Adopting friends

In all we will probably travel over 4000 miles with 6 kids over 3 weeks. For the most part they have done pretty well. Cav has had several days of screaming rages as we are currently with family in St Louis. But you know your family loves you when they put up with that crap along with the other 5 lol.

We started our trip in South Dakota - saw Crazy Horse, Mt Rushmore and Devils Tower. We then spent sometime at the old homestead before heading easy.

We saw on of the dwarf specialists in Wisconsin of all places and he was incredible ( that's another long post lol). Ran into an adopting friend who had an appt 2 doors down. LOVE!

Then we got to spend several days with a friend from FB. They adopted a little just weeks after Tao and she is a few months older than him. I was shocked to see how our families melded together. The friend from the hospital also came and the commonality if adoption transcended not only to our instant friendship but to our children also.

I am talking 18 kids only our 3 bio and the rest adopted. We all have a hard one but to see these kids make connections, instant friendships both warmed my heart and brings me to my knees knowing that THIS is what Gods plans look like.

We smiled as both husband and wife served the masses, we nodded when a complaint was made over public treatment, transportation woes and the like.

Folks there were 18 kids, one play station an ipad and a DS. At one point there were 5 boys sitting around the DS and all watching it be played.

Bigs carried littles
Similar personalities sought out each other
No one was left out ( except the solitary children)
Truly I have never experienced such a wonderful display of Gods kingdom

And I feel so blessed our meek little family said YEs to Gods calling

(PS if you have emailed me I still can't email from my phone so it'll be another 2 weeks sorry)

Living life together

We have been under major attacks this summer.

We know why but still it can be wearing.

We have learned from our adoptions that attacks happen because Satan does NOT like what we are doing for God's kingdom.

But truth be told, even though we know this sometimes we forget.

The attacks seem to be targeting different people right now.

At church they are doing a whole series on Life Groups - and the importance of doing life together.

We have a great group of ladies who meet once a week (even in the summer) and walk around our school and pray.

I had to laugh yesterday as one after another spoke of attacks on their husbands.  Doing life together we were able to see that this is where Satan is currently attacking.

In addition, others spoke of attacks on older children.

And the lightbulb went off.

You see I have been toying with the fact that Morgan was injured at camp - a church camp.

a 4x4 hit fell on her (from the snack shop LOL)

But oh the nurse in me looks at this and sees how close to catastrophic this could have been

It happened the day I went up to get little man and so I am assuming that is why they didn't call - I have been toying for 2 days whether or not to be mad about it while remaining thankful that her eye was missed by inches.

And that light bulb that went off -

 jsut because they are very secluded 

in a place that speaks to my heart

Satan will and still does attack

As parents we must always be hyper vigilant and pray for our kids

And for those that asked

Brahm did awesome.

THis camp is a little more like an old fashioned camp with less rules ( and way cheaper LOL)

The nurse gave his counselors his pain meds and patches

(I thought I would be honest and not jsut slip all of it into his sleeping bag LOL)

And somehow in my worries I forgot that the counselors were all college kids

They are very typically fascinated with Brahm's brains in his tiny can do body.

I got the feeling some of the other boys weren't the most accepting of him

But Brahm blew it off and can't wait to come back next year

A WHOLE WEEK MOM!!

Heaven help me!! 

Summer Photo Dump

Ok I am so not a homeschooling mom- I need my time LOL.

So I am not to proud to admit that summer has been absolutely killing me.

BUT as I finally dumped the 307 pictures off my phone I thought I would do a quick catch - up because really it has been lots of fun!

We finally got the front yard (ok a portion) landscaped as our 23 year old house was looking BAD

The forest caught on fire

and the MAFFS started flying directly over our house

So we took photos of everything and packed our crap 

And reorganized 

And Oops what evacuated with us?!?!

celebrated Father's Day and finished up lacrosse

And met lots of new friends in real life!!

who liked riding bikes as much as we do

and bring lots of color to our once white life

and learned to share

and our friends came back (love this Jodi)

And more friends came

And even more

Until we locked the doors LOL

And we planted flowers and our crew figured the firetruck was great for watering

And we did summer school and rocked the 3 piggie opera

(and this shocked momma cried over her girl who has come so far)

And little man (green shoes) played baseball with his best friend

and got nicknamed sledge hamma

and all was right in his world 

And we were in a parade

And he walked part of the way and made us proud

and well he is jsut cute LOL

And we got major braces

and then they broke ugh

And our hearts break but our community has rallied

And the weather has been crazy

Oh wait MORE new friends

And our friends we met in CHINA getting Landon and Tao

And we found out dwarfs still don't float right side up

and watched the Jr National goalball championships 

Oh and the stinking cat had kittens while we were evacuated

and our big brother comes and goes, football, wrestling and lacrosse camps, 

mission trips and FCA

and everyday these two ask when he is coming home

Until they leave for camp

and mommy has no idea how many kids she has any longer LOL

But truly can say she is loving this new crazy life of many,

AND the incredible blessings.

Saturday we leave for the great roadtrip to the World Dwarf games!!

Wings to fly

My parents divorced when I was 13.  Back then we were the weird family, people would whisper about our situation.  Funny, how a mere 2 years later began the FAD of divorce that occurred in the 80's.  anyhow, the extremely sad part was the instant poverty the divorce threw us into.  As an adult I realize the poverty was due to keeping up the charade of appearances.

It has been an odd year as my oldest is now 14.  I heard once that you have two chances at a parent child relationship - once as the child and the other as the parent.

My kids seem to be a perfect mix of my husband and I. When they are home they love to be home.  BUT they definately also have my love for adventure.  Because of my parents divorce I got to go to camp exactly ONE time - and they forced us to sell candy bars door to door to pay for it.  Some things from our childhood make us grow and others we look back on as parents and think what we're they thinking!

My kids have toworktopayfor 10% of their fees.  This is more of their buy into the camp so we don't have the "I don't want to go Thursdays lol"

Anyhow, my oldest has been home a handful of days this summer and those days he worked doing landscaping to pay for his camps lol!

Football camps, lacrosse, FCA (which he absolutely loved) and just returned from on Weds and leaves again Sunday for a mission trip up to Montana.

He started the summer with his crap packed into 4 little bags and looking like a homeless person.  He finally seems to have his packing down to 1 slightly larger bag with everything in it.  Every time becomes home he has grown both physically and spiritually.  I marvel at his courage to try we things, go out on his own FCA was in AZ - he road tripped with kids from our area he had never met.  We prayed for him profusely but in his typical fashion he never missed a beat.  I know for a fact I never would have had the confidence todo this.  He sure is an amazing young man.

Morgan usually goes to away to summer camp with her friends but we will be gone for the World Dwarf Games.  Heehee that adventurous girl of ours found a cheaper wilderness camp ($250 for the week!) and the best part is they have a 3 day camp for Brahm!

I almost had a panic attack when they told me - could I really send my baby?  All of the what ifs of sending him to camp creeped into my mind.  Can I really send him?

What if he wakes up with joint pain, who will apply his patches (he had an answer)
What about the walking will it be to much.
Will he be able to get on the bunk himself,
Will the kids make fun of him?

This is probably the hardest thing I have done BUT he has full confidence that he will excel (despite momma giving him every out possible!). I like to think I treat my kids the same but the truth is sending a SN child out into the world is hard.  In my head I know we have worked very hard on self advocacy but I am realizing I am always standing there as the buffer.  Meeting with teachers, coaches, telling them how it needs to be done.

I know I will do the same withthe counselor a and I take comfort unknowing Morgan can handle any issue that arises with Brahm.  It's the letting go and sending him on his way.

They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
                                 Isaiah 40:31