Christmas as a Family of Five

We have had the best Christmas! It gets kinda crazy for us because of Chris having his birthday on Christmas eve. Yesterday we had to clean house, bake a birthday cake, bake cookies for Santa, go to Chris' birthday party at his dad's and then come home and get ready for Santa's visit.

When we got home from the party the kids were so very excited and they put their special cookies on our special celebrating Jesus' birthday plate and milk in the cup for Santa. The kids also put oatmeal in sandwich bags because they thought the reindeer would be hungry too.
We have a tradition of getting the kids "special" Christmas pajamas that they open up before they go to bed on Christmas Eve so they will be all ready for opening gifts in the morning. The kids were so excited about their PJ's that I actually got a picture of all 3 of them with their faces all showing and smiles on all 3. This type of picture never happens so this is priceless.

The kids started playing around and dancing in their new pajamas and it was so cute. Jaxson was so excited and he didn't even have any idea what was going to happen Christmas morning.It did not take Jaxson long at all to figure out that he loved this opening gifts and having new toys inside thing. Jaxson would have opened presents all day if he could have. He also now has toys that are meant for BOYS and not girls.

I got a very special gift this year. I never, ever buy anything for myself unless I just have to. I have wanted a new microwave for years now but I just wouldn't spend the money on myself. I got a microwave for Christmas!!! I no longer have to use the dorm size one I bought when I was 18 that I bought with a winning scratch off lottery ticket.

OK, last but not least here is a picture of my darling Chris as H*nnah M*ntana.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Today is my incredible husbands birthday. Chris is now one year older but still younger than me. It is so nice to have him home today on his birthday because a lot of times he has to work.

I am getting really used to Chris being home with me since he has been off work. I don't think there are many couples who don't get tired of each other being together 24 hours a day but we miss each other if we are apart for just a few hours. I wish there was just some way he could get paid to stay at home and cuddle with me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, wonderful Christmas! I can't wait to see Jaxson enjoy his first Christmas with his forever family.

OK, gotta go get ready for Santa's visit tonight.

Thankful Thursday!

Ok, this isn't going to be very long today because I am exhausted. Chris and Paige were up all night very sick with the flu so that means momma was up too.

1: I am so thankful that if Chris had to lose his job that it happened right before Christmas so we could have a few weeks together.

2: I'm thankful that Chris is off work this week since we have the flu in the house.

3: I am thankful I have the BEST husband in the whole wide world!!! The poor thing is so very sick and he is worried about me not having any sleep.

This thankful Thursday thing is really a good thing because even when your day totally stinks like last Thursday and today it really makes you look for the positive things of the day or week.

PS 4: I am SUPER DUPER thankful it is now nap time. Goodnight!

Please Pray for Linny and Dw

It is 12:45 in the morning and God has me up praying for this amazing couple. I honestly felt I could not go back to bed without asking on here for prayer for them. Linny is the one I have posted about that is in Uganda picking up their new children. They ran into some roadblocks on their very last step they needed to get home. Within like 24 hours of the problem God had Dw on his way to Uganda. Their story is AMAZING and I honestly believe God has Dw in Uganda for more than just the paperwork because his heart longed to be there.

Please if you are reading this take a moment right now and pray for them. Pray that God not only clears the path for them to come home but that he also shows Dw and Linny clearly why he wanted Dw in Uganda. God is using this couple to find homes for many children I believe. They have taken the hard road to make it smoother for others that follow and to find homes for some precious children.

If you click right here you can go to their blog and read their AMAZING God story.

Thank you!

Visit with Santa

OK, I have to say I was super excited because Santa came to visit a little shop a block away from us so we didn't have to go to the mall to see him.

Amaya was so very excited to see Santa and told him she wanted a doll. Amaya has been asking me everyday when we could go to the mall to see Santa. Amaya couldn't believe we were able to walk to where Santa was.

Paigie walked right up to Santa but then got scared as soon as she sat on his lap and wouldn't say a word.

Then Little Jaxson who I was sure wouldn't even get close to Santa wanted to go right up and sit on Santa's lap.






Santa gave them all a bag of goodies and they loved it.

Our Crappy News

Our crappy news is that 2 weeks before Christmas my dear wonderful husband lost his job. Thank goodness God worked it out that we had all our Christmas shopping done for the kids. So here are some prayer requests.

1:Pray he gets a good job soon. Chris has the highest level of training a GM tech can have so hopefully it won't be to hard for him.

2. Pray for all the other employees that also lost their jobs 2 weeks before Christmas.

3. Pray that God will provide the money we need until he gets a job.

It's pretty crappy but at the same time we feel God has a plan for us and there is a reason this happened. On a good note I get some extra time with my hubby that is my best friend and I love every minute I have with him. OK, maybe not every minute because I really can't stand the History channel or cartoons and he loves both.

Another good thing is I'm going to get a lot of things done around the house. He's gonna want to get back to work soon. Oh, and I get help with the kids during the day. I can go to the grocery by MYSELF!!!

So there it is our crappy news.

Thankful Thursday!!!

Well, I started this post earlier and while I was writing I got a phone call with some pretty crappy news. After some time to take it in I decided I'm not going to let Satan steal the show today so I am posting my thankful Thursday anyway.

I am so very thankful for this precious miracle child of ours that thinks adoption is a miracle and a gift from God at 5 years old. A child that just ask me this morning when we were going to go get her another brother. This may be the only child in her class when she goes to school that thinks babies come from airplanes and not mommies tummies.

I am thankful for this precious boy that wakes up very early every morning with lots of hugs and kisses for his mommy. For this child that holds his mommies hand and gently touches my face. For this child that is so full of joy he makes everyone around him smile.

I am thankful for this beautiful little smile in this precious gift from God. God has given her the gift of stubbornness but I pray that she will use that someday to fight for things that need fought for. I am so thankful for her giggles, her hugs and kisses and for when she says "I love you mommy".


I am thankful that I have 3 healthy children that act like monkeys on their bed. Let's not tell daddy that mommy was letting them jump on the bed.

I am thankful for the piles of laundry we have every day because that means we have clothes to wear and keep us warm.

I'm thankful because today we have a pantry full of food and my kids have tummies that are full.



Last but definitely not least, I am so very thankful that my blogger friend Linny got the papers she needed to bring home her beautiful babies from Uganda.

Martha

Friends, I need you to get on your knees and pray with me for a little girl named Martha. I cannot stop crying thinking about this child in Uganda. I cannot post a picture of her on my site but please go to this blog under the post Martha and plead to our Heavenly Father for this childs life and for someone to come into her life that will love her and care for her. Please, please take time to pray for this child!!!

Plan A

I opened my mail yesterday and had a package about orphans in Africa (I didn't send for it). In big bold letters it had this scripture:

"God sets the lonely in families!" Psalm 68:6

Think about that for a minute. Adoption is God's plan A not plan B. God provided families to place the lonely in. Has God ever placed adoption on your heart but you just blew it off because it was not the "normal" way to build a family? Maybe it is scary because of the unknowns or the cost involved? Could you ever love an adopted child the same as your biological children? ( by the way the answer to the last question is yes, yes, oh yes)

Maybe it's time you take a leap of faith? Maybe it's time to let God bless your socks off with one of those lonely children? Maybe it's time Christian's step up to the plate and take care of the lonely in the world. What if it was Jesus sitting in that orphanage or sitting alone on a street crying? If we were made in God's image then it is him sitting in that orphanage or sitting alone on the street. Not everyone is called to adopt but everyone is called to care for orphans and widows. If you have ever considered adoption though then you should be praying about whether you are to provide a family for a lonely orphan. I know I'm being bold here but if you read the scripture God is very bold about it.

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Click on the link above for a chance to win a very cute dress.

Our Tree and More

I have been trying to post this for a week now but we are still in the dial-up world so sometimes it's hard to get pictures up. Last weekend we got to go pick our tree from the tree farm. We have not done this since having babies (we had a fake tree) but I am so thankful that all the lights dies on our other tree last year so that meant a fresh tree this year. The kids loved going out and picking a tree. I had told them that morning what we were doing and the whole day Jaxson kept asking to go get the tree even though he didn't know what we were talking about. As soon as Jaxson woke up from his nap he asked if we could go get the tree.

After we got the tree and came home I wish more than anything I could have taped the look on Jaxson's face when we brought the tree inside. The kids had so much fun decorating and helping daddy water the tree.


The picture above is a boy named Grady. I posted about Grady a couple months ago that he needed a family fast because he turns 14 in June and then he is no longer available for adoption. Grady has some medical issues that he needs help for and without a family he more than likely will not get the help he needs.

Grady has a family that wants him BAD. The problem is that God has to move some very, very big mountains to make this possible. These mountains also need to be moved very quickly to get Grady a family before his birthday. Please, please pray for Grady and this family that God would move those mountains and let Grady spend the rest of his life having a very special family that loves him very much.

One more thing, we have reason to CELEBRATE. The family I had posted about in the last post just got to see God move mountains for them. They have been granted favor by the court to bring home and adopt 2 amazing, beautiful children that God had waiting for them in Africa. You really should go check out their blog and see these children and read their amazing story. Oh, don't forget to leave them a comment and congratulate them.

Thankful Wednesday

Well, my blogger friends out there have been doing something called Thankful Thursday. I have been wanting to do this but I couldn't wait until tomorrow because I have been blessed today.

1: I am thankful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me even when I fail, that protects me from evil and that loves me more than I could ever begin to imagine.

2: I am thankful for a very dear friend of mine that is a HUGE supporter of mine and that God used her to open my eyes about something this morning.

3: I am thankful that God entrusted me to a ministry that is so dear to his heart that it is painful. A ministry that brings you to tears everyday to see hurting children but a ministry that makes you celebrate when a family finds their child.

4: I am thankful for this blogger world that gives people an oppurtunity to share the blessings God has given them and to stretch people in their faith.

5: I am thankful for my wonderful friends that are kind enough to leave me wonderful, encouraging comments and understand that what God has called Chris and I to is something not a lot of people understand. I am also thankful for those that haven't commented yet (please do it makes my day) but reads our blog and shares in our blessings.

6: I am thankful that God blesses us with 2 beautiful little girls and our beautiful hidden treasure we found in China.

7: I am thankful that God gave me a husband that loves God, loves me and loves our children that we have now and those we hope to be blessed with in the future.

8: I am thankful that even when times are hard we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, gas in our car and a family for us to love.

9: I'm thankful that God gave Chris and I the hearts to love those unique children in the world that are the hidden treasures others are missing.

10: Last thing for today I'm thankful I am finally figuring out Facebook.

I also have a prayer request. A blogger friend of mine is in Africa right now picking up her 2 amazing gifts from God. Can you pray that everything goes well for them and that they have a safe trip home? If you have time check out their blog here.