An Executive Order From Daddy

Anna no longer has to fear our Vietnamese Customers coming over and looking at that duck. We have sold them ducks before and every time they come, she runs to hide the duck. :)

So Daddy granted the duck immunity and she is now an official pet. (besides, her eggs taste great) We raised her from an egg and she is 2 years old now.
AND...... this duck LOVES Anna.

Here they are playing together:




I think the Duck is Thankful..... quack....

Birthday Part 2

After the morning, we had company and Thanksgiving dinner, and then the Birthday Cake.




It was a good day. :)

Anna Is 10 !!!

Yesterday was Anna's Birthday. The first year we had her she turned 5 on Thanksgiving Day, and now, she has turned 10 on Thanksgiving Day. What a neat day we had with all the traditional visitors, turkey, stuffing, AND a birthday.

She chose to have a chocolate marbled cheesecake. Here we are making it, or is that eating it?




Anna enjoyed her present hunt:


It is tradition to hide the presents and they get to open them as they find them.
We were able to get Anna a stroller for her birthday this year. Gramma sent some clothes, a much loved book and a nice watch. She can practice telling time!

Surprise Surprise Surprise!

I went to Tractor Supply today to get goat feed. They asked if I wanted help getting my feed bags in the car to which I said YES! (they weigh 50 lbs each)

So this nice man helped me get them to my car. I popped the trunk open and the poor guy takes a gasp.... this is what he saw......


LOL! I forgot they were in the car. After he came out of shock I explained that they belonged to our daughter etc. etc.
I bet he'll never be shocked again to see another person's trunk. :)

Marcus the Preacher Man

It is an honor to say that Marcus, our youngest son, preached at his church on Sunday.
We were able to drive and hear him speak and I have to say, he did a really good job on a difficult text.

Marcus is a wonderful husband, father and son. Praise the Lord that He has worked in Marc's life and caused him to want to bring glory to our Heavenly Father.

It is an honor to be both Marcus's mother AND his sister in the Lord. :)

If you want to hear his sermon, it starts after the scripture reading on this podcast.
(It is called Jesus Speaks to the Churches at Ephesus).

http://www.mckinneybiblechurch.org/index.php?option=com_podcast&view=feed&format=raw

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

It is our favorite, FAVORITE time of year once again. The weather is cooler and there is just an excitement in the air. I love seeing the trees turn color. Some of the trees have golden leaves and one has purple leaves and it is just so pretty.

We have been able to use the wood stove again and the bedrooms are all cozy with flannel sheets, blankets and quilts. We could live in Alaska with all the coziness in around here, but we just have to pretend, as it just doesn't get that cold in Texas.
However, tonight, it will get down to 32º.

I talked to our dad tonight and he said it is snowing like crazy in Michigan. I love going to Michigan at Thanksgiving, but we couldn't make the trip this year as we have too many medical issues going on.

But the GREAT news is Uncle BOB is coming from Oklahoma, and our kids will stop by here and there. We will also be introduced to "Tofurken". Our oldest son Chuck, is a vegetarian and his wife Jodie, will be making a Tofu turkey. :) I can't wait to try it. Of course we will have a regular turkey too. However it will not be our 441/2 lb one. I forgot to get him out of the freezer on time. I feel terrible about that.
He was supposed to be smoked tomorrow, but he is still frozen, so another turkey is going to be our guest. He weighed in at 25 lbs and is resting in the fridge. :)

Of course Anna announced that she no longer wants to take care of the animals if all I'm going to do is kill them after she works so hard to care for them. :) She told me she had a talk with the goats and told them if they see me coming with a bucket of food they should run for their lives.....
She is better today. LOL

The last few days we have been busy cleaning and straightening in order to get our Christmas stuff out. The day after Thanksgiving, we make a tradition of shopping and then putting up the tree. After the tree is decorated we have hot cocoa and watch Miracle on 34th St. The old one with Natalie Woods.

One of the fun things today was seeing the girls faces light up as some things came down from the attic. Erika was gleeful saying, "I remember that! I remember that!"
Anna and Sarah were doing the same and it was great to see that their Christmases are now filled with happy memories of Christmases past. :)

Anna's Birthday is Thanksgiving Day too. We are going to do the traditional "seek and find" your presents in the morning. She wants a cheese cake for her cake, and then either Saturday or Sunday we will go to Chuck E Cheese for fun and games.

This is gonna be one busy week.
I think I need to grab onto something and hang on for the ride. :)

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Closet Cleaning

I think I need to clean my closet out more often. When I finished Sarah said, "Wow mommy! A person could live in here!"

Doing Girl Stuff

Anna loves to help in the kitchen.... Actually, ALL the girls love to help, but this one is about Anna.

We made this YUMMY caramel on Saturday.


It was an easy recipe, but I think it could use some "tweaking".

The recipe is:

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

put sugar, corn syrup butter and 1 cup of whipping cream
in heavy pan. Heat to boiling stirring regularly.
Then, when it comes to a boil, you add the other cup of
cream. Stir well and then do not stir anymore. Heat until
the candy thermometer gets to 242 degrees or hard but pliable ball stage.

Add Vanilla, stir and then pour mixture into parchment lined 13x9" pan.
Cool and cut into squares. Wrap in wax paper.


With the Extra Whipping Cream, Anna asked if she could make Butter, like we did at Log Cabin Village. So here she is shaking the jar. The butter is very tasty!

Amputee Humor

Sarah was a little disappointed on Friday that she couldn't just get out of that cast and take off running. She spent Saturday night at a friend's house hopping around, and yesterday at church hopping everywhere and got pretty tired. I can't imagine the energy she exerts on a daily basis. So after all that energy spent, this a.m. she woke up and was a little on the grump side. She didn't want to wear jeans, only shorts and couldn't find shorts. etc. etc.
We got her smiling and back to normal and then she said something about her leg making her mad.

So I said, well Sarah, you know what the bible says...."If your leg offends you, cut it off!" To which I got this face....

With the statement, "Hey, it already IS cut off!" LOL
Then she said, "I LOVE MY FOOT!"


Then this face because she knows I'm gonna blog about her. :)


Sarah is always fun, even when she's mad. :)

Any Unpacked Bags?

As parents, our children come most of the time when we are young and foolish and in no way ready to be parents. That is how God chose to do it! :)
It seems that God has made a great effort to want us to be dependent upon HIM for every breath of life that we breathe and every step we take. Our inadequacy glaring at us each day caused us to run for our prayer closet and hang onto our Heavenly Father for the inspiration of the day, for the strength to get to the coffee pot, for the words we spoke and the energy our days required of us.

As our children got older and we were more comfortable with what direction they were taking, we relaxed abit, as we knew that GOD had ordained their steps and our job was almost done. It was a time of thrilling enjoyment, seeing those flowers unfold into beautiful bloom. (yes,even with boys the analogy works)

Now, there are those crazy types that have decided to do it all over again! LOL You know who you are....

But the difference is: They come potty trained and talking back! They haven't learned your language, either unspoken OR spoken. They come with loads of baggage that needs to be sorted through and a tangled mess of ideas and hurts that give the feeling of continual untangling of Christmas lights. AHHHHH!!!!! You can throw the Christmas lights away and buy a new set! (don't tell, but I have actually done this before)

But our Children are not throw away. There is something new we must learn, like.....
timing, patience, kindness, careful untangling of a little life and unpacking of a bag so tattered that if you don't unzip it carefully it will fall apart.

So, we say to ourselves... this a different sort of kid. This kid didn't come with instructions.(even though we know very well our others didn't either)
If we are not careful, we can find ourselves looking through instruction manuals of a different nature that will offer loads of "man's wisdom", devoid of Godly wisdom.

Some books are great and we can identify things in our dear children in them, and they can offer help to us BUT without prayer and discernment, they can also be VERY, VERY dangerous. The same goes with counselors, and those who have made businesses dealing with emotional pain and baggage.
While some of the information and techniques used can be utilized in a positive way, some of it is just down right dangerous, and we MUST discern what is best for our children.
This very issue SHOULD bring us to our knees in prayer and to the Word of God for instruction, but slowly, instead, the phone call is made to the counselor, the books are re read and we forget Who our TRUE source of guidance is.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against reading of books, and I read them ALOT too. But it is a battle to remember to hold them up to the whole counsel of the word of God.
I am not against counseling either, as I think sometimes there are things they can offer a parent to try.

What I AM against is the forcing of a child to face things he or she may not be ready to face. I am 50 years old, and there are STILL things in my life from long ago that I am JUST NOW, starting to comprehend. I don't think any amount of counseling would have helped me to see it any sooner.

I remember several years ago, after a very traumatic event in my life, a counselor at a church kept calling me. She kept trying to get me to come and and talk to her and she persisted to the point that I totally shut down. I didn't want to talk to her. I wasn't ready. I didn't want her prodding me for how I felt or act like she cared about me. I felt like one of her "projects" she had chosen to fix.
What welled up in me was anger, frustration and self thoughts of inadequacy and pain.
Why does SHE think I need fixing? Why MUST she bother me so?

I finally wrote a letter to her and the church pastor and asked him to please tell her to lay off. I didn't need her help. I needed to work things out between ME and my LORD. She is not my intermediary! I have no need of one.
She didn't back off, and I found sanctuary at a new church.

You know what happened? The pastor there was amazing. He was a little younger and the church was HUGE. ( I thought I could hide out for a while) He saw me and 4 little boys watching the worship team practice. I was so used to going to church early for music; but I was no longer fit.

That guy came over and sat down and showed me respect and kindness. He introduced himself and talked to each of the boys who were between 4 and 8. He never asked me where my husband was. He never asked if I was in need of anything. He just respected me as person, and then he went on his merry way. Oh I was never so thankful for a simple kind person to just treat me as normal.

In time, the Lord brought things to my heart and I poured my heart our to HIM. Later he provided me with a friend to share with, but had to be HIM first!

Why do I say all that?

Because I think so many times we are on a mission to "fix" our children. We are on the fast track to make them whole, and in the process, we may be missing God's timing, and our children's timing.
They may not be ready for things to be discussed. They may just need to chill and be loved just for who they are, with all their quirks and unpacked bags. They may need us to soak that scab in love so it gets soft and doesn't hurt when it comes off.
(sorry for the gross analogy)

I remember when our Anna came to us and decided she wanted to be a baby. She went through the birth process all on her own, curling up under a blanket and being "born" and then snuggling up and I gave her a bottle of warm milk and swaddled and rocked her. THIS WAS NOT INITIATED BY ME OR ANOTHER PERSON, though I have heard of it being done; this was initiated by HER!
She was 6, and after she finished, she looked me straight in the eye and said, "YOU ARE MY MAMA!" It was like she birthed herself into a new role in the family. She was REALLY part of a family and chose to identify herself in that way.

Well, along came Sarah and guess what? After about 6 months.... she did the exact same thing. I thought... how intersting. They have both done this and they are the ones who have initiated this. I felt honored.

When Erika came, she was a little older (almost 8) She of course loved being rocked and sang to, and because of her physical problems, she could not curl into a ball under a blanket on my lap, but she wanted to. We tried some different things and so we just announced that we had a new baby. I held her in my arms and talked to her just like I talked to the boys when they were newborns. "Oh, look at her Mike, she is just BEAUTIFUL"! Look at her hair. Look at her eyes! She is ours! We prayed for her and we gooed and gahhed at her and she snuggled up, just as the other girls did.
She actually went a little further and she would catch me in the hall and grab me and then pretend to nurse! YIKES...... She was fascinated for a few weeks about if her brothers were nursed etc. I explained to her that not all babies are nursed, so though her brothers were nursed with mother's milk, Tim wasn't able to latch on because of being preemie. She was preemie too.

These things happened over time. We had incidents with each girl of disturbing behaviors, but saw those as bags being unpacked. And the longer we loved them, the longer we respected them, the longer we were able to reach them, the more those behaviors disappeared.

As we have been able to instruct them and lead them to Christ.... they have continued to grow and are now learning to ask HIM for help and comfort along with mom and dad.
The words placed in their hearts, the love that has been planted is growing and each of them, are shining in their own ways.
All bags are NOT unpacked. But in God's timing, it will happen. God's timing evokes change from the heart. It is welcomed and does not bring resentfulness and anger.
His timing brings about repentance and healing.

If it were up to me.... I'd want everything fixed today. No YESTERDAY! But God is multilayered. He knows that I need to continue to learn patience and kindness and a big helping of MORE forgiveness.
AND.... as He helps them unpack their bags, He shows me that I still have some bags to unpack too, and so we do it together. :)

Dolls Playing with Dolls

Here are our little dolls, playing with their dolls. They took over my bathroom for the morning and had a wonderful time.







I love seeing them be little girls and just have a good time together. Of course they got into my makeup to give their dollies rosy cheeks. :)

Breaking Free of the Pink Cocoon!

Today is the day for Sarah to get her cast off of her leg! We are SOOOOOOO excited!
Two weeks ago she cried saying she didn't think she was going to be able to stand not being able to run any more. She is a runner, and hopper, and jumper and dancer, and she was just plain tired of not being able to do what she loves. My heart breaks at these moments. They can be hard for all of us.

Her moment of crisis is in the past and she is now ready to break free of that pink cocoon that has been holding her down for the last 7 weeks.

So here are her last few pictures IN her cast......the last 2 are at the hospital with Daddy in his volunteer Uniform. :)





I was going to take a picture of her getting her cast off, but she was a little too scared so instead we read a book, did tic tac toe and then I held a very scared little girl. But once it was off and she could see things weren't as bad as she thought, she did great. She told the Dr. it feels like her knee has been to the dentist. It was a little numb. :)

Presenting Truth vs. Brainwashing

Because of numerous conversations I have had with different people, my mind was swimming with ideas how truth is presented to our children. What is the difference between "Truth and Brainwashing"?

Some would say all religious education is "brain washing". Some would say teaching the evolutionary theory in schools is "brain washing". Some would say that teaching right from wrong is "brain washing".

This got me to thinking that the term "Brainwashing" is used as a negative term by those who oppose what the other side is teaching.

So, if you are not a Christian, then All Christian teaching is considered "brainwashing." You may ask how else could anybody think Christianity is true? Or, maybe you were raised being taught something you didn't accept, so now you say, it was brainwashing.
I was taught evolutionary science in Public School. Some would have argued I was being "brain washed".

But both of these examples are ample proof that no brain washing took effect.
As, the person who is not a believer after being raised in a believing home, has his own beliefs, and I, as a public school graduate am not a staunch Darwinian.

I looked up brainwashing, and the definition was interesting. It wasn't absolute.
Some definitions said that brainwashing took effect by isolation, coercion, torture,
intimidation, etc. but here was the definition that stuck out to me:

""""Social scientists who study new religious movements, such as Jeffrey K. Hadden (see References), understand the general proposition that religious groups can have considerable influence over their members, and that that influence may have come about through deception and indoctrination. Indeed, many sociologists[who?] observe that "influence" occurs ubiquitously in human cultures, and some[who?] argue that the influence exerted in cults or new religious movements does not differ greatly from the influence present in practically every{[fact}} domain of human action and of human endeavor.""""


Isn't that interesting? Brainwashing has been watered down to mainstream societal influence. And that is a shame, because it takes away from the true meaning of brainwashing.

In teaching our children the truth, the catechisms, true doctrines of the church, history, science, mathematics etc, we are not brainwashing them but educating them.
There is a big difference between brain washing and educating.

The same goes for the other side of this coin. If somebody teaches or holds the belief that is foreign to me, it is not brain washing for them to express their opinion.

I think however, when it comes to children, their minds are open to whatever is told them, and they are ready and willing to receive what is taught. They do not have discernment for what is true and what is false and therein lies one of our chief duties as parents.

We MUST teach our children to be DISCERNING. We must teach them to THINK, and we cannot do that without teaching them the absolutes of truth, which we can only find in scripture. Part of that teaching includes healthy discussion and debate.

I do not want my children to repeat a catechism with perfect rote memory and never have it touch their heart. But that doesn't mean I won't teach them the truths of God's word. I know many who are afraid of the word "doctrine" because that denotes indoctrination and thus is a form of brainwashing. HOGWASH!

Our children's education, both spiritual and academic must come from a moral compass.
We don't teach them to brain wash them and therefore cause them to believe as we do.
We teach them the truths of scripture to lead them on the path of Life. We certainly have hope that they will follow that path, but there is no magic guarantee, as each man is accountable to God for what he believes and NO MAN comes to God unless the Spirit draws him.

You may be wondering where I am headed with this.....

Here is where I am headed.....

There are movements within the United States that are asking for Change. I am not talking Obama here. I am talking about "within" the church. There are wolves among us who are preaching a new doctrine and not a doctrine based upon truth but upon lies. There is a new youth movement going on and some larger churches are allowing false doctrine to come in. (check out the emergent church and the website www.deepshift.org) I can think of a more appropriate name for this site, but this blog is G rated. :)

HOW OH HOW will our Children be able to discern the truth from the Lie if they are not taught the basic tenants of the faith, based upon the absolutes found in scripture?
If we do not teach them and make sure they understand the gospel, the TRUE gospel, then we are to blame when the wolf comes in and leads them astray with a "new gospel";
a gospel that is devoid of the Cross, without a need for salvation, without a need for repentance.

We had better wake up, as it will not be "brain washing" that steals the hearts of the next generation, but lack of teaching from the Church and from our own homes that entices them away.
It is time to TRULY teach them to think and discern and stop filling their brains with mind candy. If we do our jobs as directed in scripture, we have hope that they will not be led astray by false teachers.

The Challenger

Erika challenged me to a game of Backgammon.

Here she is about to begin....

Here is the game ready to go....

Here is the winner.....
She clobbered me!

Thinking, Playing and Learning

Tonight I was scrubbing cabinets in the kitchen. The girls had pretended to be servants and scrubbed the kitchen floor and then when they were finished, they carried their play over to paper dolls.

It was quite curious how they took their history lesson, recent bible lesson, conversations we have had in the car, and the life knowledge they have acquired and turned their play into an educational experience for all. Especially me.

I was watching, (listening more than watching) to them separate their paper dolls into servants. Then they decided to "sell" some. Then felt it was morally wrong to sell a servant alone. (separate a family)

Erika began a "story" about a man who married his servant's wife and had his servant killed. (King David) And then she gave a little theology lesson on how he asked for forgiveness and that God forgave him.

She went on to tell about forgiveness and that having servants is wrong.
Then Sarah spoke up saying, "But, there are servants in the bible! The bible doesn't say slavery is wrong!" LOL (our little philosopher)

She was perplexed by that, as she looks around her and sees that it would be wrong to treat another person as somebody to be owned or sold.

They were also able to see how helping in the kitchen or around the house is not being a slave or servant, but working as a team and having a "servant's heart" for the common good of the family.

These girls are such deep thinkers. Each of them was able to transfer the lessons learned recently in school and in discussion into their play.

It really shows how much influence we have on our children, how much influence there is in what they are exposed to and the responsibility we have as parents to teach them the truth. It shows how trusting they are in what they are taught, and even more weight is placed on the responsibility we have, before the Lord, to teach and guide them in the way they should go.

Just when you think they aren't listening..... they are. :)

They are fascinating to watch.

Hypervigilant Heart Protection Mode

This is the term I have come up with to best describe one of our darling daughters who shall remain unnamed, when she gets into a mood that causes all of us grief.(she gets a case of the snautys; which might include folding of arms or rolling of eyes and sometimes an escaped blank stare off into space because she doesn't want to do something that was unplanned) And to make sure that she protects herself even more, she'll say, she knows she won't regret anything. Of course she always does, which is a comfort, but she'll make sure to let us know that she doesn't. :)

I know what works to get her out of HHPM, or to head her down the right path, but what I haven't figured out is how to prevent it all together.

Parenting a child who has past trauma can be very counter-intuitive in nature. What causes a child to become HHPM may make no sense or have any connection to what is going on at all. Accepting that, is one of the keys to dealing with it head on.
Things don't have to make sense. They just are.

Sometimes just taking them in the other room and rocking them and soothing them does the trick to get them back onto the right path, and then you can talk later when things are calm and hearts are open to receive. Other times, that is just not possible, like this A.M. when I had to take Sarah to the Therapy appointment and she didn't know I was leaving, and she couldn't come.

I have found that being able to plan ahead and prepare her is what works best for her, but that is not always possible either. AND, in the real world of everyday life, that isn't going to be probable. Right now she is a little girl, but soon, she will be a teenager and then an adult and the world is just unpredictable.

I can see that our job as parents for her will be to transition her into adulthood and try to help her achieve the personal tools needed to weather the unpredictability of the world. Easier said than done.

One thing though, that ALL of us CAN truly count on, is the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father. His constant and true care for us, even if it seems He isn't listening. He is. We can count on His word to guide us. We can count on his loving hand to hold us, and we can count on His eternal forgiveness.

We were talking to the girlies about this very fact last night during our Family Worship time. But we also were talking about the need for us to be willing to receive love, to open our hearts and be vulnerable.

And that is exactly the root issue I have seen in my one darling daughter's little life.
She opens up, and then closes up, then opens up and closes up. It is as if she remembers, "Oh yea, I can't do this, it will hurt too much and I must be in control," and then she shuts down.
The good thing is that we have seen 3 steps forward 2 steps back, then 3 steps forward, then more forward, then 2 steps back, etc. and we are always moving forward.

Over this next year, we are going to throw a few more surprises her way and try to help her learn to accept the unplanned. In this family, that isn't so hard. LOL
I have to work really hard to PLAN!
So, I guess what I'm saying is I am PLANNING to be a little more carefree on certain things and then work on helping her to develop coping tools.


Anybody got any new tool ideas? LOL

Mine is always STOP, DROP, AND PRAY!

One interesting thing: When I returned from our therapy appt., she had done exactly what she was supposed to with a cheerful heart. :)

Life Books

I have life books for each of the girls, just like we had baby books for the boys.
But at some point, with the boys, we started to combine pictures into more of a "Family Life Book", not individual books.

I think this is where I am at with the girls life books. They are not just individuals, but they are each an important part of a family unit. My brain goes fuzzy trying to separate pictures, join them, decide what book to put them in etc.

I think I may be able to solve this problem by making a simple "Family book". That way I can start to put together all sorts of pictures and I don't have to "sort" anymore!

Yea~! I feel FREE! FREEEEEE!!!!

Gramma Doris 1915-2008

Isn't this a beautiful picture of Gramma Doris? She was Mike's Gramma and Mike's Dad's Mom. She was also one of the sweetest grammas I have ever met. The first time I met her she flew to Dallas with Aunt Judy and stayed on our roll away couch back in 1989. It was fun to visit with her over night and meet both her and Judy. Our air conditioner was not working at the time and it was summer. She didn't complain! The next time we met, our boys were a little older and we went to Michigan for Thanksgiving. She was quite a card player, her favorite being bridge.
She was still living alone in her home during that visit.

Five years later, just Mike and I went up for a visit, and that was one of my favorite visits. We went to a birthday dinner with Noelle and Bob and I think Judy was on her way.... Noelle had to leave to answer a phone call and Gramma Doris leaned in and said, "Let me give you some advice now... when you get old like me, confess NOTHING, they will hold it against you!"
That was the week she lost her right to drive for good. She was becoming a bit of a danger on the road, and seemed to have a knack for running into police cars.
I will never forget that dinner. She was so funny, but so serious.

The next time we went to Thanksgiving, Gramma was much more frail. That was 3 years ago. She was starting to use a walker all the time and had moved to an assisted living home, near Aunt Judy. I'm glad we were able to see her again, and that Anna and Sarah could meet her. Unfortunately, Erika was not able to meet her.

One sad part of family life is that relatives get spread around in the U.S. and we don't get to be as involved with each other as we would like. Living in Texas makes it very hard to keep up with those in other states. We have relatives from one coast to the other.

Gramma died, and we are sad that she is gone. Death is such a final thing this side of heaven's gate. There are always so many things left we could have done, but the time is gone and the day is over. This chapter of her life is closed, but we know that there will be a new chapter opened as she goes into the arms of her Heavenly Father and He says, "Welcome, good and faithful servant!" "Welcome to your new home."

Here is a link to Gramma's Obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=LS000120370874X

Christmas Picture Bloopers!

Anna's First Phone Call

Is this a sign of things to come??? :)


Anna's good friend MaryGrace called today. MaryGrace and Anna have been friends since Vacation Bible School last July. They have been writing letters back and forth to each other, and sometimes see each other on Sunday's at the Dickey's BBQ here in Wylie. It seems that most of the church going population converges on Dickey's on Sunday afternoons to take advantage of the special deals where kids eat FREE! :)

She is being very polite on the phone and I'm glad she has a good friend. :)

God's Figerprint in Nature

Mike's mom and I were on the phone the other day talking about the Fingerprint of God in nature. I am always amazed at how the Heavens Declare His Glory. Everywhere we look, we can see His handiwork. I am always amazed at the detail and the depth of God's creation. How does a simple spider do this?



Isn't it beautiful? I saw it this a.m. when the dew was wet on the ground. The sun hit the web just right and it sparkled all its glory into my window. :)

Thank you Lord for your marvelous creation. For the simple joys you bring to us each and every day and for the lessons you allow us to see and teach to our children.

Mike and I took all the girls to the window to see our special web. We were able to take that little moment to tell them how awesome of a God we serve and how creative He is even with a simple, lowly spider, and they could see His handiwork this morning, through that spider's hard work. :)
ALL of creation Praises the Lord and tells of His greatness and goodness.
Let everything that has breath, PRAISE THE LORD!

The Continuing Saga Of "The Beverly Hillbillies Comes To Wylie".....

This a.m. Sarah woke up with that "Ellie Mae" accent again. She was asking for me to "whip up some greens" for breakfast. Then she kept on calling out "grannie" this, and grannie that....pretending to answer the phone and talk to Jethro, Jed, Pearl, Mrs. Drysdale etc. I told her, "Sarah, please don't call mommy grannie". She said,
I'm just playing; Your the one who keeps answering! LOL

Hmmmm.

The Miracle of Coffee Update

I have been giving Anna coffee in the a.m. before school and a little in the afternoon for a few weeks now. It seems to have be our magic potion of the month! She is concentrating so much better than before and seems to be able to organize her thoughts better.

There are 2 things I definitely noticed. Her comprehension is much better and her ability to go into her chapter and find the answer to a question is much better.

YEA!

Yesterday in History there were some questions regarding 2 chapters for overview. They had to go back into their book to look up the answer. I was sure I was going to have to work with her one on one, but guess what? She did it all by herself! I'm amazed.

So, my experiment worked, just like it did with Joseph. I will stick with the 1/3 cup in the a.m. and 1/3 cup in the afternoon and none on weekends.

The Beverly Hillbillies Come To Wylie

I'm beginning to question if that 5.00 DVD for the first 40 episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies was a good idea after all! Especially after the girls free play this afternoon!:)
I overheard them pretending to cook "rabbit stew" amongst some other strange sayings with extreme southern accents. I didn't notice the rabbit until later when I came upon this:

I called them out to ask about Poor Velveteen, as he appeared to be dinner.
They said they had gone "Rabbit Huntin'!" LOL

Interesting Article About Bus Ad Campaign Regarding Christmas

I just read a CNN article about the D.C. Area Rapid Transit buses having an advertising campaign with the words, "Be good not godly".
Here is the address to the article. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/12/godless.holiday.ap/index.html

(someday I will learn how to make those pretty links like my blogger savvy friends do)

Anyhoo.... it is a campaign put out by a group who represent agnostics and atheists
saying that these people feel "alone" during the holidays.

I do not understand this thinking. Isn't the agnostic and atheist in the minority ALL the time, since over 90 percent of Americans believe in God?

Christmas has already been so secularized, I don't think any atheist would have a problem celebrating the "secular festivities" of this holiday, as the "Christian" element has all but been forgotten for the majority of people anyway.

Santa Claus has long taken over the manger scene in most communities. Even in the Bible Belt of Texas Santa far outweighs the Manger scene in the decoration wars of the community.

The Christmas Tree, which ironically came from the Druids is a part of the celebration in most homes. Gifts, fruit, yule logs etc. are all secular and even pagan expressions of the holiday of Winter Solstice. Pagan festivities were brought in and combined with Christian themes after the spread of Christianity.

One interesting thing about the Puritans, was that the celebration of Christmas was forbidden! Forbidden by Christians? yes. They very much recognized the Pagan themes that people were accepting and combining with Christian Celebration.
I know Christians today who do not celebrate the "secular" parts of Christmas which include trees and gifts. They find it to be wrong to combine these things and I respect them for it.

There was a time when I was questioning if we should have a tree. We decided that it was fine, as we understand that we are not worshiping a tree, and we are a part of the Culture. However, we try very hard to make sure the "commercialism" of Christmas does not take over the True Meaning of the Holiday.

That said, Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love the season of Reformation, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the cold weather, the focus on thankfulness, origins, The Birth of Christ, Redemption and love and I adore the Christmas Music. :)

For the person who does not believe in God, there is plenty to do, just like at Easter time when the resurrection is celebrated. It is a religious holiday but the non religious have the Easter Bunny.

I guess I don't understand the need to have banners at the time of a religious holiday to say as the article stated, "There's probably no God now stop worrying and enjoy your life!" This was a campaign on buses in London.

It seems that a new "battle" has begun. And it will be for the minds and hearts of generations to come wierdly enough, fought on the battleground of public transportation.

Erika Has Learned To Type

I was doing dishes in the kitchen when Erika came in and said, "Look Mommy! I know how to spell with my fingers in the air!" She began to pretend to type and went through the entire alphabet CORRECTLY with proper fingering! I asked her, "When did you learn that? She said, "I've been watching you!" :) Smart little cookie she is!

Christie's Gluten Free Test Kitchen

I am coming up with Gluten Free Recipes and decided to add them to my blog if I like them. These are my original creations. I hope you enjoy them.

Coconut Macaroons
makes 1 1/2 dozen-2 dozen cookies

2 1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325º

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.


Beat egg whites until frothy white.
Add soda, salt and 1/4 of sugar

continue to beat adding sugar a little at a time.
Add vanilla

Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Add coconut. Fold into mixture.

Drop by spoonfull and bake for about 10 minutes.




Mushroom Onion Smothered Steak
(my friend Kim gave me the basic mushroom recipe)

Either use real steak or hamburger patties

1 8 oz. carton of sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion sliced
1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of marsala cooking wine
a little salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste (optional)

Melt butter with mushooms and onions. Saute' in pan for a while. When they are well coated and wilty looking add cooking wine, garlic, salt and pepper.
Let cook stirring occasionally.
Sauce will start to boil down and thicken. If it is too thin, you can add 1/2 tsp corn starch, but I prefer to let it boil down.

Smother steak or hamburger patties with mushroom sauce.
(delicious and I don't even like mushrooms that much)


Princess Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic
1 large sweet onion sliced into thin strips
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 cup gluten free hot wing sauce (any brand if you aren't gluten free)
OR... 1 tablespoon of chinese hot chili
(I used the hot wing sauce)
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup braggs liquid aminos
1/2 cup cashews
salt and pepper to taste


Cooked rice

Mix chicken tenders, orange juice, wing sauce, braggs, a little salt and pepper together and let marinate for an hour.

Cook olive oil,garlic and onion until carmelized. Add chicken mixture and cook until chicken is done. (about 15 minutes)
Add 1/2 cup of cashews and stir well.

Spoon chicken mixture over cooked rice.


I used Jasmine rice for this recipe.

4 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice
1 TLB dehydrated carrots
1/4 cup dehydrated vegetabele blend
salt, pepper (dash each)
1 tsp olive oil added to water
1/4 c dehydrated onion

boil water, add all ingredients, turn heat to low and cook until
rice is done. Around 20 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit with lid covered
for 5 minutes. Season with butter if you want to.


Olive Cashew Salad

2 cups of Manzinalla green olives with pimentos sliced.
1/2 cup of cashews
1/2 white onion diced.

Combine ingredients and cool for about an hour.
That is it. It really tastes great!


Oven Roasted Nuts

Buy any nut you like, (I like cashews)

Buy them RAW by the lb.


I usually cook about 1 1/2 lbs. of nuts at a time.

Spread them on a cookie sheet and add about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
and sprinkle salt over them. (lightly)

Bake at 300º for about 30 minutes, (or until golden brown) stirring every 5 minutes.

It is hard to tell with Almonds as they are already dark, but this time seems to be the magic time that works.

Enjoy them warm. When they first come out of the oven, they seem a little chewy, but quickly firm up and get crunchy. The longer you cook them the crunchier they become.



Cole Slaw and Chicken

1 16 oz. package of washed and rinsed coleslaw
or chop up your own cabbage with shredded carrots
1/2 cup gluten free mayonaise- Hellmans
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper coarsely ground
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup craisens or rasins

Mix all wet ingredients and spices into a bowl and stir until
smoothe. Pour over coleslaw and stir, coating coleslaw well.

1 lb.chicken tenders or breasts cut into 1" cubes
1/4 tsp garlic poweder or 1 clove minced
1/4 cup of dried onions
2 TLB of dehydrated vegetables or bell peppers
(if you can't find these, just use 1 TLB parsley)
2 TLB olive oil.

Heat pan with oil and add all ingredients. Stir chicken several times
until thoroughly cooked. (about 20 minutes)

Let chicken cool.
After chicken has cooled down about 1/2 hour. Add to coleslaw.
Refrigerate over night.

serves 6


Baked Potato Salad

4 small or medium sized baked potatoes cooled in refrigerator over night
and cut into pieces
1/2 jar of Vlaski dill relish
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup green salad olives w/ pimentos
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp of liquid smoke
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonaise (Hellmans is gluten free)
3/4 cup of sour cream

Mix all spices and vinegar into mayonaise and sour cream
pour over all other ingredients and stir together.
Let chill for about an hour before serving.

ALTERNATIVE:
Instead of Mayonaise and Sourcream
Substitute 1/2 cup of light olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp basil
and all other spices mentioned above
mix dressing well and pour over potatoes.
Chill.

Potato salad is very tasty with gluten free sausage, such as
Mozarella/Artichoke, or Poblano pepper.... there are gluten free sausages
available at Sams Club at a very reasonable price.

Gluten Free Crepes

Oh my, I just figured out how to make these.
they are dangerously good. :) Beware!

For 2 crepes

1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 TLB potato starch
2 TLB sweet white rice flour
1/2 tsp powdered vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Mix all ingredients making sure batter is quite thin.
On a VERY HOT oiled skillet, pour 1/2 batter.
When it looks cooked on one side turn, and wait just a minute
transfer to plate.
In middle of cooked crepe, add 1 TLB of Lingonberry Preserves
1-2 tsp butter,
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Roll up
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

I ate 2! dang. :)

Gluten Free Spinach Crab Dip

1 cube gluten free vegan vegetable and spice bullion
1 TLB diced dehydrated carrots
2 cups of chopped spinach, steamed and WELL DRAINED
6 green onions sliced very thin
6 water chestnuts diced into small pieces (more if you like)
1 15 oz container of Natural Lump Crab Meat (no additives)
(available at Sam's Club)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups of Sour Cream
1 cup of Hellman's Mayonaise
1 TSP garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (freshly ground is best)
1 TLB hot pepper sauce or to taste

Bring Cream cheese to room temperature
blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayonaise together by hand
dissolve boullion cube with dehydrated carrots in 1/4 cup of water
stir and add to mixture
add all ingredients except spinach and crab and stir well.
When spinach is done, make sure it is drained VERY WELL
add spinach to mixture and stir in well.
Add crab meat making sure it is shredded well.

Mix and taste.... add salt or pepper if you think it needs more.
Refrigerate and serve with gluten free crackers
OR
Separate into different dipping bowl for those gluten cracker lovers .:)

Caramel Apple Salad
3 apples diced
1 pear diced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup of Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip
3/4 cup of Sour Cream

Mix sour cream and caramel sauce
Pour over fruit and nuts and stir well.



Dill Dip

2 cups of sour cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp minced onions
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
(to spice up add a TLB jalapeno juice or 1/2 c diced jalapenos)
1/2 tsp Knorr tomato/chicken boullion

mix well and serve with chips or vegetables.
best after refrigerating for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Took The Lectric Leopard to the Store

All electric and no gas makes Christie a Happy Girl!

Well, I drove the electric car to the store. I was a bit nervous as it is doggy starting off. But I had no problem getting up to 45-50 mph once I got going.
Nobody honked at me. :)

I'd say it does 0-35 in 40 seconds. LOL

It was an experience getting it registered. They didn't know what to do about make and model and for a few minutes wanted me to go to a weigh station and have it weighed.

???

I couldn't figure that one out, and finally the lady said, "I'm going to ignore that and just put unknown. She said since it isn't a hauler, it shouldn't matter.
The only thing this can haul is groceries and a kid or two. :)

So Here I am in the little Leopard:

Mike's New Car

The reason that Mike and Anna went to Minnesota last week was for business. Mike purchased an electric car. He has been wanting for a long time to get into electric cars and for those who talk to him, they know he is MORE than interested; he is excited! He is excited about the possibilities and the future of the electric car industry. He has been studying and searching and tinkering, and now it is HERE!
I got to drive it down the street and back and it was really fun. After it is registered etc. I will be able to drive it anywhere!

So here he is in front of his "Lectric Leopard"

The Denny's in Africa SOON!

Our friends the Dennys are going to be leaving for Senegal via France (for 18 months of language school) on January 1.
The Lord has called them to work in Senegal teaching the scripture. We are very excited for them. They are still in need of a little more support in order to leave.
If they aren't at the right support level before their departure date, they will have to wait again until language school starts in September! So we are praying with them that the Lord will bring in the rest of that support.

They have a really fun blog called, The Denny's in Africa.
Check it out.....

It is located on my sidebar under "Other Bloggers".

TCU Study

Our family voluntarily entered a study on Adoptive children and attachment about 6 months ago. The results came back and we were very pleased to see them.

We have now volunteered to be in a 4 month study on "touch". I am really excited to participate in these kinds of studies as they will help other families in the future to implement positive paths towards attachment with their children.

I was pleased to see that much of what we already do is what is suggested, so now we just need to map it out on a calendar for 4 months and document responses.

It should be interesting to see if I can keep up with a calendar!
(there is the real study) "Is Christie Self Disciplined enough to complete a study!"
LOL

ARE WE SPEAKING KINDLY?

Those 4 little magic words have been used for years in this household. First with the guys and now with the girls. It is amazing how powerful they are when you cheerfully say, "Are we speaking kindly?"

I usually say this if I hear an unhappy or complaining voice in the other room. 99% of the time, that is enough to set the children back on track. "Oh yea, I'm supposed to be NICE to my brothers and sisters". LOL

Many times it brings up personal confession without needing a pry bar to get it out of them....

"Are we speaking kindly?" can get responses like, "No Mam, I'm sorry", to "I forgot" to "No, I'm frustrated because ......" and then the other one apologizes.

What powerful little words.

Proverbs says "A soft answer turns away wrath". I see how that works out every day and it is so very true.

I just wish I could remember it ALL the time. :)

Anna Daddy Road Trip Part 2

Here is a movie from the trip:

The Anna Daddy Road Trip

Mike and Anna took a whirlwind road trip to Minnesota and back in order to pick up an electric car. It was sort of a "spur of the moment" decision to let Anna go. So we let her have charge of the camera for pictures and she did a great job of capturing different places on the way. She brought along her stuffed kitties to keep herself entertained and Mike said she was great the entire time. It was a wonderful bonding time for them too. Anna has been abit house bound with the rest of us due to the other girls medical issues so it was great for her to be able to go, get out and let her hair down a bit. :)

Here are a few pictures their trip:

There is nothing like a visit with Grampa!

I love this picture: Taking pictures of taking pictures. :)

Enjoying the Trip

Anna and Daddy at Country Kitchen

Post Election Thoughts

Well, we have a new president in the white house! On a positive note, we have our first black president in the white house. I think that is significant. Even Condoleeza Rice was happy about that.
I remember the Watts Riots, I remember my grandmother openly using the N word when I asked "what is that funny smell" in a grocery store in Arkansas, and I was embarrassed beyond belief. I also remember living in Arkansas when our first son was about 2 and going to the grocery store. We were in a poorer part of town and I had more things in my basket than the black woman behind me. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead and it was like one of those E.F. Hutton moments. The entire store got quiet. She paused and then said, "Thankyou". I was a California girl and didn't realize that might be an unusual thing to happen in the Deep South. How sad. I remember seeing the abject poverty in the south and I have seen the ugliness of racism both White towards black AND black towards white.

I was SHOCKED and ASHAMED that Baylor University in Texas is STILL having terrible problems regarding race. They found a NOOSE hanging from a tree and Obama signs being burned.

In my opinion, the campus should be on threat of closing its doors if they don't get a handle on it. And not only that. It is a FELONY to threaten a president. If that was their intention, I'd go for maximum penalty by law. 5 years in Federal Prison.

THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS behavior, especially coming from a "Christian University".

I think my mom put it into perspecitve when she sent an informational Email to the girlies. She listed every president she has lived under including one who was elected on the day of her birth who has gone down as the worst president in history!

Here is her email:

Dear Anna Sarah and Erika
I am probably your oldest relative...so
I want to share this presidential stuff.
Nov 2, l920 the day I was born is the
day Warren Harding was elected
president...it was the first year women
could vote....I have been here for
the following presidents: Hardin,
Coolidge, Hoover, FDRoosevelt,
Truman, Eisenhauer, nixon, Kennedy,
LBJ, Ford, Carter, Clinton Bush sr.
Bush W....and soon to be Pres. Obama.
I left out Regan......some of these men
served two terms (eight years)...
My love to you all Dabba


Isn't that totally cool?

And here we are today, still America, still a country. She has been through the Depression, World War 2, the Korean War, The Vietnam War, lived in Israel during the Gulf War, and now these wars.

I am curious to see what the next decade will bring to America.
As a citizen of this great Country, I am proud that we had an election where the people spoke freely and nobody died in the process. There were no bombings, there was nobody taken out and shot for how they voted, and there was integrity at the polling places.

As a Christian, I know that my citizenship is in heaven and everything happens for a purpose. My EXAMPLE here, and how I behave when I do not get my exact wish is being watched by those who know me.

We are living in a Post Christian Era of our society. I would be very cautious for those wanting separation of Church and State to be eliminated again. Right now, for those who's children attend public schools, the schools are secular. If you are to insist on prayer in school, or religion be taught..... think.... Who's religion? Prayer to whom?
We no longer live in Plymouth.
And frankly, much of Plymouth brings me sadness. Morality without Christ is an innoculation AGAINST the gospel itself. One of the problems I saw in Plymouth and with the Separatists was that they went on to impose and persecute those around them that didn't think the same way. The VERY REASON they left England and Holland! Persecution.

We have great opportunity in this country to live out our faith on a daily basis in every walk of life. We can start by being a good example and praying for those who now lead us. I am guilty of not being respectful of my leaders and not praying for them in sincerity. I would like to apologize for that bad example. Times are serious and it is time to pray seriously.

I feel sorry for any president taking over the mess we have gotten ourselves into now.
We have wars, economic woes, medical woes, job woes, and a host of other issues.
I wouldn't want to be the new president and I even know that Africa is a continent! :)

For those who are worried. Put your trust and faith in the only one who can make a true difference in your life.

For those who are happy. Congratulations, the people of our country have spoken loud and clear and been heard.

And for those like me who love our country but also love other places in the world and the people there too, I pray that ALL will be safe and secure and able to freely Worship our Lord.
One thing that has happened to me since we have gone overseas a couple of times is the set in realization that we as Americans do not have a corner on Christianity. It is alive and healthy in other parts of the world. Jesus was not born in Plymouth, He is not an American. He is the same Lord to the person sitting in a tent in Darfur fearing for their life as he is to the person sitting in their home, like me now, typing on a computer. He was there with Erika while she rocked in a bed and he was with our friend who was laying in a bed in Baghdad suffering from gangrene of the appendix. He was with Sarah when she was afraid and he was with Anna when she was plucked from a suspected meth lab. And he is with you now.

He works in ways that I do not understand and do not claim to, but I am comforted that HE IS TRULY at work in this world.

So let's work together and bring about positive change in our world and continue to live our lives for HIM.

Here Are Some More Funnies

We went to a friend's daughter's wedding. The groom had several piercings in his nose and eyebrows. Sarah's eyes were rather drawn to him when she leaned over and whispered.... "Mama, when I get married do I have to marry a guy that looks like that?" No, I replied..... "Oh good!" I was afraid I 'd have to marry a man with all those things on his face! Will it hurt when they kiss?"

Sarah was irritated that Anna took the Arm of the Usher when we went to be seated at a wedding. She leaned over and said, "I'm going to WAIT before I take a man's arm! I'll wait until I'm at LEAST 10!

Anna was 5 and her brother was tickling her. She couldn't pronounce her r's very well so she said, "Be Cafull, I bwuise like a gwape!"

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night after having surgery. She was having pain. I told her to call her nurse... She pushed the button and when the nurse answered she said, "I think you better come in here, my leg is trying to get a headache!"

Another time when she had surgery she called the nurse button. A man answered and she said, "Who is this? I'm trying to call a girl nurse!
She didn't want to tell the man she had to go to the bathroom.

We studied the reformation recently and watched a video on Martin Luther. I quizzed the girls a couple of days later... "who was Martin Luther?"
Sarah said, "I know, I know!" He was a German, A German...... A GERMAN SHEPHERD! :)

When Anna was 5 she was taking a bath and she pointed to her chest. "I think these are going to be my breasteese.

When Erika had her body cast taken off they placed her in a whirlpool bath. She overheard the nurse say her therapist wanted to come in and see.
She PROTESTED! "NO WAY, He can't come in here and see my womanhood! I'm almost a WOMAN! LOL

Sarah saw her old prosthetist that she had when she was 5. He was walking down the hall and stopped her and said, "Hey Sarah, do you remember me?
She studied his face and said, yes, I think I do, but you look different. He said, "it is probably my beard!" She said, "No, you are old now."

We attended another wedding and the girls were all sitting quietly having cake. Daddy leaned over and said, "hey girls, maybe we can find some boys that are brothers for you to marry and then we'll just have 1 big wedding!" He was kidding of course.....
Anna said, "But Daddy, I had my heart set on marrying a black man!" :)

Still on FRUA Withdrawl and Other Thoughts

I can't believe I'm posting this, but I was missing FRUA today. :) I am going to stay the course and wait until I can get my projects finished. I talked to Mike and he agrees that is a good idea. There are many people on FRUA I have never met, yet I feel close to. I could call them my friend. Aren't computer's wierd? You can talk to somebody and share the most personal details of your life and never have met them.
2 of my Frua Friends live close by and I am thankful for them every day. One doesn't know I'm gone as she is out of town, the other doesn't post much but lives 5 doors down. :)
For those that don't know what FRUA is. It is a WEB site dedicated to Families for Russian and Ukrainian adoption.
There are a LOT of wonderful people who adopt children and are dedicated to making their lives better. They come from all walks of life and all parts of the world.
What a great group.

Many times I work out what is going on in my own mind when I write. Sometimes I have to run to the computer and throw it in with a blast of fingers flying and words appearing, and then there are my first draft thoughts all written out; which is what everything is, a first draft.

I think I have always worked this way. I was never really good about making "planned" entries into a diary, which is one reason I do not have my project done. I have also never been very good about "organizing" my thoughts into neat categories. I am an ADHD poster child.
BUT.... I am really trying.

Life is a first draft. In fact,it is an only draft. :) We only get one shot at it, and we don't get to go back and erase. Our corrections look like eraser marks and red marks all over our papers and those around us remind us of our mistakes and sins.
There is One however, who corrects things for us and it is forever. His red marks wash our lives white as snow,and with HIS eyes, even though we live with the temporal consequences of our sins, He does not see it. He has removed them as far as the East is From the West. He sees something different. He sees our lives through Christ. I am so thankful for that.

(on a side note: I am keeping up with LAUNDRY!) YEA!

Legs Are on the Way!

Erika was fitted this a.m. for her new legs. I have to say I breathed a big sigh of relief that she was able to get into them and wear them with NO PAIN! YEA!
She has a bruise on her bone from walking around without legs, and now cannot walk anymore. So I was quite worried that she would not be able to participate well with the new fitting. All the way to the hospital I was trying to keep from crying because I felt so bad for her. I thought for sure that it would be a problem, and bruising on a bone like that takes forever to go away. I was picturing her set back 2 years needing to call out for me to take her to the bathroom, needing to be back in a wheel chair and I felt so guilty that I could barely bear it. Even though Erika is 10 and Sarah is 9, I have not been a "Prosthetic Mother" for that long. Just 3 years, so I still have much to learn about complications. Some of it you do not learn until it happens.
So now, it will be just a couple of more weeks and she will be running around like she used to. Then, it will be Sarah's turn to get a new leg.

I am so thankful for the guys at Scottish Rite who work on the girls legs. They are really, really talented folks with big huge hearts. And they are so supportive. They give comfort and strength and let you know great tips. My favorite one: When you want to go shoe shopping without the kids, just take their foot after they go to bed with you to the store! What a great idea!!!!! LOL