Sweet

Today Leah and I tackled packing with lots of energy. All the curtains were washed, most of the "pretties" packed away. The house looks bare with just essentials, but uncluttered and it feels good!

During our business, we listened to Christian music and put in a CD of God knew your name. Before Leah was born...this song really spoke to Ed and I, and we played it at her baptism. With all the mysteries of her background, this song just really means a lot to us. Leah really likes it as well. I told her about her baptism and how special it was and as we worked I realized she kept hitting the repeat button. Soon she came to me with sobs shaking her body, as if coming from her toes. She was able to tell me she missed God and wanted to see him because he made her and held her in Heaven!! Nothing calmed her for about 10 minutes. Not words or prayer or brother giving her his bible and telling her about Jesus' second coming and holding her tight (Momma had lots of happy tears at this sight) We called Daddy at work and he was able to tell her that we see God in everything he does, but we won't see him until the time is right in Heaven. Finally, reading a toddler bible with action signs and retelling the Jesus' stories calmed her and we prayed to God how happy we were to have Leah and for Jesus' salvation. Ed brought home a book God Made It for You and she had lots of comments and questions. I'm sure it will become a favorite. What a wonderful beautiful soul she has and what a honor (although bittersweet) to share her grief in wanting her Heavenly Father.

Perfect for my 100th post

I had thought about a Meme for my 100Th. But turns out it is on Luke's special day. Today he's "half grown up". Yep, my baby boy is 9 and so PROUD of it. Ed and I just can't believe 9 years have past since that wonderful phone call a little after 5 pm. Oh, how our life has changed!!!!!! And we are still so grateful to God and Luke's' birth parents. The 9 years have sped by and I'm positive the next 9 will be even faster.

Luke, you not only changed us from a couple into parents. You have given us a life so full of energy and fun! You have ideas like no one else we have ever met, and ask us such deep questions that constantly amaze us. Your humor keeps growing and you are becoming quite clever. I just know you are growing up to make a huge difference in the world. God has great plans for you. Keep smiling and looking for the good in the world. I hope you never lose your spirit....even if that means we need to always stay on our toes! Your love for your sister and animals is so touching.....you warm our hearts everyday. Enough of "that mush, Mom" I hope you did have "the best birthday ever" and take all that is good in the next year!


By the pictures you can see his true smile. (not even caring about 2 missing teeth His aunts and uncles spoiled him again and Grandma and Grandpa S. gave him a "webkinz" he has always wanted. Look closely at the picture and you can see by the box, that we really spoiled him. Uncle Sam made it possible, but Luke did work hard at school this year, and over all we just treated the family. Our family received an extra remote...and all day long Leah, Luke and Dad played games of Baseball, Tennis, Golf and Boxing. I had a couple of turns too......BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE IS SCRAP BOOKING ON THERE?!?!?!!? Ann and Ms. Piggy you never told me this...... HA HA. Luke even had great fun...putting beards and cutting out faces and giving himself different colored hair. Quite a book we are making. One neat thing is to make puzzles out of our pictures. Luke has been great,realizing that this gift is also for the family...and shares willingly. The only breaks taken where to eat meals and from the "cookie cake" and keep looking at the house and town pictures.

Good news

My in laws took a tour of our new hometown and sent pictures of our new home. We are so happy with how welcoming the town, church and neighborhood looks and are ready to move in! And get this..... Godfathers and they deliver!!!!!! Sorry we can't share more pictures....email us if you need to see more!

Bittersweet goodbyes

Today was one of the first Goodbyes.......The last day of CCLS school. There was a wonderful closing chapel and then a sweet Memorial for Caleb. The 50 plus third graders sang two songs around the flag pole where a Memory bench will be installed and were led in prayer, a devotion and receive a wonderful testament from Caleb's father. They then released 50 plus red balloons each attached with a picture of Caleb superimposed into Jesus' arms and a personal message from each child. None of the adults had a dry eye. Caleb's parents are a true testament to the love of Christ and are healing to these children despite their pain.

Leah, Ed and I have enjoyed the Cinderella song by Steven Curtis Chapman with the background video of a daddy dancing with his growing Cinderella, who leaves him much too soon. I am so sadden with the Chapman family loss and watching this new video of such a beautiful and happy Maria makes me hold my "Cinderella" and her brother a lot tighter. To God be the Glory for bringing us salvation and the peace to live in this confusing world.

Welcome to the last week of school

I am so glad Luke has a RN for a mother.....I'm betting his classmates mothers are happy as well. Last year I sent him in the last 2 weeks of school with chicken pox (In my defense, he had the vaccine...and I didn't know that it changes the presentation). This year, as a dutiful mother, I kept both kids home with their slightly red throats and sluggishness on Tuesday. By evening, both were so wired up I knew the virus was OVER and back to school they would go. Luke was quite dramatic in the morning that he was "deathly" sick. The slight redness was still low in his throat.....so I sent them off to school with stern words of "toughen up". By 5 pm, Ed was in the doctors office getting a prescription for Penicillin to treat Luke's Strep Throat. And Sheepishly, I call to tell the teacher and get the arrangements to take his last tests of the school year. I have a poor defense this year...other then I keep forgetting my children have different DNA and obviously respond differently to illness. Leah still has a run down "whiny" attitude and is laying around lots....but no strep....yet anyway. Let the Summer fun begin...2 days early!

What a summer we will have! I alternate between being excited with all the preparations and having twinges of homesickness for what I have grown to love in this big city. Maybe some of this is fear, or just dread of the hard work of moving and some "homelessness" during the week of the move when our belongings will be in the truck in storage. The vicar's wife I am replacing has 6 children and home schools them all ...I know these are shoes I couldn't possibly replicate. I keeping telling myself this is a good thing and I can be more of myself ----working mother....who just tries to keep all of the balls floating in the air. I have not looked for a job yet.....and will work here until moving day to provide for us until we get settled and I can interview in person. This takes tremendous stress off of me!! And what's good for Momma....I'm hoping will be good for the kiddos.

This week I started training my replacement. She will do wonderful, but I am trying to show her this job is rewarding and not too stressful. I wish the families of the new patients were cooperating as well. Gotta love family dysfunction!!! It's everywhere and we care for patients and their families at the very worse times in their lives. I know my replacement knows this....I just pray she doesn't go running away with trying to learn it all. As a nurse, when I add up the just physical aspects of the job....I sometimes wonder what is taking up so much time. Training another has shown me....why some nights I go home with such a headache and just have enough energy to read blogs!

Well, what a long post....I should separate them and maybe make it more interesting. But welcome to our home this week!

Prayers answered

Prayers have been answered and the Prednisone is clearing the rash. The Doctor today says we will probably never know the cause and it probably is not our soap. She thinks it might have been a allergen in the air? Perhaps a neighbor had mowed over a toxic plant? I don't know. I am just so grateful it is going away.

The whole stomach issues will take longer...but not as mysterious. The kids were so cute last night and packed their own high fiber cold lunches for a field trip today....Turkey on wheat bread, fresh carrots and melon. We all have new water bottles...that are making water "taste yummy". SMILE....I'm for whatever works for them. Today Leah and I were chaperones for a field trip to the science center. I just know my mother was never SO TIRED after a field trip :-) God Bless those teachers who care for our children each and every day!!

I am calming down after my outrage at NBC....Thanks for bearing with me!

Proud to be a Mom

WARNING! I have never posted like this before and hopefully will never need to again. Stop reading if you want to.....but I need to get this off my chest.

I seldom find myself Angry. I can be a pretty patient person with others. I like to look for the best in people. I believe most things in the world are grey, not everything is black and white. People come from many different backgrounds and experiences and lash out when they are scared or frightened. But, there are just somethings in this world that will make me ANGRY and this is it. Call me a mother bear....but I see so much more to this from a national broadcast that could effect my children and hurts me to the core.



Click on picture to enlarge and read down to the 4th category.
I have not called my friends with adoptive children, because I didn't wish them to feel this pain on Mother's Day. They may already have heard as it is all over the Internet. I have sent emails to NBC and Telefloral and would send to the Osmonds....if I knew how to. I hope that Marie had no idea what the categories said...as an adoptive mother of 5 and biological mother of 3. I just can not imagine an adoptive mother referring to other adoptive mothers as a "NON MOM".

The contest added a disclaimer.....As of Friday, the "non-mom mom" was rechristened the "adopting mom." The change was reflected on the network's website, and will be reflected in the special, which tapes today and airs Sunday.

"We did take their concerns into consideration," the rep said. "Certainly, it was always our intent to celebrate all moms, and that's why we wanted to have that category."

The category, as described by the site for the special, honors "a grandparent, stepmom or mom to adopted children, each one raising and loving a child."

Better....yet I took an oath to be my children's mother for forever. Their birth certificates have our names as parents. NOTHING will change this. Neither the law or how our family views our parenthood. I could not carry my children in my womb....But God blessed B and I in a tremendous way, and take offense to any one that does not consider us true parents.

I am not writing this to gain comments of sympathy or praise. I hesitated to add the K LOVE verse of the day....because I know I am not a "virtuous and capable" women that "surpass them all!" But, I do know that my kids do feel that way about me. And I think they always will, even when we have our ups and downs.

My Mother's Day Eve was spent in an Emergency room. My day thus far has been spent washing all of our linens in Dreft soap (while praying a sudden serious rash is just due to our long time laundry soap.) I have also given 2 prescribed enemas, while developing a child's marketing program for High Fiber versus favorite foods. I have also have had numerous phone calls to the pharmacy and Emergency room Dr for a dangerous mistake in Prednisone dosing, that could have sent us back to the hospital. THANK You GOD, I am a nurse and was able to recognise the mistake before the medication was given to him. I also thank GOD that I am not a NON MOM, I am a mother who is proud to care for my children in all of their parenting needs... THE WHOLE DEAL!! I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY! I LOVE MY CHILDREN, nothing about how they came to be my children could possibly change this.

OFF MY SOAP BOX now, Thanks for listening....I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day with each of your BLESSINGS from God.


**Name of child not given for his or her privacy.

God's hand is in everything!

Back to lots of delays in posting.....busy planning and more planning!!!!

The stress is lessening as details come in. I feel really bad complaining about a stressful move when dear Ann can move to Timbuktu with a 2 week old baby!! And then just a year later with such grace! This is a continued process in learning to trust in Him for everything! Ed took time from his last 8Th day of study to satisfy my curiosity in our new home. The Pastor described our new home from driving in the garage under the bedrooms to the split foyer and 3 bedrooms upstairs....the SAME floor plan as the house we left 3 years ago!! I find this as a tremendous blessing!! The attached garage in Iowa is a gift in itself!! But I have a good idea of the furniture to bring....what works good and even where my scrap booking area can be!!!! Pastor also sent a package with newsletters, and a pictorial directory with a floor plan of the church. It seems like a beautiful congregation!! I have great trust that God has placed our family in the best vicarage for our family! Tenatively, my admission hours stop on June 13. On June 16, Luke and I are going to see Ann and Owen and family. B and Leah are going back home to see a good friends ordination. I may pick up a few days after vacationing. We'll see...... We will spend a week back home and also fit in trips to see Ms. Piggy, Kate and Great Grandma. Leah asks me everyday if we are moving today!!!!! Soon Baby Girl...SOON!!

STRESS!!!

sTrESs STrEsS sTreSs sTRESS!!! All of the basic details of our new life are in these documents!!

Not much blogging going on.....just trying to figure out insurance, finding a job now or after the Big move, when and how to vacation....fly out of a town near our new home, fly out of the big city.....while living life, finishing the last 3 weeks of classes and raising kids, and praying for Great Grandma's hospitalization. We had a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandpa S and B and K!! My brother, T came on Sunday and we also had a blast bowling and playing games. God has blessed us with a wonderful family! Please Pray for Great Grandma P's quick recovery!!!! We will live the closest to her in our new town. YEAH!!! I work alot this weekend....but will try to convert a video to digital of the recital. Ballerina Girl put on a great show. For now...... Leah in her tutu!