Sending Prayers out to the Chapman Family

Please pray for the family of Steven Curtis Chapman. His youngest daughter, one of several children they had adopted from China, died Wednesday from a tragic accident.

Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, MaryBeth, have long been supportive of international adoptions, enough to where they formed an organization called Shaohannah's Hope, dedicated to helping families financially through the providing of grants and with other various assistance programs to help orphans. Many of my friends were past recipients of a grant from Shaohannah's Hope and openly express their gratitude as a huge contribution that made it possible for them to bring their babies home.

Won't you please join us in extending our prayers and sympathy out to the Chapman family.

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Please, please, please... teach your children to never ever ever play around vehicles or in driveways. Just last week Rick and I had that discussion with the children. Even with my older Colombian kiddos being 7 and 10, they still don't yet understand fully the importance of our message and the safety aspects of why we set the rules that way, but they'll eventually understand we hold their safety at heart.

As an outcome of last week's discussion with the kids, both Rick and I vowed to ALWAYS do a full safety walkaround the vehicle before its operation. This is a common practice at Rick's workplace but he and I don't follow it regularly at home. That'll change and we'll get into a great habit to help safeguard our children! Honestly, that extra few seconds could mean everything!

Sledding Fun in late April

The kids enjoyed sledding so much during the winter. Here you can see Fabian and Marissa teaming up together as they slide down the smaller slope in the yard. Those two have developed such a close bond which is so incredibly cool because the experts kept telling us we'd have problems with the two of them since they were so close in age (Marissa is only one month older than Fabian). We do see competition between our children but nothing out of what's ordinarily expected. It's most always healthy competition and is welcomed. During the times they get a little carried away, it's our job as parents to set the limitations or administer the punishment, whatever the case may be. From the video you can see that Fabian was a little keyed up but having the camera filming will do that to the boy. You can see how Marissa plays along like a good sport too. There's only been just a few times in the past 5 months that she's grown tired or disgusted with her brothers and sisters, citing that they weren't playing nicely together, etc., but nothing that can't be satisfied through a little alone time. Marissa really is a great helper to me and such a wonderful big sister to her siblings! One day Marissa came in complaining that Fabian and Karen had ganged up against her. I reminded her that she wanted sisters and brothers just as much as Mommy and Daddy wanted them. She looked down at the ground and then popped her head up with a little smile and said, "Oh yeah, that's right. I am thankful that I have brothers and a sister." ...And off she went to play again...so sweet.

We thought the girls (Karen and Marissa) might team up together and form a closer bond and perhaps team up against Fabian, but that has never been the dynamics here. Karen is content playing among herself. She's a very creative little girl and would color and do crafts all day if she could. She also loves to play dolls. She enjoys such girly things and loves princesses. She constantly reminds me that for her birthday party in September she wants princesses! She loves fashion and loves fixing hair too!

Karen is a very loving child, probably more than the others are. She favors her sister Marissa in that she reads when I'm in need of a small pick-me-up. At just that perfect moment she'll come over to give me a hug or a kiss and tell me she loves me so much. Marissa was that same way when she was younger. Karen just does it more often and at least several times daily I get a little surprise reminders of how much she loves me. Karen is still a Daddy's girl and hops in his lap every chance she gets. She has to share with Luis sometimes and that usually sparks a bit of jealousy. Luis is funny -- he'll try to push Karen off of Daddy and if that doesn't work he'll let this little squealing noise out. We're trying to break him of his screeching and squealing, but it is so cute paired with the little mannerisms he does at the same time.

Karen has warmed up to me so much also. She tells me of their way of life in their earlier years in Colombia and is really opening up to me. At times I cry at shows whenever they are touching, (i.e., Home Makeover with Ty Pennington, documentaries about African poverty and AIDS, etc, you know what I mean). Well, seems Karen has a soft side too because she joins right in. The both of us need tissues before the end of the show. She's definitely my girl!

I'm so proud of my kids. I thank God so much for bringing us together as a family! He is the ultimate matchmaker. I thank God for taking Rick and me so deep in our level of faith we developed during our adoption wait. So much of it was a useful to withstand the snares the enemy was preparing for us ahead. Had we not been so trusting of God and His plan for us, we might have been inclined to listen to Commonwealth Adoption Int'l agency as they pressured us, urged us to decline this sibling group and recommended against accepting these children. Yesterday's Mother's Day sermon was packed with a "Fight for the Family" message, and it made me smile to think of how much God has strengthened our family. In fighting for our family, we are really fighting for our Father above, because it ALL centers around Him!

More snow pictures from late April

How is it that little boys always find mud? Ho hum! I'm destined to be a Tide commercial in the making...

The Big Snowball Showdown

Here's footage from the last big snowfall we had on April 26th, just a few weeks ago. The kids built walls to hide behind as they hurled snowballs to and fro. Karen's in the yellow coat, Fabian's in the grey and green coat, and Marissa's in the blue coat. Not sure who got the best of who but it appeared to be great fun! Winters in Alaska provide for cheap entertainment for my kiddos.

They played in the snow all day long and they even managed to get me on one of the sleds going down the little hill in the yard. Good thing the snow was melting fast and it was late because I might've stayed out there sledding for hours! I had almost forgotten how much fun sledding can be! I felt like sending the kids in to watch Luis so I could stay outside having fun and acting like a kid again!

Calling Colombia

Over the weekend we called my older two kids' foster mother in Colombia to wish her a Feliz Dia de Las Madres (Happy Mother's Day)! I actually made it through lengthy conversations using my spanish, and only about 3 times did the questions they were asking throw me off. I was proud of myself for making it through talking to 2 different ladies using my spanish skillset. What an accomplishment. At least when we were there I could do the charades to embellish what I was trying to speak. Quite different when it's only a phone call and you cannot rely on hand gestures or facial expressions. I made it through just fine. Not bad for a whole 40 minute conversation with passing the phone around from Fabian and Karen and myself.

Now my kiddos had an even bigger struggle with the spanish language. Seems they have lost so much of their spanish speaking abilities. Even only being gone from Colombia since late December, they've lost so much. Their look as they would listen to their Colombian foster mother was that of a deer in the headlights look. They were shocked that they could not understand so much of what she was saying to them, and I was completely taken back also. Fabian especially said, "Wow Mami, you speak Spanish real good!" Now by the last 10 minutes of the conversation Fabian was back to speaking and understanding Spanish, which was perfect timing because that was about the time when I got lost. Their foster mother had just returned home from church and the store and she was the one on the phone talking to me and it's no surprise that when Latin American women get excited, they speak fast! Now add a little shrill in there and you get the picture.

It was great speaking to the ladies who cared for my babies during their transitional time before they came to our family. They will forever be a part of our hearts and my love and gratitude pours out to them. May God continue to watch over these dear mothers; I'm speaking of the foster mothers and the caretakers in the orphanages who give so much love and nurturing to our babies in Colombia! Please Lord lift up these individuals in special ways and let them know they are loved! Think of how many orphans there are in Colombia, and then imagine how many people are there now in their torn lives to watch over them and help them through their past until they reach their forever families. It is my prayer, Father, I ask that you keep watch over the many good people of Colombia who so unselfishly give of their time and love!

Wishing for amazing blessings on Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Mother's Day this year was filled with amazing blessings as this past year welcomed 3 more lovely children into my life. Mother's Day, for me, holds such an incredible validation of God's love and how He places purpose into lives. It's hard to imagine now when looking back how out of control life really was for me at one time, and how God changed my life in an instant, but how long it took me some time to grow comfortable with those changes. In those days I truly was a lost soul longing for purpose. My life was literally spiraling out of control and I remember pleading with God for His help and comfort. For years I had hoped for the opportunity to be a mother and for years nothing happened. It felt like I was wishing for an honor I felt unworthy of ever bestowing. See, I was stuck in a rut and spiraling downward and time after time I was even unaware things were growing more bleak. I remember thinking with such desperation that something, anything, must come along in order to save my treacherous life. God knew the desires of my heart and He had not forsaken me, and brought great news that I would bear a child. I would be having a baby -- the one prayer I longed for was answered! The lifesaving news was confirmed on a very special day -- Mother's Day just 11 years ago -- and the greatest gift that saved my life is my daughter Marissa! Change began on that Mother's Day of 1997 and I see the goodness from it each and every day! Just when my life seemed almost hopeless, through God's love and perfect gifts my world brightened and it's been shining ever since. So you see, Mother's Day is such a special day in my life and I truly know that children and family are to be treasured -- they bring great life!

Thank you Father for the joy of being a mother!

May your Mother's Day and all your days be amazing! Thinking of you on Mother's Day!
Genece

Haircut photos