Shocking

Finally a picture of me with all my treasures

This is quite the accomplishment.  Now I just need to add Eli.

We have been getting into a nice routine lately.

This week alone I have taken all 5 of them by myself to get haircuts, to 3 restaurants,

Walgreen's, the grocery store, target the Magic house, and blockbuster.  I find myself

constantly counting to 5 to make sure they are all there.  There have been a few times that I

felt like someone was missing and I look down and realize...oh!  Zoe is in my pocket {which is

what we call my Moby sling}.

Let me make it clear that I am not saying that these are easy tasks and we just go prancing

in and out of these places.  It seems to take 2 hours to get everyone dressed and packed up. 

Usually one of the kids is unhappy or whining about something.  We always have to take a

potty break right at the moment we are farthest away from it.  Getting everyone in and out

of the van looks like a circus act and I never seem to pack enough wet wipes.  Everything

takes longer...but that is OK.  We don't have to be perfect. Many people look at me shocked

that I am out doing these things with my small herd of children.  Oh the looks I get.  If I

could put a camera on my back so you could see.  I even had a lady ask me if I was a day

care.  I said "nope,  just extra blessed."

One thing I do like though is the curiosity and the questions about my family that allow me to

talk about adoption and all the children out there that need homes.  Especially now that I

have Elizabeth, Max and Zoe, I can't help but think about all the others.   I know I can't

adopt all the other's.  I couldn't even come close, but the more people that we help think

outside the box and consider adoption the less orphans that will be out there.

I have had so many people say to me, "I have always thought about adoption but we never

took the next step."  I even have one {brave} family that wants us all {yes all 7} to come over

to their house for dinner to talk to them more about adoption.  All this makes me jump for

joy inside.  So please if any of you are considering adoption.  Ask, Ask, Ask!  I would love to

pray with you, talk to you, help you in any way possible.  So many people have helped our

family along the way.

I have trouble hearing things like

"They are so lucky to have you guys!", "You are such an amazing Mom!" or "I could never do

it, I don't know how you do it?"  I am not some Mary Poppins.  I am so so far from it.

I am just a normal person doing what God called me to do.  I am impatient with the

kids sometimes,  I don't serve homemade dinners every night.  Some days it seems to take all

day just to get everyone bathed and dressed but that is OK.  The orphans of this world don't

need some Mother Theresa Mother, they don't need a big house or a wealthy

family. They just need a real family to love them as their own.  To show them God's love.  Eli

and I said yes without knowing how we would handle any of it, but I can honestly say God

has worked out all the details.  We are so blessed to have these children.

How could you resist!