Over the turkey and onto the tree

Oh my golly gosh! I cannot believe Thanksgiving is already over and the swirl and whirl of Christmas...well it's already been brewing and visible from just about everywhere you go. We got to spend Thanksgiving at one of Brian's brothers house where the food was just how you dreamed it would be and the silliness and practical fun lived up to family standards ;-).

I mean seriously the number of commercials over the past couple of days advertising the you can't nor shouldn't miss 'black Friday' shopping events starting before you've cleared the dinner table and set it for dessert almost competes with all the 'said' political campaign ads for the next election!

NO, I am not a bu**-crack of dawn black Friday shopper!!! I see no reason to miss out on optimum sleep just to go out in the cold and fight the grumpy men, women and children for that one (or whatever number I would need to buy) item that happens to have been advertised for that low, low price, but only between the hours of 12:00am & 12:42am. It WILL go on sale again...maybe even cheaper if I shop smart!

Nonetheless, Thanksgiving day is done, the pie is almost gone and thus dawns a new day...a new advent season to celebrate the MOST important birthday ever! We are excited!

"Glory to God in the Highest"

Hot off the press!!!

Well, since my son made it "face-book" official tonight...I figured that it was appropriate for me to blog post about it.

At 3:00pm on Thursday, November 10, 2011, our oldest son Dalton was officially sworn into enlistment with the United States Army!!! He will ship out for boot camp (9 weeks) and AIT (5 weeks) on May 8, 2012 to Georgia, after which he will have a short leave home before being stationed at his new post (home) for the next 3+ years.

We are incredibly thrilled!

We are incredibly proud of him and his decision.

We are incredibly excited to see how passionate he is about his future!

Making the most of FALL

It was such a nice day today that Noah and I decided to take Abigail out to shoot some pictures while the weather is still a bit enjoyable...(Please don't mistake me ~ enjoyable by no means means warm...just dry). I'm still not totally impressed with what my little camera does from time to time, but nonetheless they are still cute!

 Noah got his braces off yesterday and man oh man what a smile that boy has!!!

 My boys LOVE their sister and here's the proof in living color

 Noah couldn't resist getting the Mommy in on the occasion

I'll give you one guess what Little Miss Baby-Cakes wanted to be for her Harvest Party at Preschool?

P R I N C E S S ! ! !

Okay, so this one just screams " un-uh, oh no you ditn't"

And what would a Princess outfit be without the BLING!!!?

It's all about the SEASON!!!

 It's official...Last Saturday was Abigail's very first pumpkin carving event!

And...she seems to be all smiles for this one.

 Sadly, Daddy and Tanner weren't home for this event, but we still managed to get the job done.

 AND...even enjoyed a few snapshots along the way! This one here is actually taken by sweet Miss Abigail all by herself. Gotta admit, not too shabby.

 Ta-DAH!!!

Though Abigail tried to tell me what 'face' she wanted on her pumpkin, I didn't find out until today (Tuesday) what she really meant. 

 Another photo op done by Princess Abigail. Fortunately, she managed to only cut off part of the pumpkins head, not mine!

 With "flash'

Without flash...my preference, for sure.

NOT your typical Fall day!

Okay, well maybe a field trip to the pumpkin patch is part of a typical autumn fall day ~ or rather it is the perfect activity for a fall day. On Wednesday, Miss Abigail had her very first field trip to Jubilee Farms. Talk about excited, she could hardly contain herself!!! Sadly (explained in part 2) I was not able to join Missy on this spectacular adventure...but her Grandma did in my place. AND...what's even better is that G-ma brought her camera and took pictures - isn't she the greatest!!!

The "not" so typical part of a fall day was that my dad (remember he is a cancer survivor - Yeah Jesus!!!) went in for knee replacement surgery on the morning of Miss Abigail's field trip (thus the Grandma substitution). Keep in mind, he celebrated his 81st bday in September and he did fabulous, thankfully through surgery and his recovery is going superb. In fact here you see him just 24 hours after surgery - go DAD!!!

Brand New Day!

It's a brand new day and with each new day comes ~

new experiences

new joy(s)

new blessings

new views

new feelings

new thoughts.

I came across a video on a fellow blogger's site and it contained many positive ways to "enjoy the ride" of life. I've taken a few of them and added a few of my own and listed them here:

• Take a 10-30 minute “Thank you” walk everyday; practicing gratitude while you walk. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
• Spend more time with people over the age of seventy and under the age of six
• Get more sleep – it’s the ultimate energizer
• Don't compare your life with others. You have NO idea what their journey is all about
• Choose to eat healthier
• When you wake up in the morning, complete the following statement: My purpose is to ____________________________ today.
• Pray, Pray and Pray some more. It IS the FUEL for our daily lives
• Light the candles. Use the nice sheets. Don't waste time saving it for a special occasion~ today IS special
• Do the “one thing” you have always wanted to do.
• Make peace with the past so it won't mess up the present
• Life isn't fair, but Life IS good
• No one is in charge of your happiness, except YOU
• Dream more while you are awake
• Don’t waste precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. 
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone
• Realize that LIFE is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appears and fades away.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change
• Don't take yourself too seriously, no one else does.
• Smile and laugh more every day ~ after all LIFE shouldn't be that serious. And in your laughter, be sure it's at yourself sometimes!
• No matter how you feel, get up ~ dress up ~ show up
• Remember you are too blessed to be stressed
• Enjoy the ride! You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy every moment.

SOOOO much to be thankful for...

then why do I feel so melancholy (that's a fancy word for sad), glum, somber???

I refuse, I mean adamantly refuse to believe that I could in any way be affected by...the weather?!? Okay...maybe just a little bit.

Alright, maybe even a LOT!

While driving to the orthodontist this afternoon, Noah and I were having a little conversation. I was expressing to him how I was afraid that I just might not 'make it' through this fall/winter season coming up. I shared with him that I was feeling as though there wasn't any hope. He asked me "hope of what?", of which I responded, "no hope of enjoying sunny warm days".  See with the 'less than desirable' summer weather we had this year it feels as though we are headed right back into the 'storm' of fall/winter weather without having a break.

Silly really, if you ask me. That I could have a feeling that the sun wouldn't shine again...after all, "ain't no Sunshine when she's gone!" But seriously, I really do feel this hope-less feeling inside. So, sitting here on this grey Seattle day, with the wind/rain pelting against my window is causing me to be reflective. I totally get the "chemical imbalance, reaction, whatever you call it' that could go with grey after grey after grey days. Yet, there is (I believe) a choice too that must be made on my part that says, "I could fall prey to this grey, BUT I choose not to and instead DO..." I must come up with some small (even seemingly insurmountable) things I can do to "brighten" (so to speak) my mood/feeling/atmosphere. Any suggestions???

Yes, it can will start with being thankful, for there is SO much to be thankful for:

1. I'm a new auntie (my new sweet little nephew will be coming home to America soon)
2. I have THE BEST husband ever!
3. My 3 boys are men to be adored!
4. I have been blessed with the sweetest Princess baby girl
5. I got a new job (totally giddy about this one - truly a God story to be told...maybe tomorrow)
6. I could go on...but I'm going to save it for a rainy day!

Miracles do happen...

even in your own backyard!

This is Nick!

2 months ago (though I believe he'd correct me and say 8 weeks and 5 days) he was in a horrible car accident.

Today, Nick is at home (has been for the past 6 days) and walking on his own 2 legs (even if they are a bit shaky here and there).

Yes...he's still recovering, but it truly is a miracle.

"Nick, we are so incredibly proud of you and all the progress you've made physically, emotional, mentally and spiritually over these past months. We are so thankful that God's plan for you is to bless our lives through your presence and that you are here with us today! We love you Nick!"

What is your full-time ministry?

My sister Cris is in the process of adopting a new little one into her family from Ethiopia. Just yesterday I was chatting with her, getting all the details of the 'latest' news...the 'we could receive a call any day'...the "every time the phone rings with an *** prefix I about pee my pants' kind of details. I know her anxiety. I know her excitement and enthusiasm. Indeed, I lived it myself 3 years ago while waiting for my own referral.

Nonetheless, our conversations are never just limited to one topic...after all we are women who love to talk and share the deepest level of our hearts. As we are both parents, our talks often revolve around our roles as mom's to these 'wonderful, cherub-like beings we refer to as our children :0) Some days we talk about the great achievements our kids have/are making. Other days
we share the challenges we are facing with (you name it) attitudes, behaviors, decisions they are making (good and bad)...the list goes on. And then there are those days when we share how we are with our own feelings of inadequacy, insufficiency, incompetence (or rather the feeling of) of being a Mom.

Oh man this is good. As I am writing this I am clearly seeing God's hand connecting the dots (well at least for me anyways). If you are reading this...stay with me, I will get to the point (at least I think there is one :0) ). So yesterday after preschool, Abigail and I stayed and had lunch at a friends house who we carpool together with each week. While the kids were downstairs playing, Miss B and I were able to talk a little about their adoption process (foster to adopt) and a new growth group they are hosting at their house through our church. It's a group for those adopting, in process or already have and they are going to be discussing/studying the spiritual side of adoption using the book "This Means War". Her concern was that though she believes in Spiritual Warfare, the books content and focus might be a bit strong for any new believers joining the group (which there are). She was expressing how she wasn't sure she believed that there was warfare 'specific' to just adoption/adopting, but rather she could see that there is in being parents ~ whether you have biological/adopted kids.

Miss B is absolutely right. Think about it... satan (aka the enemy) wants to "discredit" us as parents (me specifically as a Mom). He wants to make me believe that my influence, my role as a Mom to my kids isn't effective~doesn't matter~that I do a really bad job at it. He wants to make sure that I don't raise children who know and love God. And he will go to whatever lengths it takes to do it. In John 10:10 it says, "The thief comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy..."; notice how it says he comes only to steal...he has no other purpose, only for the purpose of evil and destruction. No wonder parenting is so hard!

Which brings me to my 'connecting' the dots. As a result of my conversation yesterday with Cris, I was taken this morning to her blog (I love you Cris...but a post every 6 months isn't cutting it) and was re-reading a post from a year ago July where we were having this conversation about her desire to enter into a new ministry ~ yet she wasn't sure about the timing what with just beginning the process of adoption too. God led me to the comment section she had on her post (which was from me) and let's just say the light bulb went on. In a time where we "Mom's feel like we aren't enough, can't do enough, feel split in too many directions or just plain don't feel like it's worth all the work/effort/trouble...here is what I commented:

My dear sweet Cris,

Oh how I LOVE being your sister, girlfriend, confidante!


Thank you for the 'necessary' reminder of what being a MOM means. Call it "Ministry of Motherhood" or "Ministry of Mommy" or "Ministry of Mothering" or whatever you want...it's primary mission ~ oh wait, I've got it..."Mom on Mission!" yeah I like that ~ and still it's primary mission is just that...to be 'on mission' with Christ in this journey of raising HIS children!


It is such a blessing to me to be on this journey with you...together walking towards the same goal of living out our ministry as mom's!!!


I love you God's way!
Ruth

So I would ask, what is YOUR full-time ministry. 19 years ago God placed before me a ministry ~ a mission that only I could do ~ a mission that HE called me to, therefore I mustn't ever worry that I won't be prepared or equipped for. After all, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength " (NIV) "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."(NKJV).

19 years ago God called me to be a Mom ~ Mother on Mission!

Shell shock...there's a chill in the air!

Fickle might be one word to describe it, or

Capricious just might be another. But...how about,

Mercurial just might be a better fit being that our weather this entire year has been quite flighty and temperamental to say the least.

Why just a few days ago we had temperatures in the 80's and within a 23 (no seriously only 23) hour time span our weather turns from 'summer-like' to 'definitely FALL' with the crisp cool mornings, fog lingering throughout the trees...you know those kinds of mornings!

Nonetheless, Fall - Autumn - whatever you want to call it, is here. And since I still can't get my head (or rather heart) around it, I thought I'd post a few more summer pictures.

 During Brian's vacation we took Abigail to the river for an afternoon of play.

 No...it's not quite Maui (as 1 year ago we were sitting on a beach in Maui together) and it doesn't matter where, I'd sit on any beach with this beloved man!

 Now this is the "classic" spot you would find my dear sweet husband...in the shade! He's not much of a sun lover like I am.

 And although my towel isn't here (I did want to sit by him) this is where you would find me, smack dab in the sunshine soaking up a little Vitamin D!!!

 Isn't she a beautiful Chinese Princess?!?!? While we were in China in 2008, a fellow travel mate of ours had friends who lived a few hours away from where we were staying in Chongqing. She asked her friends if they could find any 'authentic' outfits depicting where our girls came from. They happily obliged and brought Abigail as outfit too ~as close as they could get to the Tujia-Miao people. I'm glad I remembered I had it too as she won't be able to wear it again...it was really tight to say the least.