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Friday, April 25, 2014

My Week

This week has flown by! My days have been full of necessary things like grocery shopping and fun things like a day out with friends. I make good use of the local discount store as my cupboards seem to need continual restocking. Tristan is only 10 but it is amazing how much food a growing boy can pack away. 
   Tuesday evening Dean and I enjoyed a date night together. We bought a coupon for an evening of babysitting along with supper brought in for the children at our youth groups' servant sale.  We made use of that coupon and went to Smokey Bones for supper and then to Home Depot where we looked at lights, bathroom vanities, showers and then bought some flooring for the family room. The carpet we put  in the family room several years ago did not wear well at all. Even after having it shampooed numerous times, the stains would return after a day or two.  
   Wednesday, Kiana and Joseph helped me clean the garage. They put things away and ran for supplies as I needed them. I rewarded them by reading some books aloud. Both Kiana and Joseph are learning to read. I found a LeapFrog toy at a reuzit shop that allows them to push letters and make words. It is a favorite of theirs but is banned to the basement because it is so noisy. Our children have always loved looking at books and I am thrilled that they are excited about being able to read those books themselves
  Thursday my friends and I had a ladies day at a cabin. We made stromboli's, had a leisurely lunch, drank coffe and tea, talked and soaked our feet. I haven't had such a relaxing day in a long time. The children had their spring program last night. They did a super job! I quickly snapped a picture before we headed out the door. 22 more days of school and then, SUMMER VACATION!


I made these candy kabobs for a bake sale fund raiser. I planned to bake all kinds of goodies but somehow the days passed and I didn't get anything made. I thought these candy kabobs would be quick, simple and look nice. My fingers were sore till I was finished plus we have a stash of leftover gummies in the cupboard much to my children's delight. 



Braden is coming home again this afternoon. Miss Sharon is bringing him as she plans to attend the Northeast Adoption Summit that Bethany Childrens Services organized. I was offered a free ticket which was an incredible offer but since I knew Braden would be returning from TAP today I didn't want to spend the next day away from home. I hope to hear all about it from others who attend.  












 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter

We serve a risen Savior! Hallelujah!Here is an excerpt from a Sunday School lesson I taught some time ago:
The 6 hours Jesus spent on the cross may have appeared somewhat uneventful to those who stood around but much was happening in the spiritual realm. Satan seemed to have the upper hand, our Lord was dying. When Jesus hung on that cross he cried, "Father forgive them!" He may have been asking God to forgive the two robbers who hung on either side of him, although their crimes would have paled in comparison to what others had just done to Him. Those words could have been uttered for the four Roman soldiers who had nailed Him to the cross and were now dividing His garments or maybe He was mentally going through the pages of time that had not yet been written and asking His Father to forgive me and you. Perhaps some among the 12 legions of angels may have begun begging the Father to let them go and destroy those who trampled their Lord. Whatever the case, consider things from the Father's prospective, He sent His only Son to die, He had to say no when His Son asked while shedding blood, to let the cup pass if there was another way. He watched the cruel beatings and scourging. Now perhaps the angels were crying out to Him to let them unleash their fury on the Jews and Romans, but then from the cross, Jesus the Prince Of Peace asks His Father to forgive them, for they know not what they do. At that, maybe the angels fell on their knee's and began to weep. The lips of the Father quavered and He whispered, "My Son!" but now the Father had to pour out the sins of billions of sinners onto that very Son turning Him into sin itself. Hear Jesus cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" As the Holy Spirit is withdrawn and the death penalty carried out. This is the ground zero of the Bible, where the justice of God - the need for sin to be punished - collided with the mercy of God - His desire to save us from the punishment of eternal separation from him. The only one who could bridge the gap between Gods need for justice and His desire for mercy was His only Son! He willingly gave His Son and His Son willingly gave his life. What an amazing gift!


We attended Sunrise Services this morning. We sat outside and listened to the Easter Story while the sun rose steadily into the sky. There is something about singing, "Up from the grave He arose!" while sitting outside in the cold air that makes God seem very near. Our children will long remember this service. I wasn't sure we would be able to get everyone out the door in time for the 6:30 service but things went surprisingly well and we were on time.


Dean made ham steaks on the outdoor grill. They were delicious! Deans parents came over to help us enjoy them. Afterward the children toasted marshmallows.





Joseph gave Mr. Potato Head a hair cut.


Braden made this goat out of play doh.








Thursday, April 10, 2014

Happiness

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter and day and night shall not cease.  Genesis 8:22
This verse comes to mind when I hear people grumbling about the long, cold winter and wondering if it will ever end. I am so thankful for God's word, this world can be a scary place but it would be even more so if I didn't know my God is in control.
           There are tiny green shoots poking out of the ground! My perennials survived the winter!

And with spring comes the mud. Like most children, Tristan and Joseph are attracted to mud. 

Tristan tried to fly a kite this afternoon. The wind blew in gusts so the kite was on the ground most of the time

Joseph loves to ride his bike. 

Tristan

Kiana

Joseph

This tree is their house, climbing tree and hiding spot. They gather sticks, stones and leaves and play house underneath it. Joseph learned to climb in this tree. It is missing a lot of it's lower branches thanks to some industrious loggers and looks rather bedraggled. We have talked about cutting it down but I know we would have some unhappy children.

Mr. Potato Head is growing hair. Joseph is about ready to give him a hair cut. 

I am still using my luncheable containers. Dean enjoys fresh salads and these containers work beautifully.

Tomorrow Braden is coming home for another visit. He is now officially transitioning home which means he will be at home with short visits to TAP versus being at TAP with short visits home. Our bond grows deeper all the time. Last time he was home he told me it is scary growing close to us. We talked it over with Miss Sharon and she asked him what happened when he opened his heart to a mom before. He said, "She broke it." A baby is born with an "open heart" and when a child is neglected they close their heart to protect themselves from further pain.  He talks about how he feels and I love the smiles and hugs I get when I pour on the love and he is able to receive it without sabotaging it. He loves when I rock him and sing. We praise God for the healing he has done in Braden's life and also for allowing us to be his parents. I have learned so much about love and how much we as humans need one another.












Thursday, April 3, 2014

Springtime!

I just love this weather! I have my window open and can hear a robin singing cheerily, some of my perennials are finally peeking through and last but not least, the children can play outside! Our swings and trampoline seem like new toys after not using them all winter and my window sill once more has bouquets of weeds that little hands picked, "For you, mom!"

I added a few touches of spring to the house. Micah 6:8 has long been a favorite verse of mine and I was thrilled to find this free download. I printed it out and put it in a frame, how simple!

Meet Mr. Potato Head. Joseph made him in therapy the other day. He is filled with potting soil and has grass seed on his head. He is supposed to grow hair (grass) and Joseph will be in charge of giving him hair cuts. If you look closely you can see his eyes, the bump is his nose and his mouth is below his nose somewhere. He is sitting in a container of water so the grass seed gets the moisture it needs to grow. He is several days old already and thus far hasn't grown any hair.

Introducing homemade luncheables! I found a website that is all about packing lunches...and promptly lost it so please don't ask for the link. The website had pictures of all the neat lunches you can pack when you use these containers and I fell for the idea. I ordered these containers on Amazon. There are some little condiment containers you can buy that are made to fit this size luncheable container. They come with a nice price tag so I decided to see if the novelty of using these containers lasts before I buy anymore accessories.

I know these aren't the healthiest lunch options but this is what I had so don't judge to harshly.

Braden made this for me. He was so pleased with himself! 

Enjoy the sunshine!