daily cares

This week-end we wallowed in bounty. Caramel sugar highs, a late card game with friends, a chicken coop built with neighbors (I'll post pics soon), homemade applesauce canned and happily lined up on pantry shelves, a messy children's closet cleaned out and reorganized. I am thankful.

And yet, this coming election has me burdened more than any before. I lament over our broken nation and an increasing division amongst the Church. I battle fear for my children's future, for our collective rights as parents, citizens and human beings. My heart churns for babies unborn and their knowing mothers. I wonder how I can be salt and light, bringing healing in Jesus name. In the midst of it all, I am gently reminded to repent of my own sin. Relieved, I cast my cares on the One who does not change like shifting trends. For,

"All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall. But the Word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24&25

Emma

Natural and sweet, animal lover, budding artist and composer, easy going, nurturing, wildly delightful.

waiting...

Several of you have inquired about our adoption process so here's a little update. Our dossier (the Mt.Everest of paperwork) has gone through all the hoops necessary and should be in the hands of the Ethiopian Ministry of Women by now. They will match us with an infant between the ages of 0-6mo. We have not specified boy or girl so it will be a surprise! This match is called a referral. We could receive a call anytime (although we aren't expecting it until late November or December) with a referral which will comprise of pictures, medical results and social history (if any is available) of a baby that matches our requested criteria. We have up to a couple weeks to decide whether to accept the referral. Once we have accepted, we sign a document that makes us the legal guardian of that child. A court date finalizing the adoption in Ethiopia is given. We will not be there for that as dates can easily change. Once the adoption is finalized (usually a few weeks from the time we accept the referral), we are given our travel dates. We (or one of us) will travel to Ethiopia to get OUR BABY! YAY! Please pray with us for all the details but especially for the baby and our three little girls. This baby will surely have a lot of doting mamas! :)

backseat dreams (or money mongers?)

Driving home from piano today I had to chuckle as my meandering thoughts picked up on this conversation.

Amanda says, "I can't believe I am only eight. I really feel like I am ten!" to which Emma replies, I KNOW! I have been waiting for YEARS to be twenty!". (Big sigh from Manda)"Me too". They sat quietly then with their twenty year old dreams and I could not help myself. I HAD to ask. "So, girls, why do you want to be twenty?"

Realizing that they had been overheard, we all giggled, and one of them chimed "Because you get to do GROWN UP things then!". "Like what, for example", I pressed (slightly nervous about what grown up things might be).

"We can have LOTS of MONEY!"

"And we could read old books and watch old videos."

"Yeah, we could ride bigger bikes and drive a car," jumps in Manda.

"Go shopping All by OURSELVES!"

"Eat grown up food!"

"What is grown up food?", I want to know (since they eat everything Steve and I eat).

"NOT ONIONS! I mean, we won't have to eat onions!" chanted Manda, "Yeah, and we'll eat delicious grown up food whenever we want!" agrees Emma.

Emma repeats, "We can read books that we can't read now."

"Like what?"

"Like Lord of the Rings and stuff."

"Okay, anything else?"

Emma states the obvious, "When I am twenty I am buying a horse with a white star on its forehead!" (She has WUUVED her stuffed black horse since she was itty bitty. It's name is Star. Any guesses why?)

Amanda concludes with, "I don't want a boring job when I am grown up. I don't think I even want a job! I think I'll be an artist. Is that okay?"

Emma answers her, "But you won't have ANY money!!!"

Maybe I should have given them I nice sound lecture on the evils of materialism but I didn't. They have been saving their allowance now for months. Every week they count and recount it. They clip pictures out of those pesky catalogues that come in the mail to decide what to save for. A couple of months ago, they both decided to go in on mountain flutes and I have to admit I was pretty proud of them for their well thought out choice. A few months back Emma saved and bought herself a Narnia pop-up book. So, right now money means the power to buy things they want. Granted, they are not things they NEED. And, they do cheerfully give a percentage to the Lord. I can only pray that we are setting an example in our gratitude, generosity, and mindfulness toward those who have far, far less. In the meantime, my kids really, really like money! What can I say?

shshsh! don't tell!

Isn't this too funny? I LOVE the sunglasses! :)I snapped this last week while photographing a wedding and decided not to post it in the "samples" for the family to see online (in case someone would be unhappy). But I just couldn't resist posting it here. Just don't tell! (wink, wink)! You can check out a few of the images on the amygphoto blog, linked above right, if so inclined!

Oh, and by the way, this grandma was really very sweet!

spring of life

"It is impossible for us to make the duties of our lot minister to our sanctification without a habit of devout fellowship with God. This is the spring of our life, and strength of it. It is prayer, meditation, and converse with God, that refreshes, restores, and renews the temper of our minds at all times, under all trials, after all conflicts with the world. By this contact with the world unseen we receive continual accesses of strength. Without his healing and refreshing of spirit, duties grow to be burdens, the events of life chafe our temper, employments lower the tone of our minds, and we become fretful, irritable, and impatient."

H.E. Manning


"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." Col. 4:2

7 candles!!!!!!!

in review

The past ten days have fairly bulged with events! Ayisha started kindergarten last Monday and was tickled about it all! I had to let her habilitation worker go, however, (STRESSFUL) and got to see the Lord provide a highly capable replacement who also happens to be an old friend of mine. In the meantime Manda had a painful tooth extraction. Remember the scooter accident of a couple months ago? Well, apparently the impact killed one of her teeth, which caused and infection, abscess, the whole works. On the ride home Manda moaned, "This is the worst thing that has happened to me in my WHOLE LIFE!!!, then,"Can I get in your bed when I get home?" There is just somethin about mom and dad coziness.

Ayisha turned seven yesterday. We celebrated Saturday with a proper party reminiscent of her favorite Milly-Molly-Mandy story with a princess twist. Friends, young and old(er) came over for a high pitched swim, spoon and egg race, Cinderella pinata and barbecue a la americana.

As if on cue, she did something yesterday (her actual birthday) she has NEVER done before. Drum roll please....she walked WITHOUT her walker ACROSS THE ROOM to her sister! It was momentous! There were cheers, high fives. Loud Hugging! And she practiced all day. Yep, she did.

Since the week-end, we've been plagued with scratchy throat, runny nose blues. Still we have completed our adoption dossier! Whahoo!

This evening I have a beautiful vase filled with green, yellow and pink flowers in my kitchen. They were brought home by my dear husband. A gift in remembrance of our firstborn. We had moist eyes and lumps in our throats all through dinner.

Life is full! God is good.

sieve brain

Yesterday, after a quiet afternoon, family dinner and a monsoon walk, it casually dawned on me that I had forgotten something! Oh! Ayisha's *mandatory* kindergarten orientation! I panicked, called her teacher at home (who wasn't there because she was still at the school) and rambled on to her poor husband about my state of utter mortification! He promised to jot it down, "Okay, I'll give her the message". "You are mortified," he says.

The thing is, I had NO EXCUSE! For the past several days I had been reminding myself of this meeting. I had it plastered across my calendar, I had a list a questions to ask and it simply slips my mind?! Is this early onset of Alzheimer's? I have had a lot on my mind lately, I guess. The truck load of adoption paperwork has been gnawing at me. They need to be completed THIS WEEK. Steve and I have been working on finishing and mailing all four thousand camp images. I have been meeting with Ayisha's new habilitation worker (I am making efforts to demonstrate the delicate balance between facilitating Ayisha's independence and providing necessary assistance). Contracts have needed signed, paperwork filled out, instructions clearly communicated. She will be Ayisha's personal aid during her half days at school. All the curriculum for Emma and Amanda has arrived and we have begun our school routines. Still, Ayisha needs school clothes, new shoes, etc, etc... But then everyone has lists of things that need accomplished, deadlines to meet. WHY, oh WHY is it that everyone else in the world has it together? (Please do ignore the unbecoming whine!)

I take half a day, HALF OF A DAY to cuddle with the kids, to revel in a cooler than usual evening, and I COMPLETELY brain dump an important meeting?! Good thing I am not a surgeon or anything! "Oops, forgot your brain surgery today, Sorry!"

I spoke with Ayisha's teacher this morning and she was tremendously gracious, of course. Then I had a conversation with Genevieve, who is awaiting more results on Tuesday about her thyroid cancer. It's a fresh breeze talking to her. So I forgot school orientation, so what! I DID enjoy my husband and children AND ate cake to boot! I will try to remember to check my calendar SEVERAL times a day, to sticky notes onto my FOREHEAD, to take my baking soda drink (1/2 tsp. in a glass of water is supposed to do wonders for clearing brain "fog". Don't laugh.), but all things considered, OH WELL! Life goes on, right? Right.

recipe for a sweet afternoon

1) three fascinating little girls to chat with

2) a slice of marbled yogurt cake (improperly marbled, if you are me ;)

3) a cup of lovely hot tea

Once the cake is eaten, the tea drunk, race to the couch to catch an episode of Little
House! Scrunch together, breath deeply and enjoy every second.

dragons&fairies

The girls created fantastical creatures this morning to the carefree tunes of Elizabeth Mitchell (a fave around here). How cute are these?

baked oats

We tried my friend Dani's baked oatmeal recipe this morning for breakfast. It was perfectly suited to an overcast, drizzly day.
Here it is:

1 c. oil (I used apple sauce)

3 eggs

3/4 c. honey

2 1/4 c. milk (Dani uses soy milk)

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

6 c. oats

pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)


Mix ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into greased 9x13. Bake approx. 30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out fairly clean).

We topped ours with maple syrup and cream. Dani likes hers with pecans and melted butter. Try it! You'll like it!

my hero

I snapped this photo while relaxing on a boat with friends. Steve was steering and I
thought he had a "Master and Commander" look. Don't you think?

sisters

Two of my favorite people came over today for a mini shoot (and snacks, of course). Em is college bound NEXT WEEK (unbelievable!) and needed a handful of pics with her sis to brighten dorm walls.We raced around the house from window to window acting positively ridiculous! Such fun!

great find (thanks Nichole!)

Thanks to my neighbor friend's great eye, I got a new baking center for my kitchen! The old piece was unusual put a bit too rustic (like don't run your hand across it or you'll get blisters, rustic). The girls are regular sous chefs these days and I was needing a little breathing room while wielding dangerous weapons! As you may be aware, we have had our own "series of unfortunate events" related to digit removal in our family. Refraining from such opportunities only seems wise! So my neighbor, an avid bargain shopper, ran across this dark brown buffet (with great lines) for fifty bucks at Goodwill! Can you believe it?! Anyway, I bought it, painted and distressed it (actually the girls happily did that part) then had it topped with marble. Serendipitously, I found a remnant of Vermont white marble at a stone yard down the street. It turns out that the ambassador to India was building a house in the valley (heaven knows why) and had shipped crate loads of the stuff for his humble abode. I purchased a flawless remnant for a song! Yippee!