Where We Are

This past week, with our family back in a routine, I was able to get a few things done with the adoption.
Matt and I both received our appointments to get our biometric fingerprints done downtown.  This is the second, and final round of prints we need to do, and these results should be ready a lot quicker.
The results are sent to Immigration and we wait for our approval.  I am praying that this part of the process moves quickly for us, because the sooner we are approved, the sooner we get matched with our little girl.
The kids are still super excited about a new little sister!  Wills' teacher told me that on the first day of school, back from Christmas break, during their morning meeting, all the kids shared what they got for Christmas and Wills shared about his new baby sister.  Kate has also been pretty vocal about telling everyone she sees and she is very quick to say that we are adopting her from China.  It has really given our family an opportunity to share with others how we know God has brought us on this journey--a testimony of sorts.
Matt has been amazing through the whole process.  It is difficult to be paying so much money at a time, but he has stayed so positive and strong when we write those checks.... while I am the one holding my breath! 
I love how God has taken the man of my dreams and given him such a huge heart for his family and for the orphan.  I think it is important to add that when we got married, Matt envisioned that he would have 2 kids....Isn't it awesome that God knows what we need and blesses us beyond our own expectations.
So, we are in the continuous cycle of waiting....but we are on our way!  On our way to getting  a picture of our sweet daughter.  We pray daily that God protects her and gives her caretakers the ability to love her and meet her needs....until we can hold her in our arms.

Smiles

I might be feeling like a crazy lady lately, but hey...my kids are happy!

Check out these grins!

 Check out the hair bow....she put it in "all by myself"

It's Time to....

Put on my big girl underwear and move on!

I hope I didn't put any of you in a state of depression with my previous post.  It is my hope that we can all agree that nobody is perfect.  Nobody's life is perfect.  We all have struggles.  We all need God!
Today I had my first taste of silence in a long time.  All the kids were gone and I sat down to finally breathe in and out.  I opened up my devotion book and this is the verse God had for me today.

I know what it is to be in need
and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content
in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through him
who gives me strength.
Philippians 4: 12-13

The Lord has yet to speak to me in a burning bush or a cloud, but He does get my attention, and I believe, speaks to me through His word.  I  am so thankful that the bible is alive and applicable to my life still today.  I am so grateful that the Lord has shown me His grace day in and day out.  I am so relieved that I do not have to be perfect.  I am so humbled to be called a daughter of Christ.
Through struggles, trials, hard days, etc...I know one thing....that I am being refined and shaped into what God has called me to be.  I am glad he is patient with me.

Happy New Year from Debbie Downer!

So far my 2011 has, to put it lightly, been pretty crappy!  Aren't you glad you are reading this? :)
I am in a bit of a funk right now and am hopeful that I will persevere and survive.  I guess I don't really have a choice, although today I thought about walking out of my house and  just driving until I ran out of gas....which would have been 5 miles or so because it was time to refuel!
Here are some things I am dealing with that I am sure will either make you feel better about YOUR life or feel like you are in good company.  I hope it is the former.
1.  A extremely strong willed 2 year old. 
I thought Owen was my strong willed child.  No, I am the lucky mother of  2 SWB (strong willed boys)!  But Owen doesn't hold a candle to this little guy!  Potty training is going good.  I think the issue is this new responsibility that he doesn't want to have.  He is also very clingy right now, so he is constantly under my feet.  I DO love him like crazy, but the constant whining, crying, time-outs, screaming, pottying, and hitting is taking a toll on me!
Today he threw his gum wrapper on the floor and I said, "Gray, you need to pick that up and put it in the trash".  Do you know it took 45 minutes, 10 time outs and lots of drama before he FINALLY picked that trash up off the floor.  It wasn't about the trash, it was about obeying and Lord knows that child needs some training.
2.  A husband that works too hard.
Poor Matt!  I feel sorry for him, I really do.  He carries the weight of providing for our family on his shoulders.  We are so thankful that he recently got a promotion, but with that, has come lots and lots of work.  Usually after Christmas, he is able to take off a week to be with the family.  This was the plan again this year, but it just didn't happen.  He had to travel a good bit and when he was home, that "crack"berry was in constant use and it was things he really needed to do.  I get that!  I hate it for him!  I hate it for me!
3.  Sickness
What would Christmas break be without getting sick?
I hate it when my kids get sick.  I admit my feelings are mostly selfish.  It really puts a halt to my OWN plans.  We were lucky enough to get strep, as well as a really gross sounding hacking cough that makes people we don't know at Publix slather on the hand sanitizer when they hear it.
4.  I HATE cold weather.
I thought about doing some sun therapy.  Do people still have tanning beds in their homes.  I honestly think my body needs more vitamin D than the average person.  I long for the days when I can throw on shorts, a tank top and some flip flops and walk to my car sweating.  I love it!  I don't want Spring.  I want Summer!
5.  Adoption
I am getting some papers together that I will be sending to China and because of the above list of downers, I find myself questioning my ability to be a good parent.  I am aware that this is Satan attacking me, because I know this is what God has called us to do, but......
Can I do it?  Can I make it? 
Unless God tells us otherwise, we are adopting!  I guess when you have days, weeks, etc.. that are difficult, it makes you second guess your ability to do ANYTHING!

So...now is the time where I am suppose to say,  "There is nowhere else I would rather be" right?

Nope! 

 Right now, today, I am really wishing I was in Costa Rica, sitting on a beach. 

More Snow

It snowed steadily on Christmas Day, and on December 26th, we woke up to a light dusting of snow in Alabama. 

 I know it is not much, but we rarely see snow (on the ground) in December here in the deep south.

We were the first ones out, possibly the first ones out in Birmingham, but definitly the first ones out on our street!  It was 6:30 a.m. when I took this picture. 

 Daddy was so sweet to get out there with the kids....Mommy..not so much!

I needed to wait until at least 8:30.

 Not sure what Kate has piled on her to keep warm, but she looks like a tick about to pop!

 I have had enough of this crazy COLD winter already! 

I am ready for Spring!



M&M's and Big Boy Underwear!

Here we are potty training the little guy.  With my older boys I waited until they were almost 3 because I heard that was best and easiest for boys, and because this meant I could train during the Summer (when they can wear underwear and that is it).  With Kate, I potty trained at 2 1/2 and it was a breeze.  She was so easy.  And now we are on #4!  He is 2 1/2, but I felt like he was ready.  I know it is December and freezing out, but he tends to spend a lot of time naked, so no biggie there. 
He received some cool Yo Gabba Gabba underwear from Santa and so we began training on Christmas Day.  Matt made the comment that only someone as crazy as me would start potty training on Christmas Day.  I am not sure if that was a compliment or not, but.....here we are with a boy who LOVES to go potty. 
I would not say we are fully trained, as he wears Pull ups to nap, and is a little scared about the "poo poo in the potty thing", but I think he has done great and I am glad to get a 7 month or so break from buying diapers.
I told Gray I wanted to get a picture of him in his big boy underwear and he turned around so that I could capture "Brobee" on film!

 This kid is a peeing machine!  Every time he goes potty, he gets an M&M and let's just say he doesn't say "I need to go potty" all that much, but he DOES say, "I want to get an M&M" and therefore...he goes potty!

Kate's Interview about her baby sister

Ok....this is a video of Kate talking about her new baby sister.  We have just told all the kids for the first time about their new baby sister and I was able to catch Kate by herself and get her on video talking about it. 
It is really cute to see how excited she is.  About half way through the video she becomes a little sad about us flying to China and then gets happy again about the thought of a new sister.
She also has a nasty cold, so is a little stuffed up, which makes it even cuter to me :)
Enjoy!

Adoption Surprise!

Here is the video of Matt and I telling our kids the "big news" on Christmas Day.  We waited until bedtime to give the kids this one last, very special gift~

He Came!

Santa came! 

The kids actually gave US a present this year and slept in until 7:15! 

But far more important, and a present that will last for eternity is that....

Jesus Came!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas from Hotlanta!

We hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas.  Our family spent a few days in Atlanta with my side of the family and drove back home to Birmingham for Christmas Eve and Day.  Traveling with 4 youngins is always an adventure, but worth it so the kids can see their cousins and I get to see my family. 
Everyone was home and all the sisters and my mom got to do our annual girl's night out again.  This year we kept it low key....dinner and some shopping.  We actually spent an hour or so in Target--love that store!
It is always so nice to be together without the kids (13 between us) and just hang out.   
Kate and I also got to go have Tea and play some dress up, and of course the "Cousins Christmas Celebration" on Christmas Eve! 
We did tell the kids about their new baby sister....details on that and a video to come!

Here is our Atlanta visit in pictures.....

Girl's Night Out

Mallory, Mom, Megan, Mandi, McKenzie, Morgan

 Tea Party Time. 

 Kate, picking out her hat

 Tea Parties make us tired!

 Helping Meme make Jesus' birthday cake

 Wills in on the action

 Craft time.  Isn't Elliot (far right) a doll? 

 Candy Cane hunt!

 Cousin gift exchange

They Got it!

They got it!  Homeland Security is in the process of approving us to adopt.  I noticed a few days ago that they cashed our check and then we received this in the mail today confirming that they have indeed received our information and we are in process of Immigration Approval! 

It is the little things that you look forward to in the adoption process.

We got a "W"

Today we put our Pokemon cards down and won our 2nd basketball game.  We are the Timberwolves and I must say, we have some really good players on our team and some outstanding coaching--ha ha (kidding about the last part) 
I am coaching the boys and love it.  I really am kind of wishing I would have been a coach as a side career (you know, in my spare time). 
I think I like it so much, because I like to be in charge.  I guess I like to yell and boss people around.  Who knew?  Is this a disorder?  I do it at home too!
I will call it....Chargitis.
Ok, I am not a screamer, but that gym is so loud, that I really have to yell!
Wills and Owen are really loving it and Gray is obsessed too, of course.  I have already told Matt that basketball is going to be our family sport.  It is fast paced, high energy, and you get to score a lot of points.  How is that not fun!? 
So, here we are getting our 5-6 year old strategy worked out.

 Owen in action

 Wills (#2) playing some defense.  Owen (#1) standing

 There is some D from Owen.  Look at him in the middle with his hands up.  I am sure I just yelled for him to put his hands up!

 Pre-game shooting.  There is Gray right in there with his....Soccer ball.  Santa is bringing him his very own basketball this Christmas!

Pokemon University

Isn't Pokemon long gone?
Wasn't that like 15 years ago? 
Are my boys really into this? 
Now, the biggest question of all....
Are there Pokemon Scholarships available?
because if so my boys are in the running.
What do my boys do when they get off the bus? 
Run home to gather up their prized Pokemon cards and trade with each other and the neighbors.
How about riding your bikes?
Playing tag?
Jumping on our trampoline? 
Heck..watch TV, play DS for all I care, but please please please NO POKEMON~  Ughhhh
The crazy thing is, they don't even play the game  They just trade cards and stare at them for hours.
We have a few books and of course the official Pokemon pocket guide and I have spent many nights reading about Picachu, Squirtle, Zubat,  Ash and the the rest of the gazillion pokemon out there.
So if you have never had the pleasure of reading a deep, high quality bedtime story, such as Pokemon, Return of the Squirtle..count your blessings right now before it is too late.

Girly Stuff

The boys had a half day of school today, so I took Kate (with Gray in tow of course) to the nail place to get her nails painted.  I know I could just as easy do this myself, but I thought it might be fun for Kate to sit and get her nails done a little better than Mommy does.  Usually I am trying to paint her nails while cooking, listening to child read, breaking up a wrestling match, etc...You get the picture! 

 It usually turns out looking like Mommy did it with her eyes closed.

So, off we went ,and for all you Mom's out there it only cost $6 to get her nails painted..by far the cheapest thing on the nail salon menu.  Kate loved it and it was pretty darn cute watching her sit so still and smile at how beautiful her nails looked.  I could just imagine, while watching her, that in 10 years or so, in that little girl's place will be a teenager!  Please make it go slow Lord, and help me to cherish every memory!

 Pink with sparkles over pink, and of course a butterfly accent on her middle finger. 

Let's hope she doesn't start showing that butterfly off..

Adoption Update

I thought I would blog a little a fill you in on where we are in the adoption process.  I think the word "adoption" is also interchangeable with the word "SLOW".  It is so hard because a lot of days I forget we are even adopting because news is so sparse.  We did finish our homestudy, which took us longer than we would have liked...again a reoccurring theme here!  We waited for almost 10 weeks on ONE document before we could turn in our paperwork.  The document finally arrived after much harassing from someone, namely, ME, and we got our paperwork (basically our life on file) off to Immigration.

We will wait about 2 months in Immigration.  During this time, we will get biometric fingerprinted and get documents together for our Dossier.  A Dossier consists of our HomeStudy, Immigration approval, and other pertinent information and is sent straight to China.  From there, we get approved from the China government to adopt and begin receiving referrals.  Exhausted yet?

The timeline looks somewhat like this. 

Immigration approval by Feb

Dossier Approval by April

Referral by May

Travel late Summer

All of the above is assuming everything goes smoothly, which we are praying for daily.

So, we think will tell the kids Christmas Day.  We feel like it might be time to break the news to them.  We know they will be nothing but excited, and I am so anxious to let the kids in on what Matt and I talk about all the time!

For Christmas, Kate wants twin baby dolls, so take a look at what I found for her

Of course, these dolls did not come as twins, but I thought this would be perfect to show our family that just because we don't look alike, doesn't mean we are not a family!

Hustle and Bustle

Things get so busy around this time of year for all of us.  I spend so much time figuring out what presents to buy, going out and buying presents, and then later, returning presents because I change my mind.  It is like a full-time job to get ready for Christmas.  On top of that, my kids are in their last week of school, so we have class parties, teacher gifts, and a lot of uncontrollable excitement around my house. 

On Friday, Kate had her first appearance on Broadway!  Her preschool put on a little play.  I'm sure you heard all about it! 

Well, all I knew was she was to wear jeans and a brown or white shirt and tennis shoes. 

When she got on stage, I could tell something was up and it turns out she was upset because she was a "Wiseman".  I kinda can sympathize with her on that one.  How about an angel, a sheep, a star?

She had to be a "man", and Kate may have 3 brothers, but she is about as girly as they get.

Here is a shot of her on stage, complete in Wiseman attire!

Poor Thing!

 Meme and Pop made the drive to see their adorable little wiseman in her first Christmas play.

She was much happier at this point because the costume is off!

We also got something unexpected this weekend. 

Did you know we got

SNOW

in Alabama? 

It was beautiful!  We usually get a dusting every February, but never this early.  The ground was too warm for it to stick, but it was fun to see it coming down.

In fact my kids were so excited about ALL the snow,  that they got out the sleds and went sledding for a few hours.

 Take a look at this Winter Wonderland!



Fun Ideas!

If you live in Birmingham, here are 2 really fun "Christmas" things to do.
1.  Bass Pro Shop.  I took the kids here, kinda  a last minute "I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE" thing and it was so much more fun than I had anticipated.  The kids had a blast and even got to see Santa and get a picture.  Unfortunately, I didn't know Santa would be there so all my children were dressed in coordinated outfits....their play clothes! 
2.  McWane Center.  Right now they have an exhibit on the 3rd floor called Winter Wonderland and they have fake snow, sock skating, trains galore, ice fishing, and the coolest of all....an Ice Slide.  You have got to try it too.  It was actually really fun! 

HOT TIP #1!  Bring your camera.  I have been on 2 outings (see above) that I have forgotten it and it would have been great to get pictures of all the fun we had. 

HOT TIP #2!  Go during the week.  There was hardly anyone at both places and it made it all the more fun!

HOT TIP #3!  Low expectations.  I am not saying YOU are going to have fun, but I think your kids will and apparently at this stage in our lives, that's all that matters! 

I really wish I could post some great pictures of our adventures, but.........

Put that on the List

I am done with my shopping and it feels so good.  I finished up the last little bit of the Christmas shopping this weekend and I am so tired of spending money and running around town. 
At this point if any of my little darlings change their mind about what they want, then it will have to go on their birthday list because Mama has closed up her purse and am DONE!
With 4 kids and one more by next year, we have to be pretty frugal and smart when it comes to Christmas.  This year, in October, Matt and I sat down and worked out our budget for Christmas, so I knew how much I had to spend on each child, as well as cousins, sisters, parents, teachers, and so on and so on. 
We do Santa at our house.  I really don't think my children are going to be scarred that I made the season and little more fun by believing in Santa.  If they are, I will pay for their therapy...Wait, no...I will just tell them to get over it!  I mean this is fun stuff.  I wish I still believed in Santa. 
Anyway, because I do want them to grasp the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate, we have always said that Santa brings 3 gifts, just like the wisemen brought 3 gifts to Jesus. 
So, on Christmas morning they each have 3 gifts from the man in the suit and also a few presents from Mommy and Daddy. 
Back to the changing their mind thing.  The other weekend I was in bed (probably because it was like 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday.  A day when my kids should totally sleep in, but never do), and I heard the boys in the den watching tv.  Well a commercial came on and I actually heard this come out of Wills' mouth.

"OHHHH, I want THAT for Valentine's Day!"

You see, he already has his 3 items on his Santa list picked out, so now he is adding things to his "other" lists.

He is quite the planner!  I am sure it won't be long before he hands me his list for Martin Luther King Day or Flag Day. 

We might just have a tad case of the gimmies over here.  I sure hope Santa can deliver!

Sugar High

We had so much fun today at the kid's school decorating our Family Gingerbread house.   It was such a wonderful thing that the school does to encourage some fun family time.
While Matt made the trek to the Auburn game in Atlanta, me and the kids made the trek on over to get our sugar high on!

This is what we had to work with.  Half of the candy is on our house, half is in our tummies!

There was definitely a "party in our tummy today"

 Brother and Sister working together

 We had a very strategic game plan

 As you can see, the house was done with no help from Mommy. 

It is a masterpiece!

 

I Needed This

God knew I needed to read this today, and no coincidence the women who posted this is named Mallory too!  OKAY God, I hear you.  I trust you.  You are in control.  You hold my life in your hands. You hold our daughter's life in Your hands.  You know her.  You formed her!  You love her more than I ever could.  There is a reason, (we cannot see or understand yet), as to why our wait is so long.   Trust YOU!  The author of the universe.  Trust You... that You could only orchestrate something so beautiful to pass.  I am so thankful that this came my way today.  Thank you for the peace that can only come from YOU!
I will praise God in the waiting!


Be All Here

The first time I heard this phrase was several years ago during my final semester of college. In a time full of anticipation, planning, and needing to know what would come next, these were very valuable words of wisdom. I took them to heart and committed to enjoy and invest all the time that I could because soon enough, my college days would be over and I would have moved on. During that time, as I waited expectantly for God alone to direct my next steps, He drew me closer to Himself than I could have imagined. To this day, I consider that season one of the most precious times of my life. No, I did not know what was to come, but how sweet it was to cling to the One who holds my life in His hands- who has promised me a hope and a future. As I spent those months falling more in love with Him, He was faithful to lead me exactly where He intended and I experience such a wonderful time in my relationship with Him.



So what does this mean for my life now? As one of my favorite hymns says, “Here I raise my ebenezer…”. An ebenezer is a stone of remembrance. To raise a stone of remembrance is to remember God’s faithfulness. And so I recall this sweet season of my life to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. In a season of longing to be used by Him and desiring to know what is to come, I claim the truth of His faithfulness- for His glory and for my good. I have an ever-increasing desire to be part of His plan rather than my own… to be spent for His good purpose, not my own… to bring success to His mission, not my agenda. Guess what. He doesn’t need our help! When we submit to Him, we get to be used by Him. But if we think we are helping His plan along, we are wrong. “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). What a humbling place to be: seeking Him and submitting to His purpose. The truth of the matter is this: I am nothing- and He is everything!! My needs are temporary, and the needs of His kingdom are eternal. “Your will above all else, my purpose remains. The art of losing myself in bringing You praise...” This song is not just about losing oneself in a worship experience, but about putting oneself aside in life for His purpose to reign! Worship is not about me. It is about Him! My life is not about me. It is about Him! The crazy thing about this truth is that it is so familiar. And yet, I seem to be discovering it for the first time.
In Matthew 6, the question is posed “Why do you worry? Don’t you know that your heavenly Father will meet all your needs?” I must confess that I do not live as though I believe that. The command that follows is this: Seek. Him. First. His kingdom. His will. His purpose. His righteousness. And all the things that you need will be provided. Do not worry. Do. Not. Worry. It’s a command. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. AND the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). The command is to not be anxious but to pray. The promise is peace.
So the truth that is pressing on my heart is this. Be all here. Wait expectantly for His purpose. His direction. His plan. But do not worry about tomorrow. Allow His purpose to prevail in you today. Seek to know Him better today and this will be the case.
Mallory Blackmon
Daphne Social Worker  (Lifeline Adoption Agency)