show up.  That is a bit more than ANYONE can ignore.  You CAN NOT SAY that it is ok to not do anything for those in the UNTOUCHABLE category and still be serving the Lord.  I just don't see any way around it.  It is not a requirement because I don't believe works get us to heaven, but my friends- if you truly LOVE THE LORD with all your heart, soul, and mind.....you will desire to do HIS WILL.  Even if it means- having to deal with hurts that scar you and your child.  Even if it means getting smelly.  Even if it means others will look down on you.  If it means doing with way less so others can have something.

This is from James chapter 1 called Listening and Doing.  I challenge you to really look at this scripture- THE WHOLE THING and tell me that you can honestly say you are not called to touch the UNTOUCHABLES!

 ¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
 ²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

One in a Million

 At one of our favorite educational fun places- MOSI (museum of science and industry) there is the above display. 

 Look closer and read this......
Measuring One In A Million?  On foot in the length of 3,333 football fields- that's One In A Million
Counting To A Million?  You can count to one million in 11 1/2 days- counting a number a second.
One Million Breaths?  A million breaths would fill 50 days. 

 Then you are supposed to look for the red bead- of which there is only 1 in this entire tube- just to give you a sense of how big this tube is- it is approximately 3 feet wide, and about a 6-8" in diameter.  The blue beats well there are 10 of those, yellow- 100 of those, and dark blue 1,000 of those. 

 I never found anything but the dark blue beads- this is a bad shot, but this is more up close.  Folks it looked like the beads were tiny bits of Styrofoam.  And they numbered ONE MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!  People ask my why I am sooo passionate about adoption?  I say- BECAUSE TAKE THIS TIMES OVER 160 and that is HOW MANY ORPHANS ARE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  PEOPLE who DON'T HAVE A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now there are lots of people who step on toes saying everyone should adopt.  There are lots of people who step on toes saying we can do so much more.  WELL I AM IN A TOE STEPPING MOOD and I SAY WE ALL CAN DO MORE AND ADOPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Saying it just isn't my thing is like saying those that die everyday through abortion - just isn't my thing- OF COURSE IT IS!  Saying it just doesn't affect me is like saying the thousands that die daily around the world from lack of clean water or food don't affect me- OF COURSE THEY DO!  Saying that all the worlds issues of good health care, hiv care for those in third world countries, rape, child slavery, and wow this list could get really long- ALL AFFECT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!!!!!!!

IGNORING the TRUTH is like hiding your head in the sand!  Simple as that.  Can all of us do it all- NO!  But we each can do something- this isn't a calling it is a COMMAND.  We each can allow our hearts to be broken.  To move out of our comfort zones.  To reach outside our walls.  To allow God to lay on our hearts what is on HIS.  And if we do that- we all can change the world!!!!!!!

I pray you will be offended to the point of thinking about it.  It isn't about me- ha!  I am a Christian trying to do my best to follow Christ, and I fail miserably daily!  In talking with our kids today about sin.....I said I pray and hope that you don't see perfection in us....because it isn't there, but I hope you see our brokeness and that we try our best to fill that with Christ. 

 Speaking of orphans.....look at this cute man who is NOT AN ORPHAN ANYMORE!!!  He is chillin in the swing- awww.....he loves it.  Sometimes we sit him in a chair inside it- he likes that too. 

 Here he is in an old cooler that we use as toy storage.  (yep I'm cheap like that).  Why?  Well, you see we think of many creative ways to get him sitting up as much as possible with support so his muscles will start getting toned to help him do it on his own. 

 See this chair- same thing....and I ask you- how handsome is he?

 I just seriously want to eat him up!!!  I am sure he is writing I Love My Mommy on his tablet- right?

We have a ball too that we are doing exercises with as well as toys that we are working on manipulation skills with him.  He is just doing sooo well!!!  We are soo proud of him! 

Joanna and daddy riding the carosel. 

 Mommy and Michael on the carosel too.  But it is hard to get a good picture holding the camera yourself- just sayin'.....but

I think he enjoyed it.  Going out with his family for the day and riding some things in Dr. Suess Land.

How's the transition going?

 Well....let me tell you this crazy hair boy is AMAZING!!!  he he he....like his hairdo?  Ummm.....yeah this is what his hair does if he hasn't had a bath.  It is crazy fun!  Oh and note to self little light skinned people don't need the same amount of lotion.  Yep, he he he ......I totally am crazy.  Just ask my kids! 

 Here is Joanna......falling asleep at lunch........awww......

 Daddy don't be so mean. 

 Look - baby girl has a 'tude!  But she is still so CUTE!

 Playing with magnets and electricity. 

 Awww....the world is right if I have my daddy.  :)

 Learning is fun!

 Hey, watch - when I do this....it does this....

 Love seeing my babes learn new things and come running to show me!  It totally melts my heart!!! 

 Daddy even gets in on the action!

 Here is what Little Man thinks.....

 Ummmm....what do you think?  Do my sweeties make good dinosaurs?

 What about this one?

 Now this is a fun checkerboard!

 Joshua and Matthew against daddy.....

 Matthew up above on a bed of nails, and this little truck thing is Joanna's favorite spot!  If I have turned my head for a minute this is where she ran off to. 

 Oooooo Abigail you look delicious......

 Oh yea....you look crazy mom!

 Daddy and Elizabeth building a pyramid!

And just to prove they are really "twins" here is Michael later that day..........too funny!!!!!!!

So transition- going pretty well.  We seem to have found our groove and are doing fairly well- except this whole cold thing happening right now in our home.  But remembering not too long ago to the stomach bug- I would take this ANY DAY!!!!  :)

I think one thing I would say to many people is that any time you bring home a new child- birthed or not (and I say that because I have heard others who have actually given birth say it) it takes TIME!  Did I instantly love Michael- YES!!!!!  Did I start bonding with him right away- sure.  But, it takes time to really get to know each other.  What they are really like.  What their personality is.  What their needs are.  Who they are. 

So don't think that every time we have brought home a child- it was all instant.  It is in a sense that I would die for any one of my children before I met them!  I would give all I have for them to succeed.  I would give anything I had for them!  BUT, I don't "know" them yet.  As you get to know them....you fall in love. 

Many people think it is different, but I don't.  When you met your spouse- if you have one ;) you may have felt an instant spark- or not.  Either way.....over time you began to think he was funny, or sweet, or cute, or when he did this and that you just knew he was the one.  (or she if there are men reading my blog :). 

I can tell you I love to snuggle with Michael!  And he melts right into my arms.
He is very mellow little man.  (which is nice because Joanna is NOT mellow- they balance each other out).  He enjoys interaction which is fun.  He loves to be tickled- A LOT!!! 
Which is great because I love to tickle and so does daddy!!! 
He loves to be thrown around in the air. 
When he actually looks at my face (which is getting to be more and more) I MELT LIKE A PUDDLE!!!!  He is having "conversations" now with myself and Joanna mostly.  Which can I say- is sooo adorable. 
He loves to bounce on my knee. 
He doesn't like thickened foods- he he he, but mommy is persistent! 
He can do the little pop up toy where you push, pull, twist, etc.
He is learning new things everyday. 
His glasses - make me giggle because they are soo cute, but they help him a lot and I LOVE THAT!
His cry is pretty soft compared to Joanna's, but he can let you know when he is unhappy. 
His favorite toys are ones that make noises and he interacts with that, his little stuffed giraffe, and the magnetic doodle board. 
He is now sucking his thumb regularly.  Right now as I write he is sitting in his chair and actually played with his tongue- considering he hats stimulation in his mouth this is good. 
He loves to swing!
He loves to laugh! 
He loves to bang things.
He actually does pretty good at doing new things.  
AND through all of this and more.....I can say I AM HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH MICHAEL!!!!  It hit me the other day that he is part of us now.....not a thought anymore of him being "new" to us".  He has been a part of our family, but now it is not a second thought.  He is OURS and we are HIS!

OH AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE............he was on my lap a couple of days ago and actually held himself up all by himself for almost a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ***For those of you who are thinking- didn't you say he was 2?  Why is this a big deal?  Go to this post and scroll down to the end.  :)