Been fighting a cold since Tuesday. I was completely stopped up, but now I am to the really sore throat, dry cough, weak phase. Hopefully tomorrow will be the completely better phase.
We have been searching for houses.
I think we have come to the conclusion that in order for us to get a BIG house for our BIG family, at a price we can afford, we will probably have to buy a foreclosure. Which is not a bad idea. We have looked at a few this past 2 weeks.
It is hard to go from 24 acres and almost complete seclusion to looking at houses without much land or seclusion.
We did make an offer on a house on Thursday. It is a foreclosure and it is huge! I think the chances of us getting it are about 5%. Not much.
But I know that if God wants us in this house, anything is possible. I also would have thought it impossible to sell a house with no water, yet we did.
And I pray all the time, God you know we need space and you know we need cheap.
If we get the house I will divulge what a bargain we got it for, but right now, I don't have much hope we will get it.
Actually, our realtor told us Thursday that she thought we had a 100% chance of being rejected. Ha!
She has so little confidence they will accept the offer, she was going to show us more houses that afternoon.
She said it would take a day or two to hear back from the bank. So I assume we will hear something tomorrow.
Next stop China
Next Stop China!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Inconsistency.
I will not name names, just in case someone from this town reads this blog. Although I am pretty sure only one person reads it. Shout out to Lauren!!!
Today, I was at an office, speaking to this specific person, who when he found out that we were looking for a new church home 9 months ago, has been badgering us to go to his.
Well, we have been there before, and they throw a wonderful VBS. I will give them that.
There are many reasons why we chose the one we are going to now, and we love it! We have been going there for about 8 months now, and we placed membership about 2 months ago, so we are no longer searching.
And this man knows that, however, whenever he sees Aaron or me, he still sings his church home's praises, and says how he knows we are going ________, but his place has this, this and this, and today he even brought out some bad things he heard about where we chose.
Whatever.
In response to something I said, he then mentions that he himself does not want his children to marry a black person. Not because he feels there is anything wrong with it, but he says it will make their lives hard to have to put up with the stigma.
I agree that there is a stigma, however, how can we fight this stigma by playing into it????
He said that those mixed kids can't help where they came from, yet they are treated differently.
And this is how I answered him....
Do you not think it won't hurt my kids if they grow up and want to date your daughter?
You think it won't hurt them to know that a certain girl can't go out with them because her dad doesn't want her dating boys with more skin pigment?
That isn't the same thing?
I was so mad!!
And here is the stinking inconsistency!!!
In the same 5 minute conversation this man tells me on and on about how we won't have the problems of acceptance in where he goes to church as we did at the last place.
Then says right to my face he doesn't want my kids marrying his!!!!
Am I being too sensitive???
I fumed about this all day. This is the 2nd time in this town that someone has told us, to our face, in so many words, that they don't want their kids marrying ours!!!!!! Just think of what they say behind our backs.
This man also told me something someone said at our old place about us adopting from Africa.
I whined to Mom this afternoon...
"I am so tired of Christians being the most discouraging and nonsupporting of our adoption and especially from the comments we have gotten, I guess they would rather the boys be in the orphanage than in a loving home, all because of skin pigment"
And then I realized...these are not Christians discouraging me... these are people who call themselves that in name only and have no compassion except for themselves!
John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Don't mess with my kids!!!
Today, I was at an office, speaking to this specific person, who when he found out that we were looking for a new church home 9 months ago, has been badgering us to go to his.
Well, we have been there before, and they throw a wonderful VBS. I will give them that.
There are many reasons why we chose the one we are going to now, and we love it! We have been going there for about 8 months now, and we placed membership about 2 months ago, so we are no longer searching.
And this man knows that, however, whenever he sees Aaron or me, he still sings his church home's praises, and says how he knows we are going ________, but his place has this, this and this, and today he even brought out some bad things he heard about where we chose.
Whatever.
In response to something I said, he then mentions that he himself does not want his children to marry a black person. Not because he feels there is anything wrong with it, but he says it will make their lives hard to have to put up with the stigma.
I agree that there is a stigma, however, how can we fight this stigma by playing into it????
He said that those mixed kids can't help where they came from, yet they are treated differently.
And this is how I answered him....
Do you not think it won't hurt my kids if they grow up and want to date your daughter?
You think it won't hurt them to know that a certain girl can't go out with them because her dad doesn't want her dating boys with more skin pigment?
That isn't the same thing?
I was so mad!!
And here is the stinking inconsistency!!!
In the same 5 minute conversation this man tells me on and on about how we won't have the problems of acceptance in where he goes to church as we did at the last place.
Then says right to my face he doesn't want my kids marrying his!!!!
Am I being too sensitive???
I fumed about this all day. This is the 2nd time in this town that someone has told us, to our face, in so many words, that they don't want their kids marrying ours!!!!!! Just think of what they say behind our backs.
This man also told me something someone said at our old place about us adopting from Africa.
I whined to Mom this afternoon...
"I am so tired of Christians being the most discouraging and nonsupporting of our adoption and especially from the comments we have gotten, I guess they would rather the boys be in the orphanage than in a loving home, all because of skin pigment"
And then I realized...these are not Christians discouraging me... these are people who call themselves that in name only and have no compassion except for themselves!
John 4:20
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Don't mess with my kids!!!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Solution to Our Homeschool Chaos
I will admit it, I have been about to pull my hair out doing school this year. It has been soooo hard with the boys who are now 27 months and 16 months old.
They are good boys, but even while being good, they make a ton of noise. I have tried every which way to get school in.
*Try to let all 3 girls work on their work at the same time. This requires me to read instructions for pages, teach new concepts, check to make sure it was done correctly, etc. All the while two little boys are banging toys together, banging heads together, saying "mama watch" on and on and on. I am the type of person who cannot talk or think straight with chaos and noise going on around me. So this hasn't worked real well.
*Send one girl into their bedroom/outside with the boys to watch cartoons/entertain them while I work with the other two then switch around. This normally results in boy meltdowns and fights and screaming within about 2 minutes of closing them up in their bedroom. And if they happen to be getting along, then it is because they are stomping/dancing/yelling loudly etc. and back to my first problem.. I don't think well with noise.
*Wait until noon to start school when the boys go down for their 3 hour nap. Then squeeze in as much as possible in this 3 hour window while being quiet as mice so not to wake the boys up. Unfortunately, by this time of day, we just ate lunch, we all are sleepy and the girls just don't work as fast or effectively starting this late in the day.
After another pulling hair out morning on Monday, I sat on the couch to weigh my options
1. put the girls in school since the chaos is driving me bonkers. (thrown out fast, not an option)
or
2. put the boys in some kind of Mother's day out/ daycare for the mornings so we can get school done. However, there was the cost involved and the fact that they would most likely bring home a new illness every week.
or
3.continue in the chaos
Then I came up with a brilliant plan....
I don't know why it didn't come to me earlier.
Mom doesn't work fulltime and needs money. I need a peacefull 2-3 hours each morning for school. I could pay her to watch the boys, it would be cheaper than daycare, it is someone I trust, AND they wouldn't be bringing home illnesses.
So I called her and worked it out where I will pay her to watch the boys every morning for 2-3 hours. After we get up, we will eat breakfast, work a little on chores and then take the boys over to Mom's only a mile away. Then come straight back, work hard on school, get finished in 2-3 hours and go pick the boys up in time for their naps. Eat lunch, put them down for their 3 hour naps and then we can finish any school we have left.
We are on day 2 of this and it is working out wonderfully!!!!
We get done with school well within 3 hours. except maybe some history reading I do myself, so the kids can relax on the couch while I read during naptime.
It is amazing how fast you can do school when you can sit in quiet and focus on the task at hand and not be interrupted 1000 times.
Yesterday, we got done and went to the library, just me and the girls before picking the boys up.
Today, we got done with school and I wanted to walk, it was so pretty, so we packed up the stroller and a bike picked up Seth and went to the park. Left Ethan at Grandma's to take his nap. I walked 2 miles. The kids walked and played for a while and came home and put Seth to bed. So nice to spend the afternoon enjoying the kids/relaxing, etc. instead of rushing to work on school that has drug out all day long. Hope this can continue.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Aaron's Going To Ethiopia!
I am so excited!
Last year we kept up with a blog called www.ordinaryhero.org Thinking how neat their mission trips were.
Aaron wanted to go back to Ethiopia again. But he volunteered to stay home with the girls while I got to go get the boys. (Might have had something to do with bringing babies on a plane). Anyway, we talked then about how he ought to go on one of the Ordinary Hero Mission trips.
Aaron is not a preacher or a public speaker, but he does love to serve and this is his kind of mission trip.
He is signed up to go June 26th - July 6th.
We are really excited and hopeful to get our new church family involved in collection of donations.
If you would like to donate to his trip, you can go to http://grouprev.com/aaron and help us out on the cost of the trip.
Or you can go to the Ordinary Hero Website above and buy something from their store. If you name Aaron as the affiliate, he will receive 40% of the price donated to his trip fund.
More later...
Last year we kept up with a blog called www.ordinaryhero.org Thinking how neat their mission trips were.
Aaron wanted to go back to Ethiopia again. But he volunteered to stay home with the girls while I got to go get the boys. (Might have had something to do with bringing babies on a plane). Anyway, we talked then about how he ought to go on one of the Ordinary Hero Mission trips.
Aaron is not a preacher or a public speaker, but he does love to serve and this is his kind of mission trip.
He is signed up to go June 26th - July 6th.
We are really excited and hopeful to get our new church family involved in collection of donations.
If you would like to donate to his trip, you can go to http://grouprev.com/aaron and help us out on the cost of the trip.
Or you can go to the Ordinary Hero Website above and buy something from their store. If you name Aaron as the affiliate, he will receive 40% of the price donated to his trip fund.
More later...
Thursday, February 16, 2012
I will NOT apologize! Or feel guilty!
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8
Our Sunday morning class has been studying I John. And there is a lot of talk about LOVE in I John.
"16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth". I John 3
Ok, I guess I got a little frustrated hearing these verses and to me the concensus was that we all are so loving and blah blah blah. All the while, I am thinking about these children on our adoption agency's website waiting for a home. The fact that there are infants coming into the orphanages every day. ETC.
So with much nervousness, since we are new to this church, I spoke up.
This is a summary of what I said...
I know a lot of peolpe right now that need love if you are willing. There are 147,000,000 + orphans in this world, plus 5,000,000 orphans in Ethiopia alone. Those kids need love. They need someone to lay down their life for them and love them. Yes, adoption is expensive, but so is a big house, a new car, and clothes. Yes, it is scary to take in a child you didn't birth and yes it is scary to fly across the world and I was terrified of that, but the Bible says perfect love cast our fear and if you pray about it, God will take away your fear. In proverbs 24, the Bible says to rescue those staggering to death and don't say you don't know about it, God knows you do and He is going to judge you for what you do or don't do. Maybe not every Christian should adopt, but I know a lot more should adopt than do because he has a plan for those orphans and we are God's body that He uses to accomplish this.
Of course I got the normal responses. "I would like to go on a mission trip someday" "Some people aren't emotionally ready to adopt" "some people aren't financially ready to adopt" "There are plenty of people right here we can be helping" "I know people at the other end of my pew could use my help"
To which I responded "are they LITERALLY starving to death?"
I know....way to make new friends.
And truly at the end of the class after all of the discussion, I was about to tear up, thinking I failed, this didn't make a difference, and all those babies in my mind wouldn't be taken in. But the man next to me, who had started the discussion, leaned over and said "good job, that is what I was trying to say, but you said it so much better"
On the way home I started feeling guilty, but then I stopped myself. I was doing exactly what Proverbs 31:8 says to do. I spoke up for them. And I WILL NOT feel guilty about stepping on toes.
Because when you break it down it comes down to this. 147,000,000 children need families +God says to take people in and love your neighbor = we can't be quiet about this
And when you throw out all the excuses, it still comes down to the fact that kids need homes.
I wish we had more time in class to discuss this. But I will challenge you to think about this... Most excuses/reasons for not adopting you give me I am sure that looking at it from a human standpoint, I would agree with you. "not financially ready", "emotionally not ready", "I'm not called", "I didn't know"
"I serve at a soup kitchen once a month", "I don't know if I could love a child not biologically mine" etc. Many of these excuses sound ok to the human mind. However, if you go back to Proverbs 24:12 12 "If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done"
Will your excuse stand up on judgement day?.
Because really, who cares what I think. You shouldn't care at all what I think.
I challenge you again. Write down all the reasons you shouldn't adopt.
Now cross out all the ones that have to do with YOU or your COMFORT or YOUR plans for you life.
Mark 8:34 He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Our Sunday morning class has been studying I John. And there is a lot of talk about LOVE in I John.
"16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth". I John 3
Ok, I guess I got a little frustrated hearing these verses and to me the concensus was that we all are so loving and blah blah blah. All the while, I am thinking about these children on our adoption agency's website waiting for a home. The fact that there are infants coming into the orphanages every day. ETC.
So with much nervousness, since we are new to this church, I spoke up.
This is a summary of what I said...
I know a lot of peolpe right now that need love if you are willing. There are 147,000,000 + orphans in this world, plus 5,000,000 orphans in Ethiopia alone. Those kids need love. They need someone to lay down their life for them and love them. Yes, adoption is expensive, but so is a big house, a new car, and clothes. Yes, it is scary to take in a child you didn't birth and yes it is scary to fly across the world and I was terrified of that, but the Bible says perfect love cast our fear and if you pray about it, God will take away your fear. In proverbs 24, the Bible says to rescue those staggering to death and don't say you don't know about it, God knows you do and He is going to judge you for what you do or don't do. Maybe not every Christian should adopt, but I know a lot more should adopt than do because he has a plan for those orphans and we are God's body that He uses to accomplish this.
Of course I got the normal responses. "I would like to go on a mission trip someday" "Some people aren't emotionally ready to adopt" "some people aren't financially ready to adopt" "There are plenty of people right here we can be helping" "I know people at the other end of my pew could use my help"
To which I responded "are they LITERALLY starving to death?"
I know....way to make new friends.
And truly at the end of the class after all of the discussion, I was about to tear up, thinking I failed, this didn't make a difference, and all those babies in my mind wouldn't be taken in. But the man next to me, who had started the discussion, leaned over and said "good job, that is what I was trying to say, but you said it so much better"
On the way home I started feeling guilty, but then I stopped myself. I was doing exactly what Proverbs 31:8 says to do. I spoke up for them. And I WILL NOT feel guilty about stepping on toes.
Because when you break it down it comes down to this. 147,000,000 children need families +God says to take people in and love your neighbor = we can't be quiet about this
And when you throw out all the excuses, it still comes down to the fact that kids need homes.
I wish we had more time in class to discuss this. But I will challenge you to think about this... Most excuses/reasons for not adopting you give me I am sure that looking at it from a human standpoint, I would agree with you. "not financially ready", "emotionally not ready", "I'm not called", "I didn't know"
"I serve at a soup kitchen once a month", "I don't know if I could love a child not biologically mine" etc. Many of these excuses sound ok to the human mind. However, if you go back to Proverbs 24:12 12 "If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done"
Will your excuse stand up on judgement day?.
Because really, who cares what I think. You shouldn't care at all what I think.
I challenge you again. Write down all the reasons you shouldn't adopt.
Now cross out all the ones that have to do with YOU or your COMFORT or YOUR plans for you life.
Mark 8:34 He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Updates
Seth's potty training is coming along. He still has accidents and poops in his diaper about every other day. Every once in a while he will come and tell me he has to poop. But normally he goes about 3-4 times a day when I sit him on the potty. And he usually pees while sitting there too. Every time in the potty saves me a diapers I guess.
This root canal has been better than any other. I haven't had to take pain medication since the day after. It is still a little sore. Much to my disappointment, they only put a temporary filling in it? Why? Who knows, but I was so excited to have it done that day, then at the end, the dental assistant told me I had to go back to my regular dentist within 6 weeks to have the temporary filling changed out. Makes me want to cry. I am assuming it will be more money and more numbing and more pain. This never ends!
I am doing well with the whole selling of the house. I miss it. If I let myself dwell on it. I find myself spending a lot more time indoors at this house and I don't really like that. At the other house it was 3/10 of a mile to walk to the driveway and back. At this one it is 2/10. But at the other house, hardly anybody drove by. At this one, we are right in town and I guess I am a little selfconcious.
I ran into some old friends from our old church at Walmart the other day. He asked if we were living in the rental. This town is so small that even if you don't tell anyone anything, everyone knows. I told him yes and that we sold our house. He was like "you sold your house, just when you were getting city water?"
Whereas I replied that I don't believe that we are actually getting city water there. I still feel that is a good chance the powers that be will mess it up. Plus I was told by one county commissioner that we would definately have water by Sept 2011. Nope.
Then again, we were told in November by a different county commissioner that we should have water within 6 months. That would be April. Aaron drives past our old road every day and has yet to see any signs of digging. In other words, you can't trust them. And I would challenge anyone to live in a house with no water for 4 months like we did with 5 kids. So, do I believe city water is coming.
At this point...Nope! I hope for the people's sake with land there, that they do.
This root canal has been better than any other. I haven't had to take pain medication since the day after. It is still a little sore. Much to my disappointment, they only put a temporary filling in it? Why? Who knows, but I was so excited to have it done that day, then at the end, the dental assistant told me I had to go back to my regular dentist within 6 weeks to have the temporary filling changed out. Makes me want to cry. I am assuming it will be more money and more numbing and more pain. This never ends!
I am doing well with the whole selling of the house. I miss it. If I let myself dwell on it. I find myself spending a lot more time indoors at this house and I don't really like that. At the other house it was 3/10 of a mile to walk to the driveway and back. At this one it is 2/10. But at the other house, hardly anybody drove by. At this one, we are right in town and I guess I am a little selfconcious.
I ran into some old friends from our old church at Walmart the other day. He asked if we were living in the rental. This town is so small that even if you don't tell anyone anything, everyone knows. I told him yes and that we sold our house. He was like "you sold your house, just when you were getting city water?"
Whereas I replied that I don't believe that we are actually getting city water there. I still feel that is a good chance the powers that be will mess it up. Plus I was told by one county commissioner that we would definately have water by Sept 2011. Nope.
Then again, we were told in November by a different county commissioner that we should have water within 6 months. That would be April. Aaron drives past our old road every day and has yet to see any signs of digging. In other words, you can't trust them. And I would challenge anyone to live in a house with no water for 4 months like we did with 5 kids. So, do I believe city water is coming.
At this point...Nope! I hope for the people's sake with land there, that they do.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Root Canals, etc.
Yesterday I had my 4th or 5th Root Canal. Can't remember.
Best one so far...
This was an endodontist because it was in a tooth that I have a cap on. But he numbed it real, real well.
So well that he last night when I went to bed, about 10 hours after he numbed it, it was still a little numb around the tooth. I am sore though and took pain medication yesterday and last night.
We are all going to the chiropractor this morning, so I haven't taken any pain medicine, and surprisingly enough, I don't need it. I am a little nervous about him adjusting my neck, afraid he might grab my bad tooth.
It hurts a little, and when I touch that side of my face, it hurts more, and I for sure don't eat on that side of my mouth, but as far as extreme pain, I am not feeling it. Yipee!
So as far as I am concerned, I am home free, unless it abcesses after the root canal, which has happened before and doesn't usually start really hurting until 1-2 days later. Hoping for the best!
Seth did ok on his potty training yesterday. We were thrown off by me being gone all morning, but he did pee for mom a few times in the potty. And a few times last night. It is just so hard because he doesn't drink a lot. I keep handing him drinks, but he just sips and doesn't chug like Ethan, who pees his weight every day.
Best one so far...
This was an endodontist because it was in a tooth that I have a cap on. But he numbed it real, real well.
So well that he last night when I went to bed, about 10 hours after he numbed it, it was still a little numb around the tooth. I am sore though and took pain medication yesterday and last night.
We are all going to the chiropractor this morning, so I haven't taken any pain medicine, and surprisingly enough, I don't need it. I am a little nervous about him adjusting my neck, afraid he might grab my bad tooth.
It hurts a little, and when I touch that side of my face, it hurts more, and I for sure don't eat on that side of my mouth, but as far as extreme pain, I am not feeling it. Yipee!
So as far as I am concerned, I am home free, unless it abcesses after the root canal, which has happened before and doesn't usually start really hurting until 1-2 days later. Hoping for the best!
Seth did ok on his potty training yesterday. We were thrown off by me being gone all morning, but he did pee for mom a few times in the potty. And a few times last night. It is just so hard because he doesn't drink a lot. I keep handing him drinks, but he just sips and doesn't chug like Ethan, who pees his weight every day.
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