charity:water, pretty please!!!

Happy Wednesday!

a few random thoughts…….

we turned our heater on tonight. finally.

jacob ate a chocolate covered pretzel today. (thanks, missy!)  he also loves folding washcloths and putting silverware away.  who knew??

caleb is more like an adult than a child. always has been:) he’s hilarious, too!! he’s so much like sean, it’s not even funny!

i feel like I’m pregnant, but no one can see! i’m a crazy mess and no one knows why:)

i have another cause for ya.  it’s charity:water.  they put wells in underdeveloped nations so the people don’t die from drinking contaminated water.  if you can, give a few dollars to my page HERE.  you can read all about the organization there, too.  It’s pretty self explanatory!  seriously….can you donate? if so, thank you!

thank you to those who have bought our stuff, too! we appreciate the love!

do you like my all lower case letters? they make me cooler. (more cool?)

 

Thanksgiving 2012–check!

Well, Thanksgiving’s over. I’m done being thankful.  Just kidding, of course.  It’s good to be home, back in the land of routine and our own beds.  (just wondering, have you traveled with a child with autism? on a holiday? and his birthday? okay then.)  On a serious note, if you have questions about how to do this, or if you’re curious about Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder, or little boys in general  I’d be glad to offer my vast insight….or point you in the right direction!  I’ve met some good friends because of our common bond with our children.  We’ve also recently added a few food allergies to our repertoire, so I’m learning more about that.  Never a dull moment at our house!

Jacob turned 9 today.  It’s crazy!!  I can’t even believe it.  He is now well stocked with Skylanders “stuff”, so all is good:) He doesn’t like cake, so I made cookies.  (wheat free, egg free chocolate chip, fyi) He gets a bit overwhelmed with lots of people, so we always have a very low key celebration. He’s easy!

My newest batch of necklaces  (all crosses this time!) was waiting in the mailbox for me! Let me know if you want one or 5.  I have 1 bracelet left, too.  They’re all either olive green, like this pic, bluish green, or green with a red heart in the center. The other designs should be here soon. You can order on the sidebar or if you’d rather mail a check than use paypal, you can email me or Facebook me. (tonyagarrick5 at gmail dot com) and I’ll send you my address.

This was our last Thanksgiving as a family of 4, by the way! Aren’t you excited??? WE ARE!!!

 

 

Can You Eat Cake for Breakfast?

Thanksgiving is almost over. (yes, my green bean casserole turned out good, thanks) The only food left around here is cake. –  I’m not a typical black Friday shopper, so I’m about to hit the sack and am enjoying the quiet, while my husband and brother stand in a line somewhere.   It works out.

Is it weird that I barely saw my kids today? They played nonstop all day long. They ate and went back and played some more. With no one getting in trouble! They love the woods around my parents’ house. I even let Caleb drive me around on the 4 wheeler through the trails. He managed to hit every bump and hole around.

I’ll tell you something else.  It’s VERY strange having a child on the other side of the world. It just is. I wonder what she’s doing all of the time. Since she’s at the orphanage, we don’t get many updates on her, so I have to operate on the “no news is good news” p.o.v.  So, while the boys are busy doing their thing, I wonder if she’s also having fun.  Or if she’s feeling okay today. It can get a little crazy!!  On the brighter side, this should be our last Thanksgiving as a family of 4!

Eat leftovers tomorrow and finish off the desserts! If you’re shopping (now or in the middle of the night), I hope you find that bargain….and tell my husband hi if you see him out!

Thankful and Impatient

It’s almost time for Thanksgiving (food)!! I think my favorite part of Thanksgiving is the dressing that my mama makes.  Yummy!  But I am also very thankful–for family, friends, life in general.

Jacob’s birthday is this weekend, too. The boy is so excited he can hardly sleep. He’s so stinkin’ funny! While he was adding items to his wish list, Sean told him that people weren’t made out of money.  He said, “It would be cool if they were!” I wish my kids weren’t spoiled! But man, they’re sweet.  We’re reeeaaaallllllyyy ready for Julianna to be home. Really ready. Really.  Caleb and Jacob are ready, too.

While we are tired of waiting, we really can’t believe that we’re in the middle of an adoption! We’ve talked about it forever and now it’s real. Very, very cool.  We feel extremely blessed. She’ll be home before you know it.  (Hopefully, sooner rather than later!)

We’ll gladly accept your donation if you want to help a brother (and sister) out! Just click the big donate button to the right.  Or order a tee shirt. Or a necklace. Pretty sure I’ll have some bracelets soon, too!

Don’t eat too much Thursday! But if you do, I hope you enjoy it!!

 

Thanks

Today, I’m thankful for the life He’s given me. It’s much better than the one I could have planned.

Psalm 107:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.”

Gratefullllll

Happy Friday, everyone!

I’ve mailed out necklaces and t shirts so I am thankful!!

Order by clicking the pictures on the side:) You will be giving to our adoption fund and for that, I am grateful!!

Trust

Wow, it’s election day again! Even though the campaigning started waaaayy too early, it doesn’t seem like 4 years have gone by. So, what about tomorrow? This is what I know. I’ll be supportive of either candidate who becomes president.  I don’t think one is our saving grace and one is some horrible being. I do know that God created them both, just like he created you and me. I also know that neither man can save this world, nor can they condemn it to utter despair.  They’re just men.  Psalm 25:5 says “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” v.21 “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.”

Moving along…

It is National Adoption Month! Learn more about getting involved somehow in orphan care, foster care, or adoption. If we’re believers, we are all called to care for widows and orphans. (James 1:27)

Here’s a ministry that helps both.  Wiphan.  Take a look.

Learn more about adopting through foster care. AdoptUSKids

There are many children with special needs featured on Reece’s Rainbow.

There are so many other good organizations that help in various ways. Feel free to let me know of your favorites!

Do you know a family who has adopted? Know someone who’s in process? Do you have any friends who are foster parents? This month is a good time to encourage them. Take them a meal, send them a note, give them a big hug. Not everyone adopts, but everyone can care.

Now a word about our adoption……thank you so much for those who ordered the necklaces as soon as I posted them on Facebook! I’m ordering more and will let you know when they come in.  If you want a t-shirt, holla’!  I’m mailing some out this week.  All of the money is going toward our adoption expenses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW: If you feel led to give, you can do so by clicking the donate button or by ordering a shirt, necklace, 31 gifts item (event on FB with shopping link)  or shopping on Zoe Clothing, where we are still benefitting from sales.  We are grateful for those who have supported us.  We greatly appreciate your generosity.  If you would like a tax deductible receipt, please mail it or send it via paypal on the Reece’s Rainbow site. (their mailing address is on there, too)  If you do give there, we will not be given the names of our donors, only amounts given.  So, if you give, please let me know so I can thank you!

WHY DO WE HAVE TO FUNDRAISE?  When we had our boys, our insurance covered the majority of those expenses. When you adopt, your insurance doesn’t cover anything. So, while we have saved money and are paying as much as possible ourselves, we know we have to rely on our “village”….our friends and family and those who have taken an interest in our adoption. Also, we hope to hear good news from a grant that we applied for in December. We appreciate your prayers and kind words!!  Adoption is an emotional roller coaster, let me tell ya!  We also know that God is using this time to teach us about our own faith, faith vs religion, and totally transforming our lives. It’s hard and good at the same time.

WHO ARE WE ADOPTING? Here’s a picture of sweet Julianna…

Isn’t she the cutest thing ever? She was snacking away on her toddler puffs!! Drinking her juice like crazy and just being adorable!! (This was about 10 minutes before she slung my glasses off. I should’ve put that picture up, huh? Hey, tantrums don’t scare me!)

So, if you want to help, we welcome it! We’ll keep you posted on any new information about the adoption, but as of now, we’re still thinking she should be able to come home in the Spring.  We can’t wait!

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

 

 

 

 

His Dreams

Let me tell you what I’ve been thinking about lately. There’s a Bible verse that I like- Psalm 37:4 tells us to “take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  What does that mean to you?

This is what it means to me…..while God does honor our obedience and wants to bless us, he wants to bless us regardless of “us.” He’s a loving Father. I don’t know that it’s about us being “rewarded” for our obedience. Who would be able to earn that? Not me.

Could it mean that He’s the one who gives us those desires to begin with? He’s the one who puts them there, in our hearts? So, if He’s the giver, then wouldn’t he also be the fulfiller of those dreams?

Not all of our hopes, plans and dreams come to pass in the way that we think they should. Believe me, I know this.  But when we allow Him to work those dreams out, bringing them about in His timing, the way He knows is best, then what a better dream it is!  For me, that means letting go.   Why do I struggle so much with this?  I’ve proven myself inept, time and again! I am not trustworthy, I can’t handle the responsibility of living my life independant from Him.  He has never failed me, though.  He is trustworthy when I am not. There have been situations I haven’t understood and haven’t agreed with but I also know that my mind can’t understand His ways. How could it? 

 “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. ” 1 Cor. 13:12

We live in a world that is broken. He came to redeem us from it and restore that relationship between us and Him.

I am thankful that God continues to teach me and doesn’t get tired of me.  I pray that I will always embrace His dreams that He’s given me because those are the best kind!

Blessed

I am thankful for my boys.

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him…

1 Samuel 1:27, 28