Happenings around our home...

You might think that I"m still spring breaking. If you guess that you actually guessed wrong! I've been busy spring cleaning, freezer cooking and de-cluttering. Maybe instead of Spring cleaning, we should call it "nesting".

YES! That's right, our family is growing. Not by one or two, but by three through adoption! We are so thrilled that the Lord has seen fit to bless our family with three precious little ones.  That brings our total to an even two boys and two girls. Our new daughter is 4, and our two sons are 3 and 1.

The girl's bunk beds are set up and the boy's room is cleared out ready for a crib and toddler bed. Their foster family is actually sending them with a good supply of clothes and toys so we are just trying to get big picture necessities. 

In just 10 days they will be home for good. No longer will they wonder if they are being shifted from one home to the next. No more will they be seen as the state's responsibility. They will be sons and a daughter. They will bear our last name and live this life right along with us. Our house might change over the next few years, but their home will always be with us.

We are so excited. We will have our hands full but let me tell you, it's much better than empty!

Growing

Our little girl is growing up.

Either her jeans have shrunk or she is a few inches taller than last year.

Her pleads for me to help her with brushing teeth and hair have been replaced with "I can do it"s.

Cartoons no longer interest her but rather "grown up shows with real people like Little House on the Prairie".

Style opinions are offered everyday now and my outfits either get thumbs up or thumbs down.

Her descriptive words have made us giggle with words like good and bad being replaced with impressive or dreadful.

As if these weren't enough clues to remind us that she is growing, she read the Bible story to me last night instead of me reading to her. What a delight all these changes have been but I cannot tell you how much it warms my momma heart to see her taking her walk with the Lord as her own. Not only is she growing on the outside but we can begin to see a little seed of faith growing on the inside too. As much as I want her to stay a little girl forever, I even more so want to see her become the godly little lady that her Creator has for her to be.

  

It wasn't me!

It wasn't me who stayed in my pj's till the doorbell rang today. 

It was not me who got into a water fight while washing dog; leaving my little one soaked. One point for mom!

It wasn't me who allowed our little girl watch a movie in the middle of the day "just because". 

It certainly wasn't me who made a big pile of French crullers with my little one for an afternoon snack using this tutorial. 

Nope, none of those sound like something we would do over spring break!

 

Follow through...

It's the downside to an overly creative mind... Uncompleted projects.


Our daughter has half painted pictures and uncompleted crafts in every nook and cranny of her room. She often sets out to make a masterpiece and somewhere along the way, her very talented mind strays her off course to another project.


The character of perseverance has been one we have been working on lately; seeing a task through to the end. Boy did our little girl impress us yesterday.


She sequestered herself to her room for the afternoon and diligently worked away on this masterpiece.

 

 I have to say that I'm so proud. Not only does her talent shine through, but so does her hard work. She left no square undone and even cut off her Classical Conversations cd to concentrate better.


Work while you work, play while you play, this is the way to be happy each day. All that you do, do with your might. Things done by halves are never done right. ~Anonymous

Wrestling

 
Three times today I've heard the exact same question asked to me; by three totally unrelated people in completely different settings. The wording might have been different but the results they were seeking were all the same.


"Is she your only one?"

"Is she an only child?"

"How many kids do you have?"


Maybe our daughter is getting to an age where most people already have another one, or maybe we look old like we should have a houseful?

Although the questions don't offend me, I do feel that there are implications to the questioning. Like somehow we must have the perfect 2-4 kids. No more, no less. You see, if you only have one then there are automatics that are assumed. Your child must be unsocialized, you just want it easy on yourselves and have the benefit of one child. She must be spoiled rotten! If you have more than four somehow you are automatically a large abnormal family somehow. You can barely fit in a idealistic SUV or minivan and you are certainly part of the quiver full movement. By no means are either one of these approximations true, but none the less, they are the things society thinks!

It's easy to let societal norms translate into what we should do in our family, particularly with family size. Afterall, most things we do as a family aren't the common American ideal way of doing things since we are missionaries in this crazy Army, so shouldn't we at least try to look like a normal family?!

These thoughts have been swirling around in my head for the past few weeks. I began to feel sorry for our daughter thinking about her not having siblings right now. That sorrow turned into discontentment and reared it's ugly head as anger.

We have a desire for many more children. We have spent many nights processing paperwork, exposing our home to many inspections and sending emails to and from the foster care agency.  Yet, God has closed that door that he had us work so hard to pry open. We feel that it's just a for a season but we don't know His ways.

My discontentment seeped out in the form of questions to God, and I knew I was headed down a slippery slope and I had the entire American culture I was sliding down with. Why could he not just give us one more child right now? Why am I feeling like I should have peace with one child? Who will fill the other slot when everything is set up for a family of four?

The Lord, in His faithful, patient and abiding way implied a very simple and profound truth on my heart.

                      {Wanting something that is not in MY will for you right now is simply SIN!}

You might be thinking well of course there are things that I want that God doesn't have in the game plan right now. I want world peace, I want every person to hear the gospel, I want all orphans to find a forever home. I'm not talking about those hopes and prayers. I'm talking about pushing my agenda so much that it brings me to a place where I have the audacity to question a Sovereign God. That my friends, is sin.

In my quest for contentment I am finding new joy in our little one. I am reminding myself to delight in being the mommy of one on those days where I have been teacher, mother, playmate, chef and maid to her. I'm barricading my mind with scripture when I start to wonder what it must be like to have many children that play together. I'm praying that I wait upon Him and count my blessings in my waiting. My prayer is to leave the sin of discontentment no room in this heart that my Creator conquered.

What about you? Are some of your plans conflicting with the Lord's plans and you need to lay them down?



                               

Menu Plan Monday

Whew, I am slap wore out. We have been gone the past two weekends conducting marriage retreats. Although I thoroughly enjoy these weekends, they leave me feeling a bit stuffed and bloated. It's hard to make good food choices when while eating out especially when the meals are free.

So, this week is all about eating clean. We have slowly been moving toward clean eating as a family as we have been cutting out commercial food at home. The only items I have been buying pre-made are yogurt, cereal, pasta and the occasional tortilla chip for salsa. My goal is to adjust my eating for breakfast and lunches and eat a reasonable dinner.


Monday- Bacon wrapped chicken with asparagus and veggie orzo

Tuesday- Fiesta Steak and Pasta Salad with spinach salad

Wednesday- Small group- grilled hamburgers (beef and turkey)

Thursday- Shrimp and Spinach Salad with homemade bread

Friday- Camping in our RV, grilled organic hotdogs, raw veggies and yogurt dip, smores

Saturday- Beef Danube with egg noodles with spinach salad

Sunday- Homemade whole what pizza with raw veggies and yogurt dip


Lunch ideas: Sweet potato topped with chopped turkey

                     Salad topped with boiled egg
                  
                    Apple peanut butter and raisin sandwich

                   
                  
Snacks: Homemade granola bites, homemade fig newtons, cubed cheese, grapes



I'm linking to Org Junkie 

Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake is a favorite of my sweet husband's. He doesn't have a huge sweet tooth like *ahem* someone I know, so when he puts in his opinion for a sweet treat, I'm sure to listen.

I needed a cake to send with him to work. We feed soldiers and he gives a devotional on Wednesdays. It's been a blessed time to break down the walls of uncomfortableness that some soldiers seem to have with their chaplain. It's a great way to win favor when you are new to the unit too!

I went to one of my favorite cookbooks for my carrot cake recipe.

My aunt gifted me this cookbook after her stay with me in Germany. It came complete with notes scratched in the margin. Beside the Pumpkin Carrot Cake Recipe, she wrote "Best Cake I have EVER Made!".  That's saying a lot from a woman who knows her way around a kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup (about 3 medium) carrots, grated
• 1 cup coconut, flaked
• 1 1/4 cups nuts, chopped, divided
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease two 9-inch-round cake pans.


COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Combine milk and lemon juice in liquid measuring cup (mixture will appear curdled).


BEAT eggs, pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, pineapple, carrots and milk mixture in large mixer bowl; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Stir in coconut and 1 cup nuts. Pour into prepared cake pans.


BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.


FROST between layers, on sides and top of cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish with remaining nuts. Store in refrigerator.


FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
COMBINE 11 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup softened butter and 3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons orange juice and 1 teaspoon grated orange peel; beat until combined.

I'm linking to Tempt my Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday