Created to Be

I know deep in my heart I was created to do something special. But what, I sometimes wonder? Is it to be a great teacher to hundreds of children? Is it to be the best servant leader in small group Bible study? God made me just who I am for a reason. God wants me to serve Him in some capacity. Is it to be a stay-at-home mom to my three children and wife extraordinaire to my sweet husband? I'm thinking...maybe, for now. Where I'm at is a good place for I'm so happy cooking, cleaning, and teaching my kids as one learns to read and the other two prepare for life in college. I'm able to be there, no REALLY be there for my family. They can call on me anytime day or night to talk through a monumental life question or discuss what the Bible says on any given subject. It's good that they trust me enough to just talk. I feel privileged that our relationship is such that they can do that with me. My kids are a blessing to me.

I worked full-time and part time for many years, but I was always pulled in so many directions. Now I'm only pulled in about 3 directions...one direction per child. It something I can handle. It's like going from having 32 kids in a classroom to only 20, but now I only have 3. I can HEAR them when they talk, and listen to what they're really saying. I can look into their eyes and read their body language. Most importantly I can be present when we are together instead of worrying about my lesson plans for the next day.

If I had my life to live all over again, I'd do it exactly the same. I've saved the best for last. I'm home with my family where I belong. I was created to be a wife and mother. My legacy belongs with them. For I know whatever I sow in their hearts today, they will sow in their children's hearts and their grandchildren's hearts after that. What I'm doing now may not seem all that important but I know over all it is affecting the future. My children will grow up knowing I loved them the best that I could. I gave them my all, not just a part of me.

I was created to be exactly who I am. I'm so glad I have friends that are closer than sisters, a sister who is a friend, a husband who loves me unconditionally, and children who call me "Mommie", "Mom", and "Mama". Life is good. Enjoy the time you have here on earth because it's short. Love your children with all your might. They are the reason we are created to be...

Ramblings about Distractions...

What? I'm blogging? Yep, I found some time to journal today. Josh's Eagle Court of Honor for Boy Scouts is over finally. That extravaganza only took 2 months of dedication to plan and prepare for. It was a lot of fun, but boy am I glad it's over. I'm done with training for the LA Marathon. Boy, that took a lot of time. All I did each day for 4 months was walk, walk, jog a little, and walk some more!!! It was worth it, for all the little babies in China who got the medical care they needed, I walked to raise money for them. But now...now it's time for some down time. You know what I mean? I might have some time for myself....I hope. Time to do something I want to do like blogging, or catching up on my scrapbooking, or working out at the gym. I envy those blogger friends that blog on a regular basis.

I want to be like you one day. There is just so much to do and not enough time to do it. I don't know, maybe that's just an excuse...oh, it is. It seems that whenever I get on the computer, something...or someone...needs me. Have you ever tried to type with a 25 pound 35" adorable sweetheart on your lap? It can be done. Right now I'm holding her on my lap, smelling her fresh babyskin fragrance and I have to be honest with you it's distracting. I can only see the screen when she lifts her head. Typing without looking is challenging, you know. And then she says what she says every morning upon waking and finding me on the computer..."I'm hungry!" Well how can I ignore that? She wants to eat. She needs to eat. Then Josh comes in and says he's leaving for school and could I send in the money to pay for his college. Frank arrives shortly after with his list of things for me to do today. Sheesh! How can I have time to journal on the computer? What's the secret to having sustained journaling time on the computer? And pictures. What about those? Who's got time to take them let alone download them on the computer. I want to know your secrets. You know who you are...how do you do it?

So for now, enjoy my post. Who knows when the next one will be. My children are calling...gotta go feed them.

The Life of a Two Year Old Princess

Click here to view this photo book larger

My Heart is Deeply Touched

My adoption agency friends, the one's who were strategically placed in our life by God to help show us about cleft affected babies, just adopted their little Bella today. Her story is an amazing one that only God could orchestrate. If you want to hear their wonderful Godstory, email me (www.nuts4mykidz@yahoo.com) and I'll send you the link.

Anyway, after reading their travel journal today my heart so deeply ached at the reminder of how each orphan's life is so drastically changed at adoption. Oh yes, it is good for them to be able to have a forever family and a mom and a dad they can call their own. A life in America is a very rich life where these children will never want for anything. But each little baby/child is removed from the people and places where they have come to know as home. Can you imagine being permanently torn away from your home today...unexpectantly? Then given over to strangers who look, smell, talk, eat, and act differently than anyone or anything that you've ever known? It is heartbreaking to see these little angelic faces so sad from their very core as their old life is stripped away! Not to mention their foster families and/or nannies who have grown to love them as their very own for the first years of their lives...the pain as a parent is just too much to fathom. But it happens everyday, all over the world, thousands of orphans are dealing with this change.

As I write this journal with tears in my eyes and a broken heart, I look over at my sweet, little angel, Sophie, as she plays with her Duplo blocks building a swimming pool with a slide. She's talking to herself, she's content to play with her toys, sometimes changing to her Cinderella playset, or to put on the headphones to listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella" song. She has more than she needs in all sense of the word.

She has had 3 surgeries to repair her cleft lip and palate, she's had countless speech therapy sessions to help her speak clearly, she has a closet full of clothes and cute, little pink shoes, she's been to Disneyland at least 20 times in the last year to visit the princesses, she goes weekly to a mommy and me ballet class, she has a playgroup made up of little Chinese friends who share her story of adoption, she has such a wonderful big brother and sister who adore her a million times over, and she has a mommie and daddy who love her with all their hearts. Yes, it was a difficult journey getting to this place of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness and comfort but God has her right where she belongs now.

God has had this plan all along, to give her hope and a future. His plan was set in place before the beginning of time. His plan is a masterful plan, well thought out, all to bring Him glory. You see, He loves us so much more than we can ever think or imagine. God is good, all the time. I'm reminded of the song called "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" that I was introduced to when we decided to adopt. It tells of how God loved us so much that her gave his only son to die on the cross for us, but not only for you and me, but for all those millions of orphans all over the world. He wants to bring them to sit on his lap, to be sheltered under His mighty wings. And maybe the best way to do that is to bring them into our homes where we can lavish them God's love, teach them all about Him, and prepare them for a life of giving Him glory.

Adoption is a miracle. It is a miracle that shows God's love and mercy in a daily, tangible way. I know for our family, and countless others, our lives have been forever blessed by taking that step of faith and adopting. I hope that if you are at all considering adoption that you take that next step forward in faith. You won't regret it. Just be ready for an incredible gift that will make your heart sing a new song and change your life forever!

My Sister

Sophie (Mei mei),

I Love you my little moon cake,

And I love your crooked smile.

Since you came from across the seas,

You made life better than it's been in a while.

I love your silly giggly laugh,

And I love watching you grow.

Everyword you say makes my heart smile,

It's hard not to let is show.

I love when you dance around the room

And I love the way you pat my back when we are hugging tight,

Your beautiful brown almond shaped eyes

always let me know when everything's all right.

I love how you use chopsticks to eat your rice.

And I love when your soft little hands are in mine.

When you twirl around in your princess dress,

I realize that this love is part of a perfect design.

I love your big kisses

And I love your little voice when you sing

God always knew you were the one for me

with all of the joy and love your bring.

I love you my little moon cake,

You are a slice of Heaven!

Love,

Courts

(Meim)

Sophie's Favorites

I was inspired by Laurie's recent blog interviewing her son Aaron, Sophie's China travel mate, to also interview my sweet little princess. It's kinda cute to see how her little mind thinks. Enjoy a little piece of Sophie!

Favorites

color: purple, green, red, yellow, black, brown and pink

clothes: Cinderella dress

food: ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies

drink: lemondade...no water...and lemonade

dessert: vanilla ice cream

video: The Wiggles

activity: dance class

letter: abcdefg...Z (I guess she like all of them!)

place: Disneyland

Disney character and "best friend": Cinderella

BFF: MeiMei (that's what she calls her sister, Courtney)

ride at Disneyland: horsies, Dumbo, Cinderella castle, It's a small world after all, it's a small...(she just sang the whole song)

toy: puzzles

animal: horsies

books: Mouse a Cookie

Now I'll tell you what I think some of her favorites are according to what I witness everyday...

color: pink

clothes: anything girly girl, especially a yellow "Belle" dress, a white "Cinderella" dress, and any dress with sparkles on it!

food: grapes, watermelon, yogurt

dessert: strawberry ice cream, frozen GoGurts

drink: apple juice

video: Shrek

books: anything book in the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series

computer site: Nick Jr.

computer games: Caillou, Team OomiZoomi, Kai Lan

It's Been a Month!

Boy how this summer has flown! It's been a month since my last post and so much has happened. I wish I could be like my other blogging friends and post daily or weekly, but I've got just so much time in the day. Anyway, here's what's been happening in a nutshell:
I'm starting to homeschool Sophie not because I'm one of those overachieving moms but because she wants to learn! She learns very fast and can already count to 15, recognize numerals 1-5, sing her ABC's, and recognize about 1/2 of the letters and their sounds! And that is just from watching educational videos and playing computer games! I'm amazed at her abilities. Wow!
Josh is back to his senior year in high school and seems to really enjoy it. He has more confidence now that he's been at his new school for 4 months (b/c of the move in the middle of the year). He is taking some tough classes and has really is taking off academically...finally! He is right in the middle of doing his Boy Scout Eagle project for a local nature center. He's building a much needed bench with pergola on an upper hiking trail.
Courts is finishing up her final year of community college. She is doing really well and LOVES her Italian class. She's figured out the perfect time for classes...1-5. This way she she can still sleep in and come home in time for dinner! She has become quite the helpful person around the house and I'm loving having her around.
I'm so excited that I have found a wonderful group of adopted moms from China to meet with weekly. They get together to do a variety of activities from going to the beach to celebrating Chinese Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. We plan on going to Disneyland soon. Now Sophie has some sweet friends to grow up with.
I will be also starting MOPS in September as well as a Beth Moore Bible Study. Finally, life in the OC is getting back to normal. Well, that is until we find a house to buy. We will be moving into our "real" house in less than six months. So my busy life that is finally settling in will be totally uprooted once again. At least we'll just be moving within a 15 mile radius of where we are now. Updates to come!