Learning at home

As I continue to feel better, I am really making it a point to try to spend at least 30 minutes each day really focusing on learning. Isaac will turn 5 in May, and we have decided that he will not start Kindergarten here on the island at the Base school. (The school is only open one more year, and we are only here one more year.) Instead, we will hold him "back" and allow him and Sidge to do Kindergarten together starting the summer of 2014. However, this next year, I hope to do a "mini" kindergarten routine with them at the house. Check out some of the stuff we did this week:

Both boys wrote their first word this week. D-O-G. (This one is Sidge's, but Isaac's looked great too!)

Here is Sidge with an "A" and a "B". Both boys can now write A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J.

This made me smile. Sidge said this is a "pillow with a bend in it." 

Look closely to see Batman's big letter A.

Tournedos Rossini

Every Wednesday evening, our friend Mianna comes over to dinner. Connie is there too of course!

JB cooks great all the time but often, Wednesday, he pulls out all the stops. 

Last night, our other friend Nick joined us for: Tournedos Rossini which is: toasted brioche with foie gras pate, wilted spinach, beef tenderloin, port-brandy demi glace, and summer truffles

Make a wish

 

Capture dandelion "wishes" in a jar. These wishes just wait on a shelf or kitchen counter until a sad child needs some love and encouragement. Then, it is off ...with the cap, eyes squinched closed for a wish, and a big huff. This cheers children any time they're sad.

He is with me

So many times in my life, the Lord has walked me through dark places or deep valleys. Over and over and over again.

Why then, when I enter a new valley, do I forget that He is walking along side me, carrying me even? That He did it before. That He'll do it again.

While I am not totally over the early sickness of this pregnancy, the morning sickness has dissipated so tremendously. I have battled some down feelings that have too been dissipating. The last few days I have been feeling a lot of anxiety. I know all of this is related to hormones and morning sickness. I know the Lord is with me. I know He will walk through this with me too.

Or do I?

And yet, just like my own children, I cry and whine about the current place I am in. God oh God save me from this place right now. I act like He just didn't just show himself a few days or weeks or months or years earlier. I act like I deserve His immediate rescue from my current plight.

As Paul said in Phillipians 4: 12, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

I have no wants in my life. I really have no needs. I have been blessed beyond anything I could ask or think. And yet I still find myself asking Him for more. Lord, bring my heart peace and my life contentment today ... where I am.

Amen.

Ordinary

Your day may seem ordinary. Run-of-the-mill. Same old, same old. But it is so important we remember, each and every day, how important we are to GOD! Whether you are waiting to be a wife, waiting to be a mom. Whether you are alone or surrounded by people. May we all remember today that we are important to Him. All the time. Every day. In every way.

Easter in Azores

We had a few families over to celebrate Easter with us. 

 Here's Connie with Sonia (they are headed to Hawaii this summer)

My friend Jenn and her daughter Rowynn. They live around the block from us. That's Carla peeking out from behind. Can't believe Abigail was letting people hold her yesterday! A monumental moment for us.

Jenn watching all the little gals. 

JB helping Abigail with her first ever Easter Egg hunt in the garden.

Sonia looking beautiful in blue.

Friends: Sidge (Spiderman), Isaac (Batman), and Jackson (Superman)

Here's Sidge helping Rowynn find an egg.

Abigail getting the hang of this thing. (She definitely understood there was candy inside these things!)

Mr. Frank (Claire's husband) and their daughter Bria. Claire refuses to take pictures!

Alexa (Sonia and David's daughter) eating an egg.

Gavin. That's Claire's arm poking through. 

Carla helping Max.

Our friend Tania and one of her two boys.

Superman (Jackson) on the hunt.

More retreat pics

 My neighbor and dear friend Carla, me, and another great gal I have really gotten to know lately: Sonia

Sonia and me

Adrianne and Claire -- two friends of mine on Base

The view from the Conference room

Friday Funnies

Isaac: "Mommy, I burped and it tasted like donuts. Does that sometimes happen that we eat something and then we burst and it tastes like that?"
*****
Sidge: "Are we gonna watch a movie Mommy?"
Me: "No."
Sidge: "What are you watching?"
Me: "I'm just seeing if there is basketball is on."
Sidge: "You've always been doing that."
Me: "I know. It's March Madness. I like basketball."
Sidge: "Why?"
Me: "I just like to watch basketball."
Isaac: "Do you like to play basketball?"
Me: "I used to."
Isaac: "Why don't you play basketball anymore?"
Me: "Ummm ... cuz I'm a mommy now, I guess."

Abigail's new favorite activity

Take a look. Can you spot the new favorite hobby?

Crayon peeling!

Everybody's a ...

... hooker. That's what Sidge said while he was playing with his pirate "hook." "Everyone's a hooker!" Hmmm .... I hope not!

This Love (By Mandi Mapes)

Great lyrics on adoption (trying to find a good video to go with it.)

This is so for my little Isaac (who will turn 5 in just a few weeks!)

This Love by Mandi Mapes

I’ve never felt this way before
funny how you found you’re way to my door   
and suddenly my prayers are coming true
and these arms are not letting go of you

this love this love is the deep kind
you’re my baby, you’re my sunshine
I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan
and I’ll love you all of the time

our eyes are not quite the same shade
and your hair blows in the wind a different way 
but I am your mother and 
I love you just the same 
so I’ll take your hand honey 
and you can take my name

my heart has been redeemed,
adopted and now I know my Father
this grace that I’ve received 
I want to show you
I want to show you

this love this love is the deep kind
it hangs on through the storm and the sunshine
I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan
and I’ll love you all of the time

© 2010 Mandi Mapes

Shoulder & More

JB got good news from the doctors at Landstuhl in Germany. He does not need surgery on his shoulder. His rotator cuff has been injured but as long as he takes care of it, it won't need more done on it.

One of the things that impacts his shoulder greatly are the push-ups required of the military's physical fitness test. So for at least a year, he's supposed to "skip out" on those.

He is enjoying his time there with Shane and Linda, but we are excited to have him back home on Friday.

Connie has been here with me this week which is a great blessing. Yesterday, she helped me a ton in the morning as both Abigail and I had doctors appointments. Turns out Abigail has an ear infection. Her first one!

The boys only battled ear infections one time. They both got a double ear infection that was resistant to the first line of antibiotics. That was a less-than-ideal Christmas holiday with my grandparents.

Connie left yesterday afternoon to pet set for our friend Mianna so I was on my own last night. It was a great evening. Carla's boys came to play for awhile and then we went over there for dinner. I had everyone down by about 730p! (And I followed soon afterwards.)

I am looking forward to a MOPs field trip today and some time with my friend Jenn (and her daughter Rowynn) and Carla (and her boys) as we pass the windy/rainy weather inside.

As for me, the nausea has continued to dissipate. I don't feel back to myself yet, but the Lord is walking alongside me. I am especially paying attention to some of my old blogs that remind me to STAY IN THE MOMENT. I need not stress about tomorrow. I need to just take care of today! Here is one that really spoke to me!

Sometimes its hard

Listening to the Lord

Paper Cranes

Last night I went over to my friend Mianna's house. She is busy making 1,000 paper cranes for a friend's wedding and a few gals came over to try and help her complete her project.

Origami. Never done origami. Not really a crafty person. But Mianna did say it was super easy.

Folks, I learned that I stink at Oragami.

At one point, I had to laugh though, because I said, "Now I know how people feel when I tell them that shooting a lay-up is super easy."

Every single one of the six gals there said, "What's a lay-up?"

(So obviously we all have our gifts. And mine is not Oragami.)

Retreat

Not a real clear pic, but a picture nonetheless of the gals that I had the pleasure of attending the women's retreat with. I'm sure there will be more pics soon!

It's Monday now and it is ... raining ... again. Heavy rains and winds expected the entire week. I've never ever experienced weather like this island. The rains come and come and come and come! Yikes!

Women's Retreat

I had the opportunity to attend half of a women's retreat sponsored through the Chapel this past weekend. I am so blessed that I was able to go. The retreat was two nights, but I opted for just one night so as to not leave too much on JB right before he heads out of town. (He is going to Germany for a few nights to get his torn rotator cuff looked at.)

More on the women's retreat later. But how wonderful to hang with some current friends and meet some new ones -- all of us placed here together on this tiny island! I continue to have more and more good days and fewer and fewer days where I feel very sick Praise the Lord. My emotions are still in a hormonal flux, but I am praising the Lord for his continued presence.

Blessings!

Joy

Click here to read a great blog on why we are made for joy!

Adoption Video

A sweet montage of how wonderful it can be to adopt. Click here.

Friday Funnies

Sidge: "What is the highest number?"
JB: "There is no highest number."
Sidge: "Jackson said there is."
Isaac: "Jackson said it's a million."
JB: "Well it can go higher than a million. You can have a million and one and then a million and two."
Sidge: "Oh."
JB: "I think the largest number that has a name is a google.
Sidge: "Can I count to it?"
JB: "No, it would take you toolong. It would take you until you were an old man."
Isaac: "Well Daddy could do it. He's an old man."
*****
When our friend Kris read the bottom of a toy to Sidge with all kinds of crazy words on it about where it was from, Sidge looked at her and said: "That does not compute."
*****
Sidge: "Are vulture bad?"
Daddy: "No."
Isaac: "No, they just eat dead stuff."
Sidge: "Could they eat us?'
Daddy: "Only if you were dead. And if you were dead, you'd be in heaven."
Sidge: "Are there vultures in heaven?"
Isaac: "No."
Daddy: "There might be."
Sidge: "Have you ever been eaten by a vulture Daddy?"
Daddy: "No."
Sidge: "Because you wasn't dead?"

All on his own!

A thrown military shirt on a chair? Put it on! (While it's still on the chair.)