A New Journey

I wish I could say, "it's official" but it's not...yet, at least. What is "official" is that we have big trucks on site...and I'm sure these trucks have specific names with very important duties, but I don't have a clue what they'd be. We are finally starting to build our house. We have been so blessed over the years by the way God has provided us with each step, and now we are going to build! The past few months of completing the background work have been interesting enough and we have nothing to show for it! I am not sure what the next few months will hold, but I am sure that they will be blog-worthy!

Maddie's Spider

The other photo didn't do it justice...I hope you can see it more clearly here!

Kd's Birthday

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY KD!!!!

Yesterday we had a frog/turtle birthday party for Kd...why the theme? He saw the cake/cupcakes in a book and wanted me to make them...so, that's what we did!

I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture, but my niece is all curled up around the tree with the BIGGEST spider I have ever seen right next to her head and hand! Ewwwwwww....



Kd loves his birthday. He begins the countdown at the end of May. All he wanted for his birthday was a light up pen (which I couldn't find), a card that made noise and Super Mario Galaxy...he actually enjoys opening up the cards the best.








Kd figured out quite quickly what to do with the Silly String!

He was making a snorting noise when we tried to get this picture...can you see his nose and face?


The marshmallow gun....

Ok - so no outside story is complete without mentioning ticks. I did the check from head to toe on the boys and found, yet another one, on Kd. The tick count for the year is:

Kd- 2 (maybe 3?)

Ky - 1

Janelle - 1

Me - 1

Oh, and where was it, you may wonder...ummmmm, some place a boy really doesn't want an insect biting????

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the lord forever.

Over the years, this chapter has held so many different meanings. At first, it was a challenge. My grandfather told us he would give us money to memorize certain sections of the Bible. My cousin and I memorized what we could for the money...she, far surpassing my little brain, had all the passages memorized, but i did manage to get a few dollars!

Fast forward many years...though I could still recite this chapter in the Psalms, it still held no more meaning to me. Through listening to his personal testimony, I learned that my husband's grandfather was saved through this passage while serving in the Maries in Iwo Jima. This was the only passage he had ever memorized as a child, and when all around him was passing away, and he was beginning to wonder why it wasn't him, why was he spared? God brought verses from this passage to his heart and he asked God to be his Shepherd.

It reminded me that it is not us that saves, it is God alone. He saves us when we are running full force away from him, he grabs us and pulls us near. My thoughts...why me, Lord? Why did you save me when thousands perish?

And then a few days ago, the words of a song that were taken from this passage have been heavy on my heart. The Lord is my shepherd; i shall not want. Talk about instant conviction...all the things I want...as if I deserve anything. AND how I have failed to return praise back to him for all the blessings he has given!!!

So as I am learning to pray scripture...this has been my prayer:

"Lord, you are my shepherd. Help me not to want."

Slowly, I am falling in love more and more with this passage. I am learning to cherish every line with every passing year of my life. I might not have "walked through the valley of the shadow of death" trying not to "fear any evil" as Grandad did, but as the years go by this passage becomes all the more sweet...and I am so thankful for my own Grandpa's encouragement to me to memorize it...

Roller Skating Parties

Most of the time...we were on the floor, but we did get a couple of upright shots!

We ran out of plates so Mr. Wilkins allowed Kd to eat right from the tray???? He was in heaven!

Yes, me, the lover of group participation, was out there doing the chicken dance!

Kb, although smiling here, didn't like the skating!

Assuming the position of the night!!!!

Gothcha Day!!!!

Eighteen months ago...

ONE year ago...

These were taken the day we got them...i seem to have forgotten the heat, but remember the awesome feeling of finally holding our children :-)

This was our first night that i felt normal...we went out to a restaurant with a missionary couple. And yes, that is the best we could look under those conditions...you're just lucky you can't smell though pictures!!!!!!

(we should've taken a picture on gotcha day, but didn't - never really good at the picture thing?)

Needless to say, trying to get 8 kiddos between the ages of 2-8 to look at me at the same time, was beyond challenging!!!

Yes, we did buy this table to fit the kids. When we look at it we see "empty seats" - we wonder if we will be called to adopt again.

My "little man"....

Kp - such a precious, sweet girl :-) -obviously we don't share the same genes...lucky for her!!!

(it was on Monday, but just now posting pics...)

Hamburgler

Here is a little story...

Yesterday, we all went to Burger King. Someone thought that our family of 6 needed 10 cheeseburgers. Another of us thought that was too many. We each had one for lunch, and one of us had two.

So if you can do math in your head, that leaves 3 uneaten cheeseburgers. Went to a roller skating party and had pizza for dinner (those pics are coming soon)...came home.

Today, went to get the kids the left over hamburgers for lunch...no hamburgers. Hmmmmmm...maybe it was the "Not Me" that lives in our house that ate them. OR maybe it is the one who has super high cholesterol and blood pressure that ate them...it better have been Not Me.