Christmas Pictures of Dad and Mom

Erika took pictures of us last night. 

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas YIPPIE!

I just found a wonderful recipe for Gluten Free Flour Tortillas.  Our first try has gone well! 
Here is Anna enjoying a gluten free Taco! :)

The tortillas taste just like REAL REGULAR Flour tortillas!  And they were EASY to make!



I found the recipe by googling.: Gluten Free Flour Tortillas.  Here is a link. :


Enjoy!  We are!

An Update on Sarah

Sarah had surgery on Tuesday and went home on Wednesday.  She is doing AMAZING!
I gave her pain meds as a precaution on Wednesday night.  She hasn't asked for any since!
I am amazed at how quickly she has bounced back.
I am the one who needed to recover from being at the hospital! LOL
She is determined to be in her leg by Christmas.  By Golly, I think she will do it!

OH MY! How Life Has Changed!

So HOW has it changed???   9 years ago, we were emptynesters!(our chuck e cheese pictures from last weekend) 

 Nine years ago we became the parents of  a little 5 year old girl.  Her first statement in the morning was, "I have no idea what I am going to wear today!  We had to laugh at that statement as we had never heard such a thing from any of our four boys!

Mike leaned over and whispered in his best "Chip" voice.... "There's a girl in the Castle!"
Thus began our journey into adoption through the foster care system.

Mike had already adopted the guys several years before, so we were familiar with adoption that was within a family.  It was infinitely more complicated to adopt from Foster Care!

After going through all the classes and meeting Anna a few times, including a 2 week visit that included her 5th birthday and Thanksgiving, she came home forever.

We had 4 weddings and an adoption in 2 years time, and then, we added three more girls.
Our lives have been tremendously blessed.  There are many twists and turns on this path. There is the unexpected, there is the heart break, the fun and the full richness that we have in Christ, who carries us. 
ALL of these years have been blessed with  insights into our own humanness and  our own brokenness. While we were helping our daughters heal, the Lord in turn was using those experiences to help US heal in many areas.

I remember looking ahead when the boys were little and imagining what life would be like when I was in my 30's and 40's. HA! I didn't even think into my 50's~!
In my wildest dreams I would never have thought I'd be a mom to 8 kids! I never dreamed we would travel on an airplane to Ukraine! I never imagined most of my life! LOL
I am so glad that God is in control, otherwise, I would have sold myself short and not experienced  this amazing adventure~!
I tended to not try unfamiliar things. I was  a "dip your toe in the water" sort of girl.
Somehow, I think the Lord has changed much of that these past 9 years. :)

 

Sarah's Surgery

We are HOME!  She did so great!  I can't believe we made it home so quickly!

 Just arrived

 Surgery Hair

 Time for bed.  Telling Daddy good night.

 The elevator

I

 In the holding area

 Waiting while Sarah is in surgery

 Resting

 resting

 Pastor Justin stopped by

 Awake again

 What a surprise on the rooftop of the hospital.

 Santa arrived in this helicopter.

This is the giant tree in the atrium.  Right after this, we had lunch and then headed back home.

Off To The Hospital

Tomorrow morning, Sarah and I will leave for the hospital.  She will be having surgery on Tuesday to trim the bones in her leg. 
She has grown so much that there is no room left, and it has caused her much pain and discomfort.

Please keep her in your prayers for a speedy recovery, so she can get back to doing what she does best; dancing and soccer and gymnastics and having a great time. :)

I will hopefully be able to post from the hospital.  If not, I'll get Daddy or Erika to do a guest post. :)

Incredibly Loud & Extremely Close: A Movie Review

We never really heard of this movie, but it looked interesting, so we picked it up for 5 bucks.  It is rated PG 13, but it is intense and not for children.

The movie is from a little boy's perspective and how he views the world.  His name is Osckar. 
He is 11 years old and his father was killed in the 9/11 Twin Towers Terrorist Attack.

The director of this movie was BRILLIANT.   The movie was heart breaking and at the very same time when you couldn't take the sadness, it was profoundly funny.  

Why am I writing a post on it?  Because if you watch it carefully, you will see that Osckar is not an average little boy.  He is special.  He says several times he is full of fears, and that he is different.  He was tested for Asperger's Syndrome and "the tests came back inconclusive. "  But if you watch this movie through the lens of Autism Spectrum Disorder....it is a REALLY fascinating move about parents who LOVED their son and worked with him to make him the best he could be.

The movie shows the dysfunctional lives that Osckar encounters while trying to find the answer to a mysterious key.

It is intertwined with grief, strained relationships, humor, and a view on  we connect to each other as a society.

I found this movie to be an  amazing jewel.  It is a must see for parents who have children by birth or adoption, who have special needs, either because of trauma or because they are just the way they are.

Great performances by Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and the little boy did AMAZING in his first acting performance. 

****Warning, there is some language and there is a disturbing scene of him pinching himself to try to get rid of the pain and then there are scenes from 9/11. *****

I won't tell the end, but let's just say it is amazing.    

Christmas Pictures for 2012

 Miss Anna 14

 Miss Erika 14

 Miss Sarah 13

 Miss Alli 12

 The Noelle's

So proud of my girls! :)

Christmas Is FUN!

Just sitting here in the dark, enjoying the Season! :)

Settling Differences

Tonight, there was discord.....  Sometimes,  it just happens.  Somebody doesn't want to be kind or forgiving. Somebody doesn't want to speak gracefully.... and before you know it.... there is sadness and disagreement! 
It is a GREAT time for we parents to step in and DISCIPLINE...... DISCIPLE!!!!!
 FRANKLY, I was abit surprised how smoothly we went from Thanksgiving to back to school!  And then.... tonight happened.
Alli and Sarah were spatting back and forth about a "LAUNDRY BASKET" of all things!
"Are you going to keep this in the room?"  "If I do, what does it matter! I can do it if I want!"

UGH

I called both of my girls and asked what in the world was going on!  They each had an explanation for their apparent "rightness".
It was time for me to tell them the truth.... YOU ARE BOTH WRONG!

I talked to them about how important SIBLING relationships are. They are the LONGEST LASTING relationships you will EVER have!  Even longer than Mom and Dad, because, well, we are OLD!
When we are gone, you will have each other!   And you need to LOVE EACH OTHER!
We talked a little about PMS and how NOT to indulge yourself into it!  And we talked about how we wanted to be treated. 
THEN.... We talked about how we could have solved the "Laundry Basket Dilemma!"
Sarah, "How could you have taken care of the extra basket in the room?"
 Alli, "How could you have responded differently?"

We need to be loving and forgiving!  And somebody needs to take the first step!!!!
If we are both stubborn.....we will live in sadness and misery! 
Somebody needs to take the step to say "I'm sorry! I was wrong! Or I was harsh!"
And then you need to make up!

And they did. :)  I just love my sweet girls. :)

"I am going to give you a consequence now."  "You are both sentenced to go in your room and play nicely together. You can do art, play with your cars, or a game."

They went to bed happily after having a wonderful time together. :)

Anna is FOURTEEN!

The years are going by so fast!!!!  Our sweetie is 14!!!  We now have two 14 year olds in the house. :)
She likes things layed back.  She doesn't like a lot of "formal fuss", but she does enjoy the celebration.
So today she had 1 friend over for lunch and to make a fun movie. 
She opened a couple of gifts this a.m. and tonight we will celebrate with Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie. :)
She really likes pumpkin pie. 

Anna is going to be a lovely lady when she grows up. :)   She is in the throws of teenagehood now, and knows all of the Justin Bieber songs. She also really likes Country Music. I appreciate her desire to look up a song and make sure the lyrics are ok to listen to. She enjoys teaching mom about what some of the newer teen lingo is, like Swag. :)  (I still don't get that word.)

Anna is quieter than her sisters.  She likes to reflect and prefers not to be part of big groups.  And that is OK!
 She is very tender hearted and sensitive.
She loves to write and  create, but most of all, I think she loves her Bella.   Bella is a faithful friend.  Anna's dream was fulfilled in having a wonderful dog that she could teach and enjoy.

I look back on Anna's life with us, and a little before us, and I see God's mercy and Grace written all over it.  
We met her when she was just 4 years old.  It is amazing how in FOUR SHORT YEARS, such trauma can happen. :(   It has been our honor to be Anna's parents since she turned 5.
She was with us for an extended visit and spent her 5th birthday with us,  but had to return for 10 days to foster care until  we picked her up for good. 
That was a LONG 10 days!   

Anna still loves to snuggle in the rocking chair and she likes to share my seat during bible time.
I so enjoy our special times out because she breaks out of her shyness and talks and talks and talks!

She is at that stage where she doesn't like her picture being taken, but she can be a good sport when she wants to. :) 
Anna is HELPFUL!  She is a hard worker when it comes to helping in the kitchen or bringing in Firewood.... She also is our main fence mender and takes pride in being a good "Farm Hand".  She is a loving sister, but does not take part in "frilly play" unless she can be persuaded.  She DOES like making movies and it is not uncommon to see all 4 girls working hard on a movie.

Anna would love to live farther out where we had more acreage and she could be a "true farmer".

I have always loved raising Teenagers.  They are sweet mysteries who's futures are bright and ready to unfold before our eyes.  I love being a part of her life. :)

It just wasn't that long ago when she looked like this! :)