Our Real Life

 You know I read a post recently that made me really stop and think.  It was about people who say a lot- Oh I could never do what you are doing.  I am NOT IN ANY WAY PICKING ON THEM, but it did come to my attention that sometimes people think they have to "be like me" or that a mother of many "must be perfect".  STOP RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Do you see the above mess?

 Here....let me give you a closer look....feel sick yet?

 Ummmm.......folks this is what happens when you do not clean the van out for let's say.....over 10 months!!!

 Does this look like perfection to you?  HA!!!!!

 EWWWWW........I don't even want to know what is lurking under the seats.  GOOD thing we own a wet/dry vac that was able to clean up this monster!  I think my real point is this.

I am inadequate....
I am NOT PERFECT!
I yell sometimes.......
I don't give my children slack sometimes......
I don't always cook healthy foods......
I sometimes wig out...........
I am not the world's best teacher..............
I say rude things...........
I get on my husband's case sometimes..........
Sometimes I get down right UGLY!

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just like you I AM FORGIVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In fact I ask for forgiveness regularly from my children.  I do not say that lightly- I take it seriously!
I expect my children to make mistakes..........and sometimes I have to take a few breaths and remember I am imperfect TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to assure any of you out there reading this blog- this is not just about a messy, disgustingly gross van.  This is about our general life.  I do not want others to think I am perfect.  I have grown in my parenting skills with each added child.  I have learned ways to cope with having noise all the time.  I have learned skills to organize the home.  I read books of others with large families.  I talk to other large families and read blogs of other large families.

Do you see the THEME HERE?  I am a learner!!!!!!!!!!!!  I believe God has called us to this wonderful life of giving children a home.  I believe with my whole heart that God has grown me in ways I could have never dreamed without the trials I have faced with RAD, ADHD, learning disabilities, rages, losing a child in referral, and having a child in heaven.  I believe that the 3 years it took for 3 of our children to be permanently a part of our family made me stretch in ways unimaginable.  I believe that everything we have faced has been COMFORTED by the Father's Almighty Hands.  I believe that HE HIMSELF was with us in each and every storm. 

 Are there times I want to crawl into my closet in a fetal position and never come out?  YES!
Are there times when I say- God seriously isn't this enough?  YES!
Am I striving to be more in tune with God and less in tune with my selfish ways? YES!
And then I see THIS!!!!  And I remember that anything I "go through".....is NOTHING compared to getting to spend my time and efforts for the ones I LOVE SOOOOOO DEARLY!

 Maybe if we were more real with ourselves we would see that it isn't about a perfect home, but a home where God reigns and resides.  Not a perfect home, not a spotless home where all the laundry is done and your children do well on all their lessons for the day.  Not a home where the windows are washed weekly along with mopping each floor, but a home where prayers are whispered frequently. 

 A place where you know you children see that YOU NEED JESUS!  Maybe they would see that God is truly your Savior.  That it isn't just a Sunday thing. 

That it is a lifelong journey...not a perfect journey, but one filled with potholes and big gaping crevices that are only filled with worship and praise for the ONE WHO SAVES US ALL!

Please Please don't think I am perfect, only forgiven and working on it.

****Please continue praying for my special unspoken prayer request.  I pray I can share at least part of it soon, but until then........THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hope you like Joanna's hair do....he he he....She wouldn't sit still for the hair do or the pics- he he he ......gotta love her!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Adoption Day Andrew James Wright (from the 6th)

 So- YEP!!!  A lot of you guessed it! 

 I chopped my hair!  And I feel sooo much lighter!  I usually grow out my hair, chop it, and send it to Locks of Love. 

 They give children who because of cancer treatments etc. have lost their hair......new hair!  Being a cancer survivor myself I LOVE THIS!!!  Although I never lost my hair, but I had plenty of friends who did.  Having cancer is hard enough as it is without having to lose something that makes everything feel awkward. 

 What is this???  YEP, an electrical plant- Tampa Electric Company O?  no idea what the O is for?

 Anywho...the reason for the visit?  The manatees come in when the water gets too cold because of the output of warm water. 

 HAPPY 9th ADOPTION DAY ANDREW JAMES WRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Our cheeky boy!

 Who LOVES Star Wars (so he got a Star Wars book),

 legos- Star Wars of course,

 And a watch that was a lego watch - policeman of course- his dream when he gets older. 

 Peppermint ice cream cake!!!  A recipe from the Duggars first book, with a twist.  He wanted peppermint ice cream so we took peppermint ice cream bars- in a layer, cool whip, and another layer of peppermint ice cream bars, more cool whip- and bits of Andes mints and ground up candy canes with of course chocolate topping too!  NO calories here :) he he he......ummm....yeah.......

 To our young man that we love!  You are headstrong like someone I know he he he... me.  You are a leader, and someone who is going to make a great police officer if that is where God leads you.  You are wonderful at playing with your younger siblings and caring for them.  I know you will be a great father!  You love reading and legos and oh my how we find legos everywhere, but I wouldn't have it any other way!!!!!!!!!!!  I LOVE YOU ANDREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love that 9 years ago on January 6th we testified in court that we wanted to be your forever family!!!!!!!!!  PRAISE GOD!

 Andrew was especially excited because we had guests over for his big day!!!  We had a couple of my friends boys over for the day so mommy and daddy could move.  Thank God they only moved down the road!!!!  Because we love them :) 

 And the camp that Jason and I worked at- the directors have retired a while ago, and moved to Florida!!  So they came to visit us!!!!

 We loved having company!

 Jason and I with Emma!!!!  Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She is a former camper!!!!!  And we share a special bond because she was adopted!  LOVE IT!!!!

 Our girls wanted in the pictures too :)

 Jason, Dave, Sharon, and I!!!!!  Love the memories that camp brings up for Jason and I.  Even though we are no longer Christian Camp directors, it is a part of our hearts!!!!!!  The place we met!!!!  GOD has some crazy great stories from camp and how HE works in people's hearts there!!!!!

Love you Dave and Sharon!!!  You mean a lot to us!!!  Mentors, supporters, and wonderful life lived to serve others!

So along with a great visit on the 6th, we got to meet up with a bloggy friend Kathleen Wright at Universal on Thursday....and bad bloggy form....I forgot the camera.  Sorry, I know how could that happen???  But it was a fun day out!!!!!!  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and besides getting busy preparing for Jason's parents to arrive, last night....and my parents this weekend.  And my aunt and uncle are coming south too........there has been a lot going on!!!!

*****I have a very special unspoken prayer request that I would like you all to pray about.  Just know it involves healing of hurts that are huge and I know our God heals!!!  THANKS!!!!

New Year's, Surprises, and fun

OK so on New Year's Eve I went out on my own and did something I haven't done in a couple of years!  OK so take a guess what was it????  Leave your guess in the comments section!!!!

Oh and who can tell me what this is???  He he he.....again leave it in the comment section!!!

For New Year's Eve we went to hang out at my cousin's home!  :) 

And we played a lot of Twister (a new game we got). 

We also got to look at cute faces all night :)

He he he.....you would think she has been shopping with a baby before or something? :)

Caught you!  What are you doing?? 

Joshua found these crazy glasses and they just made me giggle!!!!

Makenna what are you doing?  Silly cousins!!

Heidi on a mission :) 

Having some New Year's Eve treats!

OK for all my crafty friends- is this not the cutest?  I am NOT crafty, but I LOVE this idea!!!

OK watch out the adults are playing Twister now......ok this isn't so bad....

Ok a little challenge is good for you right?

Ummm.....Dawn if you take this picture you are in TROUBLE!  (mom always told me that was my middle name) he he he he......couldn't help it.......it's ok we are family right?  he he he he he.....Heidi and Jason - LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I had no idea Jason could be a pretzel?  CRAZY!

Ummm.....Heidi- there is something in your hair????  EEEKKKKKK

Awww.......my best friend and cousin- Heidi- LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for the answers to the above questions and pictures from today- which is Andrew's Adoption Day :) 

Christmas Day fun with the Wright family

 Wow- mommy looks like a ghost :0 he he he.....ok here is our Christmas Day (all the pictures that were not about Elizabeth's Birthday which is also Christmas too). 

 The kids all wanted a PJ Day- so PJ day it was!

 Daddy looking at some silly pictures on the computer.

 Joanna is telling him what pictures she likes.....

 Some wii was played and battle lines were drawn :)

 Abigail helped daddy do all the peeling- potatoes and carrots. 

 Joanna had some time out.  Yes, as hard as it is to believe our little angel can get into trouble too :(  but she is still sooooo stinkin' cute!!!!!

 Awwww.........MELT MY HEART!!!!!

 Table set up for the birthday of OUR KING!  Complete with Christmas Crackers- they are tubes that you pull apart and they pop, have a trinket in them, a paper crown, and a joke  :)  Found ours at Home Goods, but you can sometimes find them other places too, but you have to look.  It is an English tradition :)

 Look at all those cute kids!!!  Merry Christmas!!!!  Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!!

 The Birthday girl- cheese!

 Ummm....mommy is it supposed to fit like this?

 Hello, my name is Joshua, and I am serious about my food :).

 Abigail.....awwwww------- tooo cute!

 Hello, my name is Sarah and I am full of cheeeeeessssseeeee!

 Awww....Matthew it's ok (no idea what is going on?)

 Andrew- gettin' some home made gravy :) YUMMY!

 Hello, my name is Mr. Cute!

Joanna - what are you doing?  This Blog is rated G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh dear....so the truth is out ......sometimes our Joanna likes to pull down her pants, sometimes she sticks her hands in her diaper, sometimes she takes her diaper off.  Good thing she is soooo CUTE :)