In the Heart of our Home

Prosthetic Process and Progress

2012-01-21T20:47:00.000-06:00

When we were in process to adopt Jonathan and Josiah, we knew that Jonathan would probably need some sort of leg amputation and prosthetic leg. During the wait and the wondering, I came across someone's blog who had just experienced this process with her 4 year old daughter. It was so helpful to know what to expect or to have at least an idea.

I have wanted to update Jonathan's progress here in hopes of encouraging someone else. If you are considering adoption, do not limit yourself or think that a special needs adoption would be too hard.

I mean, aren't we meant for hard things anyway? For Believers, we should never expect the easy road, nor do I think we should look for it. Serving Christ involves dying to self and walking the road less traveled. It also involves serving others and considering them better than ourselves. I assure you that adding children to your family, especially through special needs adoption, gives you plenty of opportunity for "washing feet" and a few other things, too. ;)

Our experience has proven to at least us that while, yes, we may be on that less traveled road, but we aren't on it alone. God has used many to encourage us to press on. And if all had detoured from the road or overlooked it altogether, He is guiding us each and everyday. And He is definitely using this particular path to refine us travelers.

And what about Jonathan's progress?

We are very amazed.

October 3, 2011, Jonathan underwent a knee disarticulation. The doctor did a great job, and the care at the hospital was commendable. He experienced a lot of pain, but considering the procedure, Jonathan was quite a trooper!

October 18, 2011, Jonathan's incision "dehissed," or opened.

The next day in the OR, his doctor trimmed away quite a bit of skin and tissue that did not survive. It left a wound about the size of 3, maybe four, quarters, and it was a couple centimenters deep. He applied a wound vac.

The following week, again in the OR, they removed the first wound vac and applied a 2nd one.

The first week of November, he was able to remove the 2nd wound vac in the office, and we began "wet to dry" dressing changes twice a day. We continued these until the wound was completely closed, December 6th.

Jonathan received his prosthetic leg on December 9, 2011!

Of course, had we not had complications with his incision, he would have been on his new leg much sooner. But we are so amazed when we consider the timeline and compare the pictures of his wound. The Lord seemed to definitely accelerate his healing those last few weeks.

Not only have we been super pleased with the orthopedic doctor and staff, we have also been very thankful for the prosthetic company, Biotech. Our specialist has been great and very careful to fit Jonathan well. Jonathan loves his new leg. We bought some Cars fabric, and Biotech laminated it onto the socket of his leg. Wow, does he love that!!! He calls his prosthesis his "Cars leg." Awesome.

So he came home with the new leg on December 9th and began walking with it and the walker very quickly. The next morning he was "cruising" along the cabinets, abandoning the walker. By that evening, just 24 hours after receiving the prosthesis, he was walking unassisted. To say we were amazed would be an understatement.

One thing that helped Jonathan is that the prosthesis specialist did not unlock the knee of the leg. So for the past 4 weeks, Jonathan has been moving along with a stiff leg, but he has been getting everywhere! This week, we unlocked the knee. Ummm, yes, it is a bit more challenging for him.

Like we expected, he is walking with the walker again. But he is getting lots of "safe" experience with this more unstable leg. :) He is definitely not very confident with the free flowing knee. He will take a few steps without the walker, but he is obviously afraid of its lack of stability. He may just need more experience and practice. However, the dr recommended yesterday trying a different knee. We will visit Biotech next week and learn more. Will keep you updated. ;)

So we started out as big-time amateurs in this particular special need experience. But we have definitely learned a lot along the way. And Jonathan has had a whole new world opened up to him. For that, we couldn't be more thankful.

Here We Are in 2012

2012-01-11T23:54:00.000-06:00

Just getting a family pic can be difficult.

Much less getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time. . . . .

(Maybe Gabriel will do better next time. ;)

Gabriel's Birth: God's Miraculous Timing

2011-12-30T16:37:00.000-06:00

We arrived at the hospital on time, noticing all the clean and fresh details of a facility that had only been open for 2 weeks. Everything went as planned for the first hour, even though this aspect of preparing for delivery was all new to us. At 6:30, my doctor checked on baby with a sonogram, and Gabriel had interestingly turned to breech. (He had been transverse the day before.)

The anesthesiologist then came in to give the epidural; he was finished by 6:45. After I laid back down to await the upcoming procedure, the nurse began re-attaching the monitors. At that point, she became very nervous and another nurse came in to assist. They began turning me from side to side, saying the baby's heartrate had plummetted. Everything went very quickly from that point. I remember the nurse calling for my doctor and saying we would be having this c-section sooner than we thought.

They rolled me down the hall, leaving Eric behind bc they weren't sure if the epidural would be effective enough so soon, thinking I might be put to sleep. All this time, I remember begging the Lord to save Gabriel. And the only verse I could recall was Philippians 4:7:

"Let your gentleness be made known to all men; the Lord is at hand."

"The Lord is at hand. The Lord is at hand. The Lord is at hand."

Later, I remember the nurseanethesist asking me if I had been praying when they brought me in. When I answered yes, (of course! what else could I do?!) she said, "I thought you must. You were so calm." That can only be the Lord's strength.

It was very scary. The unknown of not having a full grasp on even how long Gabriel could survive. Would they get him in time? Thankfully, our doctor, who has now delivered all 7 of our bio babies, leaned around the drape and reassured me: "Beck, everything is going to be OK."

Eric was allowed in the room, and he sat down beside me just seconds before Dr. McK brought our precious baby boy into the world, snatching him from his perilous condition. Gabriel Isaiah Hixon was born. At 7:09 AM. All in God's perfect timing.

Had we been at home, we would have never known of his circumstance. We would not have realized that he had finally turned again to vertex but compressed his cord. We would not have known until we realized he was no longer moving. It is overwhelming even now to consider what might have been.

And if I had had my own way, I would never have been there for a scheduled c-section. But my own "wisdom" is mere foolishness to God. He can be trusted. Even in that hallway that seemed so, so long between the pre-op and the operating room, my mind was trying to tell my heart that no matter what God did, no matter what He had written for our lives, it would be OK.

I'm just so thankful that His "OK," his providence, included Gabriel's quick rescue and safe delivery. We don't deserve one safe delivery, much less seven, and definitely not nine amazing blessings.

The Lord is most assuredly at hand.

Introducing the Hixon 2011 1/2 Model. . . .

2011-12-28T15:48:00.003-06:00

Gabriel Isaiah Hixon

December 2011

9 lbs. 10 oz.

22 inches

We are so thankful for little Gabriel and for the fact that the Lord would be gracious to us and bless us with this precious child. He is God's handiwork and a testimony of God's timing from beginning to end of this pregnancy.

As some of you may know, I discovered the news that I was expecting this little gift while we were in China receiving our other 2011 blessings (April of this year). Yes, I was overwhelmed and wondering how I would ever do a pregnancy well while I was helping Jonathan and Josiah adjust and attach. Yet, in our weakness, God is strong. And throughout the past 8 months, I have seen time and time again how man's wisdom cannot compare to God's.

The majority of the pregnancy was uneventful and even easier than some in the past. I never felt like it was interfering with the bonding process or adjustment period after the adoptions. It wasn't until the last 2 months that I began to feel the toll of the pg and never really felt the "miserable stage." (just really close ;) All of this I attribute to God's grace.

The last few weeks proved a little more interesting bc Gabriel seemed to be fickle about which way he would turn. This turned out to be bc of an excess amount of amniotic fluid. Several factors resulted in our scheduling a c-section. This would be a first for me, and my attitude was not shining about it. But God always has a plan.

We woke up early to be at the hospital by 5:30 AM; the c-section was scheduled for 7:45. Bc of my anxiety over the whole ordeal, I knew I should read Philippians 4:6 before leaving for the hospital. I read it over and over, making sure I knew it by heart. ;) It was then I noticed Philippians 4:5:

"Let your gentleness be made known to all men; the Lord is at hand."

Now this was very convicting to me. I knew my lack of trust in the Lord's plan was a very poor testimony, and this verse chastised me, showing me it made a mockery of the Lord's name to say I had faith but to not really trust Him in this, too.

I did not realize how much I would need this verse just 2 hours later. . . . . . . .

It's Me Again, Margaret

2011-12-28T15:20:00.000-06:00

I know. I have been a terrible blogger. And it has been a terrible time to neglect a blog when the Lord has done so many wonderful things in our family's lives. So I will try to catch up just a bit. . . . .

A Little Setback

2011-10-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

Ok, I will say it felt like a huge setback. However, everything is a matter of perspective.

Tuesday Jonathan's dressing fell off in a public restroom, only to reveal that his incision had significantly opened. Mmmmmm. . .not nice. It was larger than a quarter, maybe half-dollar size.

Before I panicked, I pulled out the extra dressing supplies in my purse, rewrapped it, and fumbled for the doctor's number on my phone.

Now the reason we were in a public restroom is bc we were at Josiah's doctor appointment--a plastic surgeon (more details on this later). I explained our predicament to the receptionist; she was very understanding and said she would get us right back (so we could see him and then get on to Jonathan's dr).

Now a plastic surgeon could have been helpful in this situation, but I never got to meet him. After waiting an hour and a half and never seeing even the shadow of this dr, I packed up the 8 kids and our stuff and left. :/

Jonathan's doctor took us right in. He looked at it and said it would have to be repaired in the OR.

So Wednesday we were there at 6 AM. The procedure went well. Evidently, the skin that had been pulled over the knee did not survive. The doctor had to trim away a good bit of dead tissue, and the wound could not be stitched back together. They applied a wound vac which should accelerate the healing.

The doctor said he needed to change the wound vac in the OR bc it will be painful enough that he needs to be asleep again. I think the total time with a wound vac should be around 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, Jonathan is a bit stationary. :) The doctor discouraged walker use or other active movement at least until Monday. Mama is discouraging most mobility. ;) Jonathan gets carried everywhere and gets to watch a lot of movies.

Goal for the weekend? No more setbacks.

Since We Have Been Home

2011-10-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

Just a little update.

I am so pleased and even surprised at how well Jonathan has been doing these past few days at home.

We are able to go longer between pain medicine, and he does his therapy exercises without complaint. (I won't tell you how they wear me out. ;)

Using the walker and doing things that require balancing on one leg are our challenges, but we keep pluggin' away.

This morning dear hubby and the big kids have gone to church, so Jonathan and I are sitting on the deck enjoying the mild weather and watching Faith play with Josiah and Micah in the yard.

So thankful!

Jonathan's Progress in Pics

2011-10-04T18:49:00.000-05:00

Last knee stroll before surgery

Lovin' his Thomas the Train sticker--about to go to surgery

"Now just how do I get this thing off?"

Therapy is not easy.

"I could get used to these wheels--too bad they are not #1 priority. . . ."

Jonathan's day has been very up and down. It seems to take a lot of medicine to keep

his pain managed. We're praying tomorrow will be more promising, especially as everyone seems

so anxious to send him home.

Post-op

2011-10-03T18:19:00.000-05:00

Jonathan is resting.

The surgery went very well, and we are so thankful!

It must have gotten rough in recovery bc they came and got me saying, "He really wants his mommy."

(As an adoptive mommy, I do not take that for granted! Praising the Lord for positive attachment! But I can't imagine the fear of waking up in a strange, sterile room with strange adults.)

He had a rough 3-4 hours of pain and probably anesthesia issues. But for the past 2 hours, he has seemed somewhat more comfortable. Thanks to another dose of morphine and some benedryl, he is now napping peacefully.

Not sure he has really grasped what has happened today.

I think he will have a little physical therapy tomorrow.

Praising the Lord for His help today!!!

Preparing for Surgery

2011-10-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Jonathan's big day.

Tomorrow is the first hard step toward his prosthetic leg.

We have to be at the hospital in the morning at 6 AM for Jonathan's knee disarticulation. The doctor will be removing his right leg from the knee down.

We are so excited for Jonathan's future and the promising potential of his soon walking--probably before Christmas.

But I have to admit that it is a bit (or a lot) nervewrecking as we try to imagine what to expect in the next few days and weeks for Jonathan.

How will this loss affect him? Will he be able to comprehend the big picture? Even the little picture?

All we know is that we love him. . . .and that God loves him even more. And our trust is in Him.

Will you please pray for Jonathan???

Matching Fund for Ferrill Adoption

2011-09-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

I know many of you have a heart for adoption.

And I know many of you know the Ferrill family.

If not, you are missing a blessing! :)

Laine is one of my "real life" friends, and we have known their sweet family since we each had two kiddos. She and her family now have 8 precious blessings,with two more waiting in China.

The Ferrills have adopted 4 children from China and have stepped out on faith to bring home their newest son and daughter. They are about a month or so from travel and are lacking about $15,000.

The Lord has allowed our church to offer the Ferrills a $5000 matching grant in hopes of helping them bring home their babies.

If you feel led to give to the Ferrills' adoption costs, your $10 can turn into $20 or your $50 can turn into $100!

And your donation would be tax-deductible!

You can bless this family and live out James 1:27 yet again by sending a check to

New Covenant Baptist Church
PO Box 4
Oneonta, AL 35121

Be sure to include on the memo "Adoption Fund."

I cannot wait to see how the Lord raises the funds for these two babies to come home to their family! I know from our experience that He LOVES adoption!

Let's see how we as the body of Christ can get involved and partner with the Ferrills to bring these babies home!

Let the Chips Fall Where They May

2011-09-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

I love being a wife and a mommy.

It is truly the most rewarding roles and experiences of my life.

More rewarding than college achievements.
More rewarding than teaching 150 children in a 7th grade classroom.
Better than traveling to Europe, Canada, Bahamas, and China.
Greater treasure than even ministering in orphanages and teaching the Bible to impoverished women in a 3rd world country.

Yet, hands down, I believe it to be the hardest. (Do I have a witness? :)

There is nothing easy about serving others from sunup (or before) til long after sundown.

It just doesn't agree with my flesh. I mean, sometimes my flesh just screams against it.

I remember just a few weeks after we had returned from China. I think I was still trying to shake off jetlag or something (just how long does that excuse work anyway?), or maybe it was that first trimester fatigue. Or could it have been 3 very little and active boys? I don't know, but I was exhausted.

And I remember lying back across my bed shortly after breakfast and saying to the Lord, "Really, Lord? Do I have to die to myself AGAIN?"

For about 60 seconds, I thought that I just could not do it. No more. Nada.

But I felt a response as clear as day coming from His Word that I had hidden in my heart: Yes, you do. You must die daily.

"Then he said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it'" (Luke 9:23).

"I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).

Some days are easier than others to die to self. But I want to look back on these years as helpmeet and mommy and know that I gave it my all.

"Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all" (Philippians 2:17).

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy 4:6).

I don't want to give a little. And while I may not be a "seasoned" mama yet (I don't know, when do we qualify as seasoned or veterans? when we get wounded? lol), I know enough to realize that giving just a little will never. ever. do.

I must be poured out like a drink offering.

Give when it is inconvenient.

Give when it hurts.

Give when you would much, much rather receive.

And let the potter chip off a little--or a lot--at a time.

Cause while I am being poured out like a drink offering, I know that my earthen vessel that is pouring this drink is very, very imperfect.

But the potter is still using me. Gracious enough to even allow me to offer up any drinks at all.

And meanwhile, chip. Chip. Chip.

That's what He does. Provides the grace. Provides the faith. Even provides the drink.

And as I offer, He chips. Chips. Chips.

Making me into something I could never do on my own. Showing me that even though I go to bed tonight with the drink completely poured out, He will fill it back up again in the morning with beautiful new mercies.

Proving over and over that He *is* faithful. That, yes, He can carry me through losing a parent, adopting 2 children, a seemingly unorganized move, and a God-timed pregnancy in such a way that it can only be His grace.

Chip. Chip. Chip.

Keep pouring. Keep pouring. Keep pouring.

They are worth it. And He sustains.

Still Here. . .;)

2011-07-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know it has been a long time! I have become a backslidden blogger! And I have been seriously considering repenting. But that would require one more thing to think about, wouldn't it?

God has been ever so faithful this past month or so, faithful in so many ways. As I update you, I will relay God's goodness.

First, we celebrated Micah's 2nd birthday. (what???) He has been my Sweet Potato since before he was born, and we all just can't get enough of him! He always has us giggling and wondering what he will think of next.

Once he turned the big T-W-O, we decided he needed to lose the pappy.

So this little accessory. . . .

. . . .is now a thing of the past!

We have new chicks!

We've been busy with school. . . . .

And at least one fun field trip!

And celebrated Mary Grace's 10th birthday!!!!

Isn't she beautiful?

And she's just as perty on the inside! :)

And though I haven't scanned his sonogram picture to prove it to you,

we have learned that Baby Sweet Pea is a little boy!

Maybe he will get a "real" name before December, but I'm sure

Sweet Pea could serve him well. ;-)

Jonathan and Josiah have been home for 3 months!

Josiah is doing remarkably well. He fits right in and seems very happy.

It is amazing how adjusted he seems. He just clicks right along

like he has always been here!

He loves to explore and thrives off learning. He is learning the

language so well that I am now spelling things I don't want him

to hear, lol!

He minds well and enjoys new experiences.

When I consider how well he has adjusted and how he

tries to and does fit into the groove so well, I can only

attribute it to the grace of God.

Jonathan is also learning a lot and making a good deal of progress.

He has and is making great strides in the language, attachment,

and even some life skills.

Jonathan has a lot of challenges ahead of him. What we had once

considered the toughest challenge, his leg deformity, will be one of

the easiest to "fix." (He is having surgery the first week of October on his leg

to prepare for a prosthesis.)

It is some of the recently discovered issues that won't have a "fix."

You see, we knew before going to China that Jonathan was "behind" the

other children in the orphanage. The day we received him we realized he had significant

delays. We had estimated that he might be 2 years delayed.

(The developmentalist confirmed he is developmentally

about 20-24 months.)

Since coming home and visiting quite a few specialists, we have

learned that Jonathan has a rare syndrome: Syndrome XQ23 (plus about 10 more letters and numbers).

It is so rare, the geneticist has never seen it. . . .and says there is no literature written about it.

He's supposed to be getting back to us. . . . .

We have also learned that Jonathan has schitzencephaly, or a cleft in his brain. This, along with the syndrome, causes significant delays.

If I think about it all for too long, it is a little overwhelming. The unknown is tough.

But we are encouraged by what we see in Jonathan. He has made such remarkable

progress in the past 3 months, it is hard to be discouraged.

I mean, while it took him a month to call Daddy "Daddy" instead of "Mama,"

he did learn.

And he is already graduated from a pull-up to underwear.

And he is no longer terrified of American toilets. :)

And while the orphanage said he could say "a few simple words,"

he is now saying a few 3-word sentences in English!

And one of his favorite things to say is "thank you, Mommy."

Which really makes my day. :0)

So here again, I am seeing the grace of God. I see His grace

in Jonathan's life and in his progress. And I see it in how He

is equipping me to take each day,

one

time.

There's really no sense in fretting over

whether Jonathan will ever live independently

or even if he will learn to read.

God has had Jonathan's life planned out from before

the foundation of the world.

I'm just glad He planned for me to be his Mommy!

What We've Been Up to the Past Few Weeks. . . .

2011-06-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

Of course, we are settling into a new normal. Somehow that is dotted with quite a few specialist appointments.

Hoping this is not the "for real" and long-term normal. . .but if it is, then so be it. :)

In the past few weeks, we have enjoyed celebrating our oldest son's 13th birthday!

Note that I said "celebrated." We try to make a big deal of the big 13, inviting lots of family and friends. We also believe it is signficant bc by this age, we hope to be seeing the transition from childhood to young adulthood. However, Benjamin's birthday was in March. :0) Due to some major events in our lives in March and April, we postponed his celebration time until May. But I think it was worth it!

Our older three children played in their piano recital. This was their first recital with their new teacher, and I was very pleased. We are so thankful they have an opportunity to learn a musical instrument for the potential of serving the Lord with their aquiring knowledge and skill.

We also added a new friend to the farm. . . . .

Meet Bonnie!

Evidently, our farmhands don't have a dresscode.

Our children participate in a science co-op for local homeschoolers, so we always love the end-of-the-year program.

Our older two were in my government co-op class ;) and gave speeches on the Constitution. Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera out when they were speaking. :(

Of course, it's not all farmwork and schoolwork around here. . . .sometimes it's just some plain ol' fun.

And I will leave you with some plain ol' cute. . . . . .

Home a Month (or so;)

2011-06-01T23:39:00.000-05:00

We have actually been home 5 1/2 weeks. It seems like we have only just begun (wonder why? lol), and yet, China seems like a time so far away.

We are especially pleased with how the boys are adjusting. It is truly going better than I ever expected.

Now, of course, everything is not easy, but I think we were trying to prepare ourselves for anything and everything and are now so pleasantly surprised.

Of course, it is most likely the Lord's amazing grace on us and our precious boys. His mercies *are* new every morning. ;)

I have written more specific updates on each boy at their website: http://www.jonathanandjosiah.com/.

Sorry, just too tired to write more here. But you gotta love links!

Attachment Progress

2011-05-18T06:35:00.000-05:00

Oh, the dilemmas of what to share.

How much should I keep to myself in the name of privacy? How much to share in the spirit of keeping it real?

Anyone who has adopted or is close to someone who has knows and understands the issues behind attachment and bonding in adoption.

It is very real and very key to the child's adjustment and even future relationships.

This is why we have tried to be very careful with their interaction with others outside our home.

I feed them.
I bathe them.
I dress them.
I gift them.
I reward them.
I "potty" them.
I rock them.
And I (and hubby) hold them.

*I* am trying to teach them that I am different.
I am not just a mama.
I am the mama.
I will always be here.
I will always be safe.
I can always be trusted.

Jonathan loves to be held by me. He loves to be rocked by me. He loves to curl up in my lap, suck his little thumb, and have his back rubbed.

He loves to rub my hair, give me kisses, and call me mama.

But he would do the same to you.

Or the elderly lady on the street. I promise. It has happened. :)

So we have a long way to go with him.

But that is ok. We will go that long way. He is worth it.

Josiah is a little different. You see, he seems to have had a wonderful, caring foster family before he came to our family. He knew love. He knew a "mama" who helped him learn what a family is like.

Josiah seems to understand, as much as he can, that we are his. He understands that I am the mama. But his affection towards me has been very slow.

Very, very slow.

I mean, he wants me to feed him. He wants me to help him. He even prefers my assistance in the bathroom. (go figure) And he cries for me when he gets hurt. And he when goes to bed, he wants me right there.

But physical affection? Not so much.

I can count on some good holding time when he wakes up and when I wrap him up in a towel after bathtime. Or when he gets a boo boo. Other than that? He manages to wiggle down and find something else to do.

So imagine my delight when tonight, after I helped him get his very favorite footie pajamas on, he spontaneously threw his little arms around my neck and gave me his first Josiah-initiated, spontaneous neck hug!

Thank you, Lord. We are making progress.

Details for Sonia

2011-05-10T21:49:00.000-05:00

LOL!

Well, I'm in China, and I realize something is amiss.

So I think, "maybe I am just stressed. Maybe I just need more sleep."

A week later in China, suddenly the breakfast buffets don't seem so yummy. And the Pearl River cruise makes me even queezier than it makes Jonathan.

And the return flight home through 4 airports pushing a stroller and carrying a 22 month old in an Ergo seems really, really tough. ;)

So the first morning we are home and hubby can't sleep and is making a run to Walmart.

And I say, "How bout picking up a little test while you're there."

(pick hubby off the floor)

And the rest is history. :)

True story. (except the part about hubby on the floor ;)

Post-jetlag? We are very excited!

This Mother's Day......

2011-05-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

feels extra special.

I have much for which to be thankful.

Actually, I ALWAYS have much for which to be thankful; the list could go on and on.....

But today I am especially thankful for all my children.

The 6 the Lord gave through the miracle of birth.

The 2 the Lord very recently gave us through the miracle of adoption.

And the one on the way. ;)

(This time no papercuts.......)

God's Glory Evident in the Lives of Tornado Victims

2011-05-01T15:29:00.001-05:00

I've been a bit quiet this week. Obviously, we are in "re-entry" mode, somewhere between "survival" and glimpses of our "new normal."
However, I will unfortunately always remember our boys' first week home as marked by our state's tornado destruction.

Our family, personally, received very little backlash from the storms. We were without power for less than 24 hours. We never lost water or phone lines and were able to offer our water and showers to friends nearby who did.

Sadly, though, we have dear friends who were affected much worse by Wednesday's deadly tornadoes.

About 5 or 6 years ago, one of my closest friends, Robin, began taking me to a monthly Bible study led by Kelly Crawford (www.generationcedar.com) and Kathy Broddock (www.teachinggoodthings.com). The things I learned and the women I met changed my life.

I remember meeting Sherry Lee. She was expecting her 13th child, and I thought that made her an official "supermom." Maybe "the" supermom. I was only to learn that it wasn't the number of kids she had that made her so special. It was the gentle and quiet way that she mothered and directed and disciplined and taught them. As I observed her children, I realized how the fruit of our parenting shows up in our children's lives. I was making mental notes and soaking in all I could.

I realized that these ladies met together with their husbands and families every Sunday night in the same little cabin (just next to the Lee's home) for a (family-integrated) Bible study. My husband began to take us, and the studies and the leader and the families made such a big impact on our lives. My husband was so impressed with Sherry's husband, Tom Lee, and has used him as an example in sermons countless times as an example of a godly husband/father who was committed to leading his family in the faith.

I am sorry to share that the Lee family was tragically devastated by one of Alabama's deadly tornadoes. The same F5 that plowed through Tuscaloosa and lifted up at the edge of Birmingham but touched down before ravaging the Lee's and the Crawford's and the Boyd's little community.

The Lees' home collapsed upon them, trapping them for hours. Several of their 13 children were injured, and Mr. Lee was killed.

Below is an interview with the Lees' oldest son. God is definitely glorified through this family.

Also affected by the storm were the Crawfords. This family is another testimony of the Lord's grace and goodness, even in the midst of great trial.

The Boyds are another precious Christian family who live very close to the Lees and Crawfords and saw and experienced the power and destruction of the F5 tornado, yet testify of God's faithfulness and love.

These families are fine examples of persevering through trials. They definitely need our prayers, but I think, also, our admiration.

Finding our Groove

2011-04-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

We are home, and things are going well! (or at least in my mind :) It is so nice to be able to relax and take the time to get to know the two precious jewels the Lord has allowed us to love and parent.

They both seem very happy (most of the time). They seem very comfortable in the home, thrive off of playing with their new siblings, and can't get enough of the yard and the outdoors.

The jetlag has been a little mean, so it has not been too hard to enjoy the downtime and slowing down to love on these sweeties and help them transition to our family, the family structure, and the family rules.

We haven't started back to the school yet. In a way, I look forward to getting into that new normal, and in a way I dread the extra responsibilities. ;-) But I know it will definitely help give everyone the routine to which they are accustomed. Our summer break is about to end. ;-)

Tomorrow we will be taking Jonathan to the International Adoption Clinic.(that is assuming we aren't blown off course by the predicted bad weather) I believe it will be a big asset to us as we try to learn everything we can about this precious son. They both have orthopedic appointments later in May.

I expect to continue journaling on their website; I hope to have it made into a keepsake book after a year. www.jonathanandjosiah.com

Preparing for Travel

2011-04-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

These past few days have been a whirlwind of preparations in anticipation of going to get our sons!

We definitely leave Thursday morning for the very looooooong trip to Ch*na (which includes 4 airports). As of today, 70% of us are packed and ready to go. I won't mention who is included in the 30%. ;-)

Tomorrow we should have our itinerary for in-country. We have a good idea of what it will look like, and it should be another whirlwind since we will be receiving both boys in different cities the first week! This will be crazy, but the bright side is that it will help keep our costs down in several different ways.

Ch*na blocks blogger, so this tends to make blogging a bit difficult while there. ;-) There are a few alternatives, and one that I had planned to try seems to have given a few adoptive families trouble lately. So we will be updating and journaling daily (maybe, hopefully, lol) through our new baby jellybeans website.

You can read about our Journey to Jonathan and Josiah at http://www.jonathanandjosiah.com/. We hope you will follow along!

(And, yes, I am going public with my children's names. Might as well be transparent here, all in the spirit of keepin' it real. ;-)

TA!

2011-03-30T14:31:00.000-05:00

Wow!! A lot can change in just a few hours!

Learned this morning that our Travel Approval came, and our flights are being finalized for next Thursday, April 7!!! Our consulate appointment in Guangzhou is Thursday, April 21. We will return the night before Easter.

Gotta run! Much to do!

We're going to China!!!!!!!

Still here.......

2011-03-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

In more ways than one......;)

Life has been extremely busy these past few weeks.

Between the grief of losing a parent, the work and emotional load of organizing and sorting their lifelong belongings, and the anticipation of adoption and travel to China, I think I'm living in the "margins" of my life right now.

We are working beyond what we would normally *think* are our time and energy limitations in hopes that when we return home with our precious darlings perhaps it will be calm, normal (what's that?)or at least a new normal, and stable around here.

God is so faithful and teaching me to live day by day, sometimes hour by hour ;).

We have enjoyed celebrating a few things around here, such as Bigger Brother turning 13, Zheng Zheng turning 4, and Little Sister losing a top tooth.

We were so blessed again by our sweet friends at church as they gave us a baby/adoption shower. These dears have been unbelievable in their show of love throughout our many fundraisers, their support after Daddy's passing, and then with this fun and very helpful shower. We are blessed beyond belief with a church that values children and their arrival, whether the child is your first, your tenth, by the miracle of birth, or by the miracle of adoption.

In adoption news, we have now been waiting two weeks for travel approval. Hopefully, we will be getting a call soon! We are waiting in hopeful anticipation to see how the Lord continues to write our story.

Article 5 #2!

2011-03-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Today Hai Hai's Article 5 was picked up! Now we are officially waiting for Travel Approval! Woo hoo! We're coming for you soon, sweet sons!

Specks of Light in the Darkness

2011-03-09T22:12:00.000-06:00

Grief is hard. There is no way around it. The sadness that weighs my heart is heavy.

But God's grace is always sufficient. And He is faithful. Maybe soon I will be able to share how His grace has sustained me in these hard days, but right now I am still walking through it.

I do want to testify of His amazing hand in our adoption journey.

As many of you know, we have been counting on the Lord to move mountains as we prepare to bring not just one precious boy home but two precious boys home. For we started this process a year ago with about half of what it takes to complete one adoption. The Lord has taken the insufficient amount that we had and multiplied it in His sufficiency to complete not just one adoption. . .but two!

In the past week or so, we have received a $500 donation, a $1000 grant, and our tax refund! :-)

God has moved the mountains for both our boys! What a testimony the Lord is building in our sons. And He has used many of you to write the story. When I look in their faces I will always be reminded of His faithfulness and of your love and compassion.

To God be the glory.

Seeing Through the Glass Dimly

2011-03-05T22:29:00.000-06:00

Today was a very bad day for my family. My daddy died.

Today was a very good day for my daddy. His faith became sight.

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

A Friend's Online Auction

2011-02-28T21:56:00.000-06:00

Shonni over at Nations Around Our Table is holding a Bao Xinu auction! ("Bao Xinu" means "precious children.")

Shonni and her family are bringing home 2 sweet darlin's and are holding this auction to raise the funds needed for a double adoption.

Hop on over there and see the great frame her son built for this auction! You will love it! And just think, you will be making a difference in the lives of TWO orphans, who will soon be ORPHANS NO MORE!!!

Cabeled Again!

2011-02-24T23:36:00.003-06:00

We are so thrilled and thankful that Hai Hai's paperwork has been cabeled by the National Visa Center to the American Consulate in Guangzhou, Ch*na!

Once step closer and just 2 more steps to go!

More on Trough Cleaning

2011-02-21T22:41:00.003-06:00

So messy houses remind us to be thankful for the oxen.

Right?

"Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox" (Proverbs 14:4).

But do I need to be doing it all alone?

Think about the latter part of this verse.

And consider another Proverb:

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when his old he wil not depart from it" (22:6).

As we train our children in the right ways, which I believe include the spiritual ways AND the practical ways, we eventually see the "much increase comes by the strength of the ox."

When Big Sister was about 7 years old, I finally awoke to the fact that I was doing her a major disservice by only requiring her to pick up her toys and make up her bed. She was capable of so much more and could contribute to the team in many ways, if only I would take the time to teach and train her.

We started small, but it did not take long to realize how much a child could accomplish, given the chance and the instruction.

It is such a blessing now to see that she can do ANY TASK IN OUR HOME if and when needed. From baking and cooking to washing and ironing to cleaning and childcare, she is able to jump in and handle it, even if it is not her normal chore, because at sometime or another, she has been trained to do it and given the opportunity to practice it.

Bigger Brother is just as capable and often accomplishes some of these tasks better than I do!

The other children are still being trained in several "job opportunities" and still need. . .ahem. . .more practice before promotion. :0) Some showing more promising signs of moving up the ranks than others. . . .but I digress. . .

Imagine the benefits of intentional life skills training. How many of you had to call home to ask Mom about every little thing after you were married? I know I did. Seems like everytime I turned on the stove, I was picking up the phone!

I hope it will also instill in them a strong work ethic, a sense of "do it right, do it light; do it wrong, do it long" (as hubby says, lol), and hopefully help them to strive towards diligence and responsibility.

And praying for servant-hearts to be moulded in the process. . .

What about you? How has this played out in your home?

Reflecting on a Clean Trough

2011-02-19T20:21:00.004-06:00

Several weeks ago, I was bemoaning the neverending cycle of messy house-clean the house-messy house again.

I mean. . .why can't a clean house stay that way for just a little bit?

I thought of my many household projects that were yet to be done and wondered how I would ever squeeze them in between school, supper, and sunrise.

Then the very next day, I came across God's wisdom on the matter:

"Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox" (Proverbs 14:4).

Wow. God very clearly says it all in just a few short words.

Sure, if my home were just a house. . .with no precious babies in it. . .it would probably stay clean for a while.

But with the mountain of laundry and the many meals and the multitude of toys, books, and games come a mountain of joy, many smiles, and a multitude of laughter, fun, and memories.

And with the blink of an eye, they will be gone. If how fast they are growing now is any indication.

So I will keep cleaning the trough but not worry when it doesn't stay clean.

Cause that just means my house is not yet empty.

Rumor Confirmed!

2011-02-16T12:56:00.003-06:00

The rumor has been elevated to a confirmed status!

I was so thrilled to receive a short little email from the immigration officer today saying Hai Hai's application received the provisional approval we had been waiting on and that it was sent (I like that form of the verb: "sent"--instead of "to be sent", lol) via USPS.

So, I guess I'll be stalking the mail-lady now. ;-)

We're comin', boys, as soon as we can!

Rumor Has It. . . .

2011-02-16T06:32:00.003-06:00

that Hai Hai's 800 application was approved yesterday.

Oh, I am ever so hopeful!

If you hear a Dukes of Hazzard-like yell coming from my part of Alabama, you'll know I found it in my mailbox. ;)

An Article 5 Valentine!

2011-02-14T20:34:00.003-06:00

Seventeen years ago on Valentine's Day I received a diamond ring and a proposal.

This Valentine's Day we received an Article 5!!!

We are praising the Lord that Zheng Zheng's Article 5 was picked up today, the last little stop before Travel Approval. It will be sent to the C*AA in Beijing to await Travel Approval, which normally takes 2-3 weeks from this point. :0)

Where, oh where is Hai Hai's paperwork, you may ask. Ahhhh. . . the question of the month.

Well, I learned today from my 357th phone call to immigration that his 800 application is "in the system" and "in the building!" So it has made it out of the mysterious and autonomous Texas lockbox and found its way to the Missouri office. Where it might be "in the building," who knows. Unfortunately, it hasn't made it to our immigration officer's desk. Hmmmmmm. . . . Anybody out there in Missouri want to go walk it over to the appropriate desk for me? ;0)

If I sound disgruntled, maybe it's your imagination. Or not. . .;-) You see, not only are 2 of my babies waiting on us halfway around the world, but one of them is going to have a birthday next month. And I really want to have them in my arms by then. . . . .

Anyhoo,. . .I keep trying to remind myself of all the wonderful lessons we have learned about God's perfect timing and resting in the Lord's sovereignty. To be honest, some days I find this easy, and other days, not so much.

Like my husband said a few months ago, we definitely have our LID (Lessons in Discipline ;-).

Interruptions

2011-02-04T18:07:00.003-06:00

Wow. This week has been full of them.

It is so interesting that a week like this has come after I noticed a small point in Sunday's sermon that mentioned the way Christ dealt with interruptions.

It seems when Jesus was teaching or ministering, there were often interruptions. Yet, He always used these interruptions as teaching opportunities.

The instance mentioned Sunday was in Mark 3:31 when Jesus was teaching to a multitude. His mother and brothers sent someone to Him, interrupting Him. Instead of becoming frustrated at their ignorance and lack of understanding His ministry and work, Christ used it as an opportunity: "For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother" (Mark 3:35).

Remember when Jesus was teaching, and people brought their little children to Him? The disciples saw it as a major interruption and rebuked those who brought them. But the Lord was displeased with the disciples and used the little interruption as another teaching opportunity: "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14).

I am reminded to keep it all in perspective when interruptions come my way. It is so easy to become task-oriented when mothering a large brood ;-), and especially in these last weeks of preparing to travel to China, I find myself more and more check-list driven.

So knowing that Christ never let a teaching opportunity slip him by, and remembering how when "He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them. . ." (Matthew 9:36), I am praying He will help me seize every opportunity to teach, love, and show compassion to my little "multitude." :0)

Thanking Him in the Big Things and in the Small

2011-01-29T16:30:00.007-06:00

We have been blessed in many ways these past few days. Some big and some little.

In no particular order. . . .

Blessing #1
The children and I were in a Birmingham thrift store the other day when we ran into some friends from the children's art co-op class. They were surprised to see us and said they happened to have something in their van for us.

We learned that their sweet 9 year old daughter and 2 other friends the same age had been making handmade greeting cards and selling them to benefit our adoption. Right in the middle of the thrift store (which is not even in my neck of the woods), she presented us with $100.I was shocked and very humbled. We were blessed by their love and compassion, and I got another small glimpse into the way the Lord works in the hearts of His people on behalf of the orphan.

Blessing #2
You see, Big Sister (as well as all our children) have been on Cloud 9 about our adopting from the very beginning. Once we learned back in March that we were bringing Hai Hai into our family, Big Sister had made up her mind she was buying him a special gift just from her. She soon decided she would purchase a Panda at the Build-a-Bear store at first opportunity. Back in the summer the Panda came home with us and has been waiting for Hai Hai ever since.

Upon learning we were bringing Zheng Zheng into our family, Big Sister soon realized she needed another Panda. However, Build-a-Bears are not cheap, and their store is also not in my neck of the woods. :-) I had encouraged her to settle for something else.

Well, while visiting the thrift store the other day, Big Sister and Middle Sister came hurrying to me with a "You are not going to believe this!" look on their faces. Right there on the thrift store shelf was a Build-a-Bear Panda. Just like the one she already had. What a precious and tangible reminder to us all that God cares about the details.

Blessing #3
My dear friend April and her family planned a special fundraising event for Hai Hai and Zheng Zheng. She organized an Old Fashioned HoeDown, and it was a blast!

She reserved a great venue and some awesome callers, and we had loads of fun last night, dancing the night away! (OK, so I danced 3 dances, but my feet felt like it was all night. . .;-)

Everyone enjoyed it so much, and it was definitely multi-generational, which I think is THE WAY TO GO!!! We had grandparents, moms and dads, newlyweds, young adults, children, and babies, all dancing for a cause! I don't think we could have had a more fun and joyous fundraiser!

We were so thankful for the many, many families who attended the fundraiser. The Lord blessed us with another $952. He is ever so faithful.

Looking out at the many who participated, my husband commented, "The Lord continues to show how much He loves adoption."

(Thank you, Kathy, for this group pic!)

In our long, long journey in and to adoption, we have learned a lot of things. Things about ourselves and also about the Lord. One thing we know for sure, He does love adoption, and He certainly loves the orphan.

"I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:18).

What about you???

Cabeled!

2011-01-25T18:10:00.003-06:00

Today I received an email from the National Visa Center (and the all-important NVC letter attached) that Zheng Zheng's paperwork has been cabeled to the American Embassy/Consulate in Guangzhou, Ch*na!

We're getting very close!

Praying Hai Hai's would catch up quickly. :0)

Zheng Zheng's 800 Approval

2011-01-21T19:33:00.003-06:00

For anyone who knows much about the China adoption process, you may have noticed we have been waiting on our I-800 approval from immigration for several weeks.

We sent Hai Hai's LOA and immigration paperwork off first and then Zheng Zheng's about 10 days later (as soon as we received his LOA). Well, today we received Zheng Zheng's 800 approval in the mail! We are so thankful. The approval is dated January 13.

The best I can understand these last few steps, his information has been forwarded to the National Visa Center which will then "cable" his information to the American Consulate/Embassy in Guangzhou, China. Once it is there (any day now, I hope?), our agency can submit our "Article 5 letter." Once it has been signed by the consulate, our agency's liason in China will pick it up and deliver it to the CC*A. After maybe 2 weeks, the C*AA will issue our Travel Approval!

Of course, nothing ever goes very smoothly in our adoption world, and Chinese New Year is coming up very quickly. Ch*na's government offices take 2 weeks off for this celebration. Just in time for our paperwork to arrive. :-/

Speaking of things not going very smoothly, you may have noticed I did not mention Hai Hai's approval coming in the mail today. After a bit of confusion with his paperwork, we are still waiting on his. We are praying to see it very soon!

Anyhoo. . .friends are always asking when we expect to travel. That's the lowdown. :0)

A Gideon-like Fundraiser

2011-01-17T08:18:00.005-06:00

The Lord amazed us again with the results of our Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction!

This was the first of its kind that I had ever planned and organized. Needless to say, as I was purchasing the supplies, I was nervous about how much or how little to buy.

We finally decided to prepare for 400, not knowing if we would have 100 people with ALOT of leftover food or if we would run out of food and wish we would have had larger goals.

I knew that we had the potential of making $2000 if our maximum arrived.

So imagine my disappointment when only 1/4 of the number of people showed up. All I could think about were my dear friends and family who had helped me cook all day and all the dear friends who had baked desserts for this fundraiser. I knew deep down that God would do what He wanted with this particular fundraiser and eventually provide what we needed, but boy was I disappointed that we had put so much effort into this Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction with such a low turnout.

Then I went home, and as the children were getting ready to fall into bed, I began to count the money.

Can I just say that God doesn't need my numbers?

He gave us, through the hearts of many precious and generous people, $2386! Totally amazing. And since then we have received another $300 donation.

He exceeded my "goal" with a quarter of the turnout I thought I needed.

It reminded me so much of Gideon.

Remember when God wanted to use Gideon to lead Isreal in victory over the Midianites? Gideon started with 32,000. God said this was too many. Then Gideon had 10,000 men, but God said, "The people are still too many" (Judges 6:4).

Eventually, Gideon was left with only 300 men, and they ran the Midianites out of town with only trumpets, pitchers, and torches.

And God got all the glory. No one could say that Gideon had planned it so well or that he was such a mighty commander. It was all God.

And so goes our Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction. It was all God. Fighting on behalf of our sons. Moving mountains. Building a testimony in their lives.

So thankful we get to be a part of this story.

Tonight is the Spaghetti Dinner

2011-01-15T00:22:00.003-06:00

Tonight we will be holding the Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction, a fundraiser for our sweet China boys!

This is a new adventure for me. I cook for a lot of hungry people everyday, but it pales in comparison to all the spaghetti we will be cooking today!

Date: Saturday, January 15
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Bethel Baptist Church in Snead
Cost: $6 a plate (spaghetti, bread, dessert, drink)

If you're a local friend, come have dinner with us! If not, please pray for the Lord's blessings on our event!

Help Another Adoptive Family

2011-01-13T14:33:00.003-06:00

We have a sweet friend who is actually a "real life" friend ;-), and they are in the process of their 5th and 6th China adoptions. Janet is an amazing lady who loves the Lord and has a precious family! Their son Waid actually came home from Tianjin, which is where our little Hai Hai is waiting!

When Janet was preparing to leave this past August to bring Waid home, she was so thoughtful that she offered to make room in her very limited bag for a blanket I was sending to Hai Hai, and on their Gotcha Day still made it a point to give the blanket to the orphanage director. (I hope when I am preparing to leave I still have enough sense to think of others! LOL!)

Please go to their blog to read their story to their newest children and consider participating in their fundraiser. You could win an Ipad!! :-)

Are We Still in Alabama?

2011-01-12T13:43:00.013-06:00

We've had a bit of a Winter Wonderland around our house lately.

The snow has been beautiful, and the children have definitely had a blast!

When snow arrives in these parts you have to enjoy it while it's here. Cause you expect it to be gone tomorrow.

Well, not this week! This snow came Sunday night, and we still have the same view on Wednesday!

Hubby and the big boys had fun playing "air soft" in the woods.

And it has been soooo much fun to watch Little Brother in his first "big" snow.

Soon the snow will be gone (I hope ;-), but maybe the memories will linger for a while.

Kung Fu Heart

2011-01-09T23:22:00.005-06:00

Can I just say, "How do you miss someone you've never met?"

How can your heart ache for someone you've never even held in your arms?

My friend Laine one time told me it is called "Kung Fu Heart."

I think I must have it.

Longing for 2 little boys in China. . . . . . .

Watching the Fruit Ripen

2011-01-06T22:43:00.007-06:00

Ya know, being part of big family requires certain responsibilities. Actually being a part of any size family requires certain responsibilities. I have definitely found, though, that as our family grew, I had to make changes and adjustments to increase efficiency around the house, ensure I was teaching necessary life skills to all ages, and also maximizing one on one time with the children.

We do a lot of chores around here. Everyone from Little Sister up has at least 3 daily chores in addition to room clean up, zone clean up, and kitchen duty.

It has been in meal preparation that I have found some of those most fulfilling times as a mom.

You see, I always said I would NOT be one of those moms who always shooed my children out of the kitchen during cooking time.

But when my first 4 were so little (barely 5 and under, for the record ;-), I found myself doing just that. I mean, it was just too easy to send them away from the kitchen so I could get it done quickly and with as little mess as possible.

I soon began to recognize in my words, though, "No, just let Mama do it by myself. I'll be done so much faster!" that I knew I was becoming what I didn't want.

But four stirring the brownie batter? Four beating the eggs? There had to be a better way.

What is the saying about necessity being the mother of invention? Well, I didn't actually invent anything, but I had to creatively problem solve.

So, thus, the assigned meal helper idea was born. I assigned a meal to one child (plus snack time), and we began to work in the kitchen together, side by side, one on one.

Every six months, we switch the meal assignments around, so everyone gets plenty of experience cooking different things. Boy, has it been helpful to see how a few months into a new rotation how different children become little experts at different foods/meals.

This morning was one of those wonderful moments when you realize that the time you are investing is really paying off.

Middle Sister wanted to surprise me with breakfast. She wanted to select the meal and cook it w/o my attendance. I was a smidge hesitant to say yes, but I decided, "why not?"

She did a perfectly wonderful job of cooking breakfast burritos for the whole family! She has helped me make them several times, but this is the first time she has cooked all the ingredients and assembled them by herself.
And they were very yummy! :0)

I am so proud of her for taking initiative and being willing to work and serve her family. And I am thankful to see fruit beginning to ripen that was planted a long time ago.

You know, skills and character do not develop overnight. It takes time and perseverance. If I went out in the yard and planted some apple seeds, I would not have an apple tree tomorrow. It takes time. But if I don't take care of those seeds and tend to what I've planted, I may never see the fruit I desired.

Seems to be that way with children, too.

I pray the Lord will help me persevere and tend very carefully the seeds we've been given.

It sure seems worth it! :-)

Spaghetti Dinner

2011-01-03T10:31:00.005-06:00

Hi, everyone!!! My family is having a Spaghetti Dinner to help raise these last funds needed to complete both our boys' adoptions. We would love to invite you!

The dinner will be Saturday, January 15th at 5:30 PM at Bethel Baptist in Snead (about a mile east of the crossroads on the left of HWY 278--much thanks to Bethel Baptist for allowing us to use their facilities!). The price of each plate is $6 and includes spaghetti, bread, dessert, and drink. Also, there will be a Silent Auction at the dinner!

Please consider making plans to attend (and inviting everyone you know ;-)! What a great way to enjoy dinner without the cooking and clean up AND BE PART OF THE HANDS AND FEET THAT HELP BRING 2 ORPHANS TO THEIR FOREVER HOME!!!

(We are so thankful to be 100% funded for one adoption and about 35% funded for the other son's adoption. God is amazing!!!)

Feel free to re-post, especially if you are a local friend!

When Truth Collides with Tradition

2010-12-31T11:50:00.003-06:00

It is easy to get stuck in a rut. And it is super-easy to cuddle up in our comfort zone.

So often tradition is this way. And, of course, many different kinds of traditions are good.

But when Truth confronts our tradition, do we easily re-adjust our thinking?

In Acts 10 and 11 I noticed an incredible example to us of how we should respond to Truth, even when it goes against everything we have ever thought, believed, or even valued.

Remember when Peter was on the roof and saw the vision of the animals on the blanket? God was teaching him that everything He called clean was, in fact, clean. Then (in His perfect timing, of course) Peter was visited by Cornelius' messengers, asking him to come and meet with Cornelius, a Gentile nonetheless.

As a result of his visit and the Lord's grace, Cornelius and others there, who also heard the word, were saved.

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word" (Acts 10:44).

So here is Truth colliding with tradition. What tradition? These Jewish disciples and followers of Christ had no idea salvation could come to the Gentiles the way it had come to them.

"And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also" (Acts 10:45).

Now, if you think they were surprised, imagine the response of the Believers back in Jerusalem!

When Peter returned, they complained against him because he had eaten with the Gentiles!

(I wonder how often we judge and complain against our fellow Believers before we have heard the whole story or considered what God might be doing, in spite of us . . .)

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Peter explained the whole story and testified of God's work with the Gentiles.

"If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we beleived on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God" (Acts 11:17)?

(Don't you just love Peter? Despite his glaring faults, when he recognizes Truth, he just says it! I have a "Peter" in my house. His brother is a "John." And they are just awesome together. :-) But anyhoo. . .)

What was the response?

"When they heard these things they became silent" (Acts 11:18a);

What do they think? What do they do with this new Truth? It sure doesn't line up with what they have always been taught. It doesn't match their idea of God.

What would you do? Would you try to keep God in the box of all your pre-conceived ideas? If so, then you would fail to worship the God of the Bible. You would turn to the god of your imagination. The one that fits who you felt more comfortable serving.

Thankfully, these New Testament Christians were convinced that Truth was worth changing for, worth repenting for, worth altering everything they had ever understood before.

"and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life" (Acts 11:18b).

And, boy, am I glad.

So when Truth collides with your tradition, what is your response?

Bonding with Boys

2010-12-29T15:11:00.007-06:00

So hubby easily spends guy time with our sons in the woods, hunting and camping, or talking Alabama football.

Me? Not so much. I mean, I can talk a little Alabama football. You know, like, "I remember when the Bear was still alive!"

But I'd rather just listen to my sons talk and watch them get excited about it anyway.

So what's a girl to do? I mean, when she wants to bond with her boys?

Play Axis and Allies!!! What else??? :0)

I mean, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Lovin' my boys who are so quickly becoming men.

Since You've Been on the Edge of Your Seats. . .

2010-12-27T15:27:00.011-06:00

We definitely had an interesting Christmas. We thought we had escaped a full run of it b/c we were all virus-free on Christmas Eve Day. But, unfortunately, seven out of eight of our dear family eventually suffered from the dreaded stomache virus, including yours truly on Christmas Day.

I remember lying in bed on Christmas morning (I had already managed to sit in the living room long enough to see everyone open their Christmas presents) and hearing a few sounds here and there from children playing.

I was thinking, "I can't believe I am missing all this on Christmas Day!" But before I fell into the black pit of self-pity, the Lord reminded me that it was for sickness that Christ came anyway.

It is the sickness of sin that put us all in such a need for peace. A need for a Savior. And in all our sickness, the Lord God already had a plan.

His plan didn't look like the world expected, as do so many of His plans, but His plan was for God the Son to come to earth in the form of a human to save us from our sickness. . .the fatal sickness of sin.

And for that I am thankful.

But here we are. . .on the other side of the valley of the virus. . .washing and cleaning and cloroxing. Tomorrow we will take down the tree.

Mama Hen and her family were supposed to come visit tomorrow for our monthly get together, but there is flu at her house. So she doesn't want to come here and get the stomache virus, and I don't want her to bring the FLU here! So we are just giving hugs through the phone and waiting a bit on that visit! ;-)

Before the onslaught of the Beast, we did get a few Christmas pics, and my children snapped a few shots of the very rare White Alabama Christmas.

Thankful for Sickness???

2010-12-23T16:04:00.002-06:00

Well,. . .I'm thankful they are throwing up on Thursday and not tomorrow or Christmas Day. . . .

Would be sad to miss our family tradition of celebrating with my brother's family, my dad, and my aunt and uncle on Christmas Eve. . . .

Would be sad to miss our family tradition of celebrating with my hubby's family on Christmas Day. . . .

But so far, we only have 2 down. Four more to go. . . .(I refuse to think I need to include hubby or myself in the count, LOL.)

Okay. . . . . . . . . . .I guess we are waiting to see. . . .(we're pretty good at that one by now. . .)

The Matching Grant Goal Has Been Met!!!

2010-12-20T22:58:00.004-06:00

I do not know what to say! I am almost speechless! But I can say, "Look what God did!"

Praise Him!!!

And thank you to so many of you who were used by Him to helped us raise the $3500 needed for the goal but also made it possible for our grant to be maximized to $7000!

And thank you to Grace Fellowship--Micah's Hope and Lifesong! Isn't it awesome to know that even in this slumping economy and during the financial crunch of the holidays, people still care about what God values?! There are those who are not only "aware" of the plight of the fatherless and the worldwide orphan crisis, but they are willing to do something.

What does this grant total mean to us? It means we are now fully-funded for 2 adults (guess who that would be ;0) to go to China and bring Hai Hai home! So we can now focus on the $10-12 K needed to bring Zheng Zheng home.

Thanks to several precious friends and their donations, we are already $2635 on the way to Zheng Zheng!

Lifesong will still receive donations and direct the funds to our agency for those who are interested in being a part of Zheng Zheng's "homecoming." And since Lifesong is a non-profit, all these donations would be tax-deductible!

Thank you to all who have helped. Many, many that I do know and some who I do not. You all have blessed us, and we are humbled by your sacrifice.

To the Tune of Jingle Bells. :-)

2010-12-16T13:12:00.004-06:00

LOA! LOA!!!
LOA on it's way.
Oh what fun it is to say
Second LOA on its way!!! Hey!

LOA! LOA!
LOA on its way.
Oh what fun it is to say
Second LOA on its way! Hey!!!

Dashing through the rain
In a great big FedEx truck
Headed to immigration
Let's pray it doesn't get stuck!

Next stop--National Visa Center.
Then they should quickly cable
All our info to Guangzhou.
Then we should get our Travel Approval--Ooohhhhh!!!

LOA! LOA!
LOA on its way.
Oh what fun it is to say
Second LOA on its way! Hey!!!

Does it Start in the Mind?

2010-12-15T16:37:00.002-06:00

Little Sister is a hoot. Have I mentioned that?

But she also adores Little Brother. So it was quite unusual when she became frustrated with him the other day. But he was messin' with her birthday present so the gift seemed to be at stake. . . . .

When she told me she was mad at him I was a bit surprised but reminded her how often she had probably messed up her siblings' belongings. After a smidge of counseling I then suggested she should forgive.

Well, she thought about it a minute then announced, "Ok Mama, I am now forgiving him in my mind."

That sounds like a good start, I think.

Actually, I think there is a lot of truth to her reasoning. Literally.

We must focus on Truth. Focus on the Scripture and God's way of doing things.

"I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplateYour ways" (Psalm 119:15).

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." (Philippians 2:5).

So just like Little Sister, I am thinking Truth, meditating on His Word, and trusting God to work in her heart and mine.

LOA on Its Way!

2010-12-11T07:29:00.006-06:00

Yesterday we had the joy of going to our agency's Travel Meeting. It was so much fun to meet other China families in the same process and to hear more details on what to expect in this last leg of the process.

(I also got to enjoy being away with my husband for nine whole hours!!!

And the icing on the cake for both of us was to hear the words from our sweet social worker that Zheng Zheng's LOA was coming to town!!!!

Did you hear us celebrating all the way where you live????

It was quite a surprise to all of us, even to our social worker, as we all were afraid we might have a wait ahead of us.

(And let me tell you, nothing in our adoption process has ever before moved quickly, LOL! Hubby and I kept looking at each other saying, "Are they sure they meant the Hixons?")

Soooo. . when it gets to Birmingham, our sw will overnight it to us (unless I just drive on down there and meet their courier guy and take HIS picture, too ;-) and then we will sign with another great fanfare, and get it back to Lifeline with all Zheng Zheng's immigration forms and visa application ASAP!!!

Hopefully, there will be a nice immigration worker who will put Zheng Zheng's file with Hai Hai's. :-)

We are thanking the Lord for this little gift of news and continue trusting in His sovereign timing.

Christmas Came Early

2010-12-10T07:10:00.002-06:00

Yes, Christmas came early to my inbox. I received some very anticipated pics yesterday!

I've been waiting to receive some more recent pictures of our son Zheng Zheng, and they finally came!

Now, let me tell you, this just about melts my heart. Isn't he ADORABLE!?!

We were oooohing and aaahhing over this little darlin' all day. :-)

Look at that amazing smile!!!

Buddy, we're coming as fast as we can!

Little Sister's Big Day

2010-12-09T16:42:00.006-06:00

Today our sweet baby girl turned six! I just can't believe our Little Sister is six years old!!!

She has been such a joy on our lives. Little Sister has such a fun personality and a free spirit.

Life is never dull with Little Sister around! She has such a quick wit and easy-going personality. We are always entertained with her around!

Here she is on her birthday with her long-awaited Pillow Pet. (Has anyone else heard enough about these yet???)

Happy Birthday, Little Sister.

We love you so very much!!!

Get a Look at the Thermometer!

2010-12-06T18:58:00.003-06:00

Yea!!! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to us and our sweet waiting sons!

We are so thankful to see our grant total growing!

Every dollar will me matched, and when it reaches $3500, we will be at or very close to fully funded to bring Hai Hai home! We are so thankful for this matching grant!

Meanwhile, we are planning a few fundraisers to help raise the $10-12 K for Zheng Zheng! Please pray for miracles!

Guess Who Dropped By!

2010-12-04T14:49:00.005-06:00

And he had a very anticipated package!

Yes! Our LOA is here! Yea!!!

The disappointing news is there was only one LOA in the package. :-(

So we are still waiting on Zheng Zheng's LOA. The question of the day, or week, or whatever, is "When will the CC*A send Zheng Zheng's LOA?"

No one seems to know.

But we are so thankful to have Hai Hai's!

We signed it with great fanfare. . . .

And we will be sending it off Monday!

Next stop: another rendezvous with immigration!

Please pray that Ch*n* will speed Zheng Zheng's LOA along. We hope it will catch up to Hai Hai's paperwork soon at one of these last stops. (Travel approval is typically 8 - 10 weeks after LOA.)

Could He Be Yours?

2010-11-30T18:02:00.003-06:00

My sweet friend Stacy at My Cup Overfloweth (the dear who is doing Christmas Frenzy) just returned with her precious son from China a few months ago. Her son Solomon had a best friend in the orphanage. Dalton is his name, and he is quite the cutie!

Dalton needs a family, and Stacy is advocating for him. Please go visit her blog and read about Dalton. It could change your life! ;0)

Comfort and Cost

2010-11-28T16:09:00.023-06:00

I love my kids. I know you love yours, too!

If we could sit down together, we could drink some sweet tea, swap photos, and talk about how they make us laugh and smile.

Just like this morning at church when I had a great time laughing with a friend about the witty things our newly and almost 6 year olds say.

I look at my children and think, "What if I had missed all this?"

What if we had listened to the naysayers and decided 2 would be enough?

You know, "A girl for me, a boy for you, praise the Lord, and now we're through!" ;-)

Many years ago, I was afraid with such a "quiverfull" mindset, we'd end up with a dozen kids.

Now with half a dozen in the house, more doesn't sound so bad.

(Two more sounds really good, right now, actually!)

Now am I trying to convince you that I've got it all together?

Would I dare suggest our home is just perfect and all is always blissful?

No.

There is always an element of chaos. Usually noise from most every room.

They are not near as quiet as we'd sometimes like. . . . . .;0)

But, you know, this life is not about me. It is certainly not about my comfort.

And when I feel like I'm getting too comfortable, I know I need to be looking to see where I'm falling short.

Christ's life was not comfortable. Neither were the lives of the disciples. Nor the prophets for that matter.

I know most missionaries lead pretty uncomfortable lives.

And that is what I am. . . . . .a missionary in the heart of my home.

And I think about what my dear friend Robin recently posted, quoting Charles Spurgeon:

"God forbid that we should offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing."

So I resolve again to wake each morning, trusting in His mercy and grace to equip me. I depend upon Him to minister through me to each of these precious children and to the ones who are yet to come home.

I cannot do it alone.

But God forbid that it should cost me nothing.

Two Sons from China!

2010-11-23T09:24:00.006-06:00

Wow! How do I begin? I think I will start with a big PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Way back in the spring, when we first submitted our LOI for Hai Hai, we were also especially drawn to this other precious little 3 year old boy. However, as many of you know, it is not too common to bring home 2 at a time from Chin*.

Circumstances were not in our favor, so we had to "settle" for praying for this precious child.

But deep down inside, I knew I was his mama. I can't explain it. But I certainly didn't trust my heart b/c of our past experiences with adoption disappointments.

So the months went by, and we would check occasionally to see if he was still on the "list."

He remained.

Recently, we and our agency realized that perhaps circumstances might be in our favor, and we submitted an LOI (Letter of Intent).

Yesterday, in my inbox sat these most precious words: "Pre-Approval!"

So we have 2 sons waiting for us Ch*n*! To God be the Glory! What an amazing "Solomon's Porch" occasion to celebrate and praise the Lord!

This son is 3 years old like our Hai Hai and also has similar special needs, even though his are a bit further up the spectrum than Hai Hai's. We are so thankful they will not only have us, but they will also have each other!

So with no further delay. . . . .introducing. . . . . .

Zheng Zheng!

(I think he already looks like a Hixon. :0)

Solomon's Porch Opportunities

2010-11-22T10:24:00.003-06:00

This morning I was reading in Acts 3 about Peter and John at the temple. When they met the lame man, they looked on him with compassion.

Peter said to him, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (v.6).

The Scriptures tell us that immediately the man was healed. So healed that he went "walking, leaping, and praising God" (v. 8).

Notice how his healing immediately led him to praise the Lord.

But he is not the only one who seized the opportunity to exalt Him.

After the lame man was healed, others saw the results of this miracle and ran out on Solomon's porch, greatly amazed (v. 11).

As soon as Peter saw this opportunity, I noticed that he quickly responded by witnessing and pointing the crowd to the Lord.

So I asked myself, "Am I paying attention to the opportunities in my life that give open doors to glorifying the Father?"

I want to be quick to seize these opportunities, much like Peter was.

What about you? Are you letting these "Solomon's porch opportunities" slip you by?

Obviously, some Solomon's porch opportunities could be great amazing events in our lives, perhaps as amazing as this lame man's miracle.

But there are so many opportunities in our day to day lives that lend themselves to testifying of the Lord's greatness.

How many Solomon's porch opportunities have you had today?

Giveaway Winners!

2010-11-17T07:08:00.004-06:00

Thank you to everyone who has helped support our efforts to bring Hai Hai home! We have been so encouraged by people's support and interest.

My sweet Middle Sister helped me draw the winners' names. I am so excited to show our thanks through these gifts.

The winner of the Adoption Bug t-shirt is Crystal Moman!!!

The winner of the $20 Target gift card is Chelsea Gour!!!

The winner of the David Platt book Radical is Vicki Jensen!!!

I will be happy to mail these ASAP! Please send your mailing address to Rebekah@mudministries.com.

Thank you to everyone!

Last Day of our Thank You Giveaway

2010-11-16T07:27:00.003-06:00

Good morning! Just a reminder that this is the last day before we draw for our Thank You Giveaway. We are placing all our dear friends who have been so kind to us in our fundraiser this past month and the new "followers" in our Thank You Giveaway.

The kids and I will have the drawing tonight before they go to bed. I will post the 3 winners in the morning.

Prizes to be given away are an Adoption Bug t-shirt, $20 gift card to Target, and David Platt's book Radical!

Matching Grant!!!

2010-11-10T11:19:00.006-06:00

God is so faithful.

We knew when we committed to international adoption that we were stepping into a great expense. But when you know God is calling you to follow Him, you also must trust that He will supply what is required.

In this we have put our trust through this process.

God has been very faithful to bless so many of our efforts in this cause. Many of you have helped us with bake sales and a yard sale. Many others have bought t-shirts, jewelery, Belk tickets, and Mary Kay. God has used several people to bless us with money donations.

We need just a little more than $7000 to bring Hai Hai home. This is something to praise God about! He has helped us save/raise almost $19,000!!! He is AWESOME!!!

We are so thankful that we have now received a MATCHING GRANT!!! Grace Fellowship-Micah's Hope has blessed us with a $3500 matching grant, and it is being overseen by Lifesong for Orphans.

For every dollar our family and friends donate in our name to Lifesong for Orphans, they will match it up to $3500. That means we have the potential of receiving $7000! (Remember how much we need? Isn't God amazingly good???!!!)

If you would like to help bring Hai Hai home, you can contribute a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE gift that will then be doubled!!! Please preference the donation by designating it "Hixon #1525 adoption."

Please continue praying for us and for Hai Hai!

"Thank You Giveaway"

2010-11-04T08:50:00.005-05:00

We are getting closer each day to bringing our Hai Hai home, and I want to remind everyone about our fundraisers!

We are selling t-shirts, Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering Set (be sure to put "Hixon adoption" in the comment section) , and Junk Posse is also giving us 30 % of proceeds when a customer puts "Hixon" in the comment section during a purchase.

Please go here for more details on all these great fundraisers!

For all our sweet friends who make a purchase before November 16, you will be entered into our "thank you giveaway!" Prizes include an Adoption Bug t-shirt, $20 gift card to Target, and David Platt's book Radical. (Please leave me a comment or email me letting me know of your purchase.)

Be sure to read all the details!

(You can also receive an extra entry in the "thank you giveaway" by becoming a follower--if you are not already!)

Thank you for helping bring Hai Hai home!

Happy Birthday to the Man I Love!

2010-11-02T15:56:00.004-05:00

I have a fabulous hubby, and today is his birthday!

He is an AWESOME husband and one TERRIFIC daddy!

So thankful for a man who loves the Lord and loves Truth.

Happy Birthday!!!

Why I Love Homeschooling: Reasons # 138, 139, 140, and 141

2010-10-29T21:07:00.012-05:00

Lunch with best friends. . . .;-)

P.E. in the park

(Or should we call this recess. . .or just plain fun?)

Science and Moonpies in the fall leaves. . . .

And I LOVE that Big Sister still spends time with her younger sisters.

Holdin' on to these days as they seem to be passin' ever so fast. . . . . . .

Now Where is that Cape?

2010-10-28T08:20:00.005-05:00

So I get up this morning with my sweet children in mind. They love homemade cinnamon rolls.

So at 5:15 AM I am working away, smiling at the thought of those happy little faces.

Ya know, it takes a while to make these little gems. (There's a reason Pillsbury charges so much for those pop n fresh cans.)

I'm even beginning to think, "These are going to be so good. Maybe I should just get rid of this old apron and find my supermom cape."

The kids rise and begin drooling. The rolls rise and begin oozing. Yumminess dripping--tempting us all.

Well, we all need a pridebuster. . . .I guess.

As those fabulous looking rolls have only 5 minutes left and the homemade maple icing is ready to be applied, I notice something seeping from the oven.

It's not. Oh, yes it is.

Smoke.

The next thing I know we are opening windows, turning on fans, and at that point, I think my cape blew out the kitchen window. . . . . .

Yep. About the time we saw flames in the oven.

Or maybe it was when the smoke alarm went off.

Or was it when hubby had to call ADT and ask that they NOT send a fire truck?

Cause he had doused the fire with flour.

But he was a sweetie. I think he needs the cape.

He volunteered to go get breakfast from McDonald's.

Update: One pan is salvageable. Older Brother renamed homemade cinnamon rolls "Smokies." I guess when I get the oven cleaned out I can finish baking the other pan. Easy Oven anyone???

The Privilege

2010-10-24T15:23:00.001-05:00

I love this pic. Middle Sister is stirring the eggs for our breakfast burritos, and she has Little Brother on her hip, giving him a turn at the bowl.

Obviously, she didn't need his help. But she allowed him the opportunity to help and get involved in the task.

Of course, he loved it.

I just love her heart.

And it reminded me of Christ.

You know, He doesn't need us. He has been doing fine for all eternity without us.

I noticed this Scripture while reading The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink:

"Below the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will we liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him" (Isaiah 40:15-18)?

Yet He loves us, sustains us, and even gave Himself for us.

Then He lets us get involved in what He is doing.

He invites us to value what He values, care about what He cares about, and then calls us to get involved in the task.

We get to "stir the eggs."

What a blessing. What a privilege.

Christmas Frenzy: A Chance to Make Eternal Investments!

2010-10-17T22:13:00.012-05:00

There is an awesome Mom over at My Cup Overfloweth who wants to make a difference in the lives of Christmas shoppers and adopting families at the same time! Stacy and her husband just came home from China last month with a sweet little boy, and she definitely has a passion for orphans! She has offered much encouragement to me over the past few months, and I love her heart!

She is making it possible for Christmas shoppers to buy Christmas gifts that make eternal differences!!!

You can go to her site and link to several adopting families who are fundraising to bring their precious children home to their forever families.

Imagine! Giving gifts that make eternal differences!!! Instead of shopping retail and fighting the crowds, you could invest in the life of an orphan (James 1:27) right from your chair! :0)

Below are some of our fundraisers that are helping to bring our little Hai Hai home:

1. Tracy at Junk Posse is offering us an incredible opportunity! If you purchase jewelery from Junk Posse and include "Hixon Family" in the comment/notes section, she is donating 30% of the profits to our adoption efforts! (Just make sure it is not a piece already designated to a non-profit.) She has some AWESOME jewelery that you definitely want to see! She will even custom-design for you!

2. Our family is also selling these great t-shirts through Adoption Bug! These are fabulous shirts! What a great way to promote adoption, family, and love! Please consider one of these shirts as we will receive proceeds from these sales, and the proceeds will go directly to our adoption efforts!

3. One of my dear friends Christy is a Mary Kay consultant, and she has offered us a generous fundraising opportunity. If you buy the Satin Hands Pampering Set, we will receive 40% of the sale. (If you have never tried Mary Kay's Satin Hands, you are in for a treat!) This wonderful set even comes in a great gift bag, so you would be all set with this as a Christmas gift! Be sure to put "Hixon" in the comment field at checkout. Please go see Christy's website!

4. Now, for those of you who just don't see anything here grandma would like, or for those of you who just really enjoy the spirit of department store Christmas shopping, we are selling tickets to Belk's Charity Sale Event, which is Saturday, November 6th from 6 AM til 10 AM. This is a private sale event with 20%-70% off storewide (including "special savings on rarely discounted brands"). These tickets are only $5, and with the ticket, you not only get in the sale event, you get $5 off your first purchase! ("Ticket valid on your first regular, sale, or clearance purchase.") If you would like a few of these, please email me at Rebekah@mudministries.com.

Please consider Christmas shopping from one of our fundraisers! I will have a "thank you giveaway" for all those who make a purchase between now and November 16th. If you purchase from one of the above items, we will put you in our "thank you giveaway" and randomly select a few winners. Right now the prizes include an Adoption Bug t-shirt (winner selects style and size) and a $20 gift card to Target. And since the idea behind Christmas Frenzy rings so true with the message of David Platt's book, I think I will include his book Radical in the prizes! (More prizes were be included if they become available. ;0)

If you purchase an item from one of our fundraisers, please email me or leave a comment, and I will enter you into the "thank you giveaway." If you are not a follower here at In the the Heart of our Home, we will give you an additional entry into the "thank you giveaway" when you sign up to follow!

AND IT GETS BETTER!!! If you purchase from our fundraisers or from any others listed at My Cup Overfloweth, Stacy will enter you into HER giveaway! How awesome is that?

Whew! Sounds like some awesome multi-tasking! :0)

Sunday Snapshot: {A Vision Deferred}

2010-10-17T15:49:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, our vision to adopt was birthed a long time before 2010. The Lord first whispered a faint prompting way back in 1997. Then again in 2001, I felt the small stirring and caught a glimpse of a foggy "vision."

But the pieces just didn't seem to logically fit in our puzzle.

Of course, everything the Lord works does not necessarily always seem logical.

It wasn't until 2006 that the vision of adoption and the call of the orphan seemed real. God seemed to firmly plant the seed in our hearts and began to water it with His Word and by unveiling the worldwide plight of the orphan right before our eyes.

One would naturally think that if God is giving the vision, the family is willing and available, and the need is so great, things would fall together in a nice cookie-cutter ending.

But it didn't.

And we had valleys and more valleys.

Many valleys that only a few of you know about.

And I watched as friend after friend brought precious children home to their forever families.

So, of course, I wondered, "Is this God's vision or ours? Are we responding to His call or that of our emotions?"

Yet, He would not lift the burden.

And here we are, 4 years later with an LID for this precious little son!

Many, many times I would wonder, "Why, why did the Lord give us this vision so many years before He actually planned to bring it to fruition?"

And then I look at this sweet face:

When we were waiting for our LID, my husband remarked that LID didn't just stand for Log in Date. He said it must also stand for Lessons in Discipline. ;-) He said the entire journey has been just that. The Lord working on us and refining more and more of ourselves.

A dear friend pointed out an entry of Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest which addresses this very thought. You see, in Exodus 2, Moses saw the plight of his people when he "looked on their burdens" (v. 11). He saw their oppression and seemed to want to do something about it right then.

But not surprisingly, God had another plan.

He sent Moses into the desert to feed sheep for 40 years.

Hmmm. . .

Then, after 40 years of becoming who God wanted Moses to be for the job, He sent him back to follow through with God's plan.

I must admit, I have often felt like we were sent into the wilderness during the past 4 years. But I have learned to trust God more than I ever thought possible.

And I have learned I don't think I trust Him enough.

I have learned that God is ever so faithful.

And I have learned I don't think I am faithful enough.

But, nevertheless, . . . . .Lord willing, I have learned to say,. . .we are finally on our way out of Midian.

**************************************************************************

(Today I am particpating in Sunday Snapshot over at Ni Hao Y'all. I may even try it next week, too! :-)

LID!!!

2010-10-15T10:19:00.005-05:00

Finally, after what felt like a LONG 3 1/2 weeks since DTC, we have our LID: October 11.

I know those of you in the adoption community (at least Ch*na) know what that means. For my other sweet friends, I will try to give you a better-explained update.

LID means Log in Date. This is when our dossier has been translated into Ch*nese and officially logged into their computer system. Officially waiting in their eyes. We won't begin to discuss how long we have really been waiting. . . . Another post on that soon.

What are we waiting on now? We are waiting on our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) which some are now calling LOC. Our sweet Lifeline social worker said it could take 2 months for this. If it comes sooner, we will just be pleasantly surprised. (Doesn't mean I won't have both phones in my pockets from November on. . . .;0)

After the LOA, several important things occur between US and American consulate in Ch*na and Ch*n* Center of Ad*ption Aff*ars, several little details I can't begin to explain now; remember, I'm a rookie. But after the LOA, we can expect TA (travel approval) in approximately 8 weeks. TA is Ch*na's official invitation for us to travel to said country and get our Hai Hai!

So there you go, in an NS (nutshell). :0)

This weekend I want to post and tell you what my hubby says LID really means. :0)

Sons

2010-10-14T16:24:00.012-05:00

Today has been an absolutely wonderful day. I got to spend most of the day with my 2 oldest sons.

We saw the play Zorro!, and it was fabulous! (If you are a local friend and have a chance, you must go see it at the BCT at the BJCC. Funny!)

In addition, I opened my inbox to find !21! precious pics of another son!

A few weeks ago, we were able to send Hai Hai a birthday cake (through Ladybugs n Love), and we just received the greatest pictures! (If Blogger were a little faster, I would show them ALL to you, but I must refrain. ;-)

Isn't he a cutie? I'm sure ready to bring him home.

Happenin's Around the Home

2010-10-07T21:14:00.014-05:00

We have definitely had a busy few weeks. In less than a month we had 3 major fundraisers. The last one was a 2-day yard sale, and the Lord blessed us with $800! Praise to Him!

I guess some of my kids are getting the swing of things b/c Little Sister came in the other day and informed me she was raising money to go get Hai Hai.

Her fundraiser?

A clothes hanger sale on the front porch. ;0)

She also had a few pairs of scissors for sale.

She made $5 and brought it to me saying she now had enough to go to China with us.

Course, even though it has felt like all work lately, there has still been a little time for some fun.

It seems there is often some sort of front yard football going on around here.

Meet the newest recruit. . . .;0)

He might need his own rookie card.

I think he had a great game, even if his mama did have to carry him off the field!

One Less

2010-10-05T17:31:00.003-05:00

When you think about all the orphans in the world, all those precious children who need families and homes, it can be so overwhelming. Sometimes we can help several or even many at a time.

But so often it is just "one at a time."

We know that when we bring our precious little Hai Hai home, there will be "one less" waiting.

Which is why when I heard the song "One Less" by Matthew West, I was overcome with emotion and so pumped at the same time.

Below is Matthew West story behind the song:

Junk Posse Fundraiser!

2010-09-25T23:04:00.010-05:00

God has been so gracious to use kind individuals to encourage us along the way in this adoption process. Dear friends have stood beside us through the ups and downs of the first half of this journey, and since we have found Hai Hai and been paperchasing for him, many more have stood in the gap to help us fundraise.

One of those precious people is an incredible lady named Tracy from Junk Posse. We first "met" Tracy when my dear hubby bought this AWESOME necklace for me for Mother's Day.

I ABSOLUTELY love it!!! It is so precious to me, and per hubby's request, Tracy even engraved a Scripture reference on the back. Believe me when I say that I wear this almost EVERY DAY!!!

Take a look at some of her other pieces of art:

Isn't this beautiful?!

Tracy has a heart for Africa as one of her little granddaughters was adopted from there.

I just love this--"Not flesh of my flesh" poem.

Look at this one! This is her "I Chose You" heart pendant. She will add your child's name and even include a date, if you wish.

This would be perfect for any mom! How do you say Mother in many languages?

As would this! All mamas and grandmamas and aunts love to show off their precious kiddos!

There are many others on her site, and she will even custom design a piece of jewelery, if you desire! As you can see, Tracy at Junk Posse is very talented.

You see, Tracy is an adoptive mom herself and now an adoptive grandmother. She has already caught the vision of adoption and is standing in the gap to help others raising funds for their adoptions.

Tracy has extended a generous opportunity to us. She will be donating 30% of her sales to our family's adoption fundraising process! When you purchase one of her awesome pieces of jewelery, just be sure to include a note or comment that says, "Hixon Family," and she will donate 30% of her sales to bringing Hai Hai home! (A few pieces already designated to a non-profit or other family excluded.)

Isn't that incredible!

With one purchase, you get great jewelery, perhaps an awesome gift for someone you love, and invest in the life of our precious Hai Hai!

Please go see Junk Posse and take a look around! If you see something you like, don't forget to include "Hixon Family" in the notes/comments! Thanks! :-)

Look Who's Walkin'!

2010-09-23T22:14:00.005-05:00

There is nothing like watching your baby taking those first steps and then to see him progress into a walkin' toddler before your very eyes!

We have all had so much fun watching Little Brother learn to toddle around the house.

He has quite a cheering section. ;0)

Yet, as I see him taking those baby steps, I can't help to think of what John said in his third epistle:

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4).

I mean, really, would there be anything greater?

In the end, it won't matter what sport they play, how well they achieve in academics, which college they choose, or whether they don't.
What matters is whether they are walking in truth.

Actually, John had a lot to say about truth, especially as he heard it from Christ:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

I am encouraged when I see the Lord at work in the lives of my children. When I see the grace of God working in their lives.

As parents, we cannot develop them into Christians; we cannot manufacture their salvation. But as my hubby says, "I cannot make them love the Truth, but I can make them well acquainted with it." ;0)

So, yes, we are making our precious children "well-aquainted" with Truth and hoping and trusting the Lord will make each one His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).

Perhaps in the end, I can say with John, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

DTC!!!

2010-09-20T19:59:00.002-05:00

"DTC, DTC, we are DTC!
Oh, what fun it is to say
Our dossier's on its way, hey!

DTC, DTC, we are DTC!
Oh, what fun it is to say
Our dossier's on its way!!!"

God is So Good!

2010-09-19T22:18:00.004-05:00

We had another bake sale this weekend at a local grocery store in our small town.

Friends have been so precious to bake and contribute their cakes, pies, breads, and goodies to even a second bake sale, with some volunteering all day to help stand on a sidewalk selling baked goods.

(I have some great pics, but my SD card is not cooperating. . .)

God is so good to give us friends like that who will invest their money and/or time to help us bring our Hai Hai home.

Then He goes above and beyond by raising us $471 in less than 8 hours! On the sidewalk of a small town grocery store!

So, in 2 bake sales, God helped us with $1000!

Hai Hai, we're coming soon!

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west" (Isaiah 43:5).

Thank You for Bake Sale Help!

2010-09-12T21:22:00.005-05:00

We had a great time at our Bake Sale this weekend, and the Lord blessed our efforts with $500!!! In addition, we received $125 in donations from precious individuals with a heart for adoption.

We give the Lord glory for His help!

We also are so, so, so thankful to all you sweet friends and family who baked and baked to help us with the items and also grateful to our sweet friends who braved the heat and humidity with us! You are each so precious.

How awesome it is to know that our Hai Hai is already loved by so many.

We are holding another bake sale this coming Saturday at a local grocery store and are trusting the Lord for the outcome. He has already been so good to us.

Bake Sale Anyone?

2010-09-09T23:33:00.011-05:00

It's fundraising time around here, and we are so excited about our Bake Sale for our sweet Hai Hai.

God is so awesome to give us the opportunity to sell homemade baked items at the Ahava Springs Bluegrass Gospel Festival this weekend, so we have been baking, baking, baking this week! All proceeds will be going directly to our adoption costs and will help us bring our son home to us.

The kids and I have made 180 chocolate suckers, 10 pans of brownies, 6 loaves of bread, 2 pans of rice krispie treats, 48 cupcakes, 20 + chocolate oatmeal cookies, 40 peanut butter balls, 6 dozen muffins, and one peanut butter cake. Whew. No wonder I'm so tired. :0)

In addition, we have precious friends and family who are also contributing with many baked goods to help us in this endeavor, and for them, I am incredibly thankful.

I'll let you know how it goes. . . . . . .;-)

Mission Trip Pics

2010-08-29T21:48:00.006-05:00

Our family has a burden for missions and a particular love for the dear and precious people of Nicaragua. My husband has been going on missions to this country since 2005 and began taking teams the following year.

Our goal is for our work to focus on sharing the Gospel. We do this through barrio evangelism, pastors' conferences, women's Bible studies, church services, various children's ministry opportunities, and orphan ministry.

For the past 5 years we have served primarily in the city of Juigalpa. This month we ministered in 2 areas that were new to us and located in the Managua area. It was a huge blessing and honor to serve with the brothers and sisters there and partner with them in the ministry of the Gospel.

I hope you have time to view this slide show of our most recent trip. Our team consisted of 14 fabulous men and women who forged new trails with us! Ten members were from our home state of Alabama (including Middle Sister--her first trip down), and four came from Arkansas. Everyone was a blessing.

(Disclaimer: This slide show was created for our own church's missions night, so it might be a little NCBC of O.-heavy. ;0)

(Special thanks to Andrew C. from our church for helping me convert the slide show. \0/)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby. . .

2010-08-28T08:30:00.009-05:00

Yes, it's birthday weekend around here. Today is Big Sister's 14th birthday!

Big Sister is an absolutely wonderful daughter. We are so thankful for her and the work of the Lord we see in her life.

God is already creating in her a gentle and quiet spirit that is not only precious to the Lord; it is precious to me, too!

Big Sister is uncommonly kind to her younger siblings and very patient in general. I would call her a "Miss Steady" because she has great self-control and rarely variates from her reliability and dependability. She is like a "true north."

Big Sister has a special heart for missions. She has been with us twice to Central America and is eagerly awaiting another opportunity.

Just as important to her is the mission of adoption. It blesses me so much to see and hear her excitement about Hai Hai and her hopes to one day grow her own family through the miracle of adoption.

Big Sister is a blessing to us and our whole family. She was our first baby, and and we love her dearly.

Happy Birthday, Big Sister!

You Say It's Your Birthday. . .

2010-08-27T07:58:00.009-05:00

Today is Big Brother's birthday!

Let me tell you, this boy is an incredible blessing. He is laid-back and easy-going. He is pleasantly easy to please. He rarely asks for anything, so when he does, it makes you want to go to the ends of the earth to find it. . .;-)

He's the kind of guy who gets along with everybody and, more often than not, defers to others and esteems others better than himself.

When we have guests with smaller children, I can always count on Big Brother to make them feel special.

If you knew Big Brother, you would know he is an awesome guy!

When Big Brother was born, he was our third baby within 36 months, and I was only 24 years old. Yes, I did feel a little overwhelmed, and no, I am not really sure how we made it, except by the Lord's grace. But I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Happy Birthday, son!

Heard Around Here. . . .

2010-08-26T20:03:00.004-05:00

Little Sister to Bigger Brother: If you will give me one of your toys, I can give it to [Big Brother] for his birthday.

Home from a Mission Trip!

2010-08-21T21:47:00.007-05:00

We just returned this evening from a wonderful mission week in Central America. We were blessed to minister the gospel through barrio evangelism, evangelism training, gospel presentations in 2 public schools (26 individual classrooms) a pastors' conference, a women's conference, and nightly revivals.

Yesterday we visited an (new to us) orphanage to see how we could help them on a regular basis in the future. Precious. Heartbreaking. Stirring.

"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him" (1 John 3:17)?

(I hope to post more pics from our trip in the next day or two.)

A Winner!

2010-08-13T23:33:00.006-05:00

Thank you for your help spreading the word about our t-shirt fundraiser and a BIG thank you for those who have already purchased one of these great shirts!

So we have a winner of the must-read Adopted for Life by Russel Moore.

MRS. JENNIFER!!! Yea! You are going to love this book, Mrs. Jennifer; I can't wait to hear what you think about it!

In other news, we received an update on our darling' little Hai Hai today! Ya'll, I have been waiting on this since May, and I am so excited! Among several other things, we learned that he is "fairly extroverted" and "talkative and lively!" He is going to fit right in with this family! :0)

Look at these sweet pictures!

OK, I must say, I'm ready to bring him home NOW. ;-) Can't wait!

If you haven't checked out the t-shirts, hop on over right now and see what you think!

Book Giveaway!

2010-08-10T07:43:00.005-05:00

Hi, Bloggy Friends!

We have begun our online t-shirt fundraiser to help bring our dear little Hai Hai home! We are so excited about this opportunity through Adoption Bug. When you purchase one of these AWESOME t-shirts through our fundraiser t-shirt store, we receive the proceeds for our adoption process!

I hope you will take a look at these great t-shirts and consider adding one to your wardrobe! :-) You will be stylin' and helping Hai Hai make his way home all at the same time!

We would love to get the word out about our t-shirts, so if you are able to help spread the word, we would love to enter you in our book giveaway!

This is a GREAT book! If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it! There are 4 ways to enter our giveaway for a new copy of this fabulous read: Adopted for Life.

1. Write a post on your blog about our adoption and our t-shirt fundraiser (and let me know).

2. Advertise our fundraiser on your Facebook or Twitter account (and let me know).

3. Add our t-shirt fundraiser linky (to the left) on your blog.

4. Become a follower here and/or hubby's blog: Compelled to Contend
.

You could have your name entered up to 4 times!

We will have the drawing Friday night and announce the winner!

Don't forget to check out the t-shirts! :0)

The Best Laid Plans. . . .

2010-08-07T16:11:00.011-05:00

It all started with a simple invitation. . .

My invitation was printed on paper.

Others' were whispered in the day's clubhouse.

A tea party for just the girls! (again ;-)

So thankful to have the tea set Maudie gave them from her own china cabinet several years ago. . .

Big Sister is so sweet to continue joining her little sisters' tea parties.

But the excitement begins when the brothers join the party. . . .

Sometimes brothers just don't have the "grace" tea parties tend to require. . . .

At least they know how to say they've had enough.

Bigger Brother's Disclaimer: It was an accident!
Big Brother's Disclaimer: I only go to tea parties when I'm hungry. For the record. ;-)
Mama's Disclaimer: Nothing was broken. :-)

Why We Are Adopting, Part Three

2010-07-28T15:01:00.003-05:00

Yes, there is a part three to this. I'm sure there could be a part 438, but I will try to wind it down soon. :0)

It was not until we had prayed and prayed about adopting and had begun to pursue the journey that I realized how much earthly adoption is such a picture of the Gospel.

Yet now, I see it from Genesis to Revelation.

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to ADOPTION AS SONS BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephesians 1:4-5).

". . .God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might RECEIVE THE ADOPTION AS SONS. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'ABBA, FATHER!'" (Romans 8:14-15)

Consider all the parallels. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He reached out to us with his outstretched arm and redeemed us. Similarly, an adoptive family reaches through the beaurocracy and piles of paperwork, perhaps making financial and many other types of sacrifices, to redeem a child from the clutches of an orphanage or other type of establishment (perhaps even from the hands of the women's health clinic professionals).

When Christ adopted us He gave us His name and promises us "full rights as his adopted children" (Romans 8:23). An adoptive family also does this when giving their new child their own name and welcoming him or her into their family and home.

What about a special needs adoption? Were not you and I on the special needs list, needing Someone to pull us out and call us His own? My special needs probably came with a very long file but could be summed up in 2 words: sin and self. Yet, those needs did not scare Christ. He did not back up and look for someone easier. He took me and began His very own therapy: regeneration.

Oh, of course, some folks always worry about trans-racial adoption. Should I really adopt someone who is not the same race? Well, praise the Lord, He did not stick with His own race! I'm as far from Jewish as one can be (by birth), but Christ didn't turn His nose up to trans-racial adoptions and brought me right on into His family.

So there you have it. I was a spiritual orphan, on the special needs list, and to top it off, I was the "wrong" race. But Christ, in His grace and mercy, adopted me into His family, calling me a daughter of God.

What about you?

Consider what the Lord told Moses and the Isrealites in Deuteronomy 10:18-19:

"He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt."

Sweet Believer, you too were brought out of Egypt. Yet God showed unexplainable mercy and compassion on us while we were still in the bondage of slavery and BROUGHT US OUT!!! Despite out race, despite our issues, He brought us out and called us His own. So we too must show compassion and love. even "love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt."

Why We are Adopting, Part Two

2010-07-22T20:30:00.005-05:00

"Don't excuse yourself by saying, "Look, we didn't know." For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve" (Proverbs 24:12, NLT).

God mentions over and over in His Word the importance of remembering the plight of the orphan (as well as the widow and the poor).

Such verses as Psalm 82:3 come to mind:

"Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute."

. . .and Psalm 10:14:

". . . .The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans."

. . . and, of course, James 1:27:

"True and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

And these are just a few.

Obviously, to say the Lord has a heart for the orphan is an understatement. He has been concerned and placing great emphasis in His Word for the fatherless since WAY back; evidence being the many references even in the Mosaic Law.

So what do we do with this? Should we not value what God values? Unfortunately, in our American Dream society, we value things far less eternal. Our bank account, our big houses (or the dream of one), whether our 2.1 kids have the best schools, latest toys, and a paid for college education.

It's true, isn't it?

These things shouldn't surprise us in the world, but what about those of us who profess the name of Christ?

Aren't we supposed to be different? Shouldn't we have a more eternal perspective?

I have a long way to go, and everyday, I feel like I know less and less, but I do know that an eternal perspective includes valuing what God values.

And God values the orphan.

So after my husband and I emerged from the reality shock of "Yes, there are orphans out there, and it is REAL, REAL, REAL," we had to make decisions of what we were going to do with this reality.

We began by sponsoring a precious sibling group whom we met in a Nicaraguan orphanage and have been able to visit them several times a year. They are near and dear to our hearts. They often call us Mama and Papa, and believe me, if I could have brought them home, I would have done it a dozen times.

For us, the desire to help did not stop there. The "cry of the orphan" has been a ring in our ears and a tug on our hearts ever since.

After making ourselves available for adoption, I figured God would wrap it all up so nice and neat for us, ya know, since we were so willing and all.

But that hasn't been our case. Our journey to adoption has been rocky at best. We have experienced shut doors and terrible heartache. We have on more than one occasion considered giving up and keeping our orphan ministry focused in other areas.

But God wouldn't let us give up.

Our social worker suggested we consider some opportunities and programs our agency offered that we had not considered (because of our family size and family size/income ratio).

And so it was that on March 4, 2010, we found Hai Hai, and he found us.

Some people call it the red thread; I call it God.

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows--this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families;. . ." (Psalms 28:5-6a).

Why We Are Adopting, Part One

2010-07-18T22:55:00.007-05:00

"You mean you want another kid?" This question was posed to my husband recently when the conversation was turned to our adoption process.

"Yes," dear hubby assured him.

But thinking of our other six children, the concerned fellow responded, "But is that legal?"

:-)

Of course, I understand that not everyone has the same perspective we do, so I thought I would share just a smidgen of our story and how God has brought us down this road.

I have not always wanted to adopt. In fact, I never considered it until after our first child was born. It was after viewing a popular talk show's episode on the plight of Romanian orphans that I began to feel God prick at my heart.

The Lord was so generous and continued to bless us with biological children. Even after our fourth child was born, I remember looking into Chinese adoptions online. I remember being re-inspired by Steven Curtis Chapman. Yet, when I saw the cost of international adoption, I was so overwhelmed and discouraged. I remember thinking, "This is such a wonderful idea, but it must be for other people. (People with money. . .;0) People who do not have children."

God began to change my thinking, though. My husband went on his first international mission trip in 2005 to the country of Nicaragua. He was changed forever.

He persuaded me to return with him on another trip. For the first time, I saw real poverty, first-hand. I was overwhelmed, confused, sad, yet blessed beyond all measure.

And for the first time, I held real orphans in my arms.

For the first time, they were no longer faces on the tv screen.

They were as real as you and I. They each had a story. They each needed a loving family.

I was broken. I returned to the US, seeing everything differently, for the first time.

The orphans there opened my eyes to a world of children who need a family.

It slowly began to sink in. There are 147 million orphans all around this world.

147 million.

My husband and I finally realized that there are way too many orphans for us to think we have enough children.

A Winner and a Birthday!

2010-07-17T07:25:00.009-05:00

Good morning everyone! Thank you so much for particpating in my first giveaway. It has been a lot of fun, and I have enjoyed meeting everyone!

The winner of the giveaway package is Rachel!

In other news, we have another birthday around here! Today is our sweet Middle Sister's birthday!

Middle Sister is a great joy and an incredible blessing in our family!

She is joyful and gentle and ever-mindful of others' feelings, sensitive in so many good ways.

We are thankful and also looking forward to great things God has in store for her!

New Look and First Giveaway!

2010-07-12T22:52:00.004-05:00

I am so excited about my blog's new look! Alexis over at Blog Designs by Alexis did a wonderful job! She worked hard to customize it just the way I wanted it. Thank you, Alexis!

To celebrate the new blog design here at "In the Heart of our Home," I think I will try my first giveaway! This should be fun!

The giveaway will include the following goodies:

* a great summer apron, modeled below by my sweet daughter, Big Sister
* a cute "Friends" tray
* a copy of Let's Go on a Mommy Date by Karen Kingsbury
* a copy of the must-read Crazy Love by Francis Chan
* a wordless book.

You can easily enter this giveaway by doing any or all of the following:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you think of the new blog design.
2. Become a friend of "In the Heart of our Home" by adding yourself as a follower.
3. Do a post on your blog about this giveaway (and let me know :-).

I hope you will take the time to participate! We will have the drawing Friday night (July 16) and post the winner Saturday (Middle Sister's birthday :0)!

Can We Do Any Less?

2010-07-11T20:56:00.002-05:00

Pure Delight!

2010-07-10T23:49:00.005-05:00

In the Heart of our Home,

Rebekah

Within Us

2010-07-07T21:56:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite songs is "In Christ Alone." I love to hear Big Sister play it on the piano, and it is so sweet to hear Middle Sister singing the words while she empties the dishwasher.

"In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song.

This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are still, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All; here in the love of Christ I stand!"

It is through Him and Him alone where we find our hope.

We have no hope of salvation without Him.

We have no hope of sanctification without Him.

We have no hope of grace without Him. We have no hope of peace without Him.

It is in Christ. Alone.

But think of what He can do in you and through you. Look at what He is already accomplishing.

The Pharisees wanted signs and wonders.

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you'" (Luke 17:20-21).

Yet, the signs and wonders seem, more often than not, the miraculous work God is doing within you and me.

How awesome to see God rule in the life of a Believer through faith in Christ.

"No gult in life, no fear in death; this is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry, to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand

Til He returns, or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand!"

In the Heart of our Home,
Rebekah

Geography the Easy Way!

2010-06-26T16:27:00.007-05:00

Back in the spring, I had a chance to join some sweet friends for a Charlotte Mason retreat. We had a great time, and I learned several ways to enrich our school.

One of the tips I learned was a low-pressure, minimal time-consuming way to stay on top of mapping skills.

I couldn't wait to apply the tip and incorporate it into our school day.

I began by giving my children a blank map outline of the United States and a pencil. I gave them 5 minutes to label as many states as they could. After the 5 minutes, I gave them a labeled map and told them to check and correct what they had just completed and then pick 5 new states to add to their own map. I praised whatever they had done, and we then moved on to the next subject(s ;-).

The next day I gave them another blank map and asked them to label it again and try to remember the 5 new ones they had added the previous day. I was so pleased with the results!

For example, one child could only label 23 on the first day but could label 32 on the second day. Every child improved under this low-pressure approach, and 2 could label all 50 by the 5th day! Great success with no painful memorizing or time-wasting busywork.

It was almost as easy as when they learned the capitals by listening to a cd in the van.

Gotta love it!

In the Heart of our Home,

Rebekah

P.S. I am using U.S. and World Map Outlines, a handy book from Creative Teaching Press, to copy all my maps, but if you don't have such a book yet, I hear they sell these things on CD ROM now (maybe Uncle Josh's?). Then a lucky mama could just click a button and print all she needed!

Somebody's Turning One!!!

2010-06-22T20:26:00.012-05:00

I can't believe it. It just can't be true.

No matter how much I love on him and savor each moment,

he keeps getting older!

Little Brother is having his first birthday!

Oh, my. He is such a honey. Mama's Sweet Potato.

Even though the first week was rough with an unexpected visit in the NICU,

God was gracious.

Life with Little Brother is a blast. . . .and so so sweet. He is like a dream come true.

Hey,. . .I'm not the only one who's smitten. ;-)

I think I need a spoon, and it's not for the cake!

Thank you, Lord, for this precious blessing.

In the Heart of our Home,

Rebekah

The Tyranny of the Urgent

2010-06-08T06:26:00.003-05:00

For the first time, I am reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in what is supposed to be a year. (It looks like my Bible should say "Read the Bible in 15 months or so." ;0)

Nevertheless, it is something I wish I had done long ago.

I am learning so much and seeing much more in the "whole counsel" of God's Word.

This morning I was in Luke 12:

"Then He also said to the multitudes, 'Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time'" (54-56)?

How often do we get caught up in the natural? We often live like this temporary world is all there is or will be. If you are a Believer, this is not your "best life now" or ever. Today is just a staging time for the eternity.

I know at my house there are days that the tyranny of the urgent reigns. The urgent of this natural world.

I want the important things to reign each and everyday. (Am I hoping too loftily here?) I want to lie down at night and know that my day was not driven by the urgent but by what God considers of upmost importance.

Most of us can "discern the face of the sky and of the earth," but are we discerning "this time?"

In the Heart of our Home,
Rebekah

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

2010-06-05T11:01:00.007-05:00

Little Sister folds the household towels almost everyday. This is quite a refining tool in her life and in mine. :0)

Today she told me she just couldn't fold the towels today because she just felt bad all over.

And why does she feel bad? Because she lost "every one of the Wii games."

"Besides," she continued, "Folding towels just hurts my feelings."

Hmmm. . . .

But have you ever had days that washing those dishes just seemed like more than you could handle? Or paying the bills, or mopping the floor, or changing the diapers, or cleaning that bathroom was closing in all around you? Does it all sometimes just hurt your feelings, too?

Sometimes we do need a break, or at least to delegate, but there are some things we cannot take a vacation from.

We must continue to love, continue to look into their eyes and pray for wisdom into what they need, continue to kiss those boo boo's and give those hugs that only a mama can give, and most importantly, we must continue to speak the Word of the Lord into their lives.

Deuteronomy 6 says to speak of the things of the Lord daily and throughout the day in the normal everyday things of life. Then Galations 6 says to "not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Another encouraging Scripture that reminds us we cannot do it alone is Isaiah 40:31:

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Remember, it is not you anyway; it is the power of Christ in you!

In the Heart of our Home,

Rebekah