My new 5 year old!

My little boy is now 5. He is a pretty fun one to have around. He got real excited when he opened his box that held two pairs of jeans in it that had no holes in the knees. Can anyone relate to having not a jean without holes for boys? I just don't have that trouble with my girls. He got camoflauge things for his birthday as you can see his brothers also got camo clothes for Christmas, their very favorite kind of clothes. The two older boys have worn their shirt and pants for 6 days straight. It's been great!!!! No laundry for them this week. I made them put them in the wash today, but by tomorrow they'll be back on. This is the fun part, I have two five year olds today, they are not twins. His sister turns 6 tomorrow. Both born in the same year, one on Jan 1st and the other Dec 30th. It is nice to have another lazy day off of school The girls and I are going to watch the rest of Jane Eyre, the BBC version (only one I've seen) is really good. Then we have another birthday party tomorrow. Happy New Year!!!

What a wonderful night we had!

We went to the airport and saw Laura from steppingoutoftheboat.blogspot.com come home with her new baby boy Hudson. Her husband and girls were there along with her sisters, parents and some church friends. Kevin and I and two girls and the Queen were there too to witness this wonderful blessing of God finding them a baby. He was passed around all over the place. It really makes me anxious for the same things to happen to me:)

Now, I know that the baby girl waiting to be born January 25th might not end up ours but I have named her if she is ours but my hubby isn't with me on this name. I have always found THE name for each kid and I just knew. So maybe I need you to pray Kevin into liking it. I'll share it with you knowing I might not get to use it, Tessa Mae. I had it picked out for another child but probably got the same reaction from Kev before. I feel like I don't even need to think about it another moment. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. You know what he said about it last night, he'd get used to it, if you named her spatula you'd get used to that too. "Here spatty!" he says. Is he comparing Tessa to naming her spatula!?! Too funny he is. We are celebrating Christmas with my dad from Wisconsin and other family tomorrow and he is right now letting the kids open presents and play with them. He is a big kid. Blessings to all and have a good night.

To Justine in Canada

Hi to Justine in Canada who is waiting for a referral of two little girls from Ethiopia to add to her already six boys http://sixboysandalittlelady.blogspot.com. I tried and tried to post and it won't work so I'm hoping you take a look here sometime. I think it is wonderful how your brother reacted. Very encouraging when you don't always feel supported in your "alternate" lifestyle. Sounds like some exciting things are happening in Canada. That's what happens when people actually get up and "do" something! Also exciting to get to be on TV. Did it air already? Was it a positive piece? My computer would never let me watch it. Well, I just wanted to say keep up the good work and staying close to the Lord. I will pray for your referral to come soon. The waiting is the worst of all. Love from Steph and crew

This isn't as easy as I'd like!

OK, for one thing most grants take 3-4 months to be reviewed and then take more time to receive the money. I found a couple that won't take that long but they are not sure they have any money. I'm am playing around with my options. I am still sending the ones off that take awhile because this baby isn't ours yet as Laura has found out too many times and countless others I'm sure. I worked at the computer as long as I could stand it and had to stop. Today, we got back to school, not too hard at it though because I'm all alone save Isaac telling me all about a Little House he saw while I'm typing away. Oh, here's Riah with her princess outfit on. She's not school age though. I guess I'll go find out what's going on!:)

Merry Christmas!

Hi, have you all had a good Christmas? Christmas with kids is always a good time. We have been enjoying our day staying at home. We had Christmas Eve at my mom's last night and today we played and had a hayride and are now going to eat a Christmas dinner of roast pork, potatoes, green bean casserole, fruit salad, etc. Mmmm. I love to eat. Last night after the kids were done opening presents and running around and playing with cousins I was sitting there with my stash of presents unopened and all I could think of is "I don't want to open these. I would rather have a baby/child right now than these presents." I appreciate my mom's thoughtfulness but that was what I was thinking. Sometimes the desire for a child is so great that Kevin and I wonder what else we can do to make it happen. So, tomorrow when Kevin goes back to work and the kids play with their new things I'll be in prayer for this baby due in January and for the grants that I will be applying for. Merry Christmas and Blessings from the Blazek family.

Having a good week!

Hi, we are just laying back and doing a little bit of cleaning and relaxing on our week off. I can't believe we haven't done this before. We got the kid's bazillion presents wrapped that they bought for each other at store night and my upstairs is vacuumed pretty good, you know all those places you don't think about when you do a quick clean. Well, they are clean, frames, tops of doorways. Wow, was that the dirtiest place in the house or what? Now I am going over all the papers that pile up next to me at the computer. Happily, half are hitting the garbage. Now, I am hitting the computer and filling out forms, maybe it will get to be a bazillion. I am working on the financial aid part of adoption. If anything were to materialize in the form of a baby in the next 3-4 weeks we need a big chunk of money. So, just pray as I fill this out and get it all straight. One huge blessing is my computer is working right and I could actually maneuver around on the internet which I haven't been able to do. So, on the day when I need to it starts to work. How cool! Here's wishing all who read this a wonderful, relaxing next few days. The countdown is on as to when we go to Grandma's Christmas Eve.

Possible Match

We may have a match for our family!!! It's a bit soon to tell. We've been doing some fasting and praying and look up Ezra 8:21-23. It is the passage I found while deciding what to do about this possible match. If that passage doesn't send goosebumps up your arm! I didn't look hard and I found it. We didn't send out a massive email asking for prayer or post until we decided what to do. As the verse talks about not going to the King to request an escort because Ezra had already told the King God will guide those who seek Him, we waited for the Lord to speak to us in His way. If he asked for an escort it would have been like saying God couldn't do it. It is hard not to get blown away by the possibility here but we are working on waiting:) Plus not telling too many details to too many people until more is known. This process is full of ups and downs and no baby is yours until they are in your home. There are no guarantees. Please just be in prayer for God's continued guidance for us on this. He's really worked me over on some major issues and I feel free from something that was my own making and I praise the Lord for seeing me through it.

Praises to the Lord as Laura from http://steppingoutoftheboat.blogspot.com has left to see and hold her new baby boy. They are another family who has been with us from the beginning of this journey. They added a boy to their four girls. A wonderful working of the Lord.

We have taken the week off school to relax and clean and wrap presents and all that jazz. The children really made me proud tonight. It was store night at AWANA, our bible memory club, and they earn dollars each week to spend at this. Well, they didn't buy anything for themselves with the exception of a lip gloss and one bought something so she could have the same thing as the sister she bought for. Otherwise they spent 30 of their 33 or so dollars on others for Christmas. It was wonderful. It was overwhelming for one child as he realized this on the way home and cried. I told Him he was an example of Christ and His love for us, giving for all of us and going without. He seemed to perk up after this. "That we should be called the sons of God"
Blessings to you during this Christmas season.

Christmas Letters!

I absolutely love Christmas letters and pictures. Sometimes I get only a picture and no news but I'll forgive you. Writing a letter is a highlight of my year. This year I took a step back and decided not to include every little thing we did. I let the kids and Kevin have most of the letter. I wrote a bit and now I'm thinking "I forgot this" and "I forgot that" but overall it is still newsy enough. When I get the mail I open the Christmas cards while driving down the driveway making my 14 year old nervous and asking if she can hold them for me until we get home.

Today was Program practice and I guess you'd say I'm in charge of the Church Christmas program which is tomorrow night. Some minor adjustments and maybe a major one since the main character wasn't there today. I'm letting go of that too and saying it will turn out how it will with 33 kids involved and it will be really good. I'm a bit excited for it actually. I do hope I sleep tonight and don't think of too may things that will have to be done for tomorrow. But, my chicken is still cooking and will need quite a bit. How to get it all done in a day is really beyond me sometimes. Blessings. I'll leave you with the title of the Christmas Play:

His Yoke is Easy

Hello!

My computer is giving me trouble again!!! We are not planning on getting high speed until the beginning of next school year when we'll probably need it for school. We are still praying about the children we chose to find out more information on. I sent a new sibling group to her today. From my last post and comment from Kathy I guess adopting this way can take a very long time. She ended up going internationally because it didn't work for them to adopt through the foster care system. I would say we have a hugely flawed system that needs a wave of prayer from coast to coast. These children want "forever" families and they get stuck in a system that can't meet their needs. I am sad thinking about them. God Bless and have a good rest of the week. Our week is going the normal busy, busy, and more busy. We are seriously thinking of cutting out most activities next year and seeing what life is like being at home most of the time!!! It would be a tiny taste of heaven. :)

Computers!!!!

I can just never get on here to post!!! It is always saying the page is unavailable. Very frustrating. Yet, here I am, finally. I don't have much to say really. I have been going through the children on the website www.adoptuskids.org and thinking about the ones I click on and imagining and dreaming of them. I had such a vivid dream of these twin 5 year old and the next day they were gone from the site. I really didn't see us looking at foster kids to adopt from the beginning. I really just thought international was the way to go. I am sending a list of possible matches to Amy tonight and she is going to find out some more information on each group. You go on the site and type in the min. and max. number of children and the min. and max. for the age and what kind of special needs you are willing to take on and push a button and up pops a list of children matching the criteria. It doesn't say a lot about them other than things they like to do. Once in awhile you read they need to be the youngest or only children or the parents need to have a special understanding of their special needs but otherwise it is like I'm describing my own children. We have gotten out the heavy artillery and have been praying several times a day for God to help lead us to what child or children would work in our home and with our children. I also expanded my list up to 10 years of age. I was keeping it younger before but what beautiful children there are. Please remember all these children in your prayers. They all need someone to care for them and train them in the Lord. God's Blessing upon the motherless and fatherless this Christmas season.

Decisiveness

Decisive adj. 1 Having the power to decide; conclusive 2.Characterized by decision and firmness ; resolute. 3. Beyond doubt; unmistakable:

I am coming to the conclusion I am not a decisive person. I can go back and forth in my mind a hundred times a day about something. I realize that how I feel, what kind of day I have had with the kids, if I slept well or at all has a lot to do with this undecisiveness I am having about this adoption. It was so clear for me when we were going internationally. The plan was laid out for us so it seemed. Now, I am not so sure. I look at the site adoptuskids.org and look to see is there a possible match for us there? How will I know? If I check on one and the answer it no, do I just keep on checking each child? Is that God's plan? Again, the financial aspect was brought up now that the home study is ready for signatures. Will we be able to have $15,000 in hand at any moment because that is how fast it could happen. Not at this time do we have that so I was encouraged to check out the website again because those kids are in foster care and the cost if very minimal if any cost at all. How do you know? These questions and doubts keep coming to me over and over. If God had this planned for us would we have the money by now? Is this our own desire and not His? I am praying for clarity and for God to show us the way clearly to the child he would have for us. I can't imagine stopping at this point. I can't imagine what the kids would think and learn if we did that. I also believe a baby would be heavenly. Please pray for clarity and decisiveness. God will show us. I am thinking I need to be still and listen to Him.

My Oldest

Here is my lovely 14 year old, 5 weeks until she is 15. How does this happen? I remember her talking to me with her pacifier in her mouth just yesterday and now she is this lovely young girl. She enjoys playing guitar and other instruments but guitar is her favorite right now. She is a 9th grader this year and Algebra 2 has got us a bit frazzled. Writing class and a classical lit class are probably her favorite classes. She has always been an avid reader which works to my advantage as she can help me when I am teaching. She always seems to know a little something about what we are studying. She will be Clara in the play Heidi in January. She believes in adoption and at the very beginning encouraged us to get on with it before she left the house so she could be a big sister to whoever comes into our home. She loves the Lord and studies His word on her own. It is also an advantage to me as when I am searching for a particular verse I can ask her first before I go searching and she will usually know where I can look.

A favorite verse on child training that is wonderful when you start seeing the fruits:

Deuteronomy 11: 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Happy Anniversary to Us! Read to Find out Who.

This is the day 25 years ago that I say we married Sam. My mom married my stepdad on this day and really it was my brother and me with my mom. I was her only attendant and my brother gave her away. Here we are on the eve of it getting ready to all go out and celebrate this day (no children are coming though). We became a family and moved to this area and now I live 9 miles from that place and my brother lives a quarter of a mile away from them. I married someone from this area and I can't help but believe God had this all planned for purposes that might not yet be revealed. I am incredibly blessed by their union.

Praying for Baby

Hi, we have the family profile copied 15 times and I just came home from seeing my cousin's three month old baby and have baby fever!!!! Oh, she was the sweetest thing. It will be a waiting game once the agency gets the profiles into the hands of some potential birthmothers. Plus, we need the money yet. I've been thinking all along it will just appear one day but now that the time is near we need to come up with it. As soon as I have a copy of the home study I will be applying like crazy for grants. Please pray for God to work in this area of finances for us. Kevin keeps taking extra jobs but the money just seems to go to other things, like keeping up with bills. We know if it is His will it will happen but also I can't sit around expecting God to just drop it on us. I'm trying to cut out little things that aren't completely necessary and that is hard. We don't live on too many extras now. Our biggest expense is gas right now and the kids are in a few things and they aren't things we are willing to cut, is that wrong? Well, we will trust and keep praying for God to show us what is next in this journey. I have to remember it is not my timeframe that matters.

On a side note about Isaac: He had more blood tests run to see why he is anemic and they set up an appointment for a stomach specialist, the earliest we could get in is Jan. 22nd. On Sunday, some of the board members at church prayed over Isaac and he hasn't had any stomachaches or headaches since. He did have a rash under both arms this week though. He also started on some multivitamins. I'm am specifically praying for guidance on what to do next, what foods to start eliminating. I can't help thinking it is a food reaction he is having.

God Bless You all as you start the week a few pounds heavier:) I really want to start a small workout routine. Maybe Monday!

Home Study update

Our home study is done, minus the fingerprint checks. I was sent a copy via email and I didn't know what to expect. It was our biography, basically. I was surprised to read some of the things. "Did I say that?" It was nicely written with comments here and there of actual quotes of things we said and things from the reference letters. So now I know some things that were said about us!!!:) Kevin was described as a small build and me, well, I was average. I guess that means I have a few pounds on him. Well, at his last check-up he had gained 10 pounds since February so maybe I won't be married to a stick for long!:) I try to help that by feeding him lots of food but he has always stayed the same size since high school. No comment on how many sizes I gained since high school. We need to get her 15 copies of our family profile and she will get the word out that we are looking. It is so close and so exciting. Now, I feel like the pregnancy part of adoption, the anticipation and excitement of having a baby any moment!!!:) Just think, we might have a baby this year. Too wonderful for words.

On a more somber note, please continue to pray for our son Isaac. He has a doctor's appointment today to go over his last test results. The test for gluten allergy was negative but he is positive for being anemic. More tests will be run today to find out why. His stomach-aches and headaches have been bad this week and I'm so worried for him. Especially because I am so helpless when they are happening. I just don't know what to do, take him off milk, give him supplements, etc? I am praying for God's guidance and healing and strength. Thank you for praying too.

The Control Freak....

Greetings, I just had to share a book I am reading. The Control Freak by Les Parrot,III. I knew I had these tendencies but wow, when you can say yes to 9 out of 10 questions and the answer section says if you answer 5 or more with a yes you are this, it is an eye opener to how I take control and try to fit everyone around me into a certain box and when they go out of it I don't take it well and have to regroup and figure a new strategy to get them back in their box. My oldest read the book too and decided we all must have these characteristics sometimes or we wouldn't be able to get anything done. Mostly I need to stop making those around me feel like they can't ever measure up. I am quick to share when something is being done the "wrong" way. I know it has a lot to do with organizing a household of this size and getting it all done. The other big characteristic that is me is making goals that are pretty hard to accomplish. Then, I get down on myself when I can't make it. A quote: The soul of control is fueled by anxiety and nurtured by feelings of extreme vulnerability and a fragile self confidence. This book has made me much more aware of everything thing that comes out of my mouth and how it sounds. Also everything that comes out of my children's mouths that sounds just like it came out of mine. That's eating humble pie, I tell you.

How about some more teachable quotes:
Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered on anything short of God. Billy Graham

And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Luke 12:25

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. Oscar Wilde

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Mother Teresa

Control Freaks are people who care more than you do about something and won't stop at being pushy to get their way. Les Parrot

"Kindly let me help you or you will drown." said the monkey, putting the fish safely up in the tree. Alan Watts

Please know if you have a control freak in your life they are probably not meaning to be that way. Circumstances may have brought them to this place. Just get them this book and pray they see themselves and not you in it!! (big smile)

Home Study is almost done!

I talked to our social worker on Saturday. She is working on making the study sound as positive as she can. Now, that doesn't sound real good does it? She means related to the fact that we home school, live in the country and have more than the norm for children. She, personally, is very positive about our family and is doing all she can to make sure this works for us. It sounds a bit like a cult. You know, we stay at home to stay away from all the bad influences out there!:) It is how many social workers and birthmothers may view us if they don't know anyone who lives like this. We live in the midwest so there are many people who don't homeschool but who "live like us" (in the country, more than 3 kids, gardeners and have animals). It is strange because I feel so normal. I feel like we are raising our children in the most normal environment possible. We need to pray for this world and their view of what a "normal" family is. I still believe no matter what worldview is prevalent, if God has it planned for us to adopt it will still happen and to God be the Glory.

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.John 15:18-20 (in Context) John 15 (Whole Chapter)

Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 1 John 3:13

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

It's All About You

Do you know the line to this song: "It's all about you, Jesus. As if I could do things my way." Do we not try so hard to do it our way. And we can say a big "As if". Well, I took Isaac to the doctor yesterday and told the doctor what I was concerned about, him being allergic to gluten and the doctor agreed it sounded like we should check it out. So, my very giggly 9 year old gets three vials of blood taken. I asked him if he was nervous, no, just wondering if it might hurt more than last time. He can be very silly and he was then. I will get a letter in mail. I forgot to ask when so now we will wait and see what happens. I still pray for healing but know it is not what I will to be done but what God has planned for us. I can live with the results anyway they come. I'll need an extra measure of strength but I know God will provide that too.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in percecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We also got the family profile to the printer and made one copy to give to the agency we are working with. One more step of many to be done yet. My youngest prays at lunch everyday for the baby to be cute. Now, this is so funny. We drove to Kevin's brother's to get a wagon of hay for the horses. The youngest says what are we doing? I tell her getting a wagon of hay. And she says, "For the baby?" What was going through her mind?!?! God Bless and may your days be filled with these lovely moments.

Not much new, but to keep praying!

There isn't much new to report. We received some more questions for the home study and it looks to be progressing just fine. We are working on the family profile. I just need to label and tape on the pictures. Then on to a copier for color prints. It was fun. I wish I could do something like that every 6 months to recap what we have been doing as a family. I could do away with photo albums. I haven't put any pictures in an album since Caleb was born back in 1999!!!!! So I guess that isn't a concern for me anyway.

Prayer concerns for our family at this time include:
For me to be able to sleep. I am going on just about forever of not being able to fall asleep until the wee, wee hours of the morning.
For our son Isaac. He is having stomach aches after meals and rashes on his hands. Anyway, he is going to the doctor Wednesday. We are hoping they will test for allergies to gluten. Please pray the test is read properly in the lab. That can be a difficult thing to have come back accurate. I would love for Isaac to be healed of whatever this is.
Praise that Kevin recently got two jobs through his side job to help the "get out of debt" campaign. We are working on that at the same time as saving for the adoption.

Mom's Night Out

Last night was actually mom's night out for the homeschool mom's in the Wahpeton area. I wasn't able to make it. Jordan had an orthodondist appt. in Fargo and we did various other things and on the way home it hit me that I needed to leave right then to make it on time. Well, I had 20 minutes more to get home, unload van and kids and get supper started. I just couldn't do it after such a long day. The kids were bummed. I guess they thought I needed the night off or they wanted me gone for awhile so they could manipulate dad into doing whatever they wanted!!!!! Tonight I ended up outside. It was a beautiful day and I was cleaning up the rest of the garden. I come in the house and it hits me that Jordan has drama at 7 p.m. and I am pretty sure that at 20 to 7 we are not going to make it since I think it is an hour away. It was only the first night, let's figure out what we are doing meeting. But Jordan tells me she wants to be there because she said she would be. That's called responsibility:) So we went and after the meeting I stayed for quite awhile visiting with the mom and boy did it turn into some great talking and God used some of the topics to open my eyes to some sin in my life. I am so glad I still got my "mom's night out". It was a blessing and I pray God will keep using what he revealed to me to help me in my daily walk with Him. Praise Him for the hope he gives us and for His continual forgiveness of me a sinner.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

What can we do about the big family prejudice?

OK, I realize this adoption process is disappointment after disappointment but this is hard. I read the profile on the three available children and they sounded like a good match for what we are looking for. But, when the social worker in charge of them heard we had seven she said no and that she is looking for a family with two or less children for these kids. Ugggghhhh!!!! I am so frustrated at this family size issue. Now, I'm not saying that having just two children isn't work and busy. I've been there and at the time is was challenging to get it all in but now I've gotten pretty good at handling things (most of the time) and this keeps coming back at me about the family size. Our children have the advantage of growing up in a two parent home and are pretty well adjusted and I know they would be a blessing to these three children. How do we go about changing a whole mindset of the international community and the social service community? How do we stand up to say we can do this and we would be a blessing to these children and that we wouldn't mess them up. Last night I just prayed for the social worker to change her mind about us. I want her to at least talk to me and find out something about me without throwing me out because I have 7 children. I am frustrated at what I believe to be a "worldview" that doesn't see the value of a the big family. Please pray for us as we know this will be a common roadblock.

Prayer request

I haven't asked for a specific request for quite some time and realize the time is now. We ask you to pray for God to show us and bring us to the child or children he would have in mind for us to have in our home. We received an email tonight about three children needing a home and we just prayed about it and for God to lead us to them if this is right. When we read these kind of emails we think "here they are". God you just showed them to us by this email. Then, it was clearly not His plan as it didn't go anywhere. We are working on our home and changing the things that need to be changed. We're "cleaning house" so to speak. It is a long and sometime arduous process but is so very rewarding as we see the children growing in the Lord and ourselves too.

Galations 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Why are there not (m)any pictures of me?????

OK, all you mom's out there start giving the camera's to the kids and your husbands and make them take a picture of you once in awhile doing something, it could be laundry or dishes or sweeping the floor since that might be all it seems you do. But better yet, a picture of you reading to the little ones, helping with math, or putting a bandaid on someone. The one you really need to try to get is on your birthday. Annnnddddd while you are at it start assigning someone to make you a birthday cake. It could be a home-ec project. I am busy putting together a photo portfolio of our family doing fun things and everyday things and I'm not finding me on there. An example is the birthday pictures I put together which I just tried to download on here and would you believe an hour of work is lost because I didn't save it. It was a great collage. I put together a collage of the only pictures of me that weren't family pictures!! And for some reason my dial up won't let me upload it. So here is a picture of Kevin and me. Hence, a picture with me in it.

I Tag Aimee too.

Laura tagged three people. I didn't know you could do that so I tag Aimee at 6pack too.

Tag, I'm It

Jana the Queen tagged me so I answer these questions about myself:

Jobs I have had in my life:

1. Hoeing weeds in beet fields
2. Secretary for a lawyer
3. Hostess at a resort in the Black Hills
4. Christmas call drive for the Perry Center
5. Substitute teacher for 19 schools in Rapid, City, SD

Places I have lived:

1. Kent, Minnesota
2. Custer, South Dakota
3. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Fargo, North Dakota
5. Moorhead, Minnesota

TV shows I like to watch:

I won't admit to watching it
but, I like dramas without the
junk. Hard to find.

Places I've been to:

1. Florida with my parents
2. Florida for our honeymoon
3. Florida to help a friend move
4. Maine
5. Europe(Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France)

Fave Foods:

1. Chocolate (cookies, on ice cream, cheesecake, mudcake, candy)
2. Pork chops with some kind of potato and home canned green beans
3. Cherry Pepsi (is this a food?)
4. Oyster stew with lots of oyster crackers and butter
5. Grilled cheese and home canned tomato soup

Books I've Especially Appreciated Lately:

1. The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo
2. Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald
3. Proverbs for Parenting
4. Philippians (we are studying it in school)
5. The last Ted Dekker book I read (Can he tell you
what's what or what?)

Things I Enjoy: (no particular order)

1. Reading Ted Dekker books
2. Reading other books
3. Canning!!!!!!!
4. When the kids are finally in bed and it is
just Kevin and I!!!
5. Being a mother

I tag Laura at Stepping Out of the Boat

What do the kids think of me?

I did the Queen's little test on the kids, asking to describe me in two words (or I asked them to say two things about me). I tried not to give ideas. Son 2 said I was nice after a big hug. He's the one I had a not so great encounter with recently. So I was surprised. Son 1 said I was nice and made good food. Daughter 2 said I was fun and could laugh when someone was doing something they shouldn't be. (Fun???? I would not use that word with me!) Daughter 1 said I picked out her schoolwork. Translated means: I pick just the things she likes and I know her well enough to do that. She decided the word for it was "mom". The little ones weren't around but Moriah told me the other day after I wouldn't let her touch me with pink clothes on (joking around) that I was funny and she "hiked" me. She puts "h"s in front of a lot of words. So the word she used was liked.

Jordan also said it was cool how I knew what color folder they would pick. I bought several three-ring binders and I guessed what color they would each pick. I told Jordan and then called the other's in to pick the color they wanted and I got them 100% correct. I loved it. I love knowing my kids so well and them appreciating I know them so well. Isn't that a little glimpse on how the Lord knows us so well? Isn't it well and good that mother's should embrace this? We should let our husbands be oblivious of the hundred and one details of our day and the children and let him have the role God gave him and we have ours? After all:

He created them male and female, and blessed them. Genesis 5:2

PS. Aimee or Justine, if you are out there, I have tried two days in a row to leave a comment on your blog and it won't let me on it. Maybe it is the time of the day I do it. Anyway, Aimee, I thought it funny your question of the week was What is your favorite season? Saturday as we were cleaning up the yard Kev and I commented on how we love this season. We like Spring and Fall. Kevin said we look forward to a holiday or a vacation but we look forward to Spring and Fall. The whole season is looked upon with favor! Justine I love the figurine of the two girls. Precious. I would look upon them everyday with all the longing in my heart God has given me for adopting children that look just like them. How absolutely precious.

Called the Social Worker today!

Hi, I called our agency doing our home study to let her know to please go ahead and finish our home study. We had put it on hold after the miscarriage. Now we are pursuing an infant adoption from here in the United States. We need to make up a family profile and send off several copies to her and she can begin to look for someone for us. Our profile will be given to several birth mom's and then they choose us. It will be a challenge because birth mom's prefer families with no children or only one or two. The other route is an agency placement in which the birth mom gives her child up and isn't involved in the process. We are praying for God's guidance in this and for this to be His will and not ours. The desire is there and the need for families to adopt is there so I pray we are following His will.

Please pray:
For whoever God may have for our family; good choices for the birth mom during the pregnancy and for the health of the baby.

For the finances we need. This will cost between $10,000 to $17,000 (much less than the $35K we needed for international). We will begin applying for grants when the home study is completed. Please pray for grant money to be available. If we get picked by a mom it may be needed in a hurry.

Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

New Glasses

I had one of those days yesterday. Some of it might relate to the adoption:) We had planned a big day in Fargo but this got borderline crazy!!!!!! First, I didn't get out of bed until 9:17 a.m. I wanted to leave at 9 a.m. Oops, didn't make it. Checked email for any word on what to do next for adoption. Replied to a friend's email, picked up her girls to go skating with us. Chick food at Fleet Farm, McDonald's (the kids were going to eat while Rebekah got a hair cut but the line was soooo long so no haircut), Skateland for an hour and half of skating and visiting, after we were taking two other kids, then not taking them until later, OfficeMax for sticky tack (they have the good stuff), Wal-mart for Jordan's glasses (see picture), Sam's Club for sugar and flour, Menard's for a gallon of paint (hooray the laundry room will get painted after one year), Great Clips for Rebekah and Emily's haircuts (we needed to give our ears a break from hearing one of them SCREAM everytime we brushed her hair), two extra kids went with their mom, two other kids got in with mine, back to Sam's Club to drop Rebekah off with friends, Wal-mart to pick up photo CD I had in one hour plus needed to exchange something I bought Kev for his birthday but it didn't work, Best Buy for printer ink (had a coupon or else would have done it at OfficeMax), Little Caesers's for two hot and ready pizzas, Mrs. Jones to eat the pizza (too bad she wasn't home), ate in the van, dropped two bunnies off outside of Kent, Mn, picked up two girls for AWANA, went to AWANA, went home!!!! I'm alive but did go to the chiropractor today for having a lot of things out of place!:)

Now about the kind of related to the adoption story! I think Rebekah may have gotten her hair trimmed in a salon once but she was three. I've been trimming it. Well, everytime she heard the stylist ask Emily a question she broke into talk with her stylist, even though her stylist didn't ask a single question:) She told her everyone in the family from oldest to youngest, then she says my mom was having a baby but it died and then my mom had another baby die. Rebekah then says, "We are going to adopt a baby boy.......I think. We don't know what it is. We were going to adopt two families from Ethiopia (correctly said). The one family was three girls, one was 5 but I don't know the other's ages, the other family has a 4 year old girl and two boys." Her words. Then she told how Caleb was the middle child and that he thinks he can get away with things because he is. Do I need to keep an eye on her or what. She will just say anything that comes to mind!

Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

A wise verse for anyone, mayhap she gets her loose lips from her mother?!?

The Vote Is In

The vote is in from all the family members. Yes, we should adopt a baby from the U.S. The boys said it has to be a boy and the littlest girl wants a girl, the next littlest girl wants a boy and a girl and everyone else just wants a baby, no preference. After discussing the baby probably isn't born yet, the boys accepted it might be a girl. Oh, this will be so wonderful. We are praying God will open the doors if this is where he wants us to go

I went to church yesterday, first time since I discovered at church that I was miscarrying. Not that I associate it with this bad memory but it was still fresh. During the service again the congregation was asked if they had anything good happen they wanted to share. Well, I stood up to tell how last time we thought we were adopting three girls and pregnant and were so happy and now none of that is true and that we are able to still praise God for His awesome care of us. I just wanted to share that I don't just praise Him when I am happy and things are going my way. Well, someone else stood at the same time and she went first, then another person went and then another and I sat there thinking and chickening out. I really got too sad and couldn't talk when my name was called so I just shook my head no. By then I felt awkward because everyone was looking and wondering what was going on. After that I was just too overcome by emotion to talk to anyone at church because I was trying so hard not to cry. I guess I will have days like that. I feel good today and have canned tomato soup and grape jelly and now we are picking leaves to make leaf people with the little ones.

Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noon time, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him when the sun goes down. (part of a song I used to sing in Sunday School)

What Next? What do you think?

I've been thinking hard about our options at this point in the adoption process. We could pass immigration services but it might be tight squeeze through. We might get part way through a dossier in a country to find they don't take families as big as ours anymore. I'm not giving up. I know it sounds that way. I am wondering if we should be turning in a different direction, like domestic infant adoption of a bi-racial baby. I didn't think there was much of a need for that and we've had many children of our own so I didn't give it much consideration. I really thought older kids and a sibling group was where we would best serve the Lord and meet the needs of an orphan. Now that we have seen it could be a challenge we are seriously thinking we should look into an infant adoption. (I am up for a challenge, believe me.) I'm trying to sort out the direction God would have us go with this.

This is our other thoughts on this family size thing. What if we adopted an infant now, if possible and when a few kids left the house we would meet the income requirements and the family size for an international adoption. Maybe our children should be older and God is showing us to just wait, not stop. These are just all the things I am thinking about. Please pray for clarity on what we should do? He has given us the desire and it hasn't gone away. We have been so blessed during this process already. God has turned our hearts toward our children here and given us insight and understanding on their needs and given us tools during this process to meet those needs. He has given us such a network of believers who have followed His word to lift up your brother in prayer. God Bless You.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.....Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:3,5

A little bit of news

First Picture: 50 of the 75 jars of applesauce.

Second Picture: Just the start of everyone in line for supper.
There are about 50 or more people playing
football and milling around at our weekend

at the Cutler's in South Dakota.

I tried to post last week but my computer connection is so slow sometimes!!! I was downloading pictures of our applesauce making day. I'll put them on anyway even though it was a week ago. The girls and I and a couple of the boys made applesauce from 8:30 a.m until 1 a.m. when Kevin and I finished the clean up. I have to say I didn't feel very good afterwards. It was probably too much but I hadn't canned in so long I needed to catch up. We did 75 quarts in one day. I couldn't believe it actually. It was amazing. I am about out of quart jars and need to do a couple hundred more quarts of applesauce, carrots and stewed veggies, so, if you know anyone who has jars to get rid of.......

I am feeling amazingly well, quite like normal. I had a hard time passing everything but once I did I have felt great. I would like a bit more sleep but that is what it is. One night we got five interruptions and then we went camping a couple nights later. Any mom's out there who don't really sleep when they go camping?!? We camped just one night but were there two whole days. Just the place I needed to be. I started thinking I couldn't handle being around people and I should hole up in my house and clean or something but I am so glad I went. It was a huge yearly home school gathering put on by a family in South Dakota. Some there knew of the miscarriage and most found out through conversation. Most of the 2-3 dozen women there have been through it and were so supportive. We also got tons of support to go ahead with the adoption. Many people there are considering it too and one was in the process but Guatemala has closed their doors and this family isn't sure how to proceed. Please pray for the Englehart family as they deal with the heartache of this process. The kids got dirty(boys were sliding down a steep dirt hill), rode horse, played games, ate lots of good food, bobbed for apples, had a pie contest, corn eating contest, Cowboy show with a family from South Dakota who put on shows with roping, whips and music and more, a couple hayrides. The kids were worn out. They slept in yesterday but we did manage to get school in. They are just rousing now at 10 a.m.

OK, on to what this blog is for. I called USCIS, Immigration Services and after many buttons pushed on the phone to find where I needed to be, wow, do they have options. I was even disconnected once after explaining what I wanted to know. I found someone and he said we could count assets in our home or bank accounts toward our income requirements. We should qualify now but I am wondering if I need to have the house appraised to show the actual equity. It has been six years. Six years ago it cost $350 to have done. These surprise costs always get me. I was told we go ahead and fill out the I-600 form, make an appointment with an immigrations services worker and they will go through the qualifications then. I just want to find out before we progress too far. The cost of processing the I-600 is $800, I think.

Thank you again for the prayers. I just know that God has heard and helped me deal with everything and to feel so good.

We must understand that we are stewards (managers) of all that God has put under our care. We are not owners. Our lives, our time, and our assets are gifts from God. We are responsible to God for them, and He will hold us accountable. Found throughout the verses in Matthew 25:14-30 Taken from the Billy Graham Christian Worker's handbook.

Keepin' On

Well, it has been a week since we found we were not to keep this baby. It has been an up and down week. I tend to compare everything to previous experiences and this didn't follow last time so it left me wondering if this was normal or if something else was OK. I called the doctor's office a couple of times just to make sure it was on the right track. I am not passing everything as quickly as I did before. Just when I feel better it will turn around and I'll be hot and cold and cramping. I did go in for a hormone count on Friday and it was low but not zero yet which is what they are looking for. I made an ultrasound appointment for tomorrow but do not plan to go now that I know it can take two or more weeks to pass everything. I am sometimes so tired it takes me by surprise. I just lay down or sit. Thankfully my girls are old enough to help with meals and the many other things to do. I have a hard time sitting when there are things to do. I canned some pints of sauerkraut yesterday. It had been sitting on the counter for 4 weeks now and it smelled bad to most people in the family. My mom cut up all my tomatoes that I had ready and now I'll make tomato soup this week. The hard part is done. I just got a call for apples. I am going to let the girls do that job. I'll just guide them. They'll probably have to take a couple days off of school.

I spent one night searching the net for other agencies that handle adoptions from Ethiopia and found three. I also have a friend getting me info on a place through Liberia, the first country we looked at. I got the application for Children's Hope International. This week I am going to contact Immigration Services and work out the poverty line problem we have. I am not going to apply anywhere until we know that we won't get stopped somewhere along the line with Immigration Services. This will certainly let us know if we can continue on with an international adoption.

Thank you for the many prayers and calls and cards. I sure feel so good and loved. God has been good to me and all of us in all of this. This week went pretty well. Wednesday the kids had their first night of AWANA and that was the hardest part of the week. Whenever anyone asked about how I was I felt like crying so I tried "nicely" to ignore everyone:) and let them know I couldn't talk about it yet, not when I was trying to get six kids registered and in the right places. I am also not feeling well today so I stayed home with Caleb. We had a nice time making raspberry muffins and playing Life, Caleb's favorite game. Last time I miscarried the weeks after the physical stuff passed were the hardest. That is when I started thinking about things too much. I am trying to find something to occupy my mind when I fall into that. So continued prayers for this time will be appreciated. Thank you.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:3-5

Unfortunate Chain of Events

Well, it seems my week has been full enough of disappointments. I am sad to say I have miscarried our baby. I wonder of God's plans in all this but will trust Him to guide us through this difficult time and lead us toward healing in body and spirit and to give us a closer walk with Him. I feel so much stronger emotionally than the last time we miscarried two years ago. Jana came with lunch and companionship today and the many calls have truly been an encouragement that I'm not alone.

We heard we couldn't adopt from where we wanted to because we were pregnant. Well, the agency sent the money back, which they usually don't do. Now that we can adopt I have learned Ethiopia will longer accept families with more than four children so we have been saved some parts of the process and expense. I am going to give myself time to heal and think about our options. Zambia is another country that currently doesn't have a family size requirement. It requires you to be over there possibly three weeks. We will see and I know I will be more reflective and seeking God's will more intently. I am not sure what he wants for us now for an adoption. It might not be what he wills for our family.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

Passports

Haven't you all heard how it take months to get a passport. I even heard a story about a woman who was all set for a trip and her passport didn't come so she couldn't go. Well, two weeks ago we sent away for ours and they came yesterday!!! I was surprised. Especially since yesterday I felt like I might not need them.

I want to say thank you to our supportive friends, the calls, emails and posts to this blog. Thank you Roberts family and Justine. I have tried to leave comments on your blogs but my computer is so slow it tells me that page is unavailable. Justine, I went to yours for the first time last night. How wonderful your family looks. I can relate to the bulk shopping. I like 50 pound bags of things. It makes less garbage and I don't have to think about it for awhile. I also don't know how to add all that neat stuff you have on your site linking people here and there. I can do just the basics or I'd have a link to your blog. How nice Canada doesn't have an income guideline. Last night I was searching the immigration services website and I think I found our way to showing enough income without having a sponsor. See, if you don't make above poverty guidelines you can get a sponsor to promise to support you if you need help financially. We did find a sponsor but didn't really want to do that. The equity in our house should be enough to get around that problem. We still plan to pursue other options for adoption. We don't know if other agencies will have a policy about pregnancy. I am so happy to be pregnant though, I just didn't think it could be an issue.

We have to do our fingerprints over and Kevin has some questions left to answer and our home study will be near done. I need to check on how long it is good for. I think it might be only a year. Yesterday, I was feeling defeated. Maybe I'm not a good enough mom or good enough person, maybe I can't organize homeschooling all these children. Many doubts entered my mind while I was down. I'm working past them and trying not to let Satan have a foothold on me and trying to listen to what the Lord wants for us to do now.

Thanks for the support! We are praying for our other prospective adoptive friends.

I will sing of the Mercies of the Lord forever.

The Review Committee

I am writing with a heavy heart. I received an email yesterday morning and the review committee recommended we not adopt from CWA until our baby is six months old. I was surprised at how hard it hit me. I feel like I am grieving. We didn't anticipate any problems. We are so normal I thought. How could we not be allowed to continue? I said before the email that it is in God's hands. He is in control of this and we need to follow Him in His timing and what He has planned. I have trouble with control issues. I did think it was OK to appeal to them one more time to ask them to re-consider. I laid out why clearly and concisely and asked they contact our home study social worker. They emailed back saying no, we made a unanimous decision and stand by it. The hard thing about this is Ethiopia is in the middle of changing their requirements for how many children can be in the home already. It sounds like they will change it to four. By the time our baby is six months old we won't be able to go through Ethiopia. It has been hard for Kevin and I because we recently settled on a family with three girls and now it can't happen. We have to accept this and will continue to call on the Lord for guidance in to what should we do now? We will complete our home study and see where to go from there. Please pray for us through this "grieving" process. It is a learning experience.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:33-34

Rummage Sale Fundraiser

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3

We had a beautiful, warm day the day that we set up for the rummage sale and the day after the sale dawned bright and beautiful with the sun shining all day but the day of the sale was gloomy and rainy and so very cold. My arthritis is still paining me from being outside the whole day. We had planned on having the furniture down the driveway but because of the rain we had to have it inside stuffed amongst the tables of stuff. Of course if you have ever had a sale, most people come right away and it was very difficult to walk around. Some large things sold right away but the people didn't come get them for hours! I mean hours. We have boxes and boxes of stuff yet to find a place for. These are all the things that would be easy to dwell on and be down and feel like it was a failure but I haven't told you the other side of the story.

The Kramer's let us use their very clean, newly painted garage for the sale. Karma with her two little girls helped me set up most of Friday into the late evening and helped all the day of the sale as did Janel. My family of course helped clean out our house, load the bus and unload it and helped set up. My children very graciously gave up many toys they kind of wanted to keep. We had donations brought in all day Friday and even Saturday. Jana spent Friday morning getting some skirts made to show at the rummage sale for our other fundraiser and gave many items for the sale. The Roise's drove a trailer full of stuff in late Friday night. The Falk's, Priscilla, my mom, Aunt Evalene, my in-law's, Jan, Sharon, The Prout family, The Diede's, Christine, Janel, Karma, The Foertsch's, The Scott's, Harley Jo's mom, someone who came to the sale and saw what we were doing and gave a bag of stuff and probably more people but I can't think of them right now. All these people took time to look through their stuff and gave their time and belongings to help us raise the money for the adoption. Friday as I was getting ready to leave I had a moment where I was humbled to my knees for the way friends and family came together to help us. I felt very loved by the Lord and by many people. These people and what the Lord can do for good is the other side of the story. We raised $335.00 to use toward various expenses for the adoption. We found out Thursday we have to redo our fingerprints and send in a check for $104.00 plus the cost of getting the fingerprinting done again. So, God is so good to provide in many ways, big or small. I think of this as a big way. When people come together to show their support, that is big to me. Thank you for all who helped us. We are blessed by your friendship.

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17a

Prayer request

Dear blog readers,
We need your prayers because there might be a complication because I am pregnant. Carol from CWA is going to speak for us at a review board meeting because they usually recommend that you wait to adopt until a new baby is six months old. We just want to go ahead with the adoption and I feel with my older kids being able to help me we could handle this. She asked me some questions and said she would represent me and they might rule that we can go ahead. Please pray they rule this way. We are also getting the rummage sale set up tomorrow. Praise the Lord for the donations we have gotten and the help that's been offered. I believe it will be a nice sale with lots to offer. Please pray because I am still trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get while camping and I am dragging. Thank you for thinking of us.
Stephanie

Doctor Visits

Today, we spent the day in Fargo. All seven children had their well check for our home study and I had an appointment with my doctor. They took all 9 of us into an exam room. I had my nephew along. We did height, weight, blood pressure, eye exams, hearing test for Rebekah. Plus lots more. Jordan was the only one with a negative report, she has 20/50 vision. Her left eye doesn't work well for her. I was planning an eye doctor appointment this month anyway. It doesn't give her too much trouble since her right eye makes up for it and she doesn't often walk around with her right eye covered up:) I was really hoping they all had my vision and not Kevin's. He has been nearly blind since he was in fourth grade. I am just now noticing a change in my vision. Having all of them in that room for an hour and a half was getting a bit busy. They did pretty good and it is finished. They are all as healthy as can be. Next we did lab. What a zoo that was. I was helping children pee in a cup while someone else started taking blood and boy oh boy Caleb was not a happy boy. After Gideon saw this he screamed down the place too. Moriah was wonderful as were the rest. We quick ate and came back for my appointment. I got to share the news of our pregnancy with the doctor I've had since we got pregnant with Emily. He was pretty happy about all of our news. He and his wife have adopted two girls from Korea. Now we wait as our fingerprints get done and they have already misplaced our consent form so it will be interesting to see how long this takes. We got our passports ordered Friday and I sent off our application to CWA today. Praise the Lord we have had what we need for each of these steps. He has been so good to us. Please pray this week for the fundraiser rummage sale to go well and please pray for our dear friend LuVern Jones who lost her husband yesterday. She is doing well but will need prayers to get through this. She was very close to him and will miss him terribly. We spent some time with her today and it was a blessing to us as always.

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"" John 11:25-26

Us, under the poverty line?????

OK, come on. We are under the poverty line today according to the Immigration Services. Us, who are so richly blessed with everything we could need. It is amazing to me what poverty is considered today. I was trying to apply to CWA and had to stop because of the question about our income. I called CWA to confirm this and it is true. There is a way around it though, so we are relieved. It is because of the number of children we will have. I guess they believe you have to make so much a year per child to be able to provide for them. I guess they don't take into account that we make most of our food from scratch, grow it ourselves and buy most things from thrift stores or rummage sales. Or they don't take into account that most riches aren't in the things we can buy or afford but in the Lord Jesus' gift of life. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 This world does make it difficult, let me tell you but a lot can be gained by being joyful with what you have and not always trying to have more than you need or can afford. Granted, we will have to do a bit of fundraising to bring these children home, and we know it will not be easy but this is the desire God has given us. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 Now we believe this to mean God will give you the desire for certain things not give you everything you desire or want. I think we need to quit wanting everything we desire and start desiring the things God wants for us.

Lindsey came and did our second half of the home study. We had a great time visiting about our kids and our goals for our kids and lots of things. She's a beautiful person who cares about these kids finding a good home. We are thankful for God using her for this purpose. It will be some time until she gets back all of our background checks and fingerprinting and then she'll write up the home study and we'll be set for this first step. The kids did an awesome job helping clean out our house of junk and rummage sale stuff and get it back in order before she got here. We are almost packed for our camping trip tomorrow. We are going just for the weekend to my Dad's in Wisconsin. My Aunt Lois and Uncle Wayne will be there as always and we can't wait to see the pictures of their first grandchild. We've been replaced! Some of my kids have already been calling her grandma. The best part is they are all providing the food and cooking it. I am just buying some snacks. God is so good. Have a great weekend!

Let us give glory to the One who deserves it and not depend on our own strength.

Two things I request You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me: Give me neither poverty nor riches--Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

A Very Important Update

Dear Friends and Family,
We have some wonderful news to share as a side bar to our adopting. I am expecting a baby in April!!!!!!! We are absolutely thrilled. This does not change our plans to adopt. We have been hoping for this pregnancy for quite some time. I was signed up for a PRACS study and did the screening. It is a place where they pay you to test medications for them. You are actually testing how they break down not how they work. I only do drugs that are safe and on the market but they always pregnancy test you every step of the way. I had the screening on a Friday and the next Wednesday I got a call from the Pracs nurse which has never happened on any of my five previous studies. I was so excited and she was trying to break it to me carefully. There are a lot of college kids doing these studies. Anyway, I called Kevin and told him I couldn't do the study. He was so happy. When he got home I asked him how many people he told. He said just a few:) I knew he couldn't keep it to himself. In church on Sunday, Darrell asked if anyone had something special happen they wanted to share so Kevin wants to tell. I kind of want to wait until I'm 9-12 weeks along. He told everyone but decided to wait on telling family. Well, we have three families from Wyndmere in our church so it did get back to his family and we feel terrible but are happy to be free to spread the news around now. So God willing we will expand our family by four this next year.

Other good news is we are having the second part of the home study on Thursday evening. We are happy to make it past another step of the process. Pray for me as I try to decide what is important to clean and what to let be. I am trying to can tomatoes and pack for a camping trip we are going on Friday through Monday. Yikes! Another busy week. I think I thrive on it though. God Bless You for caring to read this.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well. Psalms 139:13-14

How Mighty His Wonders

How great are His signs, how mighty his wonders. Daniel 4:3a

We have much to be thankful for today. I have been in contact with Amy Twedt of God's Children Adoption Agency. They are doing our home study and are wonderful, God loving people there. They want children to be placed in homes. Mrs. Twedt contacted me today and they are able to come down on the price of our home study a very considerable amount and this is so great, WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE AMOUNT SHE SAID!!!!!!!!! God is so good to us. We are praising Him for using this agency in this way. Please pray for them to continue in this work. Please pray for them to be blessed greatly! We are thankful for the way God has used them. Next step is to set up the meeting to be at our home. I started a painting project today, in which the painting hasn't actually started because there is so much prep work before actually painting.

I have a couple of requests.
1. We are planning a rummage sale in September. I am asking if anyone has a few items they would like to get out of their home. If you have a few items in good sellable condition you could let me know and I will plan a way to pick them up or figure out a drop off place.
2. Jana and I are also planning on making skirts to sell. Well, Jana and Jordan will be sewing them but I am helping with the planning:) She made them for the girls last year. We need old girl's jeans, with holes or without. The legs get cut off and other fabric gets sewed on. Very pretty. We need all sizes of jeans or pants. Thank you so much.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Psalm 72:16

The Corner Grocery Store

I am singing a song in my head about the corn blowin' on it's horn at the corner grocery store. (Raffi) We have certainly had our share of corn this week. Sunday I was dreaming of painting part of the basement. The part where I plan to do preschool with my three little ones and my nephew. I am doing a major overhaul of that area and getting it back to what it was when I taught preschool here. I bought the paint and other things and was so excited to get it done when I got this phone call from my aunt and uncle. Some of you will understand this kind of call. They called to tell me their corn was ready and we could have as much as we liked. Well, there went the painting. I've been picking, shucking, washing, cutting, canning and freezing corn ever since. We filled the entire back end of our 15 passenger to the top with corn and went back today to get some more. I actually have a bit more to do tomorrow but then I am done. So don't anybody call and tell me they have corn!:) I am so thankful for that call, really. I love putting up food and now we have 40 bags of creamed corn in the freezer and 30 some quart jars of regular corn and we've eaten quite a bit of it right off the cob. Isaac said "Corn again?" at lunch time. Tomorrow I have quite a few tomatoes that need attention so maybe I'll paint Friday or Saturday. It is all little steps to get ready for our new children. The food, the painting and the cleaning out the junk. We are especially full of praise today for who the Lord is. This verse is also a song and I love scripture set to song. May you all find something to rejoice in the Lord about.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!

"Aroma" of our home

I had a wonderful faith filled Saturday last week. I want to share a bit of what I learned. It was a day planned for women, home school mom's, to be encouraged and to laugh and even cry. The day was laid out with various speakers. The one that made a large impact for me was the noon speaker. The title was "The Good Wife". What is the "aroma" of our home? was a question posed. As the mother of a home I set the tone for how most things go and are run. If mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy is a very true statement. I have seen this in my own home. I can take things from good to bad in a very short amount of time. How are we building our house? A house is the structure but a home is the spirit. I try in any way I can to not complain when I am doing something I don't like (like dishes, yuck). I sure can complain though when children don't listen to me or fight with their siblings. I can get downright mean about it. The Lord is working on me about this. Another thought I was left with was we need to feel it a privilege to feed the spirits of our children and to feed the spirits of our husbands. I learned I can't overlook their hopes and dreams because I want mine fulfilled first. My dreams sometimes only include a clean house with no laundry in the baskets but how do I act to get this accomplished.

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

Praising the Lord

Hello, it has been over a week since I posted. I have been busy canning!!! Since getting home from our trip I have canned green beans, peaches, pickles, pickled okra, peach jam, and chokecherry syrup. Right now canning food is the only thing I am doing to help out with our adoption. I am canning more than ever to help lower our grocery bill for the winter months. We are also eating from our garden daily. Today was a wonderful treat, cabbage! We all really liked it and it was a bit different color than the store's. Brighter somehow and more attractive. My cantaloupe is near ready, some 30 are out there. With gardening keeping me so busy and doing daycare for three sometimes seven extra kids I can do no more right now. My friend Jana is leaving tomorrow on a trip in the bus. When she gets home she is going to help me brainstorm fundraising ideas. We're still working for our home study and other things have gotten in the way of that. Kevin is finishing up a job and may have two more to do soon. He is working so hard for us and for these kids. I am appreciative of his hard work and love him for his love of us and these children. He loves these children and wants so much for them to be home with us. God will see us through and we are praising him for the wonderful ways he provides for us. We love our big family. It is true rasing a family can be a challenge financially and having more children will add to that and if we can't even pay for the home study why do we think we can raise these children but we believe with all our heart that we are called for this. These children need us to keep believing that. God keeps showing us his provision and we have everything we need and then some. I love the Lord so much and love how he came into my life when he did. The kids just finished Vacation Bible School last night and one of the songs was Praise the Lord. It aptly describes how I feel about the Lord's work in my life and my family's. God bless you all.

Let everything that moves and everything that breathes;
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.
From the rising of the sun to the time that it goes down;
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.

No matter where you are, no matter where you've been;
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.
Let everthing that walks and everything that runs;
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord

Chorus: Praise the Lord
Come on let's Praise the Lord
Let everything that lives sing praises to the Lord
Praise the Lord

Home Again

Our bus with the majestic mountains behind.
Uncle Ken and Aunt Karen took us to the Grand Coulee Dam.
These beautiful children with their mother at the training in Spokane.

Eleven days away from home and here we are. We traveled to Spokane for the Older Children Adoption training. It was a good trip with no major problems. It took us three days drive there and back. We were planning on it taking two but our little bus doesn't like to go faster than 30 up any incline whatsoever and since we went through the Rocky Mountains and several other mountain ranges it was slow going. But oh so beautiful. We enjoyed God's beautiful creation and since we are from the flat part of North Dakota the mountains were especially enjoyable.

The training was wonderful. We met so many people. Most of them will be adopting from Ethiopia. The trainers Steve and Michelle Gardner are truly inspirational. They have adopted 9 children and their story makes you cry with what God has done. We heard the beauty of adoption and the difficulties and we are more determined than ever to bring our children home to be a part of our family. I know they have a lot to show us about life and God's love. When you watch a 19 year old biological son with 9 adopted siblings get choked up over how his life has been touched by these children you know you are in the right place. We were treated to an Ethiopian meal the second day and it was great. We met a family that in their retirement have adopted 6 girls from different countries. They are a most beautiful family. I am including their picture hoping they wouldn't mind. Another family has 9 mostly grown children and will soon have 6 adopted children. She is a grandma already and God has shown them this direction for their life!! I will sign off with several witticisms we heard over the two day training.

"Life is short. Eternity is long. Live like it!" John Piper

He who dies with the most joys WINS!

Why do we spend so much money and effort to decorate something that burns?

When we get to heaven what do you want God to say to you? "Well done." or "Well,... you're done."

Please continue to pray for God to meet our needs for this process. We have the second half of our home study to complete then we should see things really move. Thank you all.

Spokane, WA here we come!!

We leave tomorrow morning for Spokane and our two day training for adopting from Ethiopia. The blessing for us is that Kevin's Uncle Kenny and Aunt Karen live there and we are staying at their place. They are taking us site seeing the first half of the week. Friday and Saturday is the training and they are watching the kids:) Then we start home on Sunday. I've added a couple pictures of what we are living in the next 10 days. I've packed it all week with all the amenities of any fine hotel. We have a fridge, stove, running water, toilet, iron. We even have music as Jordan is bringing along her guitar and harmonica. Our day is getting quite long here as we mowed lawn, picked and canned green beans, butchered 60 chickens and made the food we are taking along and now are cleaning up everything. Kevin's parents stopped by so we could see our niece Ally and nephew Arik from Wisconsin. Pray for safety and good gas mileage:) We love you all for praying for us and helping us bring these children home. God Bless You for your love and kindness. We are praising the Lord for his loving kindness too. He is so good to us.

Psalm 63:3-4 ...your loving kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

A Little Setback

Good evening. We had a little setback which has me a bit disappointed but we know these are inevitable. We had set up our second home study meeting for Thursday night and had a bit of a plan to pay for it but that fell through. The meeting is to be set for another time. Please pray specifically for the finances for this part. Kevin has completed the jobs he had until now and only has one in the works. So (with a smile on my face) please pray for Kevin to get more jobs so he can be away from home more:) Seriously, a couple of jobs would be good just to get through the next step. It was a bit of a blessing to have the meeting canceled because this week I am packing for 9 people to be away from home 10 days. I was getting a bit anxious for how clean should I have the house for this meeting. What do you think? Should we paint the bathroom and tile the floors and replace the garage door and fix the broken window or should we let her see the place as we live in it? One reason we decided now was the time to adopt and not when "all" the projects around here were done was then we would never adopt. The projects when you own a home are never ending. The trip to Spokane, WA is getting us excited. We are attending an Adopting Older Children from Ethiopia training there next week. We are taking the bus and Kevin and Troy just got the air conditioner installed today. The fridge is the next order of business and then we will be road ready. We are looking forward to next year's trip to Somewhere, USA with all of our children (adopted too).



Emily picked out today's verse:

I Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.