Horray!

The kids have really been enjoying JP reading poems to them (he has a book of "man poems" as I call them... battles, classics, on fatherhood, etc.). I'm glad we have some children's books from when I grew up (I did weed many of them out for content or age appropriateness), but good wholesome books are far and few, it seems. We have some favorites around here, and funny enough, they're all from 25 to 50 or more years ago! There's a set called the Children's Hour that was given to me, but no value was ever put on it except, "Keep these, you'll want these someday," but that was Mom's sentence for too much I didn't really want to keep. So, we got rid of the set of 16 volumes! Published in 1954 or so. Well, for about a year I've been really aching about it, regretting about it on the insides, since we saw the set (brand new, mind you) being sold on a really good Christian family resource website for $550! We looked on Ebay this week and found two sets being sold, we got one for $22! Wow! We should get them next week. One volume is "Poems", another "Science Fiction" and so on.

Wow, what a month. I'm doing well, this week was crazy. Catching up on housework. I lean on the low blood sugar end of the spectrum anyway, and pregnancy has me eating even more frequently than I did before, and if my blood sugar's off, I'm not much good because I can't concentrate or think straight. Yesterday I spent two hours after the kids were down leveling it out, and I only had 20 minutes to myself in which I was "sane" until they got up! Wow. I eat (or plan to eat) and entertain children, think and clean when I can. *Ha* I am so thankful I'm not sick, though.

Liam got a new bed, it's a loft bed so he's loving it! So we have Adelle in his old toddler bed, now she has a big girl bed! Wow. She's also doing well w/potty training, well enough to go w/o a diaper around the house. So last night we put the crib away and rearranged their room, wow, two big kid's beds, no baby stuff. This week I also got a double stroller, a sit and stand *Horray!* It's been on my "list" for 1 1/2 years, and worth the wait! Liam loves it, he has a jumpseat. It has tons of storage room, too. It's heavy duty compared to a lot of strollers of it's type, and clean, modern, and sporty (I'm not a plaid w/teddy bears kind of person).

Gonna go start today, we're all up now. Blessings!

Two Pink Lines

No kidding! Unplanned by us, totally planned by God!

Saturday morning God told JP, "I'm blessing and multiplying you, the first fruits principle will begin to release a level of blessing you have not experienced before. I am positioning you for purpose. As you identify blocks and hindrances to blessing work to remove them as quickly as possible. You have divine purpose and destiny, why would you chose anything else?"

This is more than we would usually share, but we didn't want to give the word in part. JP chose a time of lightness and humor to tell me God's message, and when he told me I knew it was true. I have already noticed changes in my body, so I took the test Sunday night to confirm!

So... our year is now out of our hands and in God's! The funny thing is that this has made JP pretty much start nesting! (That's OK w/me)

Blessings!

My favorite Salad Dressing (right now!)

1/2 olive oil
1/2 balsamic vinegarette
salt & pepper
FRESH minced garlic (don't waste your time w/the jarred minced, I've tried it and it doesn't compare at ALL)
Maybe some fresh squeezed lemon!

Salad toppers:
sesame or sunflower seeds, feta cheese, hard boiled egg, shredded carrot
apple, mandrin segments
sliced cheese or lunchmeat or baked or sauteed chicken

What a week!

Adelle started teething her canines Wednesday, and an hour before the fever hit from that she jammed her foot and could walk until mid Friday (a toddler who can't toddle is a very frustrated one!) So she's had a snot nose and chewing everything w/a vengance, but this morning she woke up w/puffy, irritated looking eyes, and eye drainage (after a very restless night of sleep). Just figured out that's fluid in the middle ear, so we propped her mattress before bed so fluid will continue to drain properly and no infection will begin. We've had a very cranky, frustrated, tired toddler! What a week. Sure puts some perspective on adding another child to the house, one child setting the normal groove into a spin! Praise God I went grocery shopping Thursday and Friday, the kitchen's a wreck but we do have salad to eat :)

Gotta Start Somewhere

When I'm away from the computer, throughout the day I think of numerous things to write about. Now, of course, I can't think of much, but I gotta start somewhere, right?

Today was Liam's birthday party. Thank you to all who made it a fun time! Liam loved it, we loved it. We went to Jungle Playland, which according to my Stephanie, is "crazier than Chuck E Cheese" (it's a glorified fast food play system, three levels w/a black slide and more). I know he's so blessed w/his gifts, a Thomas Roundhouse and a Veggie Tales Pirate Ship being a couple of them. Tomorrow him and JP are going to the theatre to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything on the big screen, he's loving this birthday stuff.

Now we've made it through the holidays and Liam's birthday, time to focus on getting our foster license. For 6 months I've really been working on organizing our place before putting out the money for the licensing requirements (life takes longer w/small children!). And now JP's really, truely on board w/caring for a foster child, so now w/his desire as well as his blessing, we can get this going. We want to care for a child who needs love. So many children need a stable, loving family experience, and one child in our home right here and right now is what we can do. There can definitely be a romanticism when talking about caring for children, but we already have two small children and know what life is like, and that some days can be really challenging.

Lately we've really been reaping rewards of parenthood. So much laughter in the house! Adelle's speaking more and more... words every day! Tonight we prayed, and she prayed too. I recounted some highlights from the party, and she followed me and commented (she's 16 1/2 months). She has become quite the adventurer like Liam, she climbs, but doesn't have as much natural sense as Liam does.... What a fireball she can be, too! Adelle has passion.

Liam lately loves "Daddy Juice, Liam Juice, Read the Bible", the time after they get up in the morning and do just that! In October JP began to tell Bible stories before bedtime using stuffed animals, and that excitement for God's Word combined w/Liam's love for books and time w/Dad first thing in the morning has really planted something deep. These past couple weeks Liam has learned that Yeshua (Jesus) died, but is now alive! During the day we listen to Christian kids' radio w/songs teaching the kids scripture or principles. What a priviledge to teach our children about YHWH (God).

Well, this blog is mostly an obedience to God and what He has told me to do. I cannot stall any longer. I heard it said that we aren't afraid of failure, we're afraid of success! Think about that! I know what it feels like to fail, but what if I succeed? Wow! I know God has placed giftings in me He's told me to put in motion, and this blog is to help develop those. Writing is one, I will share more as I go. And, what a great benefit that I can keep updated you whom I love and keep you updated about our family in our journey of life! I have several friends' blogs bookmarked and I'll visit them regularly because it's a great way to keep up. Sure, I have MySpace and Facebook, but I have to log in and press more buttons to keep up w/anyone.

Blessings to you!