Silk flowers

Some of my latest flowers with antique buttons, vintage jewelry, or shoes clips used in the center. (Step by step directions are listed in another blog post on 9-12-11 & 9-21-11) 

Umbrella Snack!

Fun summery treat for kids (and adults!!!)!!! 

Graham crackers

Fruit Rollup

Teddy graham

And of course the best part...the umbrella!

Rise and shine and give God the Glory

All choked up reading through so many Facebook tributes to fathers! Those who have never known their earthly fathers, those who have lost their, those who admire theirs, as well as wives tributes to the fathers of their children...so touching especially when I think of those who struggle with this day for one reason or another. We saw it in our boys today as they struggle to make sense of the hurt and loss they have known. 

Whatever the reason for the loss, our Heavenly Father loves you, He knows your heartaches and anger and fear, and He loves you, you can trust him. 

I prayed that God comfort, strengthen, and heal them. We've all been dealt cards we might not like, the challenge and responsibility is in accepting our cards,  playing them out, and choosing to rise above! 

Rise and shine and Give God the Glory

Grama's Ring

When I was a little girl I was fascinated with my Grama’s hands.  I thought they were so pretty and I loved to play with the prominent veins the stood out on the tops of her small soft hands (I guess that could have been one of the first clues that I would become a nurse someday!).  I loved her fingernails always long, strong, and polished in pearly or pale pink, I would place them over my short nails and hope some day mine would be as nice. I loved her rings and would always spin them around on her fingers and sometimes try them on, when she could get them over her arthritic knuckles. She would always say, "someday this one will be yours", her birthstone ring, a dark blue teardrop sapphire set in gold and flanked by two small diamonds. I knew what that “someday” meant and I was in no hurry for the ring to be mine. 

I was always scared of her passing on, afraid I would be without her. Sometimes I would figure out how old she was now and how old I was and think okay, well if she lives to be this age I will be that age and maybe then I would be able handle her passing, but then I would try to make her older and older so I would haver her longer. I prayed she wouldn’t ever go. 

Today I got her ring.

As I held the ring my hand my mind flashed back to her soft, pink, hands that held me, soothed me, taught me, cooked for me, sewed for me, and cared for me. I could see it on her finger, remember how she would twirl it around, and how she would hold it and tell me it would be mine "someday." I will never forget those hands. 

I cried.  

About two months ago she passed, 95 and me 40. God had prepared both of us, it was hard, but it was okay.

Earlier this evening I had time to look at it closer, it only fits my pinky. I took it off and held it and turned it over to look at it, it needs to be gently cleaned, there is a bit of powder built up. She loved powder (I do too). Then I thought, maybe it is flour from the many times she loving baked for us? Strange as it sounds I could not bear to clean it....it’s almost a last bit of her.  

Today is “someday”, and the ring is mine.

I will clean it.

But, I will clean it tomorrow.

Or maybe the day after that.

I love you my Gram! 

Thank you for the ring, thank you more for your love .

A Baker's Dozen of Important Lessons Learned this Week

1. When it has been raining, check the playground slide before allowing the child to slide down…unless it’s a lot warmer and he’s not wearing jeans. We all got a good LAUGH out of this one.
2. Being “Soccer Parents” means you SECRETLY hope children on the other team fail, and you want to smack the "parental sideline coaches…hard!”
3. Make everyone pee before leaving home….having to pee is a very CONVENIENT excuse to make pit stops in order to beg for pop and candy.
4. Find BORING pit stops (see number 3)
5. Kid hugs are AWESOME!
6. When a 9 year old boy runs around to open your car door, your heart MELTS!
7. If you torment the goose enough, it will eventually CHASE you, If you scream, run, and throw your back pack at said goose, it will snatch it up and take it to the middle of the pond and drop it in!
8. Four shoes without laces equals the number of times a boy has made a lace/stick fishing poles in HOPES to catch a big one down at the creek.
9. After much hurt, trust takes time…glimpses of it are SWEET!
10. The "Honeymoon Period” was short and sweet. Despite the trials and testing children are scared, hurting, and LONGING for love and acceptance.
11. The sound of little boy giggles is DELIGHTFUL!!
12. It takes a village - Village, you know who you all are and we THANK YOU!!!
13. Being a parent is fun, scary, emotional, tough, exciting, humbling, fantastic, and EXHAUSTING…..good night friends and fellow villagers! 

Casting cares...

Please pray with us!

(Last week) We need prayers! We just learned, last evening, that the adoption agency had done nothing with our paperwork to get the kids in June! They started it today and it can take several weeks to complete, we just want to cry! We are so disappointed in their poor handling of this whole situation! The most disappointing thing is the delay two little boys who need to be home where we can start being a family, and we can provide love and consistency for them. 

We have done all we can do and it seems we are helplessly at their mercy, it is frustrating. Then, I remember we are NOT powerless!! We have the power of Christ through prayer and belief that He can and will be faithful to complete that which He has begun! 

We have seen His faithfulness over and over throughout this process.   

Please pray with us toward June 15th, that the paperwork and approval will be completed.

We thank you, friends and family for supporting us through this land of the unknown.

Thank you, Thank you! 

H&B

PS: Since this is a public blog, we will not be sharing names or photos of the kids here. :)

(Today) Well, we learned that since they didn't start it yet, the needed paperwork to get the boys will not be started until after May 1st due to new process starting. This oversight has the potential to set us back another month...still praying towards our original date, June 15th!! 

Discipline