The Family Meeting

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Our family has a variety of family gatherings ...

Family Meals ... 3 meals per day, 7 days per week ... even if it is a picnic at a baseball game, family meal time is important.

Family Prayer Time ... every night with everyone that is at home when it is the young ones' bedtime.

Family Devotions ... several times per week with everyone that is at home when it is young ones' bedtime ... this can mean reading a short (5-10 minute) devotional, or spending 45 minutes reading God's Word together.

Family Game Nights ... not often enough, but when we have them they are FUN! ... Papa & Mama beat Ben & Hosanna in Hand & Foot tonight.

Family Meetings ... sometimes this will be a short (20 minute) time to discuss an important family event or situation ... other times it will be a much longer time of studying God's Word, dialoguing about a topic, praying for one another, etc...

Last night was the Family Meeting of all Family Meetings ... not only did it last from 10:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m., but it was our first Family Meeting that included a Video Conference. It also included dear family friends, whom experienced their very first "Family Meeting".

Lindsey & Josh had their last performance of a college play last night, and the rest of the cast was heading out for a cast party. When they asked Lindsey why she couldn't join them, they were a bit confused about the Family Meeting ...

"Are you in trouble for something?"
"No ... our Family Meetings are fun."
"Oh ... are they a Family Game Night?"
"No ... they are very serious discussions, but we look forward to them."
"Huh?" (How could a Family Meeting possibly be more important than a college Cast Party?)

For the past several months, Papa and I, along with our friends M & A, have been challenged by our Pastor's sermons to ... go deeper ... grow closer ... seek wisdom ... While we have walked closely with the Lord for 30 years, we have felt an even deeper tug on our hearts. As we have processed what, exactly, this means we have been concerned about a variety of areas in the lives of our teens and young adults. Now ... don't get me wrong ... they are all passionate about the Lord. However, while they are definitely seeking the Lord in their lives, we felt it was time to step up and challenge them a bit more. While discussing last week's sermon with M & A, they asked if they might attend our Family Meeting with their 14 y.o. daughter. Great ... we would love our kids to hear M & A's perspective, also.

Early in the week, we asked our teens and young adults if they might be able to clear their Saturday evening schedules, after church. They all agreed. I then talked to Cassie on the phone (in Oregon) and asked if she and her friend H. might like to join us (via. video conferencing). H. was excited to be invited to our Family Meeting. We also invited one of our dear "adopted" young adult friends, who has been involved in several previous Family Meetings.

So ... after church we came home and had a BBQ with M & A and their family (our 2 families eat together and fellowship every Saturday night after church). While we were preparing the meal, our Big Boys headed into The Big City to pick up Lindsey and Josh (since it was later than the transit busses run). They all arrived home in time for hamburgers and chicken sandwiches. After eating, we hurried the little ones through their S'mores (a NEW treat for Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel). By 10:30 we had the 9 young ones (ages 1-12) happily watching a video in the Family Room downstairs ... we had my 20" iMac set up in the Living Room for our Video Conference ... we got Cassie and H. set up on iChat ... and our living room filled with 4 "older adults", 4 "young adults", and 3 teens. We were ready ... to see what God had for us.

I don't think any of us had any idea that this family meeting would last 3 hours. Our usual Saturday night fellowship time regularly lasts until midnight ... so I guessed this meeting might last about that long. But ... God had other plans.

I assured the "kids" that this was NOT a time of judgement ... nor was it a time to listen to "old fashioned" parental ideas ... rather, it was a time that we wanted to dialogue about a variety of lifestyle choices. Some ... pretty clearly spelled out in scripture. Others ... not quite so black and white.

We began by looking up 8-10 scriptures that speak in generalities about living wholesome lives. We then asked how these scriptures could be applied to our entertainment choices.

Jim and I set the standard, while in our early 20's, that we would not watch anything Rated R. In the past 25 years we have only made 2 exceptions to the rule:

#1 The Passion of the Christ ... we even took our teens and their friends (with parent permission) to this one.

#2 Black Hawk Down ... when Gregg was on his first deployment, he told us that this was the most realistic war video, if we wanted to really know what his daily life was like. So, this was NOT entertainment for me, but rather more of a documentary of my child's real life circumstances.

Recently, however, as Jim and I have been analyzing our video choices and those of our teens and young adults, I realized that today's PG-13 movies are yesterdays R rated movies. What does this mean for us? Will we no longer allow PG-13 movies in our house? How about when our teens go to friend's houses? We have not yet determined answers to these questions ... but this family meeting "put it all out on the table". We know that our young adults and their friends have watched R rated movies. We hope that this discussion will help them to format their own boundaries (not only for movie watching, but also for video games).

After our talk of wholesome entertainment choices ... we moved on to scriptures which direct us to "follow the laws of the land". This led to several more specific topical discussions ...

#1 Speeding ... if the speed limit says "60", how do we justify "70"? Knowing that our 3 oldest children had ridden in cars that were being driven in excess of 100 mph ... we asked how their friends would justify it? As passengers in the car, what should they have said? Not only is this an area of breaking the law, but also an area of safety. Our "adopted" young adult shared that, as a fire fighter, he has seen too many accidents as a result of speeding and that he is a safe 21 y.o. driver.

#2 Paying Taxes ...

... several of our kids have worked in places where they received tips, but their employers did not tell them to record and pay taxes on those tips. (It wasn't until the following April, while helping with taxes, that I discovered this oversight. Yikes!) They both now work in restaurants, and they do claim their tips.

... many teens and young adults take jobs that are paid "under the table". What does this mean? What are the laws regarding occasional lawns jobs, painting jobs, etc... ???

... Papa and M. both own their own contracting businesses (Papa is a Painter ... M. has a flooring business). We shared how important it has been for both of our families to run these businesses with completed integrity, as Christian witnesses.

After quite a discussion on "obeying the law", we moved on to a few more "grey areas" ...

#1 Alcohol ... while it IS legal for those over 21, is it God's best for our young adults? How does it affect your Christian witness? What if it could cause someone to stumble? Jim and I ... and M & A ... have all chosen not to consume any alcohol. Several of the young adults have also set this as a personal standard, while others don't see anything wrong with having a beer now and then. Again ... this was not a time for judgement, but a great time of discussion. I believe this discussion was especially important for the 4 teens that are not yet "of age" to drink, so that they can define their personal boundaries before they even get to 21.

#2 Gambling ... while I do not believe any of our young adults have any type of problem in this area, it is an area that several have participated in once or twice. Again, Jim and I ... and M & A ... have chosen not to have this as part of our lives. So, it was good for us to have an opportunity to share our convictions with this group of teens and young adults.


Well ... that was our 3 hour Family Meeting. (Yes, all 9 of the "young ones" were still awake at 1:30 a.m. ... two movies later.) I am sharing it here because I know there is a group of young adults that regularly check in on our family, through this blog. Hi friends ... hope you enjoyed this "discussion".


Now ... I would love to open up this Family Meeting to the blogging world. Again .... I am not here to judge you, so hope that you will be able to share your beliefs without judging me. :)

If anyone would like to know the scriptures that were discussed; just let me know and I can add them to another post.

End of Another Good Season

Spring Sports is finally coming to an end ... only 2 makeup games this week, due to rainouts. For the past 2 1/2 months, our family has averaged 8 baseball games and 2 track meets per week, with Sundays and Mondays being our only days off. We are now ready for a less structured and relaxing summer.

Elijah Plays T-Ball





Josiah Plays Coach Pitch





Hosanna Plays Fast Pitch





Ben Plays Baseball





The Family Plays Cheerleader



We bring a pretty good size cheering squad for Kindergarten and 2nd grade games.

Another Surprise

As some of you may have been wondering ... I pulled off another big surprise, when I took the kids with me to the airport to pick up Papa on Monday morning. Yes ... Gregg came home with Papa. Yea !!!

As we sat in the waiting lanes outside of baggage claim, Jim & Gregg kept themselves pretty well hidden behind posts until they were almost to the van (only Ben and I saw them coming ... but kept quiet about it). I finally jumped out of the driver's seat, ran towards Jim (the kids assuming I was going to give him a hug) ... but, instead, ran into the arms of the handsome young man next to Jim. When the kids realized that Papa was not alone, the van doors burst open with lots of yelling and excitement. Josiah reached him first, with Jacob close behind. Elijah and Sarah followed, eagerly waiting their turn for hugs. Ben and Hosanna were excited too, but let the younger kids enjoy the first hugs. (Yes ... Papa did get a big hug and kiss from Mama ... but, Gregg had been gone for 14 months, and Jim had only been gone 5 days. So, Jim waited patiently for his turn.)

Oh ... did you notice that I didn't mention Rachel? Yes, she was there ... peering quietly out of the van, not quite sure she was ready to jump into the arms of this new big brother. She smiled at him, but got right back into her car seat for the ride home. Gregg jumped into the passenger seat, while Jim climbed into the 1st bench between Elijah and Ben. The others piled into the remaining 3 benches for the 2 hour drive home.

About 10 minutes down the road, Gregg decided it was time to get to know his new little sisters. So, he climbed out of the front seat, made his way back to the 3rd bench, and plopped himself down between their 2 car seats. What a precious site! While he could have spent the ride home completely focused on the 2 little guys who absolutely adore him, instead, he realized the need to clearly acknowledge his place in the family with his 3 new siblings ... their big brother is home.

We've had a fun week. Ben, Josiah, and Elijah were very excited to have Gregg home for their last week of baseball games. Josh and Lindsey were glad to have him home for a drama they were performing for one of their college classes. Papa, Jeremiah, and Ben were thrilled to have him home for a paint ball war (which began just 1 hour after arriving home from the airport). So, a fun week has been had by all.

Gregg is here for 2 weeks, then back to Georgia for a week or so, before he gets to move home for good. It's GREAT to have him home.


Oh ... one thing you may have questioned: why is Sarah (at age 9) sitting in a car seat? Washington State law requires car seats or booster seats (which hers is) for children up through 8 years old. Sarah, at 9, is actually smaller than Josiah (8), so a car seat is a safer option than a standard seat belt. And ... in our BIG van, kids are more comfortable in booster seats: they can see better, and sleep better on longer trips. So, while Sarah doesn't sit in a car seat when we are running around town in our little cars, she enjoys the "boost" when riding in the van.

The BIG SURPRISE

If you read my last post, you may know that Papa has been out of town for 5 days. And, if you know Papa, this is quite unusual for him. Over the years, I have been the one much more likely to fly off around the country for a weekend (for speaking engagements, etc...), while Papa stays home with the kids. This year, however, Papa got a weekend away ... and he didn't even know it was coming.

Papa phoned home on Wed., during his lunch break, to ask what our plans were for the day (how many baseball games, etc...). I told him that we didn't have much on the calendar ... just one ball game at 6:30. He let me know that he wanted to go work out at the fitness center after school ... I said, "That's fine with me."

Upon his return from school, I nonchalantly said, "Oh ... plans have changed. Janie phone and asked if we could meet them in Seattle for dinner. They're going through some tough stuff, and I thought it would be good to talk with them about all of our adoption stuff, too." (They have adopted 3 children in the past 5 years.) "So, Jeremiah is going to get Elijah to his baseball game, while we head to Seattle for dinner."

We usually meet our Puyallup friends (where we used to live) for dinner in Everett, which is about the 1/2 way point. But, I told Jim that since Larry had to work later than we did, that we would actually drive to South Seattle (2 hour drive) for dinner. While driving there ... I said, "I hope this is okay. We have talked for so long about meeting them for dinner ... and tonight happened to work for both of us." Papa's response ... "Well ... it wasn't exactly what I had planned for this evening." I smiled ... Jim still had absolutely no idea what I had planned for the evening. :)

We enjoyed a WONDERFUL dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. (We'd never been before and ... WOW ... they serve amazing food!) After 2 hours of great food and fellowship, I asked Jim if I could borrow his phone for a minute. I placed the call ... got an answer ... and handed Jim the phone.

On the phone was our dear son, Gregg ... just returned from Iraq, but still at his base in Georgia. Gregg asked Papa what his plans were for the weekend, to which he replied, "Well ... we're going to play a little paintball, and do some things around the house." Gregg said, "Maybe we could do something this weekend." Jim laughed and said, "That would be pretty hard, with you there and me here." To which Gregg responded, "Why don't we go to a Nascar race?" Jim had a complete look of confusion on his face, until he looked around the table and the 3 of us were grinning ear to ear. Gregg told Jim that he'd better head on over to the airport, because Gregg was planning to see him in the morning.

Well ... the restaurant we "happened" to be eating at was just about 10 minutes from the airport and I had a suitcase all packed and stashed in the back of the car. So, we said our good-byes to Larry and Janie, and I took Jim right up to the airport and left him standing in the security line (still a bit unsure as to what had just taken place). Five hours later ... Papa arrived in Atlanta, caught the shuttle to Ft. Benning, and was reunited with his eldest son (after a 14 month deployment as a sniper in Baghdad).

Papa and Gregg spent all day Thurs. "hanging out" in Columbus, GA. On Friday, after Gregg had attended a mandatory class (or meeting?) in the morning, they drove up to Charlotte, NC. There, they have spent the past 2 days fully engrossed in Nascar.



This photo was taken yesterday, on Gregg's iPhone ... and sent to me via. email while they were still watching the race. They had GREAT seats!

Tonight ... as I write this ... they are driving all night back to Atlanta, to catch an 8:00 a.m. flight to Seattle. "The Boys" have had a VERY fun weekend. While I was the one that pulled off the "surprise" aspect ... Gregg was the one that fully planned and funded this amazing time with his Papa. I can't imagine how much fun the two of them will have this summer, when Gregg returns to live at home, after being gone 4 1/2 years. Welcome Home, Gregg!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Papa is out of town for 5 days ... and Mama has been pretty busy. So, today I decided we needed a fully fun focused day.

We attended church last night, so the younger kids and I were home this morning. We waited patiently for Ben and Hosanna to get home from working 2 services in Kid's Place, quickly fed all of the kids lunch, and headed out for a day of fun.

First ... we headed back to the beach. The first time we went (a few weeks ago), we only took the kids for about 30 minutes at sunset. So, they had not yet had the opportunity to really explore and play at the beach. Here are a few fun pics ...

These are the two that their older sister describes as "The 6 year olds that are going to change the world some day." Rachel and Elijah are ... independent, strong-willed, determined, and ... a whole lot of fun. They have become great "Virtual Twins" (since they are just 6 months apart).




Josiah




Rachel




Elijah




Jacob




Sarah and Hosanna ... reading God's Word




The Boys




The Girls



The Younger Half of the D Family ...

Ben (14), Jacob (12), Hosanna (11), Sarah (9), Josiah (8), Rachel (6), Elijah (6)

The kids think it is fun that all 7 of them are in a White/Black age pattern ... definitely God's creativity.




(The turned around baseball caps is not a fashion statement, but one of the tricks I have figured out to get a better shot of dark faces ... we can't have any shadows on the faces.)

After 3 hours at the beach, the little ones began to get hungry. So, I phoned Jeremiah (the only "big kid" home this weekend) and asked if he would like to meet us at our favorite Mexican restaurant (which J, S, & R had not been to yet). It was the perfect day for dinner at Chihuahua's ... the Sunday Special was Steak Fajitas (which Jeremiah and I both ordered), and the children's menus is only $3.95 on Sundays (very important, when ordering 6 children's meals). Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel were introduced to crispy tacos (we always eat soft tacos at home). They enjoyed them, but were a bit surprised by how messy they were. And, they LOVED the deep fried tortilla chips w/ cinnamon sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate & strawberry sauce for dessert.

After dinner, Jeremiah and Ben headed home, while I took the younger kids over to my friend Sarah's house (my ONLY friend that also has 13 children). We hadn't visited them yet (we see each other at our homeschool enrichment classes), so her children were thrilled to see our big van pull up. A 2 hour spur-of-the-moment playdate ensued, while Sarah and I had a chance to catch up.

We got home in time to do a quick house cleaning before bed ... since we get to drive to Seattle in the morning to pick up Papa at the airport.

Random NOT fun happening today ... it cost me $117 to fill up the gas tank on the van and it will probably be near empty when we return from the airport tomorrow. Yikes! The upcoming price of our annual summer road trips is kind of scary this year.

A Trip to the BIG City

Last weekend, we surprised the kids with an International Trip. For some people, an "International Trip" means a long airplane ride. For others, it means a 2 or 3 day road trip. But ... for the Big D Family ... an "International Trip", means a 10 minute drive North. We didn't tell the kids where we were headed for the day, just that we were taking a little trip to see some place NEW. The border crossing was so quick today, that the children didn't even question what we were doing. So, a couple of minutes down the road, I turned to the back of our BIG van and said, "Oh ... Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel ... we are not in America anymore. We are now in Canada." They said, "Is this where Louvee lives?" (Our friend from the Guest House in Accra) "Yes, Louvee lives in Canada, but he doesn't live near here. Sorry." After arriving in Canada, we headed West for about an hour, until we arrived in ...

Vancouver




Cassie was home for the weekend, so she was excited to go to Stanley Park with us.



When we arrived at the park, I told the kids that we had a surprise for them ... they were going to see someone they knew from Africa. "What???"""

Yes ... when we were in Mole National Park (in Ghana), we met a group of young ladies that were also traveling that weekend. Two of the young ladies were from Toronto, Canada, and they told us that they would be traveling to Vancouver for a cousin's wedding in May. So, last week, Kelly contacted us to see if we could get together. Thus ... the surprise trip to the big city.

They got to the park about 5 minutes after us ... we showed them our African Adventure Scrapbook ... and then we all took a walk along the walkway bordering the bay. But ... it wasn't just Kelly that showed up to see us, she brought many members of her family also. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her dad & mom, uncle, and several cousins as we walked and chatted for over an hour. It was a beautiful day, at a beautiful park, with wonderful company.

When Rachel's little legs got tired ... Hosanna offered a piggyback ride.




When Elijah's little legs got tired ... he decided to rest for a bit.




Papa and Jacob ...




After our beautiful walk, and saying good-bye to Kelly and her family, we drove around the park until we found a place to play.

Cassie wanted a picture of the kids ...



JUMPING!




Then we found the swings ...






and did some more JUMPING!




We also found flowers ...




and Dandylions ...




A fun day was had by all ...

(Can you believe this is only 1/2 of our kids?)




On our way home, we explored Vancouver a bit more, and had a yummy dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory, in Gas Town.

Then ... we got to experience the U.S. Border crossing (MUCH more difficult than entering Canada). While the border guards were very nice and helpful (not always the case) ... we did encounter a PROBLEM. Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel's Ghanaian passports were missing a critical stamp which validated the visa, that should have been applied when they entered the country at JFK (airport in New York).

After spending a significant amount of time with the guard at the booth (thus creating quite a back up of cars with correct passports), we were finally directed to go inside and re-tell our story to the inside border guards. They confirmed that the passports were valid, and that the children were in the U.S. computer system ... and finally decided to just add the stamp that should have been added in March. Oh well ...

Mother's Day ... a New Perspective

My family has celebrated Mother's Day for me for 24 years. Some years brought beautiful gifts ... others years were celebrated with homemade preschool cards. Some years the family took me out to dinner at a nice restaurant ... other years we stayed home, and they cooked and baked for me. Some years we went on adventures to a park, a beach, or the zoo ... other years we stayed home and played games. The constant has been ... my children have always known that their Mama loved them ... and Mama has always known that her children love her. No matter what type of cards are received ... no matter what type of gifts are purchased ... no matter what type of food is made ... the question of a mother/child love has never arisen. As soon as my children have been able to speak in semi-complete sentences ... they have been able to say, "I wuv u mummy ... happy mudder's day."

This year, however, I have seen Mother's Day through 3 new sets of eyes. I have seen Mother's Day through the eyes of the orphan ... through the voices (though they are 6, 9, and 12 years old) that are just learning to say, "I love you Mom." The children who are just learning about the American version of mother/child love.

I have thought much this week, about the mother of Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel. All I know of her, is that she gave birth to 6 children (3 girls and 3 boys) ... she got sick with a stomach tumor ... she died on July 4, 2006. We have no pictures; so there is no reference point as to what this woman was like. Since Peter is 28 years old, I would expect that their mother may have been about my age ... interesting to ponder the similarities. She and I lived across the world from each other, never expecting our paths to cross into each other's cultures. During the same time she was raising 6 children (born over the course of 22 years) ... I was raising 10 children (born over the course of 18 years). Our 3 youngest children were each born within a year of each other. (coincidence?) Who, but the Lord, could have orchestrated such a miracle, as to bring our children together?

I wonder ... what was their relationship like with their mother? did they know their mother's love? did she tell them she loved them? did they say, "I love you Mom." to her ... was she ever able to fully care for these youngest three? Jacob had 10 years with his mother ... but instead of living the carefree life of a child, he became his sisters' primary caretaker. Sarah only had 3 years with her mother, as she went to live with her older sister (across the country) after Rachel was born. Rachel only had 4 years with her mother ... so young to watch her mother die. I don't even know if the girls have any memory of the woman that gave them birth. Jacob has many memories ... filled with the pain of being his mother's caretaker through her illness.

Now ... many miles away from the village where they had to say good-bye their mother ... they are learning that the Lord has given them a 2nd chance to have a "Mom" ... a 2nd chance to say, "I love you, Mom." ... a 2nd chance to celebrate Mother's Day. (I don't actually know if they had ever heard of the holiday before this year.)

While my children have always made Mother's Day cards for me, which have said many versions of, "I love you Mom.", the cards I received this week brought a new dimension to the mother/child love equation. These cards said more than, "I love you." Each of the children took the time to really spell out WHY they love their new Mama. Here are a few excerpts ...

To Mom.

I love being with you because you love me!
I love you because you make me happy.

Love Rachel



And a fill-in card from Rachel ...

My mom is as sweet as ... a butterfly.
My mom is as beautiful as ... a flower.
I love my mom because ... she loves me.


Happy Mother's Day!

Mom I love you. I hope you will like this thing I am giving to you. May God bless you. Thank you for all the good things you have done.

Love Sarah D.


Hi mom. Happy Mother Day.

I love you. You are the best mother in this house. I hope God be with you and God like you because you treat us like the way God want you to treat us. God love you very very much because of that. Do you know that I like the way you treat me?

I am sorry that I can't buy something nice for you. When I grow up I will buy something nice for you.

Do you know that when you walk, God is with you?

Jacob loves Mom.
Mom loves Jacob.


Twenty-five years ago, I was told that I needed to have a hysterectomy ... I was told that I would never bear children ... I wondered if I would ever be able to celebrate Mother's Day.

Oh what miracles the Lord has done! How good and how faithful He is, to give us the desires of our heart.

I Have Been Pampered ...

Pamper: To gratify to the full; to furnish with that which delights; to feed luxuriously; as "to pamper the body or appetite"


This week I have been fully pampered ... my heart has been gratified to the full ... my body has been taken care of luxuriously ... my appetite has been fed luxuriously ... my home has been furnished with that which delights ...


Tuesday ...

Two close friends of mine had been discussing pedicures with me recently, and one friend was quite surprised that the other two of us had never been pampered with a pedicure. So, last week, this friend suggested a late lunch date and afternoon pedicure for the 3 of us. Sounded good to me. But, what do you do with all of the children (total of 14 kids under 15 years old ... 4 of them being 6 year olds.) when 3 homeschool moms want a mid-week "girlfriend time"? You pass them all off to my amazing 21 year old son for an hour, who then is joined by my amazing husband. Not only do these amazing men "watch" the 14 children; but they load them all into the 15 pass. van and take them to the local dairy for ice cream cones.



So, in only a few short hours, my body was "taken care of luxuriously" (pedicure), my appetite was "fed luxuriously" (lunch at the Olive Garden, my favorite restaurant), and my heart was "gratified to the full" (by friendship fun ... and by my amazing husband and son).

I came home relaxed, thankful, feeling blessed, and ... totally not expecting a BIG surprise. Come to find out ... it was NOT my girlfriends that planned this amazing afternoon; it was my husband (who had overheard our silly pedicure conversation). He arranged the lunch date and pedicure, in order to get me out of the house. Because ... he had workers come in to pamper my house for Mother's Day. After 6 years of being frustrated with an unusable kitchen counter space (due to an ugly and awkward 1970's JenAir grill), I had finally come up with a solution (other than the very expensive solution of replacing all counter tops). I had suggested to my husband that maybe we could replace that one counter top with a Butcher Block counter, since it was right next to the stove, and the perfect place for cutting and chopping. So, for Mother's Day, my kitchen was "furnished with that which delights".



Well, that day alone would have filled my tank for a looong time ... but the week wasn't over yet ...

Saturday ...

The dear 21 year old son watched the 8 younger siblings for several hours in the morning, and then passed them off to amazing husband ... so that I could go to a "12 Hour Scrapbooking Extravaganza" ... from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (I actually got there at 8:00, and had to leave at 6:00, to get home in time for church.) I had 10 full hours of scrapbooking (pampers my heart) ... girlfriend time (big time heart pampering) ... and good food (more appetite pampering).




(Does anyone have any tips on photographing scrapbook pages?)


After church, my 2 precious pedicure friends and their wonderful families came for dessert (my amazing husband and children had not only arranged the dessert date and cleaned house, but had baked a yummy dessert while I was gone). So, our 15 children played and we visited until 11:00 p.m. (more heart pampering).

Sunday ...

A wake up call from my dear son, Gregg, in Georgia ... the first time I had talked to him since he RETURNED FROM IRAQ. YEA!!! Definitely a Mother's Day gift ... to hear the voice of her favorite soldier, and to know he is out of the dangerous war zone.

Breakfast ... planned and prepared (helped Papa) by precious Sarah.

Afternoon phone calls from ...

Jeremiah in Arkansas (yes, the same 21 y.o. that helped with the kids yesterday morning). He caught the midnight flight to Arkansas to help a friend drive home from college (Arkansas to NW Washington ... via Fresno, CA ... in 4 days ... Yikes!) Before leaving for the plane last night, he left an amazing gift on my bed ... a Digital Photo Frame with MP3 player. Wow!

Cassie in Oregon ... telling me she HAD bought my Mother's Day present before today; but that rather than mailing it she would bring it to me next weekend, when she is coming home for 5 days.

Then ... cards and letters from Elijah, Rachel, Josiah, and Jacob ... a necklace from Hosanna ... a dozen roses from Ben ... flowers and a Woods Coffee gift card from Lindsey ...




And ... a late night dinner at Black Angus with my dear husband, after getting all of the young ones ready for bed ... more heart and appetite pampering.


My tank is FULL ... my life is BLESSED ... my heart, mind, soul, and body have been PAMPERED beyond measure this week.

Thank you LORD for my amazing, wonderful, romantic husband ... who would have guessed, 25 years ago, what YOU had in store for us!!!

Thank you LORD for blessing me with 13 beautiful treasures ... to train up for service to YOU!

Thank you LORD for these 2 precious friends and their families ... priceless gifts, more valuable than gold or silver!

Interesting Blogs

Since writing my post last week, about Appreciation vs. Entitlement, I have found that others are processing the same issues.

"Crazy Dad" wrote a post yesterday about "A Grateful Orphan". You might be interested to read it at: http://welovebigfamilies.blogspot.com

Gina wrote "Expectations" on May 1st (with a link to my post). You can find her ponderings at: http://enoughellerbees.blogspot.com

The blogging world has become an unexpected and much appreciated source of support in our Adoption Adventure.

Thanks ... all of you blogging friends.

Wait Until Monday

In the past month, we have started all of the American medical appts. for the children. They have all begun their immunization series, and tomorrow I will be making their appts. with the dentist and the optometrist.

Another step that we knew we needed to do, but had been too busy to even think about starting the process, is the Stool Sample lab work. Not only is this a little awkward for children this age (as we don't ordinarily watch them use the toilet), but it has to be accomplished at the right time to get the samples to the lab within a designated timeline.

On Wednesday, we explained to the kids what needed to be done. They immediately began laughing and said that they had had to do that while in Accra because they were told, "You can't go to America until you do this." Good ... at least it was something they were familiar with. Then, we told them to tell us when they needed to "go", so that we could cover the toilet with saran wrap, to collect the sample. (Sorry for the graphic description.)

Thursday came and went ... Friday came ... no one mentioned the "poop test". Then, on Friday evening, Sarah came to me and said, "I need to go poop." "Okay ???" (The purpose of the announcement slipped my mind for a minute.) Then ... I turned to Jim ... oh no, is the lab open on Saturday? ... what if it isn't open in the morning? ... my look conveyed, "I don't really want to go through this process and miss the critical timeline." So, I turned to Sarah and said, "I think we'd better wait until Monday."

A look of horror crossed her face, as she said, "Wait until Monday?" Oh my ... "No, Sarah. You don't have to wait until Monday to use the toilet. We will just wait until Monday to collect your poop for the lab." "Okay." she says with a big grin, as she hurries quickly to the bathroom.

This afternoon, Jacob tells Jim, "Dad, I need to "go"." We look at each other. It's 1:00 on Sunday afternoon. The lab said the samples are good for 24 hours. Okay ... let's get this process started. A few hours later, Sarah accomplished the task. And, this evening, Rachel came through for us too. So ... we now have 6 cute little vials of "poop" on top of the refrigerator, awaiting the opening of the lab tomorrow morning.

I can't imagine all that was going through Sarah's mind, when she actually thought that she must wait 3 days to go to the bathroom. Too funny!