Adopted

Steve Jobs was a wonder. He was adopted!

Speaking my Love Language

After 15 years of marriage we have settled into the comfortable spot of knowing each other. Once Rod thought the best gift for me would be roses, or picking something out for me to wear, or giving me a choice of three sets of earrings... Not that those aren't great gifts it's just not what hits the spot. Now on my birthday he calls to take me to lunch and lets me pick out something not to his liking (Indian food), buys me the Starbucks mug I loved, makes sure I have Sephora scrip so I can replenish some out of budget skin care items AND the best of all.......drumroll......pays off my library fines - my debt to society.

What a man! In true fashion he walked in and told the librarian he would like to place a bail bond for his wife. I'm free....I'm free! I love seeing those zeros at the bottom. Nothing better than a clean slate. (of course it won't stay clean for long)

Thursday's Child Has Far to Go

...I think that fits me well on many levels.

Lately, I've had a picture in my mind of a child on a long journey to a better place. It is not fully aware of where they are going, why it is taking so long, and often bugs his father with questions like "how much longer, this is taking forever!" The Father knows it's hard but with knowledge of the promise that lies ahead asks the child to be patient and trust his plan. Then the child let's go, let's his father handle the hard stuff and begins to enjoy the good he finds along the journey. The child inevitably will get impatient again but the gentle reminders will get him through the rough spots and before he knows it, they will arrive and he will see for himself all that his father promised.

Today lots of blessings to enjoy courtesy of my loved ones.

New Page

Making New Year's Resolutions...leaving for a movie...late so we took the later show...lunch...shopping...and the Blind Side...make for a great girls day out to try to beat the end of Christmas blues.

1.1.10

Nertz - have you played it? This picture was taken at my Dad's with my sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews. Very lively! Some talked smack a little too much (unnamed) and some may have complained a little too much about it (ok, that was me). Fun way to bring in 2010!

We have Fall Color....{Adoption}

Updated to add: the Weimer's blog (3x3 video) is: http://blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com/

We finally have a tree with some FALL COLOR. Between the palms and the evergreens in the back we always admired the trees in our area that were brilliant reds and oranges. You may remember this post about removing our large queen palm from the front. This is our first season enjoying our change.

This is my view at night when I take the dogs out to the backyard. It almost GLOWS in the light coming from our garage. It may be a sign of growing older when you really stop to admire and appreciate a tree .

In other news we have begun our ADOPTION JOURNEY reviewing profiles and were excited about the possibility of one potential match appearing very hopeful. In the end there were complications and God in His wisdom weaved it together perfectly for this child and family. We know when God reveals His plan to us, it will be a Divine match perfectly woven from the beginning of time. That thought gives me hope and patience.

Watch this video....you will be INSPIRED!

Promo for "3 by 3 by 3" Documentary from David Watson on Vimeo.

Have a great Monday!

Fall is Here...Finally!

In Central California where the Summers are triple digits, it takes the month of October to bring in cool weather. We can still swim in September. We are finally loving and appreciating the 80's. At night the temperature drops enough to grab an extra blanket before going to bed. The cool weather always makes me sleep better.

Every year at the end of September (for Oktoberfest in a neighboring city) we wake up to a strange sound....the sound of hot air pushing up through a hot air balloon directly over our house. They are so close the sound literally wakes us up.

The people often wave back at us on our balcony. It's fun to grab a coffee, sit in the backyard, and watch them float by.

We haven't seen this one yet, but maybe next year. It reminds me a little of the movie Up.

Fall moves quickly and soon will turn into the Holiday Season so it is nice to stop and enjoy the gifts it brings.

Happy Fall!

Waiting Family

Since July we have been busy preparing, gathering, and documenting for a very significant purpose. Since our miscarriage we both (and our whole family) shared a strong desire to have another child. We believe God has led us to adoption. Specifically adoption through the foster/adopt program at a local adoption agency. Once we began discerning and specifically looking into fost/adopt, doors opened. Since approval finalization last week, we are officially a waiting family.

Typically adopting available children in the foster care system is faster than other avenues of adoption but since we have requested a very young child, we may have to wait longer. After the child is placed in our home, six months or more will pass before we can finalize the adoption. So I will be able to write during this time but will not be able to show full pictures until the adoption is finalized. Please say a prayer for us that God's will be done. We are excited to see how God's plan unfolds.

Again

This morning starts the Regal Free Family Film Festival.  We're headed to the movies this morning if I can wake-up some of these Summer Sleepyheads.  Go here to find your city.

  enjoy,

New Perspective

Little baby steps toward healthier living.  Having good choices in stock and the abundance of Summer produce around definitely makes us think more about what we are eating.  Attempting to cut the excess in your life, makes you realize just how much waste you haven't even noticed.  Some of it shows, some of it hidden.  Unprocessed food really does taste better - not a new discovery for most.  

On our trip this weekend we stopped on the way up and back to buy cherries from roadside stands.  Something we have never done.  Steps in the right direction included eating apples on the beach, homemade muffins for a snack at the Aquarium, and making sure we drank lots of water.  

Boy, do we have a LONG ROAD ahead but the beginning rewards are enough to keep us moving along happily.  

Festa do Divino Espirito Santo ( Feast of the Holy Spirit)

The girls were honored to be asked to participate in the Festa this year on Pentecost Sunday (the descent of the Holy Spirit).  The Festa is a celebration of the Portuguese people of the Azore Islands.   A queen is chosen to represent Saint Queen Isabel (Elizabeth) of Portugal.  

The origin of the celebration is when the people of Portugal were starving.  Queen Isabel promised God if He would help her feed her people she would give him all her jewels.  Her cruel husband, King Diniz did not want her mingling with the poor.   He saw her with an apron and demanded she reveal the food she was carrying to the poor.  When she opened her cloak, instead of bread, roses poured out.

There are two special parts during the Festa demonstrating St. Isabel's full devotion to God.  One in Mass where "her" crown is placed on the altar (symbolizing St. Isabel giving up her riches for God) and the second during the feast of sopas when the Queen puts on her apron and serves the people the first portion.  In a spirit of Queen Isabel's offering, the meal is free to everyone.

The Queen this year was the girl's second cousin.  She made a beautiful, gracious Queen.  

It is nice the girls can participate in a piece of their heritage.  It is in a neighboring small farm community.  It's a beautiful day to see them in the parade, celebrate Mass in a small Chapel, and enjoy the feast surrounded by an orchard.  Maybe not far removed from the origins of this beautiful feast.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I feel as if someone may have wished this for me.

Happy Birthday to Lisie!

Have a great day - May God give you many many more blessed years - We love you!  (My big sister Lisa from This Crazy Little Life is having a birthday today.)

Today is Kaye's Day

How Do I Love Thee...

let me count the ways.....

• you make me coffee every morning
• take the girls to school
• rub my feet every night
• let me adopt animals
• are the best Daddy
• walked for hours with our firstborn so she would fall asleep on your shoulder
• showed me each one of our girls for the first time
• went back to get my umbrella
• made me laugh in the ER when we had our miscarriage
• you have hope and never despair
• stayed behind to help put out a cabin fire even when we thought you may not get out of the raging forest fire.
• take me out to dinner even when you don't want to
• you let me pick too :)
• carry the girls upstairs when they fall asleep in the car (no matter how big they get)
• let me iron your shirts just when you think you're making it out the door
• once carried my dog home from a walk because she gorged on doggie treats
• washed my 20+ coffee cups when I was single in an apt with no dishwasher
• clean up throw up and never once had a problem with a dirty diaper
• carry our chihuahua outside before bedtime.
• always worry about the brakes in the car
• allowed me to make the decision for a $1200 shot to save our dog's life
• didn't complain when it didn't (not to me anyway, I'll have to ask Gary)
• you clean out the septic tank in the trailer
• took me to a cat show
• bring up the Russian Quilt Show Lady whenever I need a laugh
• deal with the finances and provide for our family
• yelled "doctor doctor" (w/ a Spanish accent- "dock tore") through a crowded airport in Cancun to help the lady in our shuttle.  
• shaved your head to support your friend Steve who was fighting cancer
• and last but not least, once almost bought us a one-eyed clearance pony (thank you for coming to your senses)

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!  You make me laugh everyday.

New Year's Resolutions

I have some.  I've been inspired reading the resolutions from other blogs.  Heidi Swap has a quote for the year, Ali Edwards picks a word for the year to inspire, and many others bravely and openly list their resolutions for the new year on their blog.  More than one seminar, self-help book, infomercial, and blog entry to improve myself has caught my eye and interest.  Believe me I need help, need to improve, and be a better person.  I worry some of these easy self help plans may be empty, even if you complete every step, do they lead to the right direction?  Discerning this is a very important step in picking the right resolution.  

I'm looking for the right path, even if it be rocky, I need to be on the right one.   I have to then start from the Source and remember where I'm headed in the first place.  God has not left me without seminars, self-help manuals, or bold messages.  It's just He didn't promise it would be flashy, easy, or help me to focus on myself more.   Take for instance the biggest of all self-help topics - diet.  There are so many things to try but do they really lead to health?  Last year my sister Lisa wrote this post about struggles with weight after being inspired by someone who connected overeating with the sin of gluttony.  After I read this it made more sense to me than any other thing I've come across on weight loss.  It led to the Truth.  

So, this year with my resolutions, I am trying to seek what is really true, what will honestly HELP me to overcome the multitude of ways I come up short.  At the end of 2009, I know I won't be reviewing this as a thin, unselfish, meal providing, giving, and positive person, but I may be reviewing this as a better person with confidence that I walked the right path and struggled the right way- that is my resolution .  This is the quote I chose for this new year to inspire me.  It is words of Pope John Paul II during a visit to Chili to beatify a saint I have come to admire, St. Teresa of the Andes:

Do not be afraid of the 

demands of the love of Christ.

On the contrary, be afraid

of being faint hearted,

of taking things lightly,

of seeking your comfort,

of being selfish:

of everything that seeks to 

silence the voice of Christ"

~John Paul II

April 2, 1987

St Teresa of the Andes

this is her message:  only in God can one find happiness; 

God alone is infinite joy.

2009!

Happy New Year!  A brand spanking new year - ahhh.  My intention was to sit down and load my photos from Christmas, but I discovered this morning that I left my camera at my Dad's last night.  I'll share one of my resolutions, to blog more regularly, like I did most of last year.  At the end it got a little sparse, and I miss it.  The last of our celebrating closed last night.  We will continue to feel the Christmas spirit until Epiphany on January 6th, but today we'll start packing up the decorations and the disorder from our weeks of Christmas preparation and celebration.  The ordinary time is knocking at our door and we must greet it with a little preparation and readiness.  

The starting is the hard part...but I hope I can report later that much was accomplished.  ...with the help of my audiobook of course, Eclipse (Twilight, story 3).  Here's to 2009!

postscript:  if you look on my sidebar you will see that I joined Twitter.  As you can see, I haven't quite gotten to work, just yet.  I am the Grasshopper (1) after all!

Let Earth Receive Her King

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love!

Christmas Tour

Welcome to our home.  The lights are turned down low - way low...and it's not because I'm a terrible photographer who wants to take pictures without a flash but is not familiar with her camera settings, still.  No, it's because you are visiting at night and we always have this golden glow in our home :).  

When it comes to Christmas decorations there's a battle between spouses, one wanting a "woodland Christmas" and the other wanting "as bright as you can get Christmas."  Notice which side I'm on - the one with the pretty name.  What we settled into is the Christmas decorations that are just right for us.  The ones we have collected throughout our 15 years together.  Many are gifts we will treasure each year.  

We will start at our front door...

This is our entry, looking into our living room. The wreath to the right is made from clothespins by my little nephew/Godson, "Love Bandit" when he was only 5 or 6.  I love it.

This is our tree this year which has a story all it's own.  Read the story here.

A few presents already from the organized side of our family (that would not be the side I descend from):  

This is my Mom's stable.  This is a treasure.  I'm so proud to see the girls eager to set it up at the start of every Christmas season.  I can almost imagine my Mom's proud smile.  It holds many memories of the treasured Christmases with my Mom.

Unfortunately this is a cat attacking the Prince of Peace.  He doesn't know Who he's messing with.  This is almost life size and brings our focus back to why we are celebrating Christmas.  (of course when the rascal Oliver is not around)

  
Our piano with a Christmas village and banners overhead.

This is a view from our second story.  We have a lighted Angel inside.  We like that we can see the top of our Christmas tree from the second story.

Our stair Christmas tree decorated with "candy" ornaments.  

This is a manger given to us by Rod's Mom and Husband.  It is nice we have a manger from both Mothers to treasure.  I kept our new statue of the Blessed Mother with the manger.  

Have you seen this set?  Lovely how Mary can hold the baby Jesus.

A view looking into our family room from the kitchen.  Don't mind the coats hanging over the chair ready for use the next morning.  

One of my favorite areas, especially on Christmas morning when the stockings are full from Santa's visit and confirms they made it another year on the good list.  Rod's Mom crocheted the three center stockings for the girls.  I just love them.  She gave us the two stockings on the end for our wedding.  Christmas gifts are wonderful gifts for weddings because you continue to remember the person who gave them to you each year.

A few embellishments in the kitchen.  Kaye received this tea set when she was a baby from Aunt S.  We love setting this out each year.  

Rod wondered why I put this one in but I love the Kennedy's - the Camelot side.  These were from our matchmaker, Aunt Levia.  A few pine cones and berries to make it a little more festive.
I don't put much in the kitchen other than a few things here and there.

Our Advent wreath on the kitchen table.  The rose candle today means we are soon to greet the newborn King.

Thank you for visiting.  Merry Christmas!

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray!

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care

And take us to Heaven, to Live with Thee there.

Visit more homes on the Christmas Tour over at Boo Mama's.   I'm #405