THE ADOPTION OPTION

(Once again, I've borrowed this from another blog I ran across)

YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ADOPTIVE PARENT WHEN...

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents.

7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!

13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

-Author unknown

COLORING EGGS 2009

This year we didn't get too fancy, just dropped them in the dye and waited for them to turn to colored eggs. No tye dyed, no swirls, no glitter, just the basics. Christopher and Logan are still young enough that they don't need all that fancy stuff, and McKayla tried to dye 1/2 an egg one color and 1/2 another color to keep herself amused. She also kinda made some swirlies on two of her eggs, so at least she was entertained for the whopping 45 minutes it took to color four dozen eggs. These three really did have fun and they were all quite proud of themselves, and yet again another memory for them to share.

McKayla mixing the colors up.Ooooo, Ahhhh.Christopher taking time out for a photo-op with his Mommy (Amanda) standing behind him.McKayla and Christopher mulling over what colors to dip into next.Logan showing how she can multi-task by getting your picture taken while dropping your egg in the color at the same time.Everyone is having a good time!McKayla's creations.Logan likes a lot of color on her eggs.So many colors, so little time.Christopher's delightful dozen.Trying to get a serious photo outta the two yahoos on the left is next to impossible, lol, while McKayla smiles pretty.

TEA ANYONE?

(If this offends anyone....well, too bad. Seriously, this is my blog!)

Are you fed up with a Congress and a president who:

Vote for a $500 billion tax bill without even reading it?

Are spending trillions of borrowed dollars, leaving a debt our great-grandchildren will be paying?

Consistently give special interest groups billions of dollars in earmarks to help get themselves re-elected?

Want to take your wealth and redistribute it to others?

Punish those who practice responsible financial behavior and reward those who do not?

Admit to using the financial hurt of millions as an opportunity to push their political agenda?

Run up trillions of dollars of debt and then sell that debt to countries such as China?

Want government controlled health care?

Want to take away the right to vote with a secret ballot in union elections?refuse to stop the flow of millions of illegal immigrants into our country?

Appoint a defender of child pornography to the Number 2 position in the Justice Department?

Want to force doctors and other medical workers to perform abortions against their will?

Want to impose a carbon tax on your electricity, gas and home heating fuels?

Want to reduce your tax deductibility for charitable gifts?

Take money from your family budget to pay for their federal budget?

If so, participate in your local TAX Day TEA party rally, the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) party. Bring your cell phone and call Congress and the president while attending the TAX Day TEA party rally (Representative and Senators, 202-224-3121; President, 202-456-1414). Tell Every American about this effort by forwarding this invitation to your friends. Together we can make a difference.

CHARLOTTE PICS

Roger, Logan, Lulu (our new puppy, lol) and I all left last Wednesday morning to visit Roger's mom and sibs in Charlotte, North Carolina. Let me first say that traveling with a four year old and a five month old puppy can be and was an adventure itself. All in all Logan and Lulu did extremely well without the benefit of a DVD player, Ipod or anything else to entertain them but each other. Of course Lulu really wouldn't have had any use for either the DVD player or Ipod, lol, but she did have Logan pestering her relentlessly the whole trip. We had a very nice visit and arrived home Sunday evening around 9:30 PM. Roger got to spend a lot of time reminiscing with his two sisters and brother, and Logan got to know two of her cousins (Bria and Lydia) a lot better as she had never them before. Below are some pictures of the girls dressing up and performing their "routine" that the oldest of the three, Lydia, taught them.

Cowgirl Up, Bria & Logan!Lydia teaching her two younger cousins some cool moves.There's a Joker in every crowd, and this trio was no exception!Roger at the bowling alley with his niece Bria and granddaughter Logan.Even Lulu had a playmate to visit with...Cocoa!Lulu trying to adjust to her new surroundings, lol.

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY

Was surfing AGAIN and found this site from another site from another site from another site...you get the picture fellow surfers.

Anyhow...all you have to do to enter is leave a comment HERE and post about the giveaway on your own site. It's another great idea. Good luck to ya!

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

(Just a song I've heard before and been thinking about lately)

I can only imagine what it will be like

When I walk by Your side

I can only imagine what my eyes will see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine When that day comes

And I find myself standing in the Son

I can only imagine when all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

ANOTHER NEAT GIVEAWAY

During my normal late night surfing I found this site and thought it was kind of a neat idea for a giveaway. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and pick a design. There are more designs to choose from, just click HERE!

LOGAN'S NEW DRESS & HORSEY

After we got home from worship services today, Logan decided before changing out of her new dress (that I got for 1/2 off, I don't buy any kids' clothes full price ever!) to go to the top of the embankment behind our house and stand on the stump and play Queen of the Hill. You can't tell from these pictures, but she's a lot higher up from us than she looks. Lulu soon joined her. You can also see that Logan got a new horsey today, too (from the Dollar Tree, only a buck, lol). I had to throw her old one away 'cause Lulu chewed the end of it and I was tired of being jabbed with the pointy remains.

IT'S COMIN'...I CAN SMELL IT

Well, it's official.............SPRING IS COMING! Since it was a tropical 45 degress today, Leyna, Logan, Lulu and I spent some quality time outside today looking around trying to figure out what all needs to be done this spring. And the conclusion we all reached was......THERE'LL BE A LOT OF WORK TO DO! Leyna and Logan have already got a head start the last couple weeks picking up sticks, twigs and logs, lol. Lulu and I just walked around looking at the gardens to see what is growing, what will soon be growing, and what I'd like to plant this year. Here are a few shots of our day.

Leyna and Logan clearing brush to make the yard bigger.

Yeah, more for me to mow!!

At four and a half months, Lulu has gotten a little bigger, lol, and isn't afraid to go outside anymore.Logan taking a break to give us a one-eyed grin.The snow caps came up last week.Just look at all those buds patiently waiting for the right time.And here come the hyacinth!

A WALK TO REMEMBER

This afternoon I decided to take Logan outside and go for a walk. Three things: I hardly ever walk just because, I couldn't have picked a colder day to venture out, and I am seriously outta shape and need to do more walking, lol (Note to self).

Anyways, we went for the walk following the tractor path Roger takes around one of the fields to get round bales or to spread manure on another field. It took about 45 minutes and we didn't run into any trouble except for one small episode.

On the way down we had to cross over this little gulley to get to the other field and since we have lots of snow, neither one of us had any problems walking on the snow, i.e., we didn't sink into the gulley. On the way back was a totally different experience. I went first and attempted to retrace our steps from the first cross. My one leg goes through and I'm up to my hip in snow, lol. I crawl out.

Now it's Logan's turn. I figured if she kinda hugged the fenceline she'd be okay so I told her to just circle wide, where she had previously been standing looking at the little stream that runs through our property with no problems. That didn't quite work out the way I planned it, lol. She took a couple steps and I thought she was home free...WRONG!!! Both her legs go through and she's up to her waist in snow, and boy does that kid have a set of lungs on her, she screamed so loud!!

After I pulled her outta the snow, I thought we were going to have a good laugh about the whole ordeal...WRONG AGAIN!! She was in no laughing mood. It really scared her. She said she was afraid the woodchucks were going to bite her tooders (that's what we call her toes, lol, pronounced like the word should). And then her pants were wet and she got cold, and then her legs were hurting from all that walking, and then her nose started running from crying, and then her cheeks started burning from the tears, and then...well, you get the picture. It was all downhill from there, but it was nice while it lasted.

Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of Logan stuck in the snow, although I would've loved to, she would've thought it was funny later on, because I didn't have a camera card in and my internal memory was full, but I did manage to get a few pictures on our walk down the path.

This photo has Vale, Colorado written all over it, lol