Our Christmas

My favorite Christmas picture tradition! The room dark, the gifts under the tree and the glow of the lights.

Love them all...this was after church on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning with their new pj"s. 

My borther and Linda made the long drive to AZ this year. It was a joy and pleasure to see them both. They were great with my kids. They are driving home today...

We got a horseback ride adventure for Christmas and the package came with the little hat. Believe it or not, this is the only picture of us taken together this Christmas...

Azul found his special place under the tree.

I acutally didn't take many pictures of gifts this year so I could enjoy them opening up stuff with out the camera in my hand but I knew to be ready for picture in particular. Samantha has been begging for boots and we waited until Christmas to give them to her. After this shot was loud squealing and jumping up and down!!! She loves them!

Merry CHRISTmas

Bathroom Makeover

For the past year or so I have seriously felt bad for my son having to shower in a Winnie the Pooh bathroom. Sure, Pooh is not bad for the little ones but this is a shared space. I knew I could come up with some sort of decor that was both gender equal and could span the age range of the kids for the next 5 years or more. So I started thinking. I didn't want to do some bathroom cliche, although Bed, Bath and Beyond had some adorable monkey stuff. So I kept thinking!!

Finally in the November I had made a decision. I had a vision in my head but could I actually make it match in the acutal bathroom. So, since my hard drive on my laptop has crapped out I cannot access my "before" picuters so please close you eyes and begin to use your imagination!! Two of the walls were a bright, sunny yellow and the other to were more of a moss, earthy green. The shower curtain was Winner the Pooh but the old stuff...more like the orignial book illistrations. I had some wonderful Pooh framed pictures thanks to my sister in laws collection when she was a kid and a few stuffed Pooh animals. I also had white shelves on a couple of the walls. a few towels and that describes the room. I was adorable in its day.

I chose to go with a non-character bathroom and instead went color themed. Red, black and white. I also was itching to pull up the 90's cream, blue and rose colored laminate floor but really didn't want to go too expensive when a bathroom 5 kids use. I found laminate tiles...so cool! (SUPER easy to install!!!) When I am able to get a few before pictures I will post them but for now it's just the completed project!!!

 First tile going down!!!

 Half way done with the floor...you can see the yellow because I waited to paint behind the toilet until it was out of the way.

 Floor complete, valance complete...waiting for calk to dry before putting in the toilet in the morning.

FINISHED!!! And yes, it took over a month but I do have 5 kids so it's ok right?  My hubby is amazing and keeps saying what a great vision I had and to see it all come together...perfect!!! He is adding a can light above the shower because it is too dark. The most amazing part is this whole make over cost about $125. Now that is my kind of project...HUGE impact, small change! (and by change I mean $$$)

Over the weekend Ayana had a Christmas Mini-Meet. It was basically an opportunity for the parents to come in and see what the kids have been working on for the past several months. This girl is BENDY which is why we jumped at the chance to put her in gymnastics. (well, that and the ADHA...it helps her get the extra engery out!) Anyway, she did a small floor, bar, rings and beam rountine. She was beaming with pride after each 'event'. Then they lined up the little girls and gave them a medal. Her smile tells it all. Her teacher has amazing patience with her and it is a blessing to see her do well in something that gives her so much joy. Can't wait to see her what she can do in the spring!

Princess Resort...mini photo shoot

Samantha had her Christmas Piano Recital this weekend at the Scottsdale Princess Resort. It is an unbelievably gorgeous venue and I couldn't resist taking a few photos. (Blog post about the recital to come...)

They had this huge tree in the middle of a pond...would have loved to see it at night.



Mi Amore!!!

Priceless!!!

Speechless!!!

Lovely!!!

When these kids get bigger we may have to have family photos done that this resort...it was a photographers dream.

Spreading some joy

I have been talking to the kids about serving others, that Christmas is not all about them and "getting presents", but that it is about serving others. Since we used the services of our local fire station twice this year I came up with the idea of making a special treat for the firemen and having the kids take them and sing a carol. When I talked with them about this idea they were so excited and I knew I was getting through to them. So with early release on Friday we made the cupcakes, decorated them and waited for Shane to get home before we headed out. It was a joy to see my children bless others.

Here they all are singing to the firemen who answered the door. LOVE the smiles on everyones face as they sang!

Here is the delicious treat!! I got a little creative...chocloate cupcakes with vanilla frosting piped on with my cake decorator. Then Samantha crushed up all the candycanes and we added green sprinkles and the candycane to the top. We never ate one so I assume they were amazing because they LOOKED amazing!

34

I turned 34 this week...eeek! That's sounds so strange. I can't avoid the fact that I am definitely in my mid-thirties now. And as crazy as being 34 sounds I can't imagine my life being any different than it is in this exact moment. 10yrs ago never could imagine the possibility of adopting children, although I always thought it would be pretty cool, even as a kid. So here we are today, about to enter into adoption in 2011 and I couldn't be more excited or at peace with the whole idea. My family "feels" perfect...exactly the way God designed.

I wanted more than anything to spend my birthday with my family. We headed out to the mall where I wanted a charm bracelet, but I wanted the kids to each pick a charm specifically for me. The were all very thoughtful and took their time making a decision which was s stinkin sweet. We then went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and although the restaurant was a bit formal for our crew they all did really well with the waiting and eating of such a fancy dinner. It was a blessed day for sure...

M.A.D.

For those faithful Klove listeners out there you know exactly what this means. Our Christian radio station talks frequently about "going M.A.D." meaning "Making a Difference" in someone's life daily. This is actually pretty easy for me to do for someone else. God has blessed me with a servant heart and I love making a difference in the car behind me at Starbucks by buying there coffee, or running through the local fast food line to give the homeless person on the corner some lunch. Not only does it make me feel so blessed but I want to be an example for my children as well. Our family is so incredibly blessed and it seems so simple sometimes to bring a little joy into someone else's life too.

Well, God took care of me last week and I haven't been able to write about it until now...the emotions have just been too high. Shane has had enormous stress for several weeks at work now and this past week it seemed to peak a little. When he came home Thursday he asked to be alone...he didn't want to be around anyone and I totally respect that. I decided to just load up the kids and take them to dinner...the best way to create total alone time in our house. We went to our family favorite...Serrano's.  (My kids devour the bean dip!!!) The kids, for the most part were on their best behavior and we enjoyed our dinner. I pulled out my card to pay and the waiter came by and said my meal had been taken care of. WHAT?!?!? Wait, what did he say? I questioned him...fumbling through my words. He repeated that my bill had been taken care of. I sat there STUNNED!!! I didn't even have a clear thought. Jacob chimed in and said Dad must have called and paid for dinner. That sounded like a reasonable thought. I was totally numb. Here we were, literally smack dab in the middle of the restaurant, and someone paid for our whole dinner...6 peoples worth. I went through a range of emotions in what seemed like minutes. I was humbled, shocked, blessed, and even a little embarrassed. I ran  through the whole evening...was I joy-filled or was I grumpy? Was I sitting her enjoying my kids or just looking as though it was all I could do to get through dinner? I wanted to stand up and scan the room, to shout THANK YOU from the top of my lungs, but then I may have been more on the crazy side. I really wanted to express the gratitude I felt and the humbleness that God have given me, my kids...such a huge gift.  As the event began to sink in it was all I could do to get out of there because the tears were going to come...any minute. Even as I write this, the tears well up. I got in the car, thanked God for His gift and sobbed all the way home. Did I really deserve this dinner from a stranger? Did I really deserve God's sacrifice on the cross? Did I deserve His love above all the selfishness in my past, present, and future? YES!!! And while it still brings me to tears I am filled with such joy and peace over this gift of dinner. I was encouraged greatly by the gift from someone who I don't know, and it will carry me for a long time. The joy of this season, the selfless giving to one another is not lost...this evening I will NEVER forget. God used a stranger to minister to my heart and confirm that He really does meet our needs...even the ones we don't realize we have. We are ALL worthy of His love, grace, and joy...grab Him and never let go!


How are you going to "go M.A.D."  for someone today? 

A nice shot...

We spent a lovely, (warm) afternoon at a park in Gilbert celebrating my nephews birthday. Although Christmas is in a couple weeks the trees are beginning change colors for our Arizona fall. My sister in law took an adorable picture of Shane and I in the fall leaves. It is a rare occasion that we get a photo without kids...this one is a good one!

Foster Parent also means advocate and investigator

We have been spending many days visiting different doctors for Leah over the past month or so. Over the summer our friend brought to our attention that her walking was not normal. You might be thinking how could her 'parents' not pick up on this? I have asked myself that question many times. The only answer I can come up with is when you don't give birth to a child I tend to think well, "I am not sure if this is normal for her DNA or not." and chalk it up to the wait and see agenda. God's timing is perfect of course and I believe 100% that He was guiding our path with regards to Leah. I did have her evaluated by Arizona'a Early Intervention Program and she did not qualify, but they had a few suggestions. The pediatrician also suggested a neurological evaluation.

Last month we met with her neurologist and she had some sobering news. We really have been wrestling with the possibilities of long term disabilities and what her long term care may mean for our family. Those are hard conversations to have because really at any moment our own biological children could become disabled and would we have similar thoughts? In addition, the anger that can't help but grow with regards to the choices her birth mother made during pregnancy and having to reconcile those feelings. How could a mother who claims to love her child put things in her body that would harm or cause issues for the child in the future? God was again faithful to help me understand and have compassion for this mother, who in the way she can, does love Leah.

We went for an MRI on Tuesday to confirm or discredit the possibilities. After a little bit of drama at the hospital she went in. They have to put these little ones under anesthesia  because they can't possibly lay still for the 30-40 minutes it takes to complete the test. She did great! She cried as she came out of the anesthesia but nothing hugs from mommy and her blanket couldn't cure.  In fact she was bouncing and running around by the time we got home, about 2hrs after the test and she hasn't looked back since! I got the call from the neurologists nurse and the initial radiologist reports states that her brain is normal. Praise God! The doctor will review the results herself, but the big things we feared are not there. So now what? It does leave a few more questions than answers. Why does she walk funny? Why is her balance so bad and she stumbles all the time? What is the cause of all this?

In the process of waiting for the MRI to be scheduled we also met with the opthamologist. We wanted to rule out vision as a source of the balance issues. Imagine my huge surprise when I was told she can hardly see! REALLY?!?! She has some serious vision impairments and is in need of glasses. Poor thing, at 18mths, she has to learn to wear glasses and yet a whole new world can open up for her. This afternoon we picked up those glasses. When the tech put them on her face her eyes got so big and she began pointing at all the animals on the walls she had never been able to see before. I started crying...the look on her eyes was one of wonder and wow. What a blessing to give my child sight. I never imagined she would keep these glasses on but she has not taken them off...the opthamologist said she would...she would love to be able to see.

Look at that face? What a blessing you are sweet girlie!!!! Thank you Jesus for such a precious gift!

Foster Care Christmas Party

One of the many, many blessing of foster care is being taken care of so lovingly by our agency. They spoil us with kids events throughout the year but especially at Christmas. They provided us Chick-fil-a for dinner as well as crafts, face painting, bounce houses and cookies galore for the party. This year they even had someone taking pictures with Santa. We chose to do ours as a whole family. It is wonderful being part of this extended arm of God.

It's always nice to have a picture of all of us even if it is not the best...I love my FAMILY!

Celebrate Jesus...A Saviour Portrayed

Our annual Women's Christmas Dinner was this past weekend. As always, this is my favorite event of the year. Not only does it kick off the holiday season but it also puts into perspective the true reason we celebrate Jesus' birth. This year was exceptional! Cheryl Washburn was our speaker and she of course never disappoints. I think she could be a speaker for a career...seriously. She was humorous and so loving with her truth message about Jesus and His greatest gift.

I hostessed again this year and brought along my helper girl to help set my table. She is getting so big and was very helpful. She then got to "play" on stage while I visited with some friends and took pictures so she was in heaven. Watch the video...she is a crack up!

Weekend in Review

We had a busy weekend with our final soccer game, the kids's fall festival at school, church...etc. I let the big kids do something my brother and I used to do as kids which was sleep on the trampoline. They told stories to each other and finally fell asleep after 9pm. To my surprise they lasted until 5am when they came in due to cold and possible rain. They were so excited they are going to do it again this Wednesday with Shane too.

Also, more tooth drama but the second of the upper teeth finally came out Sunday afternoon. Now all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth.

And finally, the three amigos...we had some bubble bath fun this weekend too!!! They sure are cute and fun to play with.

Jacob had his last game for the fall today. He is really enjoying playing soccer this year and I have to say the team is really starting to gel well together. They have made some amazing strides and are beginning to play strong. Jacob has been alternating from defense and middle forward. He has had several assists and has scored 4 goals....he is very proud of himself. He usually asks me to put a Mohawk in his hair to look more intimidating since he is usually one of the smallest players on the team...but being small also means he is fast and he can beat most opponents to the ball. His mother (that's me) is a bit crazy on the side lines too. Now I know how my mom broke her toes from jumping up and down watching my brother play. It is intense for me...Shane has to sometimes tell me to be quieter. Heeeheheeh! We start the second half of the season soon and  will play through March. He has a great coach and over all club soccer has been a great experience. The photo is from the leagues fall tournament a couple of weeks ago...cute bunch of boys!!!

Sisters...forever!

The girls and I were invited to their older sister's birthday this weekend. They haven't seen each other since May and what a joy to visit Asjiah! She has grown and blossomed into this amazing little girl. She was so happy, calm and at peace and I know God has her exactly where He wants her, which was always our prayer when she left us. We are walking this path of adoption and wanting to keep the kids in a relationship while each one grows in their adoptive homes. It was a privilege to see her and can't wait until the next time they can get together.

This is right after they came to us in May 08...Ayana was 18mths and Asjiah as 3...they have grown so much but still super cute!

18mth

We are hitting the 18 month mark with Leah. It is easy to fall in love with her...she is a bright light in a dark room. Her smile melts away any concern. She has a nice little stubborn streak too. She is busy, busy, busy and getting into everything which is about to drive this mama mad. I can't have anything on the counters in the kitchen because she just finds stools or chairs to move around the kitchen and get into things like the halloween candy or dirty dishes. We also moved her from the crib to the toddler bed and into the girls room. (which has been an experience all in itself) Anyway, again, like always what a blessing we are experiencing with having this sweet girl in our home. Praying for God's ultimate plan for her and hoping it is with us forever, but His will over ours ultimately.

First nap is the big girl bed

And this is how I found her a few days later. Since this time we actually put up our bed rail because she has always pushed herself up against the sides of the crib to sleep and she has slept better since we gave her another border. I love the one shoe...so cute. She is enjoying the independence of getting in and out on her own and so far the transition has been smooth.

Happy 4th Birthday Nathan-ator!

Nathan is FOUR!!!! Oh my goodness that is so hard to believe. And we received and incredible gift for his birthday...termination of parental rights. We spoke with the adoption lawyer this week and we should be good for finalization after the first of the year. In addition, the lawyer wants to schedule both Ayana and Nathan's hearings back to back and make it official for both of them. (That thought makes goose bumps rush all over my body!) Nathan of course is still baseball obsessed so he got a new blanket and pillow case. His Aunt Tess got him a bike which he loves. All in all it has been a blast together these past 4 yrs.

Not only a privilege, but a duty!

Of course we all know today is election day. As I pulled into the local church where we vote, all the kids in tow, I had a quick thought of  "I should just skip it this year". It can be a struggle to take all the kids into a place that I swear is more quiet than the public library, concentrate enough to vote the way I feel is the best, and keep the kids from screaming at each other. But just as I had that thought Jacob asked what we were going to do and I said it was voting day. He remembered the presidential election 2yrs ago and asked me why we vote. Ahhhhh, a teachable moment. I talked about how we as Americans have the privilege of choosing those men and woman who make our laws. How we can make a difference with our vote if we feel the leadership is steering the country in the wrong direction. I also explained that we have a duty to vote as well. So many other countries in this world do not have the luxury of voting that we do. They have no voice, no choice....we have a duty to be an example to others.

This election took on an additional meaning for me as well. I always scratched my head before at the list of judges to be chosen to stay or go...I never gave them much thought before now. After having spent the last several years in the judicial system and experiencing 3 different judges for our kiddos cases I felt a much bigger obligation to vote for the "good" ones....the ones that have a history of what I think is the best interest of children. I was proud to vote for 2 of the judges on the list that have made the tough decisions to severe parents, but also give these kids a safe, secure home. It was an honor to hopefully put them back on the bench.

I hope you voted...I hope God is leading this country down a more spiritual, moral path. I pray that He grant grace to this country when we are so far from His path.

Halloween 2010

All the kiddos all decked out for trunk or treat at church.

We went to Westernfest with friends and Nathan's brothers. The kids got to trunk-r-treat at the classic car show.

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Our annual pizza and pumpkin carving party at Grandma and Grandpa Self's! The kids LOVE this early event the most...i think even more than trick-r-treating.