On the Road Again...

Most people that know me know I love to be on the go. When my daughter became school age I felt like a lot of my/our freedom left also. Most parents can not wait for the kids to hit those years of going to school, I on the other hand sort of dreaded it. I do however love school holidays and vacations! I usually know when they are coming and have a trip planned. Whether it be somewhere close or somewhere far, getting away from the house and everyday chores is something I look forward too. This last weekend was no different. Kendall got out of school Friday and began a nice long week vacation! So I packed the suitcases, kids, my mom and off to Kennewick, WA we went. It was a long drive,but very scenic. The kids were occupied by of course every electronic they could get their hands on, but it made for a quiet ride, lol! When we arrived we were greeted by very excited cousins! Love Family!

Santa Baby, yes we got the kids photos with Santa. Went early and there was no line. Little Miss EEEEE was not a big fan of this old man. But we got one with no crying and went with it. We then headed to a bazaar where we proceeded to taste all the yummy samples of fudge, pretzels and dip, kettle corn, and even some wine slushies!
The rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out. We made caramel apples with yummy toppings! They were tasty.(i LOVE caramel)

The majority of the weekend though was spent with Mommy/daughter talks and the kids playing Beyblades. These toys were a lifesaver and kept them entertained with minimal fighting for hours. Who knew 3 kids, 3 Beyblades and a mixing bowl could equal a ton of fun!

The weekend went by to fast, good food, good talks, and lots of family time. Far to soon it was time to repack the suitcases, the kids, and my mom and head back home. On the way home we stopped for lunch at a place called Cousins! Pretty fitting for our trip. They greet you by saying "Hi Cousin", thought that was sort of cute. We stopped for a few photos of course.

We are now home and preparing for more family time during this Thanksgiving Holiday. I am so Thankful for Family. Thankful for a hardworking Husband that allows our travel bugs to be fulfilled. Thankful for school holidays so that I can spend lots of time with my children. I hope you all have a blessed week whether you are staying put in your home or traveling near or far. Be Thankful, Happy and Full of Love!

Anticipation and Prayer

I got a great email last night from our Adoption worker, the home study is almost done!!!! It is possible it could be finished this week. We have been praying for the little one or ones that will be brought into our lives. That their hearts will be open and ready and that so will ours. I can not wait to start the search and continued prayer to find the child or children to add to our family. I know the next step, the search could take awhile, but I keep thinking in my head what a wonderful Christmas gift it would be to have our new members with us. To start being a family with new traditions and showing our love and faith to our children during the holiday season.

Other then that awesome news are family is doing great. We are still settling in to our new home here in OR. Kendall loves her new school and new friends. She is taking jump roping class after school once a week and learning lots of new skills. She continues to amaze us with how smart she is and all she is learning.

Kopelan will start school after the new year and is currently attending a Lego Robotics class and enjoying it fully. It is amazing to watch his determination with new skills.

KC is loving his new job and it is a very different atmosphere then his last job, continues to challenge him everyday, yet give him freedom to participate in more of the kids activities or school functions. This is huge for our family!

Me, well I am busy running the kids to and fro, unpacking (still) and learning a new routine. I found a MOPS group (mothers of Preschoolers Support) and also Momsnext (the school age years). I am enjoying getting to see my parents at least once a week also. Family is the best!

That is all for now, but when I have more news I will update again! Please if you feel inclined pray for our family and future children!

Where we are...

Well if you have ever experienced the adoption process you know how long and draining it can be. This goes for any kind of adoption, whether it be private domestic, international or through the foster care system. As I announced we are going through the adoption process again. We are currently working on our home study, this consists of lots of paperwork, Dr.'s visits, interviews, educational classes, and home visits. We are moving pretty quickly through this process since we have some experience in the adoption world and working with agencies. We have already had 2 home visits and finished our paperwork. We just got word that we will not have to do the educational classes since we have been taking them over the course of the last 8 years while doing foster care for a couple different states. K.C. was beyond thrilled with this discovery as we have completed hundreds of hours of training and sometimes feel as if we could teach the class (if I enjoyed speaking in public, which I do not). So in a couple weeks we have our last meeting to approve the final draft of our home study and the the searching and praying begins. We have a child or children out there and we can not wait to meet them and see who God has hand picked for us to grow our family. So that is just a little update of where we are in our adoption process. Please keep us in your prayers and our future child/ren that their heart will be prepared for the change that will happen in their life.

Here We Go Again!!

Where are we going you ask? We are headed down the home study road again. We are doing things slightly different this time. We have decided not to do foster care for awhile and just strictly ADOPT. We will be adopting a child out of the foster care system as those children are still dear to my heart. We have already started and are actually pretty far along in the process. We have only told a few people, but I want to make it official. WE ARE ADOPTING AGAIN!!!

Pray and Believe

We have had some events this last month that felt like we were on a crazy roller coaster and no matter what we did, we could not get off. Let me tell you though, I was turned into a prayer warrior. Not that I did not pray before, but like most people I tended to pray when I needed something or felt scared. It is easy to forget to pray for the thanks, the good, and give the glory to whom its deserved. Not any more though for me. I have changed so much in my prayer life. It is the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before I fall asleep. Do not get me wrong some days I pray all day.I just pray with a different attitude. I truly believe what I am praying. If it is an area of need, I know in His time He will provide. If it is a thanks or praise, I know HE is looking down saying, " Your welcome my child". It is just amazing, how talking to my Heavenly Father can make me feel so good and at peace. If praying is not a daily habit you have please try and make it one. Start small, as you lay down at night thank God for 1 thing that you feel blessed you that day. If you can not think of anything, then thank Him for the bed you are sleeping in, the roof over your head, your family, job, etc. If you can do this once a day you will find yourself praying even more often through out the days. You will start enjoying your time with Him. I encourage to just give it a try. I will be praying for you. Cause I am a prayer warrior.

Easter Story Cookies

Now this activity is very neat! It is to be done the evening before Easter.

- 1 cup whole pecans

- 1tsp vinegar

- 3 egg whites

- pinch of salt

- 1 cup sugar

- zipper baggie

- wooden spoon

- tape

- Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important, don't wait till you're half done with the recipe)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that Jesus was arrested, He was Beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, and close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door shut. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that the may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

The Easter Hill

This is another great activity! I love that there are so many activities we can sit and do with our kids to teach them the true meaning of Easter. These are fun activities that the kids and you can do together and they will not even realize they are learning.

This activity is from "Treasuring God in our Traditions" by Noel Piper
To purchase go here http://www.amazon.com/Treasuring-God-Traditions-euml-Piper/dp/1581348339

Instructions:

- Make a hill out of Salt dough (recipe to follow)

-The hill includes a spot for the cross, the tomb, and places to place other people.

- Let the kids make a hill and the people (out of pipe cleaner).

- On Friday morning , talk about when Jesus dies on the cross (wrap a red piece of tinsel or pipe cleaner around Jesus to show he has died) and the the kids place 'Jesus' in the tomb with the rock covering the opening.

- On Sunday morning (Easter Sunday) before they wake up you can roll away the stone and place Jesus on top of the hill (red blood tinsel removed) to show He is alive.

- Help the kids understand the waiting between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. And why Easter is such an important celebration.

Recipe

- 4 cups of flour

-1 1/2 cups salt

- 1 1/2 cups water

- 1 tablespoon oil

1. Shape dough into a hill

2.Form a hole/cave at the base.

3.Press a rock into the cave opening to make a more exact fit between the two

4.Create a cross using small sticks and twine

5.Stick the cross into the top of the hill to make a hole

6.The dough will shrink a bit when baking so make sure the hole is just a bit bigger and deep enough to hold the cross (or Jesus if you made him)

7.Use the toothpicks to make small holes all over the hill. These will hold the 'people' made out of pipe cleaners.

8.Cook at 250 for 4-5 hrs. It is okay if the dough gets a bit brown.

9.Once fully cooked let cool completely

10. Once cool you can paint.

Here is a blog with an example http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/04/01/diy-teaching-easter-to-your-preschooler/

If you do not want to go through the baking part you can use things you have at home. The picture at the top is my husband and brother when they were young creating their Easter Hill. Making the tomb out of an oatmeal box. Crosses out of twigs and Jesus out of a coloring book picture wrapped in tissue. They just used what they had around the house to recreate the scene. Having fun all while making memories and learning the Easter story. Be creative! Have Fun! Most of all teach the Easter story to your children!