Summer with Friends & Family

We were able to make it to Florida at the end of summer to see our friends and family. 

We had a fantastic two weeks!

While there....

We celebrated my sister Hope's 10th birthday with a bowling party. This was Lily, Aaron & Joy's first time bowling. They all loved it. Unfortunately, all the pics of them actually bowling turned out blurry.

The girls helped Meema bake Hope's Birthday Cake(s!)

 The girls also spent some time with Pop-Pop fishing in his backyard

We made it to Tampa to visit our friends over at Miracles and Blessings who just welcomed home their two newest daughters from China. 

When we first met our families only had 1 child living at home (their daughter, Tiff, in the striped shirt). Now together we have 10 children living at home! So fun! Such God moments we've all had together! 

And, it's always bitter sweet to see Dale's adult sons. We miss them so much. 

It's still hard to not be part of their daily lives.

We were also able to spend at week at the beach (and see more friends there). 

But I am gonna have to save that post for another day. 

Living Sacrifice ~ Becoming a Bondservant

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God ~ this is your true and proper worship.

This verse has been popping up in all my studies and in sermons and books for weeks now.

But why? I kept asking. Why?

Haven't I done....xyz? Haven't I also done....this and that? I mean "look God, what else do you want? What else can I give? I really have nothing left and I already gave you my heart."

I have struggled with what exactly it means. I am a cubicle type person. I like to know God wants this here and that there and I like my life in a nice neat box. But God is flowing. He flows. I don't.

As He's been speaking to me about being this Living Sacrifice, he's also said "You've given me a little and now I want it all." Wow, really?! What does that mean? Another flowing God moment that doesn't fit in my box.

You see if he said "go, do....this or that" then I would go and do "this or that". But he's not giving specific actions. He's giving me specific lifelong command. Now, stop, no more boxes, just flow.

What does ALL look like. ???? I haven't a clue. YET. But I think I'm about to find out.

Some of it comes like this for me: Adoption. Home Educating. Teaching. Serving the Elderly. Serving the Children. But that's a list. See, it's my box. {Stop with the boxes! Gees! It's so hard. He wants me to flow with the Holy Spirit and stop with my boxes. They are probably driving him nuts.}


But I do know this. I have rededicated myself to Him these past 3 weeks. I have given myself to him as a Bondservant. I am a bondservant of my Lord and Savior and I am SO. IN. LOVE. WITH. HIM.

Exodus 21, a bondservant was someone who was bound as a servant to a particular personal/family. The law states that the bondservant must remain in that house hold for six years, but on the seventh year they were given the option to go free. The other option was to stay and serve his master.

And, if they stayed to be a bondservant, their master would pierce their ear with an awl. This was an outward sign that they belonged, forever, and that they were dedicated to their master, that they FREELY chose to stay and serve.

Jesus, is the only master I am willing to serve. He is the Good Shepherd. ~ Again. I am SO IN LOVE WITH HIM. The answer is easy for me. Yes, Yes, Yes, Lord I will stay with you, not a little while, not sometimes, but FOREVER.

Berries & More

~ Another first ~

 for Joy 

The annual trip to the berry farm was delayed and the strawberries missed. 

We made it for blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

And, all, enjoyed the day.

Picking Blackberries. Stealing Blueberries.

 Running through the fields

Tree Climbing

The barn

Taking a Cold-Sarsaparilla break

To enjoy the fruits of our labor, we all worked together to make a Triple Berry Crumb Topped Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert during movie night. 

Happy 5th Birthday to my Babies

Babies? I guess not anymore. Yikes! They are such treasures. I'm so blessed to be their momma. Today we celebrated with a few, I mean 40, friends. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate this special day.

The Cupcakes

The Turtle Watermelon

The Aunt & Uncle struggling with a paper stuffed piñata

Swimming for the kiddies

Waterguns

Taco bar with beach pails as serving bowls

The Festivity List

Water Ballon Toss Line- aiming for the shark poster 

Lily hitting the girl's piñata

Aaron hitting the boy's piñata

The cupcake table

The happy birthday gang

Best Corn Trick Ever

Happy 4th of July (and Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother).

What's a 4th of July without corn on the cob? Fresh corn on the cob.

But the husking, ugh!

Now you never have to husk an ear of corn again. Really! Seriously!

Thanks to a blog post I read over at, I think, Becky Higgins (.com).

Microwave it in husk (which I've been doing). But then you take a big ole honkin knife & chop the ends off, all the way thru the actual cob...

....and....

SLIDE that ear out! No silkies to deal with. Just beautiful corn!

Yay! Makes me so very happy.

Peace, Surrender & Stirring

Something has stirred in my soul that I can't quite explain. With each child we set out to adopt, we say 'it's the last adoption.' While we (maybe tongue & cheek) say 'as many as the Lord calls us to'. And, well, we honestly mean both statements if that's at all possible. In the flesh, we only ever wanted one child. So in the flesh, we keep thinking we are personally not making plans for another. Yet, God intervenes into the thoughts and plans of man and stretches us a little further each time, challenging us (for His Kingdom) a little more each time. Each time He calls us to add to our family, at first, my heart is hard. I go through the 'no' list. And the no's are very reasonably validated. No money, no time, no room, no patients, my pride (what will people say?), we stand out enough! But, my no-list slowly dwindles over time. 

Pastor hit me with a doozy one Sunday. I'm pretty sure it was around summer time. We dress casual at our little church. And so his suit seemed to stand out that day as we passed in the foyer. But, then, when he got up to preach, he had added a Christmas tie and a ball cap to his attire. And if that was not enough to strike peculiar glares, he stood up on the front pew. Yes, our crazy little pastor was standing on the pew which caused us all to wonder 'what is he doing now?' and then he began to yell. We were all either laughing or had heads cocked because, to be honest, it made us all a little uncomfortable. But if I know our pastor, I'm pretty sure that was his point. He wanted us to squirm in our pews. He began to preach on John the Baptist. He began to tell us that we, like John, need to stand out for Christ. And that is when I knew. I knew I had wanted to follow Christ as long....as long as I fit in. And here, in this place, with all my kids and homeschooling, I stood out and it made me uncomfortable. So even then as God was calling me to add to my family, I had been struggling with it for months. That day, I laid my pride aside and began a deeper journey of a life surrendered to our Lord. 

It was some time before the Lord showed us our next child. Our newest daughter, Joy, is now home. But on that Sunday in Church, it was not necessarily Joy that the Lord spoke to me about. It was about a heart surrendered, a life surrendered. Not just one more child. But my whole life given over to His service. I know in my heart, somewhere there could be another child waiting. And if so, I'm okay with that, already. So as we move forward in a life surrendered, we wait. We sit and we wait and see what God has in store. 

And since Joy came home, I have a peace I've never known in my entire life and maybe that is why her middle name is Ning Guo (peaceful fortress). I have a peace that all is well. That God really, really does orchestrate events for those he's called, those he predestined. 

A few Sundays ago, all my children and two teens were sitting with me at church. I looked up and down the row of seven children and my heart swelled with a pride and a peace that only comes from God.

I was walking in a field looking for horses with eight young ladies this weekend and as they raced ahead of me giggling, again that swelling of pride and peace occurred once more in my heart.

I am realizing....Gods not done with me yet and finally, finally I'm free to embrace Him.

Make a joyful noise

Today was one those special days in a child's life. One of those days when a parent gets to beam with pride.

Kya's first piano recital.

The kids were even excited just getting ready to go hear thee 3-K's play today.

~ Kya, Kaitlyn & Kathryn ~

A little extra sweetness was added to the day since her just-like-cousins, 

Kaitlyn & Kathryn, where part of the event as well. The girls take lessons at our church with Momma Jean who gives so much of her time, resources and heart to the girls. 

After the recital, the 3 young ladies were presented with promotion certificates from Momma Jean and roses from their very proud Father's.

~ a time of celebration was in order ~

~ a little pandora musical charm to remind Kya of her 1st recital ~

We are so proud of all the hard work these sweet young ladies have put into their piano lessons. It was a beautiful day to celebrate them.