Erika's Baptism

Today our precious Erika was baptized. She gave her speech and Daddy baptized her.
As soon as I figure out how to get a picture out of my camera, I'll post it! :)

God is Soverign

Thank you so much for those who are praying. The Lord has answered our prayers, and we trust that His will has been accomplished.

The outcome was not what we had expected, and those little surprises and bumps help us to trust Him more.

We are confident that He has used us in a way we do not know or understand, and in that we will rest. :)

Exciting Times

The air is full of excitement around here. I cannot wait until I can tell you why, but right now, let's just say the girlies are bouncing off the walls with excitement.

They are making plans, cleaning up, and making more plans......

Mike and I are so excited too. We are waiting on the Lord, and when you do that, no matter the outcome, you are in HIS will. We have been praying and meditating on HIM most of today, and also waiting for important phone calls.

Those calls have come and gone and now we wait for a final call.

But when that call comes, it will all make sense. Why has the Lord put certain things on our hearts lately? Why have we been talking with the girlies about certain things?
And then it seems to become crystal clear.

Right now, it is clear, I'll wait for that final call before I say "crystal clear". :)

Praying to be in the Center of HIS will.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

If you are a praying believer, please pray for us. There is something going on in our family that I cannot disclose, but know the Lord wants us to commit it to prayer.

I cannot share more right now, but it is a good thing! :)

So, if you can, please pray for the Lord's will in our lives, for the Lord's will in the life of another and that all will work out to His Glory!

Thanks so much

Baptism Revisited Again

A decision was made for Erika to be baptized on Sunday. I am really thankful that there were those that saw she was truly ready and didn't make her wait any longer.
She was willing to wait however long she was told.... after all she waited all that time before she had a family.:)

Here is her speech before daddy baptizes her: (spelling errors and all)

Hello my name is Erika Minich I am from Ukraine, Before I was adopted I started to learn about Jesus, how he died for me and you. I am a sinner because Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus Christ is my savior. Jesus loves me this I now for the bible tells me so. He died for my sins, I trusted him. I have a clean hurt but I am still a sinner. I want to be baptized because I want people to understand that Jesus died for my sins and that He is my Savior and I want to serve him for the rest of my life.

Mike's Adventure

Mike has been wanting to get into electric cars for a long time. Last night was his first call to go and pick up and electric car for repair. He has the trailer now, and took off in his pickup truck to go and get the vehicle.

It was in Commerce about an hour away. On his way home, he got a bit turned around and wound up in FROGNOT TEXAS. Where is that? I don't know, but then, his transmission in his truck blew and filled the cab with smoke, so there he was in the middle of Frognot Texas with a broken down gas hog towing a broken down electric vehicle.

The tow trucks came and got him home and the adventure continues.

He took it all in stride. The girls however were TERRIBLY worried about daddy being stranded on the road and every 2 minutes came to ask, "Is he ok? Did he call?" They couldn't sleep until he got home which was around 10:30 last night.

Poor guy.

Tattle Tale Blues

We've got the Tattle Tale Tattle Tale Blues!

It seems that we are competing today for a gold medal in the category of Tattle Tale.
So, I solved the matter.


Anna won.

She won the right to clean the bedroom alone, since she seemed to be so skilled at giving a moment by moment blow by blow account of everything possible that could go wrong in that room.....

Ahhhh, it is quiet and the other girls are folding clothes. :)

I just love motherhood.

The Early Morning Events

We started off with an event filled morning. First off I had a great night's sleep due to a new mattress cover we just purchased for my back. It is 4 inches of foam part regular foam, part memory foam and it was VERY helpful. Now, this a.m. we felt like we had to climb out of bed, as it is pretty soft, but ahhhh, not having to toss and turn all night with terrible back pain was really a pleasure.....

So, first thing, darling Erika gets up early while Mike and I are having our morning coffee and our new little "bra wearer" says, "Mother, you need to put on a bra!"
Hmmm....
"Erika, don't you know that your mom is a card carrying member of the national burn your bra society????"

She says, "Yes, now go put on your bra mother!" LOL

Well, Yes Maam!!!....


This is Sarah's Pirate Look! AYE!
How's that for a challenging look to a good game of backgammon?


Guess who won?


And by 1 move!!!!!




All the while, Anna was quietly reading her new favorite book on the couch.



I love it when kids start to read for pleasure. Marcus and Tim used to LOVE Calvin and Hobbs.

Our Anniversary Date

Pictures the girlies took on our date: We had our own personal camera crew.
It is good for kids to see mom and dad admire each other.




Anniversaries are always fun. They give time for reflection and future plans. It is funny how different each anniversary is. I remember when our guys were little, we'd get out a table cloth and candlelight and make a quiet dinner with nice quiet music while the boys sat at the top of the stairs and giggled. "GO TO BED!" OK.......

Then there were a few years where we went to a nice dinner alone.

Then, the girls came. To be honest, my memory of the last 5 years is nearly a blurr!
But I know we went swimming one time, we were home from the hospital another time, once we went to a movie, and then this time crept up on us. With all our plans for the next few weeks, school starting etc. here it was, and the day before we were talking saying, "What should we do for this anniversary?" Hmmmm.... There were no movies playing, and it is a Tuesday night. So, we decided on dinner. The girls got real excited and we then decided to make it a family dinner since we are leaving for our Ukrainian missions trip in less than 3 weeks. (that is our real anniversary plan :) )

So they all got dressed up and we took them to "On the Border". Then, they said, "Can we sleep in YOUR room tonight and fall asleep to a movie? It IS your anniversary and it would be so special!" (NOT) LOL

Mike was so funny..."Yes it is OUR anniversary, NO, you can't!" LOL

They were all looking at us like WE were being selfish, ruining their special day of enjoying our anniversary. "You always want to be alone and you don't let us sleep in your room!" Sarah pouted....
Yes, that is right. Moms and dads have rooms and kids have rooms. That is the way that it is! :)

I just love childhood innocence.



Here are our 3 little stowaways. :) They had a great time on our date.

My Life

Sarah was just pretending to be me.

She said, "Quick somebody get me some water, I think I'm having a hot flash!" :)


The truth can really make you, uhhhhh, S-W-E-A-T !

Speaking of Anniversaries

There are many anniversaries in our lives, some good and some not so good. Children who have faced trauma in their lives have many anniversaries. It might be the anniversary that you were taken away from your parent, or the time you were moved from one foster home to another or when you were moved to your adoptive home or when you went to court etc. etc.

Children, though many times quite young when this stuff happens, have some sort of 6th sense when anniversary time comes around. We have always noticed that there are two specific times of year when our Anna has relived past trauma. One of those times is now, and the other is during the holidays.

Every year, things have gotten better and we are going on year 5. Anna came to us on about her 5th birthday. That is around holiday times.

However, the first year we had her, we were abit perplexed at her behavior in August.
She had been doing great and then all of a a sudden WHAMO, from out of no where these traumatic behaviors showed up.
We headed straight for the rocking chair and she'd just pour her little heart out. Memory after memory.

When we finally got her adoption paperwork in the mail which didn't happen until after that first August, I was flabbergasted to see that her dramatic removal from her mother occurred in August and then there was yet another removal at the end of August from one foster home to another! So August was a FULL month of trauma for her.

So Mike and I were all geared up for this month, expecting to see some difficulties, though not the ones we have seen before. And, pretty much, not a lot happened.... then a few weeks ago, there was a little blip, like with any NORMAL child, and then the events of yesterday and today.....


HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED!

Yesterday, Erika wanted to write about her life. She started to write and started reading out loud her story about being in the orphanage. Anna later came over to me and started to cry. She said, mama, I'm not the same person you think I am. I am not the same girl. I am a new girl. I have been reborn. I was a little puzzled at first but kept listening to her. I rocked her and soothed her and talked to her. In the back of my mind I was trying to figure out what she was saying and honestly, I wasn't sure, but didn't want to suggest anything, so I just listened. (learned that from Mike, he is so great at this)

So then, last night, when Mike and I were going to bed, we noticed that Sarah had climbed onto the top bunk with Anna and they were laying there talking. I sensed it wasn't a time to tell them to stop talking and go to sleep, even though I was tempted as it was 11:30. Anna NEVER stays awake much after her had hits the pillow! So something was on her heart.

Then today, She handed me this: (she used part of a poem and changed words in it, but it is how she feels, and I think she did a pretty good job!)

My Life is Like a Poem


About the story:
Anna is the baby
The two good people are mom and dad
The child is me, Anna.



In Threads of Magic
So its told
A young child was born like gold

To shine for Dad and gracious mom
The small baby did so beam
Two good people smiled
Brought song and beauty to this child.

Link Button for Dennis

If you scroll down my side bar, you may come to a link button that says,
"Remember to Pray for Dennis". Dennis is the New son of a fellow blogger.
I have her listed under adoption blogs, "Christine's blog, and Christine's other blog".
Dennis's story starts on Christine's other blog, but now that he is a member in the family, he is on the regular blog. :)

He is fixin' to have some major surgery and many tests coming up. So, his mama has asked us to put his picture on our blogs so anybody who stops by, can pray for him.
He is a real sweety of a little guy. So, if you scroll down and see him, throw up a prayer or two and ask for prayer for him in your prayer groups. He has a long road ahead.

But it is BRIGHT! He is a very fortunate little guy to have such a special family, and his family is very fortunate to have such a wonderful little guy to be the baby in the family.

That Crazy Man I Love

Today is our Anniversary. We still haven't decided what we are going to do. Most likely we are going to take the girls out. LOL Because our REAL anniversary present is coming up in a few weeks when we will whisk ourselves away to Ukraine for almost 2 weeks and leave our girlies behind, yet in very capable hands.

The Lord has been so good to me. In spite of my failures, my sin, I have been blessed beyond measure. The Lord has blessed both Mike and I and we praise Him for his working in our lives.

We have only been married 19 years. But we sure do look older than the day we married.
I am so thankful for the brave man who entered my life and took on an army of kids, along with an eccentric, hippie throwback wife, having never been married himself or having never been a father; AND he was a YANKEE! I was a California transplant, but we fell in love in Dallas.

So Happy Anniversary dearest.
For 19 years I have not called you Mike, but "MY MIKE". :)

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Well, today's Gymnastics made a hit with Anna. She loved the drama and the swirly things. She and Sarah made sticks with streamers (strings) and have been jumping around the house twirling. Here are 2 of Anna's dramatic poses!

Off To A Great Start!

We finished our first 2 days of school and we are off to a great start. The girls are loving their desks, and it seems that they have retained all that they learned last year.

I was worried about taking 5 weeks off, but you know what? I needed that 5 weeks, and so did they. They swam, and swam and played and pretended and went shopping and went to the zoo, and played some more. It was a great rest time.

Then, when it was time to start, they were really ready. It seems that we have turned a corner in reading for everybody and they are reading for enjoyment.

We are off to a good start in History, taking our virtual "Trip Around The World". :)

I'm so glad we are able to do what we do, and I pray that the year continues to go well for them.

I also found these really cool math cubes that explain fractions and decimals. They are kind of like the addition blocks, but they are written in fractions and decimals.
The one thing our oldest son had trouble with was fractions. He couldn't understand how a bigger number was a smaller amount. These cubes help you to SEE that.

Now I gotta go clean house...... :)

How Do I Say No To the Limbless?

On a good note, this was an article about a Prosthetist who makes limbs for those who don't have them, in Mexico.

What a wonderful ministry.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/08/22/heroes.puckett/index.html

I often think of where our girls would be were it not for the caring people who make their legs, and have changed their lives. I give glory and praise to the Lord for moving on the hearts of people who care so very much.

THANK YOU LORD, for changing our lives, giving Erika independence more than we had ever dreamed, and for letting us get to know some very special people, whom we would have never met, had there not been hardship in our lives.

Organic Foods Article

There is an article this a.m. at CNN.Com about a study that concluded that "organic foods are not more nutritional, than non organic."
As if a person would think that if they ate an organic apple it might contain more vitamins than a non organic one?

That has NEVER been the issue for me in buying organic foods. The issue for me is the pesticides and poisoning of the environment. The foods that are raised conventionally contain dangerous pesticides. I remember in the 1980's one of the studies on childhood leukemia linked the disease to polished apples. In organics, you don't polish apples.

HERE: is the kicker of the study:

This study -- published in the latest edition of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" -- is the first to assess the nutritional value of organic fruit and vegetables. It should be noted that the study does not make conclusions about the comparative levels of pesticides or chemicals in conventionally and organically grown food or the health effects of consuming such chemicals.

NOTE: The study is done by the "CHEMICAL INDUSTRY". LOL


So, if a person is to skim this article, they might MISS the log floating in the stream of bologana! The chemical industry didn't say anything about how chemicals remain in the food and are harmful to your body. Oops, we were only speaking of the nutritional value of a carrot vs. a carrot. duh......

Not to mention the poisoning of the water, soil, etc.

Organic farming is good for the environment, good for the soil, causing it to help the environment.... (this shows up later in the rebuttal section of th article.

But really, how does anything like this make the news other than for a teaser to make a person mad?
It is also so harmful, because many people will read a headline and then think conventionally grown foods are just as SAFE as organics. That is not the case. Organic food farmers go through rigorous regulation to get excellent, non poisonous foods to our tables and we need to support their efforts.

The First Day of School

Well, we had a great start to a great year. We covered all of our subjects today, except for art, unless you count making an Israeli Flag for History "Art". :)

For history this year, we are taking a virtual, "Trip Around The World". We actually started at the end of last school year, and plan to continue until we cover every continent and important country.

So here are the girlies doing Spelling.... guess which girlie was abit overwhelemed with doing "Just cursive????". Yep, from now on..... :)

The Girls Have Their OWN BLOG

The Girls have a new blog. We will be using this to teach typing skills, computer skills, and creative writing skills. I will leave the mistakes as they are, unless they ask for help in spelling. :)

Their address is:

http://thenoelles.blogspot.com/

Here It Is

The Lonesome Pine Ranch School Room: