Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This one is for you,
 I'm thinking of you today. Praying for peace to wash over you..to envelope your whole being; spirit, mind and soul. I whole heartily trust that He is holding you in His hands and that in this hard and trying season of your life He will make a beautiful thing of it. Every time I hear this song it fills me with hope and joy..cause I know He never lies. May you feel the same as you listen and feel His promise fill you. Luv ya!

(♥ U Little Mister)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Trying so hard to keep a stiff upper lip. No word from little mister's country or the US Embassy. This is getting really hard. Reminded..by prayer and supplication~To ask for humbly, earnestly~ May my heart be humble before you Lord. With thanksgiving..Thank You for this privilege to learn to grow in patience..even though I'm not liking it~not one bit. For being so good to me, loving me, knowing me inside & out and loving me still. ♥ You already know our petitions..Bring him home, Lord. Bring little mister home.

(♥ U Little Mister)

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Gen. 1:31

09.27.2009 My Beautiful Things

Loud morning, breakfast to be made. School work needs to be done. Pour me another cup of joe, please. Speech work with my boys and a story to calm them before we get started. Isaac and Eli up and running 'cause attention spans are almost non-existent. Ayla snapping at them to be quiet as she does her studies. Ezekiel running up and down the stairs 'cause he's full of energy and has to move before math makes him sit. Deep breath. Naomi doesn't get her math..crys in frustration. Rubee, able to tune it all out as usual (a beautiful gift she has) sits and is absorbed by her book. Exhale. It's 2 o'clock and our school day is winding down. Ezekiel makes me a snack. My little chef. Takes after his grandpa who makes the best gourmet meals :) Ayla finishes her studies and needs a break. Heads upstairs to relax and paint her nails. Isaac and Eli are finally allowed to be sucked up by the TV..with Toy Story..for the umpteenth time. It's quiet..won't last long so have breath it in now. Found this song was listed on Playlist. So glad cause I love it. He definitely makes beautiful things out of us. I'm thankful for it all..and can't wait for our little mister to one day be able to love the chaos of our home too ♥

(♥ U Little Mister)

Beautiful Things  Easter 2011                                                                     

                                                                                     

So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. Gen. 29:20

Yes..he's mine..see my name, lol ♥

Yesterday came and went like a storm. Today's the calm :) The kids are upstairs doing their jobs. Downstairs is quite with wonderful classical music playing in the back ground and I'm doing some touch up painting in our now beautiful yellow living room. This last few weeks have been busy ones. We're trying to get our home back in order after the plumbing mess and in the process of doing so I've had this wild hair (or nesting?) to re-paint my home, freshin' it up with some new thrift store find knick knacks, pictures, fun new drawer knobs, big mirrors, cute light switch plates..you name it. It's not done yet..but it's looking more like I've always wanted my home to look, but never really had the excuse to go for it and do. Mat's given me his blessings and so I'm running with it :D Nothing major. No new couches or such. Just small touches...like new throw pillows to put on my couch, lol. Anyway, one of the draw backs to putting our home back in order has been lack of time to hang out with the man I love. He's been coming home from work to, well...work. :(  Since he's busy with fixing things, I'm hanging with the kids in the evening time too. Usually he comes home, relaxes for a bit and then spends time with the kids playing outside or wrestling inside. During that time I relax for a bit. But in this season of our life that time is gone and by bed time for the kids Mat and I are beat too and we end up just vegging out in front of the TV without really talking or anything. In fact Mat's usually asleep withing minuets of putting his head down on the couch. He won't go to bed though. Anyway, last night in one of my girly moods I was tearfully letting him know we I need more time with him. I'm a talker. I need..NEED, to talk about my days, my struggles, my accomplishments, my worries..whatever, I need to voice them all and he's the one I usually do all that with. Only lately I haven't been able to and it's building up in me & I'm feeling like I'm gonna BURST! So early this morning, before he left for work he woke me up and we, I, just talked & talked while he got ready to go :D (it was 4:30 in the morn mind you, but it was just what I needed) I've also been getting more lazy & Mat's been coming home to find me in my pj's still :/ It's one of the things I vented about this morning. My frumptastic style now days. I know..not cool. But..well, hey, it happens. So this morning Mat texts me with this little love note :
Good morning Babe, I love you and I love the way you look in ur pj's so don't worry about that, okay? I love you.
Ain't love grand? His text reminded me of how much love can cover. I was reminded of Jacob and his love for Rachel. I bet if they lived now days and they had a situation like this he would of texted her a message like this too. Cause he loved her A LOT. :) I'm a lucky girl ♥
Today's already looking much better then yesterday..I'm dressed and smiling..now if only we'd get the email that said we have a court date. That'd be Awesome!! :D

(♥ U Levi)

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, thatin me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Today's been a really bad, hard day. Thankfully, playing with flashlights in the dark is a simple solution for them...and the greatness of knowing "tomorrows a new day" is for me. :)

Isaac, Eli and Zeke playing flashlight tag..

(♥ U Levi)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Prov. 3:5





Feeling blue & so sad that this week went by without a court date given..Hmmmm**Deep sigh :(

Next week? :D

(♥ U Levi)

My Naomi and Zeke..♥
    6.12.2010

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...Ecc. 3:1

"I have never heard of anyone waiting for a Down Syndrome adoption for over 3.6 years. I hope you are not being strung along. You seem like a nice woman but naive."

This comment left on my blog from an anonymous reader and I just thought I'd reply to it so the long wait is better understood.
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for your concern :)
I'll admit there are alot of things in life I'm naive about, but the how's and why's of this adoption moving so sloowwwlyy isn't one of them..
So let me 'splain, Lucy..

First, We've had tons of people come to us with this huge misconception that we're sending money to the E.E. country we're adopting from and/or paying funds to our agency through all of this wait. Rest assured we're not. 

Back when we started we paid a retainer fee but since then not much else but translating fee's or wiring fee's of documents that really don't amount to that much in the grand scheme of things. Since we started our adoptions hit some bumps in the road which have caused the process to be stopped.
1: The country was attacked and the US wouldn't allow us to continue. When things got better we we're contacted by the agency to see if we'd still be interested in trying. We were. The agency honored our retainer fee from 08 and we started the process again. (Gathering of our dossier paperwork..which costs a lot, but it's all paid to the places we're getting paper work from...like the doctors office, the police station, our mortgage company and so on).

2nd time around: Adoption stopped due to missing paper work in little misters file by his country. When it was asked to update the bio mom said no. Stopped again. :(
3rd time around: This time :)
 It was Sept. 2010. Country has paperwork in place and he's available again. The agency contacts us...again :) We chose to press forward..again. Our agency honors the original retainer fee..again. We start the dossier chase..again. Our dossier took some time to gather this time due to funds being low, but it was finally submitted in Feb. 2011. From there theres waiting on approvals from different entities both from our country and his. Since then it's been a waiting process with some bumps in road that have been cleared little by little :)
 Just to give an idea about why those bumps are there here's some info. about our little misters country:
~In 09 this country became a Hague Convention country which has really been a huge work in process as far as this adoption is concerned. This change really had a big effect on our adoption when it started late in 08. But ultimately the attack of the country is what stopped our process.
~ It isn't a country fondest of international adoption~Period.
~ The adoption rate is LOW here:
In 06 there were 9 adoptions..in 07,4; in 08,7; in 09, none; in 2010, 2; and in 2011, none. :(
We'll be the first to adopt under the new Hague agreement; Lord's willing paving the way for more adoptions from this country. :D
Since the change theres been somethings that have taken a lot longer..a lot longer, lol
So you see..while it has been a long journey, and no, typically one wouldn't wait 3.6 years for a child with Down Syndrome to be adopted, it's been a legit one, lol.
No adoption process is easy. Isaac's moved really fast, but it wasn't easy and without it's own complications too.
 Our agency and our in county attorney both have shown great integrity through all of this and we'd use both again in a heart beat. No fee's have been gathered from us and none are asked for until it's time to bring our little mister home. It's only been the cost of having to update our dossier countless times that's been the financial burden on us. Lord willing..we'll be traveling soon and soon..this will all be done :D
Hope that gives clarity. Just keep this whole thing in your prayers please..and hopefully, my next post will say something like "WE GOT OUR COURT DATE!!!"  :D

(♥ U Levi)

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28

Today marks the third Friday with no new news on a court date and it's left us feeling discouraged. We thought we'd have a court date by now, but in true fashion of our Eastern European county they've not issued us one.
It's disheartening.
Right now it's 10:35 am here..and 10:35 pm there. This morning after our prayer time Ayla thought out loud with a "I wonder if he's being put to bed right now (it was 7:30 am at prayer time) and if he had a good dinner?..Maybe with some carrots." :) How cute she is that she's thinking about her little brothers day ♥

But with each day passing it really seems like him coming home is more and more like a thing that's never going to happen. (Do I sound like Debbie Downer?~Just rereading that got me down!, lol) But really...To be so close, SO STINKIN' close and then....Nothing. 

 We're trying to keep our chins up and our faith in place. Today I had to seek forgiveness for allowing such negativeness to be bringing me down and letting me sit in this funk. It's an attitude that's effecting my whole little home and it's not one I want to be spreading. I was reminded during my study time to simply lay my burdened heart at His feet so that I can find rest. I did. Thank You Lord for Always being there..for Never Ever failing me even when I fail You. :(  I'm looking forward to next week. To reading an email next week that says CONGRATS!! Or COME & GET EM'!

I don't think that's what they'll say for real..but what ever it is..I'm looking forward to reading it :D

(♥ U Levi)

He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Matt. 28:6

First..Thank you Lord for what You've done in my life, what You did for me so many years ago..for finding me worthy of You. May all the days of my life bring glory and honor to You my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Easter started with sun rise service for my husband and our 3 olders while the boys, Naomi and I stayed home. My father.in.law and mom.in.law met them there. You don't know how awesome that is! (A first) My father.in.law is on a journey right now with his faith, his questions and finding answers he's been looking for for a long time now. Since moving up to our area his relationship with my husband has been getting stronger and stronger (not that it wasn't before, it's just more times invested in it by both of them now). I love seeing my husband happy and being around his dad, he is. :)
Later in the day we headed up north to my aunt and uncles. It's been a long time since we've all been together...cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. Grand-parents, and some parents (my Pop included) have passed on now but to be with those we love & those who love and miss those who've passed was good. It's fun to talk about our youth and pasts while we hear about all our young one's now on their personal journeys. It amazes me still at how fast time moves. Seems like only yesterday my life was getting started. And now today..well, as my husbands put it "We're going to get old together baby, and looks like we're half way there now." :P
 It was a nice day and it was nice for the cousins to be able to see each other and spend some much needed time together. Our kids are growing up now so I was glad the girls were having fun taking pictures of each other :)

My Ayla, my niece~Leanna, and my Rubee



Leanna, Naomi, Ayla and Rubee ♥

Hope your Resurrection Day was a good one too.  ♥

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest..Pslams 55:6

Home :) By Ayla & Naomi ♥

Today's been a really long day. (Sat. night 4.7)
Somedays feel like their such a breeze, others storms. Today was a tornado. We went to a 10 pm showing of The Goonies last night and since we have our van now we had our 4 older each invite a friend. It was really fun..but I had forgotten how much cursing there was in there. :\  I cringed with each one and then after the movie apoligized over and over again..but in true kid fashion, the kids lOVED the movie as much as I did when I was 13 :)
We got home about 12:30 am and had a loud house until about 2:30'ish in the morning. I honestly didn't mind it at all. My kids friends are good kids and thankfully, all of them are enjoyable to be around, even that late into the night :)
But this morning at 7~Oh boy..yeah, that was so fun, lol. I feel so OLD today! The lack of sleep, combined with the errands that had to be ran all day long with all 6 kids in tow..it was a tough, tough day! The kids felt the effects of lack of sleep as much as I did and being out and about wasn't on their to do list. Emotions ran high by all of us and when the evening came and we were finally back at home our couch, our pj's and the quite time was the highlight of the evening :). It was good to be home and to rest these now..*sigh*..old bones. :P

(♥ U Levi)

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalms 37:7

Thank you Lord for a handy husband :). Our home is on it's way to being put back together thanks to my father-in law, my mom's husband and my husband. My father in law 's been here every week end bright and early into the late night and even come over some nights after work. He's been a huge blessing to my husband. It's been a fun learning time for Ezekiel too. He's been enjoying some "man time" with his Papa and Grandpa. Two weeks ago we let our agency know that requesting a court date would be okay now. Of course i mistakenly thought we'd get one right quick, lol. Foolish me. You would think i would have learned by now that our Eastern European country just does't work that way. Oh-hummm. Am Was praying that this week would be the week, but with it now being Thursday I'm feeling it's less than likely :( Maybe next week we'll it. Just waiting for that blessed invite to come. Praying to hug you soon little mister.

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor. 6:12

In case anyone out there's noticed I've been taking a much needed internet break. I've been putting priorities back into place what needs to be there instead of things like reading friends blogs, blogging & my addiction to fb (Hello, my name is Alysha..and I'm a fb junkie..) No, seriously; I really, really am. It's my worst offender.

It's been something that's turned into my escape when I'm feeling overwhelmed, feeling like getting away~but physically can't or just because. I don't even need to post something on my status, just would have a long look at others statuses. Most times I don't even read my friends blogs anymore cause I can get up to date info. right on their status.
 I used to tune out by going to my room with a book and listening to classical music or maybe sitting in some wonderfully scalding hot water with some lavender salts, veg out on the couch with my kids and the TV or draw. Now days though I turn to the internet. And I don't like it. I feel like it's become a thief in my home. I didn't realize it on my own though (sadly.) It was in tidbit's of things my kids would say..like if one of them would ask "where's mom?" I'd over hear the other answer with "Check the computer" : |
Anyway, about a month ago the Lord really convicted my heart on this subject during my study time while I was reading. I mean REALLY convicted me :(
Exodus 20:3-4
³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.
 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God."

The 10 Commandments were given thousands of years ago.  Of course, there was no facebook or blogger back then, but I think the idea still applies today and I really feel like in my life, they were for sure taking from my walk with the Lord. My convictions lead me to an in-depth study on the wordings.."idol" and "worship". Here's the gist of it...We can mistakenly think that what God is talking about here are merely idols made by human hands-things like totem poles or statues of other gods or people. But bigger than that are the idols of the heart. An idol is anything that takes first place in our life and in our affections; whatever takes first priority, above God in your life~they become idols. I don't want anything being more important in my life then my relationship with God. My relationship with Him is what sustains me and gives me the desire to be more, do more, love more and so on. So with this realization, seeking forgiveness and finding God's beautiful grace (as always) I've taken a break and have put my priorities back in order. Like 1 Cor. 6:12 says..I can do anything, but not all of it's profitable to me. Visiting fb, reading my friends blogs and so on become sin in my life when they become more important to me then my prayer life, my study time and my family time. In all..fb & blog reading/writing really just aren't that important to me in the grand scheme of things.
How 'bout to you?

(♥ U Levi)