We are back

We are back!



Well actually we have been back for over a week now. 

Time flies by for us in the summer. 

It seems every day is filled with a different activity.

I know I am kind of slacking on this blog. 

I always plan some time to write and something always

happens. 

Our trip was amazing and we did not want to come back

home.  The weather was perfect the week we were there.  It

was so nice to just have our family of seven together and leave

the cares of the world behind for the week. 

It was so good for us. 

Eli actually said to me several times on the trip

{which most of you will think is crazy}

"This trip would have been so boring with just two kids"

I totally agree with him. 

The kids had a blast and would have even if we didn't go to

any of the parks.  They all have such a special bond and they

had fun just playing with each other.  Sometimes I get really

emotional watching them all play together and imagine. 

I think about how lucky they are to have each other growing

up.  Sure they fight, argue and whine and sometimes

it's not a pretty picture, but it's as if they all complement each

other, push each other, make each other better. 

It is nothing short of a miracle the way we 

all found each other.

I know I say this all the time.

If you have ever considered adoption

DO IT



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Ever think of adopting an older child?

Hey everyone I was contacted this weekend about a little girl

that is in urgent need to find a family to avoid being placed

into foster care.  She is a 7 1/2 year old beautiful little girl

who has had a rough start in life.  It is recommended that she

be the youngest child in the home.  The state is not involved

so it could be a quick adoption with just an adoption attorney

needed. Just message me for more info and pictures at 

 growingwithjoy@yahoo.com

Let's all pray for this sweet little girl to feel God's arms

around her in this time and pray that the family meant for

her comes forward quickly.

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Safe in his arms

I love this picture of Zoe and Eli.  There is nothing quite like

being all safe and warm in our father's arms.

Today at 1:15 there is an important meeting going on. 

I would love for you to pray. 

Pray for the meeting and pray for all the paper work being

filed.  Pray it ends up in the right hands and that it's filed

correctly.  There is so much up in the air about benefits the

kids may or may not qualify for. 

All of this has to be squared away before we can finalize. 

I get chills just thinking about finalization day.  I can't wait!

These benefits would make a huge difference in how we

could provide for the kids.  

So we are  trusting and praying.  

Since we committed to the kids

God has provided for us in more ways then we could have

imagined so we know either way God will take care of all of

our needs.  God knows what he is doing we are just like Zoe

being held in his arms.

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Progress

When I think back to the first couple weeks with

Elizabeth, Max and Zoe

I am amazed with the work God has already

done in them.

 When Zoe first got here she was a timid little thing that

would barely let me put her down.  She would never fully

relax in my lap and she wasn't crawling.  Now she is a little

giggle box.  She still loves to be held but it doesn't have to be

all the time.  She is now crawling all over the place and trying

to stand.  The best change in her is that in the last couple

weeks she has finally totally relaxed her self in  

my arms and laid her sweet little head on my chest. 

It melts me every time.   

She is finally starting to trust me. 

We still have goals with her she still gets extremely upset in a

matter of seconds she will go from giggling to screaming and

crying.  Like if she is playing happily and she sees me walk by

she will be in immediate hysteria as if someone slapped her

just because she wants to be held.  We are really praying that

this phase will also pass soon because she seems extra fussy

at dinner time.  I always feed her first and change her but

the second I put her down if it is anytime after 5 she will be

screaming.  This makes it hard when my husband is still

working and I am trying to cook dinner for the other kids.  It

is to dangerous for her to be in the sling when I am cooking

over a hot stove.  I need to master wearing her on my back

but still haven't gotten that down.

I think Max has gone through the most changes.  The first

couple weeks he was here he spent most of his time on the

time out step.  Poor guy.  Any chance he would get he would

hit, bite, scratch and spit.  He barely mumbled a word.  The

only time he would say anything is if he was mimicking his

siblings.  Whenever it was meal time he would run to the

table and shove his food in his mouth with two hands and

guzzle his drink down like it was the first meal he had seen in

months.  I was so excited when last week he only took a bite

of his toast at breakfast and went to play before he finished

it.  Most parents want there kids to sit and finish there food

but I was so excited inside when he did that because it means

he is trusting us and knows that there will be more food.

 He has started to initiate communication with me by saying

"Mommy" to me and pointing and asking for things.  I heard

him say "I want that"  while he was watching a

commercial after he heard Ayla say it.  It wasn't perfectly

clear but even a month ago he wasn't saying two words

together and barely even one.  His communication is still no

where near where it should be but to see all this progress in

only a couple months amazes me.  He is barely ever in time

out any more.  All the aggressive behavior is almost

completely gone.  He actually comes and tells on people now

instead of hitting back right away.  And instead of spitting at

people we taught him to blow kisses.  It is precious.

I am so proud of him.

The first couple weeks Elizabeth was here she would only

stay in the same room as me.  She talked non-stop and would

get upset if anyone else got attention.  She also wanted to be

held all day.  Now she goes off and plays and then finds me

for a cuddle but then is quickly back playing.  She also goes to

preschool two days a week now and she loves it.  We are still

working on her hatred of vegetables. She eats fruit and corn

on the cob but any other vegetable she refuses to eat.  We are

working on this.

I think Eli and I expected it to be so much harder than it has

been.  Maybe it is because we were foster parents and the

challenges we had with that don't even compare with what

we are going through.  These kids were never in foster care.  I

am so so thankful for that.  They came from a loving mother

that knew she wanted better for her kids.  Elizabeth, Max and

Zoe just fit right in with us.  God created them just for our

family.  They couldn't be a more perfect fit.  This is where

they are meant to be.  They are so

affectionate, happy and sweet. 

We couldn't love them anymore.

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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!

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1 Month

I am blown away with what can happen in a month. 

What I have learned about the human race. 

A month ago things were very different.

There have been so many ups and downs lately.

Our family grew by three and two weeks later my sister had her baby.

4 more kids at Christmas this year.  I think this Christmas is going to be extra magical.

Then a week after my sister had her baby one of my very best friends in the whole world

had her little baby Charlotte.  Wow the world is going to be a better place because of these

kids.  We also found out that we are going to receive a grant that will cover almost half of our

adoption costs.  When we said yes to these kids we literally had no idea how we were going to

pay for the adoption expenses.  God has totally been providing for our new family of 7 just as

I knew he would. 

On a sad note. In the last month there have also been some tragedies.  One of my friends

from high school found out that her husband had a tumor in his brain. He immediately got it

removed and they found out it was cancerous and spread to his spine.  They have 3 young

children and such a heart for God.  Through it all they have been praising the Lord and

trusting him.  They are so inspiring.  Please pray for them as they continue trust in God

through this situation their names are Tiffany and Cory. 

Then a little over a week ago a Daddy died.  He was the father of a little boy in Ayla's

preschool class.  A young father.  A young family again.  He died instantly when he was on his

way home from a work party and a drunk driver struck him head on.  That family is now

grieving and having to face the holiday's without him.  I couldn't imagine.  That could have

easily been me or my husband that died.  Wow, life can go so fast! Pray for the Rose family as

they face Christmas without their husband and Daddy.

Last Friday my Grandma Lucia Emma took her last breaths and went to join her husband in

heaven.  She had been suffering from Alzheimer's and a stroke.  So I am so happy that she

has the peace of Jesus now.  Selfishly I miss her.  I have missed her for awhile now though. 

She hasn't been fully there because of the Alzheimer's.  Some of my best childhood memories

are with her.  We had lots of sleepovers at her house.  She had a way of making you feel so

warm and loved with her snacks and cozy blankets.  I miss having a grandma.  I lost my

other grandma years ago and whenever I see someone with there grandma I get a little ache

inside.  I can't imagine how my Mom must feel loosing her Mom.  I know she said goodbye

slowly through the years with the Alzheimer's.  If I ever lost my Mom I know it would knock

the wind out of me for a very long time.  The funeral is on Wednesday and I know it is going

to be a hard day for all of us.  Jackson is the only one of my kids that really has memories

with her.  This will be his first experience with death so I am praying that he will have peace

knowing that she is in heaven.

This month has been so full of emotions, so full of decisions and so busy.  Almost the entire

month I suffered from Strep throat which I didn't treat until last week {Mom's can't get sick

right?} The doctor couldn't believe I had waited to so long to take antibiotics.  Apparently it

is quite dangerous and would have never healed on its own.  I was just to busy being a

mommy to go to the doctor.  Which the doctor realized when I walked in with my small herd

of children to get a check up.  On top of this Eli has been really busy at work. His business is

growing really fast which is a blessing but just a lot of work right now.  Soon his business will

get to a point were it is self-running and he will be home a lot.  So good things come to those

who wait. So even with me sick and home 6 days a week caring for 5 small children and Eli

having a ridiculous work load we thrived.   God honestly gave me the best man out there.  He

comes home from work and immediately takes over, playing, cooking, cleaning,

snuggling...whatever is needed. 

Through all of these blessings, all this good, all this sickness and all this sadness

I have learned how many amazing people I am surrounded by.  I really know who my friends

are now.  I have a really long list of thank you's to write.  We have had strangers give the

kids Christmas presents, clothes even a gift card to buy presents with.  I have had friends

call with some encouragement and prayer right when I needed it.  I have had friends sell my

jewelry for me and stop by with a homemade dinner.  Through out these tragedies and

blessings I have seen people come together to take care of each other.  It humbled me.  I

need to give more.  I need to help more.  I need to encourage more. One of my favorite

quotes of all is

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
~Mother Teresa~

Which leads me to my beautiful daughters and their beautiful smiles.  I was a little sad and

tired on Sunday.  It had been a long week.  I took the two older girls out for some Mommy

time.  We went to a movie, to see Santa, road on a horse carriage and went shopping.  They

made my day! There smiles immediately changed the way I felt.  They have such a love for

each other.  They are literally inseparable.  Sisters and best friends...How lucky are they.

I want to be like them.  They reminded me, I have to set an example. I want to have a joyful

spirit and rub it off on everyone I meet.  I have 5 little sets of eyes watching me very

carefully.  My mood affects them and I want them to be full of patience, kindness, giving

and God's love. The world needs more people like that and I have a chance to send 5 people

off into the world to change it.

{phew...no pressure}



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