Flying Through Fall

And the countdown begins... 

~ 3 weeks until Kristin turns 6.
~ 3 weeks and 2 days until winter begins.
~ 3 weeks and 6 days until Christmas.
~ 4 weeks and 6 days until 2013 is here. 

But who's counting?

Thanksgiving Cuteness

Oh, how I love my sweet Kristin... she made my day. Yay for fun kindergarten crafts!

Just 4

This evening, I spent way too much time creating a half-way okay Christmas card to send out for the upcoming holiday season. The card is just alright. Being a photographer, it should be nicer. With better pictures. At the very least, each picture does capture the children's individual personalities. And if you know my kids, you know they definitely have their own personalities.

The card was not one I loved, a basic, pre-made template. It had just 4 lovely spots for each child to have their own picture, because LORD knows I can't get a decent shot of all 4 kids together that doesn't look totally fake and painfully posed. Four spots. Not five.

It sucks to know I had planned our Christmas card to be a birth announcement. There should be 5 faces on that card.

Yet, even as I continue to wish so badly things were different, even as I am sort of jealous my cousin had a baby today (she was due a week behind me, and I am grateful she delivered 2+ weeks late), I find rest in knowing my God has this. He is in control, and He loves me... even in the moments I doubt that love.

We are blessed with 4 children. In my plans, we would have 6 children right now. It hurts to know we are missing two on earth. I am so very thankful for each child... those living, and those in Glory. My hope is not here. My hope is in what God has set before the foundation of the earth. My hope is in the redeeming blood of Christ.

Before that sounds too cliché or trite, I have to remind you that I am so weak. My faith wavers, my hope decreases, I question, I get angry, and then I am gently reminded that I am not God. And He will not let me go, even as I kick and scream and push Him away. Such is His love.

And I am thankful, so very thankful, I can send a card out with 4 smiling faces.

Election Day Special

It's an important day. Election day. It's the first presidential election our kids understand to a degree... the older two are excited. I clearly remember watching the election between George Bush and Michael Dukakis way back in 1988. I was the same age as Isaac.





Isaac came home and decided to do a LEGO construction in honor of today. His idea. And he did it with no visual reference. Pretty cool, huh? At the podiums are Mitt Romney and Barack Obama... Mr. Romney at the red one and President Obama at the blue one respectively :-)

I reminded myself and my son that this election belongs to God. He is the one in control, and the winner is no surprise to Him. In fact, I believe fully that whoever wins has been God ordained for His purposes. It gives me peace no matter what the outcome.

*On a side note, I was standing on my back deck tonight, looking through the trees and I could see the building in which I casted my vote earlier today. I love small town living :-)

Back to {home}school

Lauralyn and I are into our second week of homeschooling. While we have had to iron out a few rough patches (her forgetting what school means, even though it's at home), over all I am really pleased with how things are going.

More time together has been great. I enjoy her company, she isn't very chatty, and I'm not either... so she doesn't wear me out like some of the other children who are dear to my heart. 

Bonus... she has been cleaning the kitchen without me asking her to!!!! God bless her for it!

Bonus... she WANTS to cook! So, on evenings we aren't running out, she will be picking our menu and helping to prepare the meal. And helping shop for ingredients of course. This helps so much because I am really bad at trying new things and get so easily into a cooking rut.

Bonus... reading. I am reading Baby Island to her right now. She is reading Henry and Ribsy independently. We are reading The Midwife's Apprentice together (her reading to me out loud). I am reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to all the kids at night. I LOVE reading and I love seeing her love of reading develop.

Bonus... the coolest, best math curriculum ever. It's called Teaching Textbooks. She does it mostly all on the computer and it grades everything for me and lets me know if she isn't understanding a concept. The lecture is even animated and it is so clear for her understanding.

Biggest Bonus... time to be with my girl. Time I didn't have before. Look at her. She's growing up way too fast and I am soaking in every minute of her gap toothed grin.

Orphan Sunday

Today was Orphan Sunday. I can't help but think about how God moved on this day. A special 'orphan' who we happen to love was adopted into to the body of Christ today. We weren't there to see it, but our former foster son was baptized at the youth retreat this morning! Joy, simply joy upon hearing this news.

Meanwhile I wait. I wonder. Who will God bring into our home? 

God sets the lonely in families. 
Psalm 68:6a

Pray with us as we wait. And pray for the millions of orphans in our world.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 
Psalm 68:5

I Dream of Concrete

For several months, Noah and I dreamed about buying a third "fun" vehicle. Practicality took over, and we decided that if we were willing to drop that sort of money on a car we didn't really need, we should first use that money on a new driveway and entry into the house. The old cracked driveway, and copious amounts of dirt, mud, and weeds were driving me crazy. Every time it rained, mud flowed into the driveway which meant mud always got tracked into the house! ACK.



We were all excited the day the digger showed up. 



It ripped out the stairs we had entered and exited our home thousands of times... the stairs we first stepped up 11+ years ago, just weeks before our wedding... the stairs we carried 4 newborn babies up as they joined our family.



The sidewalk that still had "Love" scribbled in chalk.



It wasn't long, the new porch took shape.



And Isaac, he was in boy heaven.



He even assisted with a nail gun much to his delight.



Bobcat rides. It's hard to say who had more fun... Daniel or Daddy?



I never thought a cement truck could be a thing of beauty. It sure was that day.



Our good friend, Chad, did an awesome job!!!! Need work done on your home? Click HERE for more info.



YAY, concrete!

I should have take a before shot, but forgot. I couldn't find a good picture of the front of our house... here is an pic of Isaac (maybe 5 years ago), with the "before" behind him.



And now...



Love, love, love our new driveway and porch!