Fun Birthday Weekend.....

Yesterday, Shana turned 11!!! It doesn't seem like very long ago that we welcomed our first-born child into this world - I can't believe how fast the time has gone!

We started off the weekend by meeting Chris in town on Friday evening for dinner. Then, he brought the boys home while I surprised Shana and Malia with a girls-only overnight hotel stay and lots of shopping and fun on Saturday. They were thrilled, and it was good for this momma to get a little bit of a break as well! Yesterday morning, Chris made Cake Batter Pancakes with frosting for breakfast, and then we finished off the weekend by having a birthday party for Shana in the afternoon and evening.

Having fun in the pool....

Enjoying a late night snack and drinks at the hotel.....

Carousel rides.....

                                                                             Source: chef-in-training.com via Erica on Pinterest

Yum!!!!

We love you so much, Shanie, and hope you have lots of fun being 11!!!

Recent Sights At Our Place.....

1. Duct Tape Diva.

Recently, Shana went to church with a hair bow, a belt, a purse, and a wallet that she made entirely out of duct tape. Her daddy helped her with the purse, but she fashioned the rest of the accessories herself!

2. A new doggie.

Jalen found this old Davy Crockett raccoon hat in the toy box, and thought it was the coolest thing ever. He shoved it in his pants so only the tail was sticking out, and crawled around the house proclaiming to everyone that he was a doggie. The hat stayed in his pants for most of the day!

3. Lots of cuteness.

From two little boys eating their first Valentines candy ever to Malia in her favorite boots, we see a lot of cuteness around here on a daily basis.

4. Lots of orneriness. Recently, Shana was holding Jalen and he decided he wanted down. Shana told him that he had to give her a hug or she wouldn't let him go. He struggled for awhile, and after breaking loose and running across the room, came back and said, "Shana, I want to tell you secret." She leaned down and he whispered in her ear, "No hug!" and then bounded away giggling.

5. Silliness. The twins love to sing, and if they know the tune of a song but don't know all the words, they just make up their own. This morning, instead of singing "Brighten the corner where you are," Jordan was singing "Stand in the corner all day long."

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Silent Pleas.....

She sits quietly in her small, round, mud hut, thinking back over her life. It has been hard; it has been filled with misery and tragedy. Somehow through it all, though, she has kept her sweet disposition; but the haunted look is there, present in her eyes. As the sun shines warmly, she stares up at the thatch roof overhead and feels the cool dirt underneath her feet. And she remembers.....


Her parents died when she was young. Too young to know how to deal with that kind of anguish. From that point on, she had to work extremely hard; back-breaking labor day in and day out so that she could provide for her grandmother. A couple of years later, she had a child. Her relationship with her grandmother became very strained, and now there was another mouth to feed. But looking back, she realizes how much more she has lost in the years since. Her fiancee is gone. Her sons are gone. Her health is gone. And she is only 23. Now, she is hearing reports of her people being driven from their land and put into concentration camps. The leaders of the government don't care for her people and are forcing them out of their homes. She wonders when they will come for her. She wonders how much time she has left. Her first-born is still with her, but she is very concerned for her child's future. What will happen to her? Who will take care of her daughter when she is gone? And she is getting sicker each day. It is only a matter of time.......

**********************

The Anuak people of Western Ethiopia are being brutally driven from their homes. Their land is being taken away as well, and given to foreigners who will raise crops to export. The Anuak tribe has darker skin than  most Ethiopians, and racism is common there, just like it is still prevalent in other parts of the world. Today, I am asking you to pray for these beautiful people. The things that they are facing are horrible, and my heart is breaking for them. This situation hits very close to home, as our twins are Anuak. These are their people. This is their homeland. This is their birth family. Please join us in raising these people up before the throne of our Heavenly Father. Thank you.

3 Months.....

Jalen and Jordan have been with us now for 3 months! A quarter of a year! In some ways, the time has flown; although I can't really remember what life was like without them. They fit into our family perfectly, and have adjusted so well that it amazes me just thinking about it.

 We love you so much, boys, and are so thankful that God chose you to be our sons! So thankful that He chose us to be your forever family! So thankful that long before we ever knew, He planned to bring us together, from opposite sides of the world. He knew you needed us, and He knew we needed you. We are just so thankful. And so blessed.

My Valentine From God.....

This story actually happened to me 6 years ago, but since it took place on Valentine's Day, I thought I would share it again. 


It was Valentine's Day, 2006, and Chris and I were in Virginia Beach. In February, Virginia Beach is a pretty deserted place, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet as I strolled along the beach in front of our hotel. Chris had a business conference that morning, so he had taken our rental car. When lunch time rolled around, I was getting pretty hungry. I was pregnant with Malia at the time and was having trouble with my blood sugar getting too low, so I decided to find something to eat. I walked several blocks to a sandwich shop, only to find the place dark and locked up. I didn't see any other restaurants around, so I headed back to the hotel to buy a pop from the machine. That would help to raise my blood sugar, at least. But the pop machine wasn't working. After deciding to go down to the hotel restaurant to order a sandwich, I waited in line for quite awhile only to be told that they had just closed. Frustrated, I headed back to my room, feeling a bit weaker each minute. I was unsure as to when Chris would get back from his meeting so I could drive somewhere to eat. As I neared our room, however, Chris walked out. He told me that he had picked up lunch for me. As I sat down to eat, I realized that God knew exactly what I needed and that He would provide for me...always. I shouldn't have doubted. He closed the doors to the other places, because He already had lunch plans for me. I prayed and thanked Him for taking care of me and apologized for worrying about something so trivial when I should have trusted more. "Why," I asked myself, "would God take the time to deal with my little troubles when there are such bigger problems out there for Him to take care of?" I got my answer when I reached down into my lunch box and pulled out a red, foil-wrapped candy heart. On the front, it said I Love You.

It wasn't a big thing at all; but in that moment I got the tingly, breathtaking feeling that told me it was from God. I still have that foil wrapper in one of my scrapbooks. Every now and then I pull it out, look at it, and remember. Of course He loves me. Of course He's going to take care of my every need. That is who God is, after all. All I need to do is trust.


Have a great Valentine's Day!

Bits and Pieces.....

Whoa. Things have been crazy, and I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. So for those of you who have been sitting by the computer, anxiously waiting for something new on this blog (HA!), here is a little bit of what has been going on over in our corner of the world:

1. It doesn't take much to amuse these guys sometimes:

The other morning (before they were dressed!), the twins found these pom-poms. They thought it was absolutely hilarious that when they held them over the registers, the air blew the little streamers all over the place. Like I said, it's pretty easy to keep these guys entertained......

2. We've been through lots of sickness at our house in the last few days. I had it yesterday, and I don't ever remember being so sick in my life! I was confined to my bed all day, since every time I got up I felt like I was going to faint. So Ashton, who had been sick the night before but was feeling better yesterday, was the mom of the house for the day. He dressed the twins, watched them, made them lunch, and put them to bed for naps. He only forgot one minor detail; when we undressed the twins last night, it seems that they were both missing their underwear. Hmmm.......they didn't seem to mind the fact that they went without them all day! Thanks for all the help, Ashton!

3. Since we've had so much sickness, Chris bought some Sprite for the kids to drink when they started feeling a bit better. Well, it seems that the twins would do anything for their beloved Coka (pop). The other day when Jordan wanted some, I told him it was for the sick kids. He responded with, "I want to puke for Coka!" And this morning, both boys were feeling absolutely fine, until I asked them what they wanted for breakfast. Jalen immediately put his hand on his stomach and became desperately "ill." In a voice that sounded as if he was dying, he proclaimed, "I'm really sick. I need Coka for breakfast."

4. Our remodeling project is going well, but we will still probably be a bit torn up for a few weeks. I can't wait until this project is complete! I've been busy painting, staining, and varnishing, and trying to keep the house clean in spite of all the drywall dust, etc. The living room is finished except for the new carpet, but the laundry room still has a ways to go. I'm so excited about the new mudroom lockers, though! I'll post pictures of them when they're finished.

5. And last, here are a few random pictures:

 Brotherly love....

 All tangled up.....

 Sandwich kiss.....

 All of my boys.....

 Hmmm......I think they're planning more orneriness.....

 This guy likes cheesecake as much as I do.....

 Little Miss Mimi, all ready for school.....

Horsey rides.....

Well, that's all for now! Have a great day, everyone!