A few Christmas pics

Our Christmas was very busy. On the 23rd we went to R's bf's grandparents farm. They have an awesome place and we are thankful that they opened their home up to us for the day. We laughed and played music and ate and did a little sight seeing around the farm. It was cold and drizzly so we stayed in a lot but we did get T out to see the old bridge and dam and whats left of the old mill. Here is the bridge.

And here's the old mill. I guess the wood part of the structure burned several years ago. I was totally amazed at the cut stone work foundation.

You can tell that the block work is newer than the rest of the building. It's still quite interesting.

This is part of the turbines, if I remember right.

We had Christmas eve at our friend's house. We've been doing that for 10+ years. We always have a great time. This one of their dogs. You might recognize her from the parade pics.

Isn't she cute?
And here are the hosts.

And a Christmas pic of all of us (except J, sigh). Someone asked me the other day why R doesn't wear her contacts anymore. I explained that she discovered that it's very easy to just put her glasses on and she got lazy about it.

And here is one with R's boyfriend. Love those timer pics.

I hope your Christmas was wonderful. Ours was.

Merry day after Christmas

Our celebration continues today with my family. Cooking has commenced. Gifts are just about ready to go. I'm looking forward to it.

We got some pics of our son last night. Here he is opening the backpack of gifts. The O has everyone send their gifts in backpacks so the kids have a place to keep their things.
Here's another one with some of the other kids. J is on the far right. Notice the Spiderman masks on the tree. I love it. Each of the kids got a stocking with their names on them from a church in the states. How special is that? Oh, the blanc, or little white girl, is the daughter of the couple who lives at the boy's home. I've never met them but I'm so thankful for them. They're awesome.

Merry Christmas!

The celebration has begun. We had a candlelight (sort of candlelight) communion service yesterday evening and then went to friends for our Christmas eve traditions. We eat, sing, and tell stories and then open some gifts. It's a lot of fun. I made pajama bottoms for all of us and we opened them at about midnight and then went to bed. This morning we opened some more presents and now the kids are playing video games. Misty the cat is totally enjoying the bows, boxes and wrapping paper. She is quite entertaining. R is going to her bf's house today and we will all go to my parent's tomorrow. We may go to a movie later today. We'll see.

We still haven't heard if our papers got picked up and put back into MOI, or when that might happen. We'll be trying to call J today. I hope we get to talk to him. Christmas number 4 without him is kind of tough. We kept thinking "surely he'll be home by next Christmas" for a couple of years. Ha! We know better than to even think that this year. He still has unopened gifts from last Christmas. Merry Christmas J. We love you and miss you.

Merry Christmas to everyone else, too. I pray for health and joy for you and that you will remember the Real Reason for the season.

And I think I'll do a thankful list. I'm thankful that God sent His Son to save us. I'm thankful for the sun that's out today as we've had a lot of rain and the sun is a nice break. I'm thankful for family and friends who are like family.

P.S. I just talked to J! He got the water gun that he asked for and we sent him. I'm sure there are some kids there that are not thankful for his water gun but he seemed very excited about it. He sounds like he has laryngitis, either that or he's been yelling all morning. R has laryngitis too, but her's is not from yelling. So, I'll add to my thankful list that I got to talk to J and wish him a Merry Christmas and tell him that I love him. I am thankful for that.

Yada, yada

Well, blogger finally decided to let me on. I tried earlier today and couldn't get on. Anyway, our lawyer said that she got our file finally. Hopefully she will find no more errors and the O can pick it up and hopefully get it back into MOI next week. Pray.

The weather has been crazy here. It's been raining a lot. We saw a few peeks of sunshine yesterday. We weren't sure what it was at first-LOL. It was cool this morning, then it started raining and warmed up, but it's supposed to get down to freezing tonight with snow flurries. Zoiks. I don't know what that will do for church attendance but we have some nice musical numbers worked up-if those performing are feeling better, that is. Some of them are not feeling so good. Sigh...

We had a "request" for a pic of the staircase. T made some shelves for at the top a couple weeks ago and I stained them last week. After struggling to stain them, I decided to put plastic all around and spray polyurethane on them.

Here's the shelves. The spray poly was a good idea and the job was done in no time. T and the girls put the books and pics up.
There's some empty space still so I'll have to get up there and re-arrange and maybe take some books from the downstairs shelves up there. I'm excited about more room for family pics too.

The presents are filling up under the tree. The girls have been very busy shopping and wrapping. I got some wrapping done the other day.

With the lights on.

This is A's little tree in her room.

She does love to decorate. Those are shells that she and my mom collected at the beach and then put glitter and bows on them for ornaments. You can also see some of her interesting bottle collection.

Did I mention that R got straight A's her first semester at college? Yup, that's my girl.

Maybe I'll do a thankful list. Let's see. I'm thankful for my family, for our pets and that the lawyer got our file back in hand.

Man cold

I know I've been posting a lot of video links but that's where I'm at right now. There's a lot of busyness going on here and a lot of heavy things on my mind. So, forgive me, but I have another one for you. Yes, I've linked this one before too. T has a "man cold". I don't think he got it from me as I've been well for over a week. This video explains the "man cold". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE

Check this out

No good adoption news yet.

I have another video for you to check out though. I love this. Go to www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com and watch "Journey to Bethlehem". Awesome job, Livesays.

Another link

Having trouble getting in to the Christmas spirit? I discovered these guys last year and they really help you get into the Christmas mood. They're too funny. And oh so good. They're so good that I bought their CD this year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8 Enjoy!

Blast from the past

Hey y'all, watch this. This is a link to a video from A's friend's 10th birthday party. A is in the cream colored shirt and E is in the red shirt and L is in the purpleish blue shirt and M is in the back with the basketball. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ja8GOJcI_k

Snow day and 39 months

School was closed on Friday because our slush turned into ice. R had to be somewhere early in the morning so T took her. They said it was slippery. By the time I left for work it was pretty much melted on the roads.

T made a fire in the fireplace last night. This isn't the best pic but I love having a fire going, especially at Christmas time. I made a s'more and played video games with the kids.

I woke up early this morning thinking about the adoption and stuff going on in our lives. I couldn't get back to sleep. Why is it that you can never sleep on the days that you have time to sleep in?

We're at 39 months since beginning the paper chase for the adoption. This is the 4th Christmas without him here. I'm so tired. We are just weary of the process. I was talking to a friend who is trying to bring her third child home from Haiti and she is weary of the process too. We're both so tired of the fight. I said, "Please tell me that it's worth the fight. Tell me that it's worth it to bring the kids home." She said it definitely is.

I could be very bitter about this process. It has not left me feeling good about adoption, the process, and the world as a whole. I just wish the people who need to sign these papers had an idea of what we go through as adoptive parents. It's been such an emotional roller coaster and I feel like we have "been through the wringer". I feel like we have nothing left to give but it's not even over yet. Pray for us.

I have to choose to not be bitter. I have to look at pics and videos of J and remember why we're doing this. I have to hear people tell me that it's worth it. Lord, please let J come home.

Obviously, we're struggling. We're trying to have the proper perspective on Christmas and the Reason for the season. We're trying to make good memories for our other children. We have to choose to find things to be thankful for. That's why I do thankful lists. Please pray for us.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It's snowing here. Not a huge deal in some places but cause for celebration here. We probably won't get much but it's exciting none the less. Nearly a half inch when T took this pic.

I love this because you can see the flakes that are falling. It's been raining all day so the snow is mostly slush. And it's very "slickery". Do you think they'll close school tomorrow?

Still here

We're still here. Just busy this time of year. No news on the adoption. Sigh...this is Christmas number 4 without J here. I hung up his stocking again for the third year in a row. It's depressing if I let it be. Please pray for us.

Maybe I should do a thankful list. I'm thankful that we're all relatively healthy. I'm thankful that we're catching up on rain and have not had bad storms. I'm thankful for the joy that my husband, children and pets bring me.

Pets

This morning I found a lump in my bed. This is what it looked like.

So I peeked up under the quilt and this is what I found.

Sanomae had wormed her way up under the quilt but was on top of the rest of the bedding. That cat loves to root and get comfy. A and I were taking pics and laughing at her when A looked up and said, "Well Dexter's in your sink." Of course we had to take pics of him too.

Recently it was time for the annual Christmas parade. So we hooked up the "redneck open sleigh", which is the design of a sleigh cut out of plywood and painted up and then attached to the sides of a 4-wheeler trailer. Of course, it's pulled by a pick-up truck. We saw mules on the parade route.

The people that own the redneck open sleigh take their dogs with when we ride in the parade. They put hats and antlers and sweaters on the dogs and embarass them. It's a lot of fun.


We saw reindeer sleeping on the job. Casey is taking note of them and learning how not to do his job in the redneck open sleigh.

Yeah, the whole town is kind of funny as noted by the saddle on the cement horse statue.

Abby was not impressed with her sleigh ride at all.
The humans sure enjoyed it though. We sang, "Dashing through the snow, in a redneck open sleigh..."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm still fighting the snotitis but it seems to be getting better today. Monday was okay, yesterday not so good, somewhat better today. Anyway, I promised pics of the decorations. A pretty much decorated the whole house. I put lights and garland on the tree and set some things out here and there and she has pretty much done everything else.

I had to put this one in here. Dexter is still looking for the treats and willing the door to open.
The piano is all decorated. Sorry for that glare.

The Christmas cactus is blooming like crazy. Can you see all the little blossoms?

Here is one close up.

The staircase.

It has lots of lights on it.

Here is the fat, fluffy, flat-topped tree.

Dexter is enjoying the new blankets we put out just for him (so he thinks).

This is the top of my kitchen cabinets. I don't know why but I really like this pic.

snotitis

I have a baaaaddd case of snotitis. Most people refer to this as the common cold. At our house we call it snotitis. I'd like to have someone to blame but I know a lot of people who have it right now and don't know who to blame.

I made a mistake leading music at church this morning. I could blame it on the fever, or the light-headedness or the "only play them once a year Christmas songs", but it comes down to I made a boo boo. Yes, I've made plenty of little slip-ups before but it's been a long time since I made one that kind of threw everyone off. Oops. I tried to cover but hit the wrong chord and everyone was lost. Including me. I just kind of said "sorry" and kept going. What else can you do at that point?

We have a tree up. Sometimes we think of it as "New Year's Eve fodder". It's a big, fluffy tree that's kind of sparse at the bottom. You know how in the great expanse of the outdoors you wonder if the tree will be big enough and then you bring it inside and set it up and it takes up half of the living room? That's this tree. I said it was a little tall and T didn't think it would be tall enough. Ha! We had to take 6 inches off of it to fit it in. I think we've trimmed it enough that it won't get cedar sap on the ceiling. I think.

The cats are mesmerized as always with the tree and the boxes of decorations to explore. I've been kind of wimpy with my snotitis (where does all that come from anyway?) and the kids have done most of the work. "A" pretty much decorated the house. I did manage to get lights and garland on the tree but no ornaments are on it yet. Maybe tomorrow. One of my Christmas cacti is blooming like crazy. Hit's so purty. I'll take pics when everything gets done and show you the cactus too.

Now I need to blow my nose. And find some meds.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving y'all. I thought it'd be appropriate to do a thankful list for today. I'm thankful for the sun that's out and the rain we had earlier this week. I'm thankful for family and friends. I'm thankful for good food and the ability to buy it and make it. I'm thankful for the time to spend with my family this week. What are you thankful for?

Turkey recipe

I got this turkey recipe from my SIL just in time for Thursday. Anyone could do this.

Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing -- imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out.

Give this a try !

8 - 15 lb. turkey 1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey's butt blows the oven door open and the bird flies across the room, it's done.

And, you thought I didn't know how to cook.

Horses, neighbors and good Samaritans on the side of the road

T and I were in the bathroom this morning. I was putting on some makeup and T was brushing his teeth when we heard a car horn. I said it must be the mailman and T went and checked it out. He came running back in and said the horses were out on the road. My dad had a horse get hit on the road one time and it didn't make it. You kind of go into panic mode. I prayed over and over for the Lord to protect them. I thought, I can't see, so I grabbed my glasses and put them on. He was getting his shoes on. I thought, my hair is wet, so I grabbed a hat and we both got our coats on. We ran outside and looked at the cars and at each other. He said let's take Elvis, he's already pointing out (we have a very narrow place to turn around). I asked if he had keys. No. He ran back in for keys and I said to meet me by the barn. All of this was said/done while running around in circles. I ran to the barn and got a bucket with some grain and three halters and lead ropes.

That was the fastest trip Elvis ever made down the driveway. He's kind of low to the ground and bottomed out a few times. Anyway, multiple people had stopped on the road, one of which had driven up to the house to let us know about the horses. A neighbor from either side was already there and one of them had a grain can and they had a hold of the horses manes. The people were stopped in their cars to make sure no one hit the horses. Except for one person that plowed through and took off with their loud car and spooked the horses. Weeellll. Anyway, we got the halters on the horses and led them back up the driveway and into the other pasture.

Today I'm thankful that the horses didn't get hit. I'm thankful for good neighbors. And I'm thankful for good samaritans that stopped and let us know what was going on and stopped their cars so they didn't hit the horses. I'm glad to report that the horses are fine. The humans are okay too.

"Hopelessness is a disease"

I finished reading "Where The River Ends" by Charles Martin earlier today. It's the story of a man's love for his wife and her battle with cancer and how the river is a gift to both of them, so they take one last trip down the river. Towards the end of the book the character, Doss, is fired up about the things that cancer can take from you and the things that it can't. He also talks about hopelessness. He says, "Hopelessness is a disease, more powerful than the one that stole Abbie's life. Because it affects the heart...There is no vaccine, no one is immume." I decided to not let hopelessness be my disease today.

Thankful list

I feel like I should do a thankful list. Let's see. I'm thankful that the five of us are alive and relatively healthy. I'm thankful for dark chocolate. I'm thankful for wool socks and down jackets. I'm thankful for the sun that is out today and the rain we've had over the last several days. And for sourdough bread. And the smell of it through my house.

I found Misty in a patch of sunshine this morning and it made me think of the song, "I want to soak up the sun. I want to tell everyone to lighten up. I've got no one to blame. Every time I feel lame I'm looking up. I want to soak up the sun." I'm feeling pretty lame and today I want to soak up The Son.

Sanomae's laundry

I haven't posted a "Sano in the laundry" pic for a while but not because she hasn't been in it. This cat loves, loves, loves the clean, warm clothes that come out of the dryer. She roots through them like a little piggy searching out the warmest and most comfortable spot. Then she lays there and snags her claw on anything that you try to pick up and fold. Here is what I found yesterday.
Yup, that's her tail sticking out. It was the only part of her that wasn't covered.

I started pulling some things away and folding them when I found this.
Aww, I woke it up again. Isn't that too bad? But isn't she cute?

We've had a few crummy weeks in a row as far the adoption process goes, or doesn't go in this case. Apparently they can't find the "register" which is the book they need to make our new extract of archives paper. While I'm not that surprised, I am very discouraged, disillusioned and frustrated beyond belief. If you believe in God, please pray for us. I'm not holding up well under the strain right now. I can see the strain in the rest of the family too. Thanks.

Maybe I'm dead??

I climbed into bed last night and snuggled up to T and he flinched. He asked me, "How can somebody so cold still be alive?" I do have a little problem regulating my body temp. I overheat easily but freeze in the winter. The cold hurts. Believe it or not we have flannel sheets, a lightweight cotton blanket, electric blanket that we use to heat the bed up before we get into it, a microfleece type blanket, a down comforter and a quilt all on the bed. It's a wonder we can even move under all that. And we grew up in WI.

I got to talk to J today. He sang "I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N" and the part at the end that goes "and I will l-i-v-e e-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y" sounded more like "and I will ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-y". It was precious.

I'm planning on watching Extreme Home Makeover this evening. Some people who adopted from Haiti are going to be on. Or that's the change, subject to plan anyway.

Another week, another month, another year

Obviously, we have no good adoption process news. Apparently the person at the office from which we are awaiting the paper is on vacation. Haven't we heard that before? You know how sick I am of all of this. How crazy it makes me feel. How desperate and frustrated. So I don't really need to mention that stuff.

T has come to call these "black Fridays". You know, when you don't get any good news and know that it will be at least Monday before you even have a chance of hearing anything again. The problem is, those weeks become months and those months become years. It's been a month now that we've been waiting on the paper. We're in month 38 of the wait. Over three years. We are 2 months into the fourth year of waiting. How is that good? I don't know. I conceived, carried and gave birth to two babies, and they're two and a half years apart in age, in the time we've been paper pregnant with this child. And we decided to not have more bio children because being pregnant was not good for my body. Ha! Being paper pregnant for this long is not good for my body either.

On to other things. I know that the cats get the "lion's share" (ha ha, cats-lions, get it? See, I told you I'm crazy) of photos on the blog. But here are a few more. They're just so stinkin' cute. Here's a pic of the two that despise each other. The third one was on the other side of the screen door.

Kind of like mirror images, their tails were curled the same and everything.

And this is Sanomae looking cute in the computer chair. She fights me for control of the chair all the time.
Aww, I woke it up. Isn't that too bad?

Good verses, good song

This has been a difficult, weepy day. I was just thinking, "I just want the waiting to end. One way or another, I just want it to end. I want to give up." I don't know how many times today I whined that God just doesn't care about us and this adoption process. And then I took a look at RHFH blog and she had these verses posted under a pic of a little girl that is alive today because of their ministry in Haiti.
Galatians 6:9 (The Message)
9-10So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Isaiah 40:30-31 (The Message)
27-31Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,“God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”?Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

Hmm. Makes you think. I've also camped out on this Dave Crowder Band song too.

“ALL THAT I CAN SAY”
David Crowder Band

Lord I’m tired, so tired from walking
And Lord I’m so alone
And Lord the dark is creeping in, creeping up
To swallow me
I think I’ll stop, rest here a while

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give- that’s my everything

Oh didn’t You see me cry’n?
Oh and didn’t You hear me call Your name?
Wasn’t it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You’d remember where You sat it down

And this is all, this all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
But this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything
And this is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give- yeah, that’s my everything

I didn’t notice You were standing here
I didn’t know that that was You holding me
I didn’t notice You were cry’n too
I didn’t know that that was You washing my feet

And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything
And this is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give- yeah, that’s my everything
And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything

Yeah that’s my everything, yeah that’s my everything….everything

Pretty pics, dark emotions

I was uploading these pics and thinking how pretty they are and what a nice time we had with friends Sunday evening and then I called the lawyer to see if we had gotten the paper we've been waiting on for 4 weeks. We haven't. I'm so discouraged with this adoption process. So frustrated. So angry with God for not stepping in. It makes no sense. Sometimes it feels like a hoax. Or like some cruel joke has been played on us. I'm sorry. I have no theological or philosophical response. I have nothing.

Here are the pics I uploaded. Hope you can enjoy them.

Horses and a donkey at our friend's house.

The bonfire.

Sorry this is such a heavy post. I just feel dark, devoid of joy or hope. Sorry.

10:17-Ok, I'm pretty much over my pity party for now. Pretty much. But remember, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to. You would cry too if it happened to you."