I'm Thankful For

Grand Children. :)

 Katie and Lilly

 Joey and Chris and Ilse

I

 Sam and Truman

 And Will and Charlie

and: Baby Olivia.... and her mommy Ivy too. :)

Some Thoughts About Preparation

The Joseph I am going to write about here is not our own Joseph, but the Joseph in the scripture.
In the book of Genesis is the historical story of Joseph, the son of Jacob. (Israel)  He was the beloved son from Jacob's favored wife, Rachel.
The girls and I have been going through the book of Genesis.
With all the thoughts on preparation and discipline, I had some pondering thoughts about this.

Joseph was treated differently than his brothers which caused Great Jealousy! As a matter of fact, it was so great, that he was sold into slavery due to their jealousy and hatred.

God had given Joseph some dreams, and when he told them, those dreams made him seem pompous.
But they were TRULY FROM God! He didn't understand them himself. 

And then, he was sold. He was given to Pottifer as a slave, and he earned a good reputation.  This was a reputation he had due to the teaching of his father.  Even though Joseph's brothers were jealous, does not mean Joseph was at fault.
So Joseph prospered in Pottifer's home until Pottifer's wife tried to seduce him. He refused her and she screamed rape.  She is an example of what NO WOMAN SHOULD BE!

Joseph was thrown into prison.  In Prison, he prospered. He was again able to tell dreams. The baker and the food taster both had dreams that Joseph interpreted.  The interpretations came true.

Later, the food taster let Pharoh know about Joseph when none of the wise men could interpret the dream.
Joseph was called from Prison to interpret.  The Pharoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him the second most powerful man in Egypt under himself.

So I tell the condensed story to say:  A WHOLE lifetime was lived during all these years of suffering.
Joseph must have wondered why?  He prayed, and he remained a slave. 
It wasn't until years later, that during the extreme drought, God made it possible for him to be reunited to his family. 
BECAUSE of the suffering he went through, he had the WISDOM to lead a nation. Because of His INTEGRITY, people trusted him.  And BECAUSE of what His brother's did, the family survived a horrible drought.
Joseph told his brothers, "What you meant for Evil, God intended for Good."

Many of us don't like it that we are God's creation.  We are clay pots in the hands of the potter.  What HE wills for us is for our good; even our suffering.

I cannot speak openly about my own past, but I can say, all those years that I didn't understand, that I called out to the Lord and that I wondered what was going on.... God was preparing me. He was with me the entire time. I knew that.   
I can look back now and CLEARLY see, there was no other way to prepare me for Today, had I not gone through what I did long ago. 

If you are struggling.... there is a reason.  And what others mean for Evil, God intends it for our good.
It will become clear at some point in life.

An Answer to a Question

I wrote this post last February, regarding discipline and  punishment.  I was looking for something this a.m. and came across a question that did not get answered. I intended to answer, and then simply forgot! So sorry!

Since that time, I have found a few others who can answer way better than I can.
I came across the book from Clay Clarkson called "Heartfelt Discipline". Clay is a dedicated man of the Word and husband to Sally Clarkson who has written several books on motherhood.
 I have also read Samuel Martin's book "They Rod and They Staff They Comfort Me"
and a few other bloggers along the way. :)

So here goes:

Randy and Audrey said...

I enjoy reading your blog and admire your parenting style. I will admit to being somewhat confused on the spanking issue... I was spanked as a child and don't feel damaged in any way as a result of it :) but neither can I say that spanking makes a lot of sense to me (especially when dealing with traumatized children). But how do you interpret Scripture that speaks of "beating with the rod" Proverbs 23:13-14, "the rod of correction" Proverbs 22:15, etc.? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on these verses.

 The first verse is:
Do not withhold ndiscipline from a child;

oif you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

14  If you strike him with the rod,

you will psave his soul from Sheol. 

Well, it is not true that if you strike him with a rod he will not die if your name is Lydia Schatz, Hana Williams, Sean Paddock or any number of other children who have been struck with rods.  It is also not true that you can beat a child and save his soul!  The only saving of the soul comes from the MERCY AND GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ through HIS sacrificial death on the cross for the remission of sin! So this verse must have a different meaning than what is read at face value.

Samuel Martin covers this VERY WELL in his book.  The Word Sheol means grave. (correct me Samuel if I am wrong here)  It does NOT mean HELL as we would think.

What the verses are saying is DISCIPLINE (TEACH) your son right from wrong and you will save him from his own foolishness and early death! 

The other word "CHILD" in the original language is NOT a little CHILD! It is a YOUNG MAN between 16 and 26.  

Proverbs was written to young men.

The other verse:  Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but nthe rod of discipline drives it far from him. 

Again, NAAR is the original word. It is a YOUNG MAN.... though our children can also be full of folly.  Here, the ROD of Discipline is being used  figuratively.  Discipline IS the Rod.  Correction IS the rod.  

Discipline, to come along side, teach, instruct IS a rod! 

I will not argue that scripture has no place for corporal punishment. It does.  But I would truly ask that all these scriptures (the rod verses in Proverbs) be applied with the WHOLE counsel of the word of God... not just a few verses separated out.

If these verses are to be used literally.... then my next question would be, why are we not stoning still?  Scripture certainly, CLEARLY states it!

Eli, refused to discipline His sons and they were punished directly by God. He ended their lives, and Eli's line.  God waited over 40 YEARS for Eli to discipline his sons. He did nothing. He didn't tell them they were wrong for offering profane fire before the Lord or any number of other things they were doing.  God spoke to him and told him he would judge them and Eli did nothing still. 

THIS is an example of what scripture says "He who doesn't discipline his son hates his son."Eli did not instruct his own sons.  Note also how OLD they were!

I would like to end with a link to Dulce De Leche's blog.  She wrote an EXCELLENT POST called "A good old fashioned stoning!"  

Giving Thanks

I thank the Lord for my family. I thank Him that we have food and clothing and warmth. I thank Him for bringing each of us together as one.

Today, we had a slightly  greatly, altered schedule.  The entire school district is out for the week, but we are not until Wednesday. So I had the girls do an art and thankfulness project instead of regular studies.
We also had a great discussion about why we have Thanksgiving.

And I sent them out to pick up more pecans.  We have 3 Pecan Trees.
Somehow, I don't think picking pecans was all they did! LOL

Our cat finally showed himself from under the house. He is a little freaked out by the dog.  Poor guy.

Posole Casserole

I am not a big casserole person, but I love this!
Posole Casserole  (Hominy)

1 cup of diced chicken (optional)
2 cans of white hominy
2 cans of yellow hominy
(15 oz cans)
1 small can of chopped green chilis
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups fiesta cheese (mexican cheese)
1 can of rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro
1 small onion diced
1 small jar of pimentos diced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
garlic, salt and pepper to taste
(I use 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic and 1/4 tsp of pepper)
1/3 cup sliced MILD jalapeno's with a little juice. (we use Mezzetta brand)
Tortilla chips or fritos crushed

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Drain fluid from Hominy and place in large bowl
Drain fluid from Rotel
Mix all ingredients together except chips
Pour into casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with chips
Place back in oven and bake for 15 more minutes.

Hal Tait and Sarah

  We had a celebration today!

Our dear friend Hal Tait came to visit us! And he brought BEAUTIFUL SHAWLS from Afghanistan.... The girls wrapped themselves up in them and were ever so thankful.
Thank you so much, Mr. Hal! :)  GOOD CHOICE!

Hal shared some more Sarah stories with us today.  I love it when he shares about finding our Sarah while on a Mission's Trip.    He captivated the table telling us about when she was just 2 and didn't have a leg yet.  He said that she was in the TB Sanitarium where we had visited before. He said she was all alone in a room and was totally isolated.  

She yelled from her room, "Helloa! "Helloa!" When he was walking by. He held her and she would not let him go.  He said she seemed frightened to be all alone. I can attest that to this day she strongly dislikes being alone. :( My poor baby. :(  He said she loved being held by him and when he had to leave her, she wailed... all alone in that room, in the near darkness with nobody. :(  

When Hal got home, he determined that he would make sure Sarah found an adoptive home. He could not bear the thought of her wailing and alone.  He DID THAT for her! Though she didn't remain in that home, she IS home and that is all that matters!  There were many tears at our table today as he shared his love for the Children of Ukraine.

 

And then the girls made a silly face! :)

Restaurants and Clown Suits

One of my little girls shared a memory with me today that made me just want to cry for all the children who do not have loving homes or parents.
She wishes to remain anonymous, but wants me to share, so that others know what children like her have gone through in the past and how it effects them.

She has never cared much for going out to eat, and a long time ago, it seemed to really trigger her. We never really understood why....Until today.

We went out with our dear friend Hal Tait, who is home from Afghanistan after working there as a contractor for 15 months.  He took us to Olive Garden today with several other friends.
Hal has known Sarah since she was 2 years old, because of a missions trip he went on, and was INSTRUMENTAL in making sure she was adopted.  I love hearing from him, because he always sheds new light on our Sarah. :)

So, on the way home, my sweetie was riding in the front seat and we had plenty of time to talk.  I was telling the girls a humorous story about the boys and how we accidently left one of them at a restaurant and had to go back and get him.
Alli said, "Oh Mama! If I had ever been left I would have thought you didn't want me any more! "The other girls all chimed in and said the very same thing! :(  This just breaks my heart.  It is also one of the reasons we can never be late picking our girls up, or making sure they know exactly where I will be and when I will be home.

After I mentioned it and we all had a good laugh, my sweetie said, "Mama, do you know why I have never like restaurants?" I said, "Honestly, no! Can you tell me why?"
And then she shared her heart.

She said that when she was moved, she was never told what was going to happen. It was arranged for her to have a visit with a different family and the social worker came to the restaurant to pick her up. But she wasn't told what was going on.  She said she was 3 or 4 and the family she was with just LEFT her with this man. He had a car seat and took her out of the restaurant and put her in the car seat. She was TERRIFIED and thought she was being kidnapped!  She said she started crying and the social worker sarcastically told her to "SHUT UP!"
I asked her, "Did he really say that?"  SHUT UP?  She said, "yes mom!"  I had never met him before and had no idea what was happening. :(
She said she went to visit the person she knew and was greatly relieved she hadn't been kidnapped.

Then, she said on another move, she had no idea she was being moved.  Some people came and put her in a car and she was given to somebody else.  She cried because she had a favorite outfit (The Clown Suit) that she LOVED.  They told her they'd get it for her tomorrow. Tomorrow never happened.
And that began a long saga for her of clothing issues.  I remember when we first bought her clothing. We were the first home she had been to where she outgrew her clothes.  When it was time to pass clothes down , she sobbed! "NO! You can't get rid of my clothes!"  We compromised, and to this day, she saves her favorite thing each year that she does not pass down. It is hers forever! :)

There was also a time where our sweetie was given to a family for a week. She had no idea if she was going to have to stay there or not, and said that the people were creepy. LOL  She said the lady cut her hair and put it in a cup and said they would keep it forever.   And then, she went back to her other home.
She lost count of the times she was picked up by total strangers and taken to places she didn't understand or to visit those she knew....

I just wanted to give a glimpse of how things can be for our children. There is so much they do not understand, and if adults don't treat them like used FURNITURE instead of CHILDREN who have feelings, they will not heal.
So now I totally UNDERSTAND why she feared restaurants so much!  She thought we were going to get rid of her. :(  Oh that just makes me hurt.

She of course knows NOW that would never be the case. I am so glad she shared with me today.
She is my precious girl.  :)

Issues With The Older Adopted Child part 2

I wrote a post on issues that older adopted children face here.
In this post, I would like to discuss issues of insecurities a child faces when they come into an already existing, functioning family.
Many of the older children who come home, come home to a family that already has , or has had, other children.
Older children have many insecurities. They are insecure about being loved and cherished. Many times they will challenge parents love. They are so convinced that THEY are unlovable or undeserving of love, they will set out to prove it!
They see the love being given to the other children as a threat to their existence. They also perceive that they cannot be loved in the same way.

Adoptive parents need to be prepared way beyond the typical "what would you do if your child.... (fill in the blank).... and be ready for some REAL soul searching.

Our children come with GREAT LOSS and may feel that they have NOTHING more they can lose, so why bother! Why bother attaching to somebody who is going to reject me?  Why bother trying, when it won't be good enough?  They feel they will never measure up to siblings that have already secured their parents affections.  They do not understand the concept of love that is big enough to cover all, especially Love  that is big enough to cover them!

As adoptive parents we MUST, MUST, MUST, understand that our children are HURT. ALL CHILDREN who come through the door of adoption have faced GREAT LOSS at some point. It is the opposite side of the adoption coin.  Adoption/Loss.
Whether they remember it or not does not really matter. It is REAL, and it is RAW.  All the material things in the world, will not fill in the void and pain of rejection.

We need to be VERY CAREFUL that we parent our children with the same tenderness and gentleness, yet parent them according to each individual need. It can be exhausting, but it is NECESSARY.

There are those who believe that a child with RAD has no feelings or conscience. I disagree.
They have deep feelings and conscience. They are buried deep within the weight of rejection and pain, neatly protected by a wall of indifference so that nobody can shatter the already shattered heart again.

It is our DUTY and JOB as a parent who brings a child home, to do everything possible to get to the shattered pieces of the heart and put them back together and help our children heal. I am not talking about shipping them off to counseling, in order for them to be "fixed".  I am talking about US LOVING THEM.  If WE need to get counseling to get ourselves together, go for it. If we need the help of a counselor in a combined effort that WE are INVOLVED IN, find one.  BUT WE SHOULD NOT USE THE COUNSELOR TO DO THE JOB WE SHOULD DO!

Children who have no understanding of family or any concept of authority or structure will not understand consequences or punishment. It will only make them angry and cause them to dig their heels in and pit one will against the other, better known as a "power struggle". And power struggles lead to nowhere.  Engaging in them causes growth to CEASE!

  No, they must be reached in a very different way.  They must be reached through unconditional love that shows curiosity into their lives. It shows empathy and understanding, AT the SAME TIME, offering a guiding,  gentle light out of the dark tunnel. Not TOO BRIGHT all at one time, or they can't adjust and will reel back and head for cover.  It has to be slow and steady and gentle and non threatening.

When they begin to see that their behaviors are not going to earn them a ticket back to where they came from.... when they begin to see that mom and dad love them without condition, when they begin to see that they too are cherished, because we SPEAK IT INTO THEM..... they will slowly and steadily begin to respond.

Our words are so important.  If we speak words of encouragement and affirmation, they will rise to the words spoken over them.
BLUNTLY:
If you tell a child they are a liar, they will be a liar.
If you tell a child, I know you are honest inside! They will become honest.
If you tell a child they are rebellious. They will be rebellious.
If you tell a child you know they can be sweet, kind and obedient. They will become sweet, kind and obedient.

I remember telling Alli several months ago: I know that you are capable of great love. I can see it in you.... I know that you can tell the truth, you WANT to be honest! You are just too scared to try it!
I could go on and on..... and then....
She BECAME those things. She would say, "I know you don't believe me!" And we would reply.... We WANT TO! You have to tell the truth! So the truth is.... and then she would speak it. :)
She has been such a sweetie and has learned so much and come so far, it just makes me teary. I just love this little girl so much.
(all of my girls, actually)

She was called a Liar! She was called violent! She was called hateful!
But She IS: Honest, gentle and loving!   She really TRULY is.....She is NOT what others said she was.  She was HURT.  Now, she is HEALING!

When our social worker visited today, we were able to share where Alli started and where she is today. It is nothing short of a true, modern day miracle.

I praise the Lord for her. I praise the Lord that she has been TRANSFORMED before our eyes.
And I praise the Lord that our girls have a deep love for each other and for us.
Our little Alli has changed.... from the INSIDE OUT she has been transformed.  I am thrilled to be a part of her healing and to see her grow into the beautiful young lady God has been preparing her to become.

My Silly Dancing Girls

Today is our post placement meeting for Alli. This report has to be apostilled, translated and sent to Russia.  The girls wanted to prepare something for our social worker. LOL 

The Hair Bow Saga

I wrote about Alli and her dislike for hair bows here. 
This a.m. I had this capital idea!  Let's play a practical joke on Miss Alli!  Everybody was in on it, EVEN ANNA who begged us NOT to take her picture as she has little friends who read the blog..... :)

So I put THESE in their Hair...

And then we woke Alli up and said, "Hurry! Before Soccer we have to get our Christmas Pictures taken!"  She was abit groggy...

And then she fully realized everybody had these GIANT bows! And this was her reaction!

But she was a really good sport! And actually put a bow on ! LOL

and we got a picture of Anna, looking normal too. :) 
And then Sarah broke into Song and Dance..... Daddy caught the END of this performance on
video....

And that was our morning. :)

The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project

I just added a website to my blog roll and adoption web site  links.  It is called "The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project".  The reason Alli came to  the United States was because of this group.
I looked over at their blog and found a heart wrenching story of a little girl who is 11 named Angelina.
Please go over and see this post.
Maybe the Lord will move on your heart to bring Angelina home.
After reading this, I start thinking what I could do  with a million dollars and an extra bedroom or two or three or four...... :(

Alli and the Hair Bow

Just the other day, Alli told us this hilarious story about getting her picture taken at the orphanage. She said they wanted to put a bow in her hair and she didn't want one. She said they had to chase her down and corner her. LOL
Through a series of communications, I asked a person I met through an email communication who works with "The Light House Project", if she had any early pictures of Alli.  SHE DID!
I am posting just a part of it,  as her brother and sister are not with her anymore. :(

I think I would have ran too!
And here is her response when I showed her the picture I found. :)

She said, "OH NO! THAT BOW!    LOL! 

And then she adored it and said, "I remember having that picture taken!"  She was so thankful to have a picture of herself with her brother and sister. :)

Anna and Mazey

This is one happy little girl.  Our dog saga began back in march. We brought home 2 dogs from the pound. They were not puppies, and had MANY problems, including eating our chickens, biting us and running away. 
We have been dogless for a few months.  Anna has always wanted a dog, but we didn't get the right dog.
She made the decision to send the last dog back in hopes he could find a more suitable home.... aka- a man with no other animals or children who could spend endless hours with him.

After this, we pondered if we were really a dog family.  I have raised dogs before and trained them well. Those last two really did me in and I was scared to even try again.
But a few weeks ago, Anna started praying for the "right" dog.  She was sincere in her prayer.  She came to me and said, "Mama, I'm not going to look for a dog, I'm going to wait for it to come to me."
I was thinking about a puppy that we could train from day one.

About a week later, Anna went for a bike ride and there was a dog off in the back area at the edge of town, all alone. She actually followed Anna home.  Of course Anna said, 'This is the one!" 

Daddy told her to take the dog back, it was most likely lost, because it looked well fed, but had no collar.
Every day, she goes for a walk or bike ride to the same area.  Every day that dog was still there.  She was having to leave really fast and distract the dog so it wouldn't follow her home.
And then, one day a neighbor who lived nearby asked her, "Is that your dog? It has been hanging around here for a while."  A few days later she saw the dog at another persons house and the lady there asked her if the dog was hers, because the dog came running to her.  She told the lady no, but she has seen her before.  The lady said that she had never seen her before.

So, Anna asked daddy, "If she doesn't belong to anybody can I keep her. She CHOSE me!" 
After a few conversations and Anna's PATIENT waiting... Daddy told her today, if she is still around when you go for your walk, you may bring her home.  She was so excited.  I figure 3 weeks has gone by and she must have been dumped. We live in a dog dumping area.  People always think if they dump a dog, somebody will take it in. :( 

In this case, we decided to take her in. She is a very nice dog. She is an adult dog, not a puppy, and is very gentle. She showed herself to be good with the chickens and the goats. 
Since we lost a goat the other day to coyotes, it might be good to have a dog in the yard to bark if they try to get them.
Anna's faith was boosted today.  God answered her prayers once again and Mazey will be an excellent farm hand. :)

Anna and The Mysterious Kitty Lips

I found these pictures on my camera.  Apparently they were taken while I was at the grocery store.

Now, the question of the century..... "How did the cat get red lips???" LOL

Sarah and Alli At It Again

Well the dynamic duo decided to make cookies once again!  This time, I think they've got it!
I came up with a great Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe that is also gluten free.
I'll share it soon.

Great job girls! The cookies taste wonderful!

Will It Ever Change???

While countries may not change, or institutions may not change, WE can be that change One child at a Time!

Ivy's Blog Giveaway

My sweet daughter in law is having a giveaway. Stop by her precious blog, see my grandsons and leave her a message! :)

Tap Dancing

Sarah watched a section on an American Girl movie special feature on how to tap dance. She recorded this video of herself to see if she was doing it right.
I thought she did pretty good for 1 day. :)

Sarah Teaching Daddy

Dance Moves! :)

A Rare Occurrence

ELEVEN-ELEVEN-ELEVEN
November 11, 2011

Anna's Jacket

I think she likes it! :)

Update on Miss Broody Britches and Mr. Solomon

We are pretty sure he is a rooster. :)  Today they wandered out of the fence area... and then I got them back in. They are so sweet. :)

Morning Friends

Daddy took these pictures this a.m. while the girls were enjoying each other on the rocking chair. :)
Every time I see these two together, it warms my heart that they will forever be tied to each other as real, true sisters.  :)   They knew each other before we knew them.  They loved each other in the orphanage and had it not been for Sarah's determination to remember her sweet friend and worry about her,  Erika would be..... I can't even think about where Erika would be. But we knew it would have been terrible.  So GRATEFUL that the Lord used a little 5 year old girl to tell us about her special friend.  So grateful that Erika was still at the orphanage. She was scheduled to be shipped off to a mental institution.  So THANKFUL that the Lord saw fit to bring her to us, so we could love her too.
Time to wake up the other two sleepy heads. :)

Coming Home!

Guess who's coming home for Thanksgiving!!!!!!  But there will be an extra girl to administer torture! :)

My Adorable Sarah

What started out as me needing to correct Sarah because of an unkindness on her part, wound up being one of the sweetest times.
We stayed in my room for a long time, lounged on the floor and just chatted. I told her about something I had done as a child and regretted to this day and she laughed.  She shared something else with me and we went back and forth for over an hour just sharing our hearts and laughing.

One thing I just love about Sarah is that she doesn't like it when she is unkind. It upsets her.  She is such a sweet heart.  I had to apologize to her for raising my voice. :(  "Why are you doing that?"  ugh....
I don't like it when I blow it either.

So, we shared "blow it" moments with each other. :)  
Sarah is so cute!  She is right at that in between stage that girls go through; not a child but not a teen either.  She reminds me sometimes of JO in Little Women... lamenting her lost childhood which was WAY too short,  and wanting everything to stay the same. :)

I so understand where she is, because she MISSED the first almost 6 years of her childhood.  She has REALLY enjoyed these last 6 years.  Of course, I gave her permission to be a child, MY CHILD, forever! :)  She laughed about that too. :)

I can't believe how fast the time is going by.  I remember when the boys hit this age... it seemed like a breath and they were all away at college.

Erika will be 18 in just 5  years! That is just NOT very long! Then Anna,Then Sarah,Then Alli.... and I just want to freeze them all in time.

I so love my Sarah.  She is such a light in my life.  She mentioned tonight that she was so glad I was her mama. 
My heart is full of Sarah love tonight. :)

Earthquake!!!!

We just felt an earthquake! In Texas! WOW!

Adoption Video

I remember Erika telling me she felt just like this little one. :(

Many Hands Make a Light Load

When Alli first came home 8 months ago, she thought chores were given out for punishment.  This had been her experience before.  We never use chores for punishment, because chores are a regular part of life. They are not a drudgery, if we can look at them as just being a  part of being in a family.

She did NOT understand that part of family  before.  The idea that many hands make a light load,
and taking pleasure and pride in a job well done, was foreign to her :)
Things have CERTAINLY changed! :)
Today, she started her kitchen chores without being asked. She scrubbed the floor and was working on the last of the dishes when I took this video.

ANNIE The Movie

It was Sarah's turn to pick the Friday night movie last night. She LOVES musicals, and picked Annie.
Mike and I had never seen Annie before.  We had heard good things about it a long time ago.
The movie is Rated PG.  The little girls in the movie were VERY talented in song and dance.

The movie is about an Orphan child during the depression. It is about the hard life in the orphange, that is managed by an alcoholic woman played by Carol Burnette.  She remained drinking or drunk through out the entire movie.  She was verbally abusive to the children and also threatened physical abuse.
Because the movie is entertainment, the children didn't react to her, except to step on her toes a lot.

Annie is chosen to go to a billionaires house for a week, for an experience outside of the orphanage.
When she arrives, all the staff and servants are kind and full of song and dance. Then Daddy Warbucks shows up.  He is harsh and demanding and has no idea he is hosting anybody, especially not a girl.
He says to send her back.
Somehow, during her weeks stay, she turns him into mush, which is a very sweet part of the movie.
But when he gives her a necklace and wants to adopt her, she says no. She is waiting for her real parents to claim her. She has 1/2 of a locket they left with her.
He helps her try to find them by advertising.
Hundreds of people who are dishonest come to claim her for a 50,000 dollar reward.  In the end, it is the Orphanage director, Carol Burnette, and her brother and sister in law that scheme to get the money.  Carol Burnette withheld information that Annie's parents were dead, and she had all her private information, as well as the other half of the locket.  She and her brother agree to a 50/50 split of the reward money and her brother and a girl friend go and claim Annie.  as their own.  When they drive away, they pick up Carol Burnette and Annie sees that it is a plot.  She tries to fight them,but they hold her down and cover her mouth.

In the end, she climbs to the top of a bridge tressle and is dangling in mid air with a man in pursuit to try and kill her.
Then Daddy Warbucks helicopter and body guard come and rescue her.  She is back with Daddy Warbucks and lives happily ever after.

WHEW!  This is not a movie I would recommend for newly adopted children or children who are not secure.  It is full of triggers.

I was also abit surprised at some of the sauciness in the scenes and the political slant. Daddy Warbucks the billionaire was a selfish republican, and the president was  a soft hearted democrat.

 I checked on Alli a couple of times and she said she was fine. She was more interested in the song and dance and the dog. :) I'm glad we watched the special features that showed how the movie was made, how the parts were chosen and allowed the children to interact in some of the acting scenes. This made it VERY CLEAR that this was a fictitious movie and not reality.

Unfortunately, the circumstances in this movie WERE a reality for some of our kids.  They suffered from rejection, abuse and the results of alcoholism and extreme poverty.  I tend to cringe when those things are made light of.

While the movie is full of song, dance and talent.... I would not recommend it, even if there were no traumatized kids in the house. 

Anna and Alli

Relaxing together. :)

A Most Comfortable Way To Sharpen Your Pencil...

Baby Chick Check Up

It appears we may have  Rooster. :)  He has little tail feathers that are distinct. He stays close to his mama and doesn't wander far. Rooster Cogburn and the goats were interested in seeing him today. :)
His mama is very proud! :)

Scrap Booking

 Anna started the ball rolling by making some scrap booking efforts this week. She down loaded a Family Tree to put in her book.  Last night she was wanting to fill it out and she came to me perplexed.  "Mom, I don't know what to put!"
I didn't want to be presumptious, so I said, "You put your mom's name here, your dad's name here...and she said, 'Does it have to be my blood relative? I don't know them?  I said, "Sweetie, do you want to put their names? It is ok if you do! She said, not really, I just don't know what I'm allowed to put!
She was trying to be really HONEST!  She didn't want to put something that wasn't true.
So I explained to her on the Minich family website, she was GRAFTED right in, as are her sisters. Adoption is just as IF you had the same blood~!
So she went ahead and filled it out with our family. I asked her later if she was ok, to make sure, and she reassured me that all was fine. She just wasn't sure what to do. :)
After that, she started on her actual photos. I was so touched that she made a page for EACH of her sisters and said such kind things about each of them.  She said, "Alli is a GREAT little sister!" :) She had very kind things to say about Erika and Sarah.
So, when she and daddy went out tonight for their daddy daughter time, I suggested to the other girls they could do some scrap booking.  They were so excited!  This is a favorite thing for them during the colder months. It gets dark outside early, so they wanted something to do.

They were having so much fun looking through photos I had ordered a couple of months ago.  Sarah said, "I can't wait until we all grow up and these photos will be like, "Old!" and we'll all remember them! It will be so fun!
It was interesting watching them make their pages. They did a really great job. :)

Rebooting The Ole' Brain

Things have been smooth sailing for awhile now with Miss Alli.  We got through the holiday just fine and she has been so happy and relaxed.  She has reached a new high water mark!
Then, at about 10:00 this a.m..... things took a "slight turn".  She seemed a little agitated.
We got through all of that just fine.
But at 2:00 this afternoon.... I could feel her mood changing.  There was a simple interaction involving a CD player she wanted to listen to while doing phonics and I told her no, because she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the sounds. I heard her say under her breath, "yes I will...." in an irritated tone.
She had also not put her glasses on. I asked her to put them on and she declared she could see without them.
I told her, "I didn't ask if you could see. I asked you to put your glasses on."  I could see we were headed nowhere fast so I asked her to join me at the rocking chair.

We rocked for a few minutes and I threw up a few quiet prayers. Then I asked her why we were in the rocking chair.   She said, "I have no idea, but YOU won't believe me!"
I said, " Since you say you don't know, I'll choose to believe you; and now I'll explain why."
I was direct with her and to the point. You didn't do as mother asked, and you were talking back.
She started to defend herself and I stopped her.
I could see she was unable to stop herself. She was stuck....
Instead, I said, "Alli, we have had a wonderful few weeks, haven't we? You have been so happy and relaxed and sweet! Doesn't it feel so good to not have any stressful days? "  "I have really REALLY enjoyed it! Haven't you?"
She said, "Yes."
Well, "How about if we keep on enjoying it!" She knows about having to reboot the computer if it acts up...."Let's reboot your brain right now, and turn off the attitude and go on with our day? What do you say?"

I wasn't sure what her response would be, but she said, "Ok!"

I prayed with her, and she went back to her school work with her glasses on and her headphones off.
I was sitting close by, praying quietly and waiting to see what would happen.
To my joy, she turned around and with a sad face said, "Mama, I'm really sorry. I don't know why I did that. Will you forgive me?"

YES YES and YES!!!!   So we hugged and I reassured her, and all the rest of our day has been fantastic, as if that ole' brain was rebooted! :)

A Mouse In The House??

"THERE MUST BE A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE!"

This is what I said when I saw the new bag of carrots torn open, when there was an OBVIOUS zip lock type entrance!  That got all the girl's attention wanting to know about the mouse.  I showed them the bag..... Anybody get into the carrots?? So GLAD I didn't get a "Not Me!"

Instead I got a little wiggle nose from Miss Sarah who said, "Sorry Mommy!" :)

November Is Adoption Awareness Month

I am actually glad there is an awareness month for adoption.  There seems to be an awareness week, day or month for everything else, some things important, some not so important.  2 weeks ago was International Coffee Day. :)

I don't know about other states in the U.S. , but Texas seems to be making houses BIGGER AND BIGGER, but the size of the average family is smaller and smaller!  Who needs a 6 bedroom home if you have 1 or 2 children? 

It would be so awesome if we considered the Adoption of children as the rule and not the exception. :)
There would no longer be orphans. 
Many times it is because we are just not aware. But once you become aware, your heart is forever burdened.
3 years ago this month, Mike and I traveled back to Ukraine for a missions trip.  We spent 2 weeks visiting orphanages, the TB Sanitarium, an Elderly facility, and a hostel for girls who had aged out.
My heart is still burdened.

 This picture is at the girls' orphanage.  The little boy sitting with the worker burst into tears when  he saw the pictures of Erika and Sarah. He remembered them.  He touched the pictures carefully and looked through them.  He was such a sweetheart of a child. I wonder if he was thinking, "What about me? When will somebody come and get me?"
The little boy in the dark blue reminded me so much of our Tim. His name was Igor. He has Spastic Diplegia, just like Tim, and looked a lot like him at that age.  He tried to grab my glasses and wanted to break them. He was angry.  Rightfully so.  I held him for a little while. He knew I would not be taking him home. :(

And this group of children were at a different orphanage. I was sitting next to this young lady and listening to Mike talk. :)    She was a sweet heart.  She was about 12 years old... the age my girls are today.  Next year, she will be on the streets. :(

I wouldn't want my children on the streets. You wouldn't want your children on the streets. Yet, many of us turn our heads at the horrible issue that is reality for 99% of orphans.  Being adopted is close to winning the lottery.  When we were done speaking, 1/2 dozen girls came running up to us asking if we could adopt them. They wanted to come to the U.S.  They wanted parents before they were going to be turned out onto the streets.

Tonight, as you hug your child, as you watch your teen head to their room, please think about the child who has no room. 
Do you have any room in your heart or home for one of these?

An Object Lesson on Unkind Words

This a.m.  two of the girlies were doing their lessons close to the wood stove to keep warm.  They were playing "old fashioned"....
I over heard one say to the other.... "I think Sarah did it!"  Sarah overheard it, and said, "I did what?"  And then there was silence.  UGH

Of course Sarah was a bit upset being accused of something she didn't even know about.  To get school back on track I asked what was going on.  It turns out, it was some silly thing about a necklace that had nothing to do with Sarah.
I had read about an object lesson on gossip and bullying earlier this a.m. and thought! Ah HA! What a perfect time to use it!

So I had each of my girls get a piece of paper out.  They were to wad it up and stomp on  it and get it as wadded and stomped on as possible.  Then I had them unwrinkle the paper.  I told them that this represents another person's heart, and when we say things about them, or use unkind words towards them and hurt their feelings, it causes damage to the other person.
So they had to apologize to the paper for wadding it up, and I, (the voice of the paper) forgave them....:)

And then, I said, "But look! The paper is still all wrinkly, even though it has forgiven you!  And this is why we must be VERY Careful with our words... Somebody will forgive, but the scars and wounds of unkindness can linger in our hearts for the rest of our lives!

And as soon as the object lesson was over.... one little girl went over to Sarah and said very sincerely, "Sarah, I'm really sorry! Will you forgive me?"  And she did. :)