Sarah's Dandelions

Skate Park at Dusk in January...

2012-01-27T11:38:00.000-06:00

BOOM! DRAGONS!

2012-01-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

I was {trying} to organize my photos the other day and came across a folder of pictures from November that I'd {almost} forgot about... I love them too much not to share. :)

she marches around the yard with purpose...

in her own little world....

talking to bugs...

and singing her abc's...

and then, her brothers come out to play... and hand her a sword...

right before {gently} tackling her to the ground, telling her they were dragons...

dragons? she says...

well... in that case...

and then, she brushes herself off and continues on with her walk....

this time with a sword... ready for battle...

I feel like this sometimes. like I'm walking through life, enjoying a beautiful day when BOOM. DRAGONS. Except... I don't really want to fight. I'm tired, and fighting is hard. So the dragons take over... and when they do, it's hard to see beauty.

But, then I realize I have to fight. I can't quit. As hard as homeschool is, as hard as fostercare is, as hard as marriage can be... it's worth it. I remember that I too, have a sword. God has given me HIM and His word...

as scary as life can be sometimes I have that. I just need to use it.

because she has experienced pain...

2012-01-13T14:14:00.001-06:00

I took my youngest to target the other day. my two year old daughter. she was dressed so cute and had received many compliments on how adorable she is. this makes her shy, but she is so much more confident now.

and then as we were walking hand in hand we passed another mother and her 4{ish?} year old son. he was crying & making a scene. as they approached us his mother said to him "look. see the pretty girl? she's going to stare at you. what will she think of you crying?"

I wanted to tell that mom that my daughter, my beautiful daughter that we are trying to adopt, is the most non-judgmental person you will ever meet... and that she doesn't stare when others are in pain.

she looks away. she always looks away. because she has experienced pain.

A pain I will never know...

so next time you want to shame your son... please don't use my daughter to do it.

Small Style: Nerd Style.

2012-01-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

Today's Small Style the girls are wearing their "Nerd Girl" socks {Target Mini Harajuku: clearance!}and their brothers old converse...

For the rest of their outfits I have to tell you one of my little secrets... I still dress my girls (who wear some 2t, mostly 3t) in clothes size 12-24mo. That skirt on Hope? a size 18 mo.

If I REALLY love a sweater or a skirt I keep it after they've outgrown it and layer it on top of something... like Hope's skirt - it's layered. Keziah's sweater is a size 24mo. layered on a size 3t shirt.

I do this ALL the time with the girls dresses... they look super cute AND I get much more wear out of their clothes. It works awesome except for that one time I accidentally (because it's still in the girls drawer) put tights on Keziah that were a size 12mo. We'll just say she had some wardrobe malfunctions. We'll also just say it only happened once. :)

More Small Style at Mama Loves Papa!

She wanted to make a snowman...

2012-01-09T16:24:00.000-06:00

And so 'her boys'{yes that's what the girls call their brothers... as in "mama, where are my boys?"} climbed our hill with buckets and shovels and came back to the yard with snow...

So she could make a snowman with them.

A Midwest Sunset...

2012-01-08T21:39:00.000-06:00

Beautiful

Colorful

Majestic.

Life in the Back yard...

2012-01-05T22:24:00.000-06:00

When this is your back yard...

and it only snows a little bit...

well? what's a boy {or girl} who dreams of snowboarding all year long to do??

except to make do, hike through the long grass instead of snow and sled (or snowboard) on!

Seth was all THISISAWSOME!!!!

Small Style, Her Style...

2012-01-04T21:57:00.000-06:00

'Look, Mama! We got dressed!" she yelled as she came bouncing into the room, her sister on her heels... "Take our pitCHure?"

I think they missed our little small style sessions together...

When ever Keziah puts together her own outfit she almost always adds a hat. Her big brothers say it's because she's a snowboarder at heart...

She also makes sure that if she is wearing hat. SO.MUST.HOPE.

If Hope doesn't agree it doesn't matter... Keziah will tackle her to the ground and force the hat onto Hope. At which point Hope rips it of her head and then puts it back on HERSELF. THANKYOUVERYMUCH.

After the initial adjustment time the girls became very close, but I am amazed at how much closer potty training them together has brought them.

They were made to be sisters, a friend of mine recently said of Keziah & Hope... I couldn't agree more. They were truly made to be sisters and it's such an amazing thing to watch that bond grow & develop between them.

They were made to be sisters. Adoption is a beautiful thing.

Everything the girls are wearing, except the tights & socks, are hand-me-downs. And they put their outfits together by themselves. :)

More Small Style here!

Christmas Break: {edition: I made Almond Cheese!}

2012-01-03T14:34:00.001-06:00

"Have you tried almond cheese?" a friend asked me, shortly after Keziah was diagnosed with lactose sensitivity. "No! But she LOVES cheese so I will!" And then I searched and searched and searched for almond cheese. Couldn't find it in our small town, couldn't find it in our big town...

couldn't find it.

Enter Pinterest. Oh, how I love pinterest...

Source: rawmazing.com via Sarah's on Pinterest

We peeled TONS of almonds...

blended our almonds with water, almond milk, garlic & lemon juice. put the mixture in cheesecloth in a strainer in the frig overnight and TADA! Almond Cheese!

Keziah LOVES it! We all do! It's very similar in texture/taste to hummus - and SO EASY to make!

This is very exciting! :)

Christmas Morning Snapshots...

2012-01-01T20:17:00.001-06:00

{6am} Malachi reading {and explaining} the Christmas story to the littles.

{6:30am} Hope {in her "Nerd Girl" socks - yes my daughters are LOVING! the "nerd girl" trend} She also LOOOVVVEDDD her very first Christmas with us!

{6:35am} Josiah looking at his new LEGO Bible. YES! a LEGO BIBLE! If you have boys that love LEGO's this is a MUST HAVE!! :) Malachi has The Action Bible {which is the entire Bible in graphics} also a MUST HAVE with boys!!

{6:45am} my boys pooled ALL their money together and bought me a wii game. little known fact... i like to play video games with my boys! :)

{7am} the little kitchen area {it used to be a closet in the play room} that Tim and I have been working on (after the littles went to bed at night) is revealed!

{7:01...} we lose the littles to their new kitchen for the rest of the morning.

{7:15} the girls are playing in their kitchen and all 6 boys are hanging out with each other & their new toys in the living room. {Malachi is pretty much a rock star - he can feed the baby and play at the same time!}

{7:30} the 4 big boys opening presents that came from Grandma & Grandpa in Washington.

{8am} we hurry and clean up the living room so we can let sumo baby army man crawl around... he ALWAYS heads straight for "his" basket and dumps it out. :)

{12:30pm}Keziah... so tired. poor Keziah hasn't been feeling well... croup & sore throats have been making it's way through all of us since Christmas Eve... and it's STILL going strong today. UGH. Not fun.

{12:45} cuddles with my Hope.

I love Christmas. I pray that every single one of you had a beautiful Christmas surrounded by what really matters... those you love.

How we are spending our Christmas break {the Birthday episode}

2011-12-31T18:11:00.000-06:00

We started our Christmas break on December 23rd... Josiah's Birthday.

We started a little tradition when we started homeschooling {4 years ago. wow.} to always take birthdays off.

We spend the day celebrating the birthday kid...

making his/her favorite foods or treats...

and put school work away for the day...

it's one of my favorite traditions.

How we are spending our Christmas Break {episode 1} ...

2011-12-31T12:38:00.000-06:00

Potty Training the girls.

it's uh. it's going...

whoever said potty training girls was easier than boys
HAS.NOT.POTTY.TRAINED.MY.GIRLS.

related: SO.MUCH.LAUNDRY.
also related: SO thankful for an incredibly patient husband (daddy) that loves spreadsheets & organization & is heading up the potty training efforts. what?? most kids don't have a spread sheet schedule telling them when to use the potty?? :)

EIGHT!

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Oh, goodness. I can hardly believe my little Josiah is EIGHT!

.

Josiah. My tenderhearted, contagious smiling, sweet boy... You are so loved. And we are so proud of you.

Happy 8th Birthday!!

Because who doesn't love a family picture with ninja moves?

2011-12-21T19:54:00.000-06:00

these seven. my crazy seven.

someone is always doing ninja moves or dancing or running or jumping...

as keziah is getting a little bit older {three whole years old!} we are noticing how much like malachi she is... they are both the class clowns, the monkeys, the NINJA's!, the sensitive ones...

malachi is so proud.more small style at mama loves papa!

Chaos...

2011-12-21T11:09:00.000-06:00

Christmas craft time...

I pictured us all sitting down at the table, the children quietly listening to how to do the Christmas craft and then happily all working together on our little projects while listening to Christmas music.

happy sigh.

What really happened...

I set the materials at the table, all organized and ready for them, I call the children to the table "Everyone come here! We're going to do Christmas projects!!"

They all come running like a herd of elephants. Before I can say anything there are materials flying everywhere...

The 4yo ripped his paper...

The 3yo glued the table...

The 2yo started eating her materials...

The 5yo opened the glitter and it was everywhere...

My older boys were arguing and grabbing the colors of clay they wanted...

NOT. HAPPY. SIGH.

I did get them to STOP and listen... Even so, it was loud and messy... it was really LOUD and MESSY.

Who am I kidding? Everyday is loud and messy.

It is really hard for me to let go of what I think things should look like... to realize that even in the chaos there are memories being made. Good memories, bad memories.

We made our Christmas cards, we made our snow globes... but what will they remember when they look back on our chaotic craft times together... mom yelling?

I tell them I'm sorry for yelling. Always yelling. And ask them to just calm down a little bit...

We make our Christmas crafts, I let go of the image I have of what happy is.

I have no choice but to embrace what happy really is... it's loud. SO LOUD. it's messy, it's chaotic, it's laughing & being silly, it's glue everywhere and glitter all over us.

It's looking past all of it. Everything. And into the hearts of our children. Because that is what really matters anyway.

If you come to my house and ask me to take your picture...

2011-12-18T18:28:00.000-06:00

I may transform my living room into what I lovingly call my "poor-man's studio"...

It is also quite possible my boys will pause behind the sheet {as they are running through the house} to make shadow puppets behind the sheet.

I may also beg my husband to pretty, please move the couch outside...

and he will, while rolling his eyes at me...

I may randomly pick up your delicious baby and smooch on him. I can only contain myself so long in the presence of adorableness...

These are the things that may happen if you come to my house and ask me to take your picture. :)

bowling with boys & girls in tutu's...

2011-12-11T23:16:00.001-06:00

No Snow... {and other random ramblings.... }

2011-12-07T12:58:00.001-06:00

We live in the Midwest prairies. Where it snows in October and is bitterly cold by November...

Except this year... today it is 30 degrees. THIRTY! In DECEMBER! also? NO SNOW. None.

I don't really mind the no snow thing... it makes driving easier... I've always hated driving the long straight Midwest roads in a snow blizzard. Where is the road? Where is the deep ditch. CAN NOT SEE.

But my boys. Oh, how they are longing for the snow. They have still been sledding... who needs snow when it's below freezing, you have an awesome hill and a bucket of water??

Boys are awesome.

We started decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving...

It's one of my favorite traditions... staying home, avoiding the black friday madness, drinking hot cocoa, looking at our Christmas decorations, deciding where we'll put them this year, playing games.

We have these little wood blocks that spell out "Merry Christmas." Every year we put them out somewhere... and every year someone re-arranges the letter to say something else... as fast as I can fix it to say "Merry Christmas" some sneaky boy/husband changes it.

I love it.

It's hard to believe that last year we had five stockings hung for each of our children... this year we have eight for each of our children/foster children. Eight kids. Wow. I laugh when I am reminded that five of them are five and under.

One would think it's a total nut house... and it is... but it isn't. It just feels normal. :)

In other news...

Keziah has been having a lot of stomach issues lately... TONS of tests later we have determined she does not have celiacs disease! Hooray!! But it looks like she has developed a sensitivity to lactose. We've all discovered the yummieness of Rice & Almond milk. SO GOOD! And because of Hope's very "moody" skin issues we've all started using Dr. Bronner's soap (the lavender & tea tree ones), discovered how amazing tea tree oil is and have stopped using shampoo! (we still wash our hair with Dr. Bronner's & apple cider vinegar/baking soda)

Isaiah has become VERY involved in several clubs... one being at the library. They call themselves the Library Ninja's and have been doing a lot of fun things including filming a commercial for the library!

When I was going through the pictures I asked him why he was making this face... his answer? "Because a GIRL put her arm on my shoulder!!"

And sumo baby... the newest member of our family...

while listening to our Frances England Pandora station this song came on by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole captivating sumo baby...

I googled the song and showed sumo baby the video... he didn't even blink... he was all "MY PEOPLE!" it was adorable.

Since then sumo baby has had several theater reenactment performances of IZ right here in our home...

So there you have it. All the latest news... No snow, sledding anyway, Christmas decorating, cherry is smart, eight kids, rice milk, almond milk, no shampoo, library clubs, girls=eww, sumo baby fun. :)

it's worth it...

2011-11-30T21:33:00.001-06:00

i'm typing this with one hand... it's been a while {2 years} since i've had a baby in my arms everyday. all. day... i was surprised at how out of practice i felt... when you're pregnant, you know what's coming... you prepare for it physically & emotionally the best you can. but, with fostercare someone shows up on your doorstep quite literally a few hours after letting you know their coming.

and just like that i had a 6 month old baby. who didn't sleep.
and also? 7 other children. oh! that i'm supposed to homeschool.

if i'm being honest, which i always am... maybe too honest? i would tell you that these last 2 weeks have been the longest, hardest and most out of control 2 weeks of my life.

but then i met sumo baby's mom & dad. and they were so thankful for us.

it's worth it. the sacrifice of time & sleep & money & space. it's worth it. these kids are worth it. this baby is worth it.

all of it.

and when i took sumo baby to the doctor {ear infection} he told me i was a tired, sleep-deprived angel. "ohhh... no. i'm not. just trying to do the best i can..." i said with a sigh.

"no. you need to know that what you're doing is amazing... and you need sleep."

{I needed to hear those words that day.}

and then sumo baby slept all night, last night. ALL.NIGHT.

sleep. yes... sleep makes everything seem ok again. today i finally felt like i could do this. this whole mothering a 6 mo old, 2yo, 3yo, 4yo, 5yo, 7yo, 9yo, 13yo thing...

besides... i have a very cute little mommy that wants to take care of the baby EVERYSINGLESECOND.

WHYAREYOUDOINGTHATMOMMY... THAT'SMYYYYJOB!

this is her 'back off woman I BE FEEDING DA BABY' look.

and her 'I LOOOVVVEEE feeding MAH baby' look.

and yes. i think it's the cutest thing ever. :)

More Pictures, Foster Babies & more...

2011-11-23T11:24:00.001-06:00

We got a 5 month old insanely sweet foster baby last week... we lovingly call him "Sumo" because he looks like this...

Only smaller. And cuter. Sounds like he will be us for a few months. His parents will be doing their visits with him at our house... which made me nervous. But they are very sweet and actually thanked us for taking care of their son. Amazing. And in that moment it was all worth it.

.....

I finally have the online wedding album up and running! If you're interested....

The Wedding: My Favorites...

2011-11-20T20:44:00.001-06:00

The bride & groom are back from their honeymoon {to IRELAND!} and have seen the following photos which means I can finally show YOU!

This first one is my MOST favorite of all of them. I always love the unplanned, non-posed photos. I really struggle with posing people because I just want to capture what's happening between them... that was one of my biggest weaknesses in shooting this wedding, and something I will have to work on... because I LOVED shooting this wedding and can't wait to shoot another one.

ANYWAY.

This photo. Oh, how I love it. A random picture... not posed... just the two of them smushing their noses together as the wind blows her veil. I love it.

LOVE.

I love this picture SO MUCH. I love the huge smile on the brides face as she watches her groom... I love how her father has so much emotion on his face as he walks his daughter up the aisle... I think every father can relate.

Small Style: Oh, So Dapper...

2011-11-17T00:04:00.001-06:00

My Josiah. He has his own dapper style. I love it. And him.

Small Style is hosted by the always lovely, Mama Loves Papa.

Always Jumping...

2011-11-15T10:51:00.001-06:00

She's always jumping.

Always reminding me what it looks like to trust. believe. have faith and jump.

The Wedding: Sneak Peek 3...

2011-11-11T15:05:00.001-06:00

The Wedding: Rings.

2011-11-10T14:38:00.001-06:00

The Wedding: Sseko Sandals

2011-11-10T09:23:00.001-06:00

I LOVE that the bride and her bridesmaids were wearing sandals by Sseko Designs... located in Uganda, Africa.
{Sseko Designs was created to help young women continue their education... you can read all about this amazing company here!}

Fall & Skipping Rocks & Life...

2011-11-09T01:58:00.000-06:00

We moved to the Midwest 9 years ago. In those 9 years I don't think we've ever had a fall like this year.

Meaning FALL!

That has been one of the many difficult adjustments I've had in moving to the Midwest. It's usually either very hot, muggy, buggy, & rainy OR very cold, icy & snowy... So very different from the Northwest.

but this year has been different. we have had the most glorious, beautiful fall.

the boys often ask if we can ride our bikes to the public access of our lake. {they love skipping rocks} i say yes. and we do.

and since the bugs are gone, we linger and play.

tim & i smile & watch. we hold hands & dream of the future.

we know changes are on the horizon for our family. big changes. we know that we have just barely touched the surface of where God is calling us. He has called us to our children. And He has called us to the orphaned children.

God is calling us to step out even more. the realization of that literally takes my breath away.

we all stand there. on the waters edge. watching the rocks skip. living. laughing. loving. we don't know how to do what God has called us to. but we know we will do it together.

On Location...

2011-11-07T17:57:00.000-06:00

So. I photographed a wedding...

I'm the one in black standing in the thistles... looks like I'm directing traffic. The three girls standing by me were my "right hand girls" they were busy grabbing things I needed, holding cameras and helping me get the wedding party where I wanted them.

Tim took this picture, he was the best second shooter a girl could have. We took around 2000 pictures everything from getting ready early that morning to the photo shoot to the family pictures to the ceremony to the reception... I've just started going through them, but I am happy with the photos I have seen.

PHEW. :)

Camera Bag...

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm shooting a wedding on Saturday. this freaks me out. I always said I never wanted to be the only photographer at a wedding... mostly because I'm not a photographer. I'm just a girl who loves photography and has a camera. When the bride asked me I'm pretty sure I said "Are you SURE??!! I'm not a photographer!" She was sure. Still is. So. This is happening.

Sooo.... We bit the bullet and bought the Nikon D700 and the 70-200mm 2.8 lens. {and by "WE" I mean Tim... while I was fretting nearby & possibly also crying about how we can't afford it and we're allll gonna die.} {I LOVE my Nikon D5000... but I have started running into limitations with it.} That was a really big, expensive bullet to bite.

Now we're broke. again. I've been teasing the boys that we're "starving artists."

I bought this bag with the intention of turning it into my camera bag...

but the lens is too big and it won't fit with important things... like padding and the CAMERA. sigh.

So I picked this bag up at our local salvation army store... it was $1.80.

This makes me happy.... and I think everything will fit but I haven't tried it out yet because once I got it home I realized it smells like cigarette smoke inside. :( the bag is currently sitting outside airing out, waiting for the padding.

We rented the Nikon D3s and the 105mm 2.8 lens for the wedding. Tim is my 2nd shooter... keepin' it all in the family. ;) I'm thankful to have a husband who pushes me & encourages me to pursue photography... to learn more, get better, be more confident.

He also reads the entire camera manual and learns everything there is to know and then teaches me. AND, He's great behind a camera, so that helps!

I'll be back in a few days with some sneak peek Wedding photos... EEEK!

My little Small Style girls...

2011-11-02T20:53:00.000-05:00

As seen on Keziah:
shirt: target
skirt: target {i think}
vest: hand-me-down
boots: carters {found on ebay!}

As seen on Hope:

shirt: target
shorts: target
vest: hand-me-down
tights: old navy
shoes: see kai run {found at a consignment store!}

Small Style Hosted by Mama Loves Papa.

Pumpkins...

2011-11-01T13:22:00.001-05:00

Motherhood... and growing and changing...

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

{originally posted November 1st, 2010}

On October 31st we let our kids dress up, walk down our quiet little street and knock on the doors of our retired neighbors who are eagerly awaiting our kids...

(ps. yes, our kids are the ONLY ONES! pss. I know! psss. Also? FULL SIZE CANDY BARS!
pssss. Also? Yes, hubs and I stole the candy bars!).

Does that mean we are "celebrating" halloween?

Back when our first born was our only born and he was too young to know what was going on around him, we didn't dress up. We didn't go out. We DENIED.THE.EXISTENCE.OF.HALLOWEEN. But as we have had more kids, and as they have aged we have had to re-evaluate our "hole up for the night and pretend halloween isn't happening" approach.

Instead, we educate our kids.

The best part of homeschooling is that we are learning right with them... I've especially enjoyed history. Learning the "why" behind a lot of the things we do today. We have learned about the Celts, about how they believed in spirits, not God. And the Greeks believed in many gods, not God. Most people back then knew there was a higher power at work... but they didn't KNOW God. This is very much where halloween came from... a knowledge of some higher power... misplaced.

Which brings me back to halloween. How do we live in a way that we are IN the world, active and alive, not hidden away... yet not OF the world?? We want to be a light to those around us... we can't be a light if we are hiding from the evils of the world. Yet... we can't submerge ourselves into the world either.

We don't hole up anymore... Our kids LOVE dressing up! So, an excuse to "play dress up" and visit the neighbors is a delightful early evening activity on October 31st. Do we see anything wrong with allowing them to do that? No. Are we "celebrating" halloween by allowing our kids to do that? No, we aren't. We are not honoring the evil intentions that put halloween on the calender by dressing up as a cowboy or a ballerina. {Much in the same way almost EVERY American "celebrates" Christmas... but not every American is honoring the birth of Jesus Christ.}

We choose to homeschool our children because we can't afford private school and we don't want our kids in public school. Does that mean I have the right to point a judgey finger at you because your child goes to public school? Or that you can point a judgey finger at me because I homeschool AND I believe in Jesus AND I {gasp!} let my kids dress up on October 31st... Well. You can. I can. But should we?

The bottom line? We are all mothers, all trying our gosh darn best to do right by our children. Do we mess up? Absolutely! Will we have opportunities to raise our eyebrows at the mother in the checkout line next to us? Yup. But just remember this... She is a mother, just like you... and maybe instead of judging her and the choices you think she's making... just give her a little grace...

pieces of our bus...

2011-10-29T12:27:00.000-05:00

have i mentioned tim is painting our bus?

he tore it down to it's bones and fixed all of the rust.

there was a lot of rust.

and now he's painting it & putting it back together. it became a huge project that has taken what feels like 8904 days.

i can't wait to have it back. can you believe i just said that? i can't wait to have my BUS back. we haven't all ridden in the same vehicle since this project started.

we miss it.

His brothers call him "Bubbles" ...

2011-10-28T10:46:00.000-05:00

I call him "lovey" he's always smiling. always happy. always cuddly.

ps. this photo is straight out of the camera... I only ran it through lightroom for the watermark.
related: i am in love with the Nikon D700!

More you capture HERE!

An Apple a Day...

2011-10-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

if my kids are running around outside, i can pretty much guarantee they have an apple in their hand. they LOVE apples... between the 7 of them they eat around 30-40 apples A WEEK.

thatsalotofapples.

The one about homeschool & the adopted child...

2011-10-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

I homeschool* my children.

I homeschool my 13 year old...

My 9 year old. {he's the one hiding from the camera in a blanket} ...

My 7 year old...

My 5 year old. {I still can't believe he's FIVE! but he is & he's adorable & he smiles like this our entire school day.} ...

the girls... {kind of. } :)

*we use this for Bible & this for handwriting, teaching textbooks for math, learning language arts through literature for english, map skills for geography, a combination of drive thru history, ancient civilizations & american history for history, God's design for science and this for art. Elijah is using kindergarten workbooks for math and we spend a lot of time learning letters & sounds together. He also participates with the older boys in history, science & geography.

And, I have been trying to homeschool my 4 year old.

For four weeks we focused on one shape... the square.

He still can't tell you what a square is, what it looks like, how to make one, he can't point it out.
I tried to teach him how to count to three, but quickly realized we needed to focus on counting to one... after weeks of teaching him the number one - he still can't tell you what 1 is. I tried to teach him colors & discovered he is color blind. He responds to every single question with either "yes." or "i don't know." EVERY.SINGLE.QUESTION. I tell him he is a smart boy and I don't want him to say "I don't know" anymore. I want him to think about it first.

I have caused myself so much anxiety over his learning... lack of learning.

I've been letting myself get so frustrated over it. Trying to balance the enormity of teaching just him along with teaching my older boys and doing preschool with my girls. I came to a place where I wondered if I could face him every day. Face the blank stare when I ask him a question. Face the robotic responses.

I've been focusing on his behavior. It's all I could see.

Everyone tells you to look past the behavior of the adopted child... to focus on the heart. They say that because loving their behavior is not possible... but looking past it? While simultaneously addressing it? The hardest thing I have ever had to do.

I haven't been doing it well.

I've realized he needs time. Developmentally is no older than 3 and I need to extended that grace to him. To let him be. Let him find his security in our family.

I could say no one tells you how hard adoption is...

But they do tell you. It's just impossible to comprehend until you're the one in it, dealing with it, living it.

We are 100% committed... but that doesn't make it easy.

Homeschooling my children is fun, difficult, so hard I just want to quit, rewarding, amazing... yes. all of these things.

Small Style with Hope...

2011-10-19T21:50:00.000-05:00

Dress: Old Navy
Scarf: Etsy
Boots: Carters (from ebay)

Hosted by Mama Loves Papa.

I love...

2011-10-17T15:09:00.000-05:00

I love photography. I love what a creative outlet it is for me.

I love color & fun ideas

fun angles.

capturing sweet moments.

I love friends who ask me to take their photos, beautiful families, life, growing bellies...

little loves...

2011-10-15T17:43:00.000-05:00

sunshine.

fruit.

beauty.

my girls.

Keziah's Small Style {4}

2011-10-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

This is the outfit that Keziah insisted "needs me!" while we were shopping together the other day. I know I'm in trouble with this girl. and her shopping. and her training in her little sister.
But I can't help but giggle...

*Entire outfit from Target.

More super adorable Small Style here!

Goodbye Crib...

2011-10-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

This week Keziah gave her bed girl bed to Sweet Pea. {who up until this week had been sleeping in a crib}

Why was Keziah so willing to give up her big girl bed??May have had something to do with promising her this coffee table...

Which we turned into her new big girl bed...

And now, for the first time in 12 years there isn't a crib set up in my house.

It's bitter sweet.

mostly sweet.

{although I would NOT turn away a foster baby!!}

Sweet Pea {who has a new middle name - that we will use as her first name: Hope.} is so very excited to have a big girl bed...

My girls are growing up... now if they would just decide to use the toilet. THAT? would be awesome.

Yes, son. Today you are four.

2011-10-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

Every day since the end of June, Bumble Bee has been talking about his birthday. EVERY.DAY. He celebrated 4 siblings birthdays since June. That's a lot of birthdays while waiting for your own.

He has learned patience and being happy for others... but it WAS.NOT.EASY. because "Is it MY birthday?? When is MY birthday? is TODAY MY birthday?"

Yes, son. Today is your birthday. Today you are 4. Today is YOUR day. We are so thankful you were born, and we are so thankful God placed you in our family. We love you!

Teenager IN DA HOUSE!

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

My oldest child. My First Born. Is thirteen today. THIRTEEN!!??!
You know how when you have a baby... your first baby, and everyone is ALWAYS telling you "cherish this. it goes by so fast."?? TRUE. SO FAST.

My baby boy is growing up right before me. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. He has always been my "rule follower" he sees things black or white {NO GRAY!} JUST.LIKE.HIS.FATHER.

Sometimes I feel sorry for my "everything is either black or white" members of our household. There are three of them, which means six of us see life as black & white & "ooohhh... pretty GRAY! we love GRAY! let's play in the GRAY!" I'm sure we exhaust them daily. Thankfully, they are insanely patient.

Isaiah has been preparing us for this day, the day he becomes a teenager, since he turned 12.

Yes, really.

"You know, mom, I'm going to be a teenager soon... you should probably let me practice driving now.""Cars are really important mom, I want a car that I can be one with. it needs to be cool and I need to start looking for that perfect car."

We took him go-karting... that counts as "practice driving" right??

I think his strategy is to wear us down early so by the time he IS old enough to drive we'll throw some money at him and tell him to GO GET A CAR ALREADY! It just may work. ;)

In all seriousness though, we couldn't be prouder of the young man Isaiah is turning into. He is so amazing. So full of wisdom. So patient. So long-suffering. So compassionate. We are SO thankful for him.

Still? Kinda scared about the whole TEENAGER thing. Gulp.

Adoption & Name Changes...

2011-09-27T18:22:00.002-05:00

Once we knew that Sweet Pea & Bumble Bee would {hopefully} be in our family forever, we gave them each a new middle name {which will be official the same time they get our last name... when the adoption is finalized.} {I have no idea when that will be... turns out a lot of paper work wasn't being done when we thought it was being done. :( }

ANYWAY.

{Bumble Bee enjoying one of Grandpa Mark's peaches for the first time.}

Bumble Bee has always loved his new middle name {Seth. which means "chosen, appointed, anointed son"} and has recently started asking us to only call him Seth. Which we want to. Like a lot. But should we? We will {probably} not be legally changing his first name, we want him to have that piece of his history... his birth family is a part of him, we have never wanted to take that away. Because honestly, that's not even possible. Name change or not he will always be connected to them. We know that. We're aware of that. We're ok with that.

We struggle with this decision...

On the one hand, we want Bumble Bee & Sweet Pea to know that we accept them and love them AS THEY ARE. Their names are a part of who they are.

On the other hand, God gave many people in the Bible new names, to symbolize a new beginning, a fresh start, a purpose, to define their calling.
Did you know God changed Sarai's name to Sarah to give her a new identity? Sarah means "mother of many nations." {Genesis 17:15-16} I LOVE that my name means that, and I have always felt the call to the children of many nations.

We have always believed that your name can shape you and define you... maybe Bumble Bee feels that and desires that?

I don't know.

We want to hear from other adoptive parents, or adopted adults... did you change your adopted children's name? Why? was it a difficult transition? Was your name changed as an adopted child? How do you feel about it now?

We have only called both Bumble Bee & Sweet Pea by the name they were given at birth {It is unclear to us who named Sweet Pea since she was placed into foster care the day she was born - there is definitely less of that family connection involved in her name} ... everyone who knows them in our life knows them by their given birth name. How difficult would it be to start asking people to call them by their new middle names??

These are the things we are pondering. Thoughts?

Small Style: Hello Sunshine...

2011-09-22T00:26:00.000-05:00

I was first introduced to Small Style on Stephanie's blog and was hooked. I've wanted to play along and post cute pictures of the kids {mostly the girls because they not only WANT to dress cute every day... they DEMAND it... the boys... mmm. notsomuch.} ANYWAY. I finally joined the fun a few weeks ago and I LOVE.LOVE.LOVE. Small Style. Better? The girls LOOOOVVVEEE Small Style. Because dressing cute when you're 2 & 3 is so much more fun when you get a photo shoot out of it! :)

as always, the girls clothes are from all sorts of inexpensive sources. i love playing with patterns and putting clothes together in fun ways... so, for me, it's not about where I got them... but how we wore them. :)

More adorableness at Mama Loves Papa.

ONE.WHOLE.HAND!

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yup. Today, Elijah is FIVE. FIVE!

"ONE WHOLE HAND! AND MOM, AM I BIGGER? BECAUSE I'M FIVE NOW! A WHOLE HAND!"

Someone is just a little bit excited to be ONE.WHOLE.HAND! today.

Elijah. My little "talk like a pirate day" baby which is very exciting to a brand new five year old... to be born on International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

My super sweet and very cuddly boy. Growing up so fast... Next thing I know he'll be TWO whole hands. GAH! Think he'll still let me cuddle with him then??

Loved On... {this is fostercare}

2011-09-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

this baby. so sad. withdrawn. looking for love & attention. a mom and a dad.

this boy. my malachi. so full of hope. love. compassion. cuddles.

this is why we do what we do.

{this little boy is an orphan... he's been separated from his brothers (who are 4 & 5) and they are all looking for a forever home together. if you are even just a tiny little bit Native American and are interested in adopting these boys {or others} please let me know!}

Keziah's Small Style {2}

2011-09-14T22:22:00.000-05:00

LadyBug Girl style...

Shirt: Yard Sale find
TuTu: last years {very well used, and loved} birthday present from Grandma
Tights: Target
Rain Boots: Target
LadyBug Accesories: Amazon

More Adorable Small Style at Mama Loves Papa!

My 9.11 Baby...

2011-09-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

turns THREE today. THREE.

Oh... this girl.
My first daughter.

After being a mom of all boys for 10 years... TEN YEARS! I had a girl... her.
She changed everything. She ushered in dolls and pink and dresses and tights! I still remember her brothers asking me "what kind of socks are those!?? Tights? huh. weird."

On September 11th ten years ago something unimaginable happened to our country. A date forever burned into all of us who watched in disbelief.

But then on September 11th three years ago something beautiful happened that forever changed that date. My beautiful daughter was born.

Seven...

2011-09-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

Here they are... all seven of my punks. :) Our Small Style is pretty simple... everything you see here is from Old Navy, Target or {gasp!} Wal-Mart.

More seriously adorable Small Style at Mama Loves Papa.

Free...

2011-09-04T22:05:00.001-05:00

she stands in the wind. free from life's troubles.
she lives life to the absolute fullest every single day.
she only worries about things like ladybugs... {where they live, who their mommy is...}
but life? doesn't worry her.
she is free. and beautiful.
i want to be just like her.

Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is free.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Sweet Pea & Keziah's Small Style {1} ...

2011-08-31T22:23:00.001-05:00

On Sweet Pea {left} : top: Carters
pants: {hand-me-down} Naartjie

On Keziah {right} : top {hand-me-down}
pants: {hand-me-down} Naartjie

Although Keziah's outfit is all hand-me-down {i have awesome friends} the shirt & pants are from 2 different friends... this seriously made my day! :)

Find more Small Style at Mama Loves Papa!

The Wonderful World of BOYS! {with a Splash of GIRLS...}

2011-08-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Before I had boys I truly had NO.IDEA.

Growing up on an orchard with my sisters I thought I had seen my fair share of crazy adventures...

but. no.

My boys take ADVENTURE! to a whole other level. A level I didn't really know existed in my pre-boy life. It's hard to believe, now... but there was a time in my life where there is no way I would have been able to sit back and allow my boys to be creative, ADVENTUROUS! boys.

I've come to accept it.

They are boys and they need adventure... I'm ok with that... However, I always put on an act... "Are you sure that's a good idea? Ok... well... be careful!"

Just a few ways my boys have been seeking adventure this summer...

Fishing "Tom Sawyer Style" ...

Homemade BMX jumps...

Homemade bow & arrows {bought with his own money}...

Tree-Swingin' & Tree-Climbing...

the boy who WAS terrified of heights, of swinging, of climbing...

Now tries to keep up with his big brothers {and little sister} ...

These boys. sigh. These boys make me smile, make me laugh and always keep my heart racing.

Meanwhile...

These two girls with five adventure seeking big brothers?

They are ALL girl... but also? ALL "tom-boy"...

For example... They both were begging to wear tutu's this past week {and wear them EVERYWHERE}

However, when the tutu's are on are they pretty ballerina's?

Nope.

"we pretty superhero's, mama!"

Yes, my pretty girls... yes you are. :)

Ordinary Moments...

2011-08-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

More You Capture here.

"I Nerd Girl!"

2011-08-23T23:42:00.000-05:00

Not even kidding, she runs around proudly calling herself "Nerd Girl!"

Love this girl.

This is Adoption. It's Ugly & Messy & Amazing & Beautiful...

2011-08-21T17:15:00.000-05:00

We took Sweetpea* & Bumblebee* to a "mental health specialist" the other day. I've mentioned they have RAD {Reactive Attachment Disorder} - and we want to be as proactive as possible in helping them work through their issues while they are still young.

Sweet little Bumblebee doesn't understand emotions. When he first came to us he had very little empathy for anyone or anything. He doesn't understand or know what he feels. Basic emotions are foreign to him. He has been noticing basic behaviors & has been trying them out... like the time he yelled to me in the middle of the store "ME WANT TO KISS YOUR FACE!" in his robotic little voice. He doesn't feel that emotion.... the I love my mom so much I just want to kiss her! ... but he see's his siblings doing that and wants it for himself. And while everyone around us is all "awwww... he's so cute!" ... All I think as I'm offering my face to him to be kissed is...

I wish he meant it.

So we find ourselves in a mental health specialists office. She shows Bumblebee a picture of a boy crying... tears on his face and asks him how the boy feels? "I don't know" What is on the boys face? "rain" Do you think maybe the boy is sad? "no." I think he is sad... I wonder why? "because the picture has a scratch on it."

She acknowledges his lack of emotion. She tells us that everything we're doing to teach him about emotion is right. We're doing everything right. There must be more? Something else we can do?

We talk about feelings, we tell him what he is feeling while it's happening, we talk about how others feel, we practice showing emotions on our faces in front of the mirror. He can't make those faces... but sometimes I find him looking in the mirror, all alone, trying to make a sad face. Besides happiness, he has never shown us any other emotion, ever.

She tells me that the part of your brain that can be taught emotion? has already been developed by three years old.

Bumblebee is almost four.

I ask her if there is anything more we could be doing? She tells me we're doing all the right things. I'm glad we're doing all the right things... but I walk away realizing we can't fix what is broken. We can't fix him.

Tim and I had our first date in 8 months that night. Bumblebee was heavy on our hearts. The words of the psychiatrist ringing in our ears "he may never fully understand emotions". I don't know if I can handle this, I say.

"You can't. We can't. This is God's."

This is that part of adoption that is truly symbolic of God & us. We come to Him broken, seeking a relationship and he accepts us with all of our "issues". He won't turn us away. He loves us anyway.

God accepts us and loves us as we are. And once we are secure in that love He urges us to change... to grow.

That is what adoption is all about, I realize. With all of the issues any adopted child has... they are being accepted into a family... as they are. And once they are secure in your love you can urge them to learn & grow...

To not be in bondage to their past... but to blossom into their future.

This is adoption. It's ugly & messy & amazing & beautiful. And through this adoption, is God, reveling His realness, His mercy, His love, His compassion to me... to us.

{*for those that have asked... yes, sweetpea & bumblebee have real, unique names that will never be divulged on the public internet for privacy reasons. If you know me & i know you just ask me privately for their names... they are beautiful & I love sharing them. :) }

We really love books...

2011-08-18T23:29:00.000-05:00

the bookshelves are organized. our new homeschool curriculum is here. so. ready or not. homeschool here we come!

Happiness...

2011-08-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about happiness... I have come to a place of deep peace and happiness in my heart. I can look around me at any give moment and have true peace. true happiness. knowledge that we are truly in God's will.

My heart is thankful. Full.

And yet, somehow, I don't always feel that peace, that happiness... even though it surrounds me.

I get so caught up in the bigness of it all. I feel so much pressure to succeed. What if I fail? What if I fail these seven little {and not so little} people I have been entrusted with. I look into the face of our new 3 year old and all I can think is; what now?? I don't know how to help you. It's overwhelming. And it robs me of my happiness.

I forget that I don't have to carry these burdens. And I try to carry them. I forget that God does know how to help me. them. all of us. I forget that God's love is what has carried us and will carry us through.

And when I slow down. Stop. I remember. And that peace washes over me. It's okay to not have the answers. Because God does.

And I know He is the one who carries us.

More You Capture here.

The TALLEST of smalls...

2011-08-08T15:06:00.000-05:00

by Max Lucado.

perhaps you don't know
then maybe you do
the TOO SMALLS of stiltsville
and their story for you,

where people like we
some tiny, some TALL
with games and schools
and clocks on the wall

keep an eye on the time,
for each evening at six,
they meet in the circle
for the purpose of sticks;

TALL STILTS upon which
a stiltsvillian can strut
and be lifted ABOVE
those down in the RUT;

the less and
the least
the shy and shier,
the not-cools
and have-nots
who want to go higher

but can't because in the giving of sticks,
their names are not called;
THEY NEVER GET PICKED.

like ollie, the boy
whose pants have a patch,
whose legs are too skinny;
his socks never match.

he laughs with a snort
and sleeps with a drool,
too common and dull
for the gang of the cool,

who decides who is special
who is in and who's out,

who's better, who's best,
and declares with a shout,

"you're awesome!" "you're pretty!"
"you're clever" or "funny!"
and gives out a prize
not of medals or money,

not pink cotton candy
or a house someone built
but the oddest of gifts
a gift of some stilts.

ollie wanted those stilts
so much he would plea
from the midst of the crowd,

"pick me!
please pick me!"

and one night to ollie's surprise, they did.
"you're cool!" they declared.
"hip-hip, hip, hooray!"
"come up to the front,
for this is your day
to join the classy and sassy
and move up the ladder."
when they lifted him up,
he knew that he mattered.

he looked down from above,
he looked down his nose
at the common, the plain.
yes, he smirked as he rose.

but his smile didn't last,
for soon he discovered
that birds like to perch,

and soon
he was covered...

with pigeons and buzzards
and all flying things;
they plopped on his shoulders
and rested their wings

while he struggled to walk
and maintain some balance.

"Do I have this skill?
Do I have this talent?"

ollie reached for the sky
with a tilt and a sway.

"look out below!"

he fell straight away

into the too smalls,
right back where he started
among the stiltless and small;
and oh how it smarted...

when the gang of the cool,
in the jilt of all jilts,
didn't offer to help.
they just took his stilts.

and there ollie sat.

he might not have moved,
might have sat there and cried,
except for the touch he
felt on his side...

so gentle, so caring,
that he looked up to see
Jesus smile down and say,

"ollie, come walk with me.

keep your feet on the ground,
refuse to be stilted;
choose low over high;
leave the system tip-tilted.

you're precious, my ollie,
not too short or too small;
i made you, remember,
you're mine after all."

so ollie went home,
took the clock off the wall,
enough of the stilts,
enough of it all!

i may not be much
the smallest of smalls
but since Jesus loves me,
i'm the tallest of talls.

-Max Lucado

Refreshed...

2011-08-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Two of my boys decided they wanted to get baptized this last Sunday...

Malachi has such a heart for Jesus. He inspires me daily. To live life with more passion. To love deeper.

At only nine years old he can tell you that he wants to live his life telling others about Jesus... and he's been telling us this for YEARS...

My sweet Josiah...

who said "THIS FEELS AMAZING! I'm SO REFRESHED!" He feels deeply, loves deeply and believes deeply...

I couldn't be prouder of my boys. of my family.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Romans 6:4 {New Living Translation}

Her Smile...

2011-07-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

You Capture: Fruit...

2011-07-27T20:29:00.001-05:00

Mango and Avocado some of our FAVORITE fruits!!

and I just HAD to throw this one in... my little's enjoying their morning bananas while watching blues clues and waiting for their oatmeal...

More You Capture here...

Our Family in the City...

2011-07-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

Our sweet little 'SweetPea' has an eye condition called "strabismus" a condition that her eye doctor here in our little town decided would be better treated in the BIGCITY!* Making a habit of getting down to the BIGCITY! has been something we have wanted to do as a family since we moved to this here little town... but just never really got around to it more than once a year. So. You know... we were really torn up about HAVING to go... or not. We LOVE the BIGCITY! And we are glad to have an excuse to go more often now... all while praying 'SweetPea's' eyes can get the treatment they need.

We went to parks...

cooled off in wading pools...

At one point I looked out at the wading pool and thought to myself... ALL.THOSE.BOYS?? THEY'RE MINE! That'sALOTofBOYS!

Went to museums...

'BumbleBee' LOVED driving this bus in the museum that was very much like our bus. At one point he had a bus full of passengers and told them "WE GOIN' TO CHURCH!"

Spent time with amazing friends...

.... And came home. We love the BIGCITY!*

ps. Doctors decided to try glasses on 'SweetPea' to see if it works as a first step of eye care... any advice on keeping glasses on a 2 year old??

*I type it they way my kids say it EVERY.TIME. "BIGCITY!" :)

Dancing In The Rain...

2011-07-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

it's SO humid I can't take pictures outside without my lens fogging up...

it's SO humid that when it rains? we dance in it...

Oh, Summertime...

2011-07-13T21:17:00.000-05:00

More You Capture here.

7 + 6...

2011-07-12T22:53:00.001-05:00

I don't know. It doesn't seem like THAT many kids to me...

I feel so privileged to have met so many truly amazing, inspiring, beautiful women in this thing called blogging. And every now and then I am able to meet some of you face to face. Which is awesome {even though I can be shy.} :) But still. Awesome.

It was nice to finally meet you, Brittany! We all are looking forward to seeing you & your beautiful family again! :)

biggest brother...

2011-07-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

He used to be scared of water...

2011-06-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

Not anymore!!

'BumbleBee' now enjoy's the water with these little fish...

More You Capture Here.

Sometimes real life isn't pretty...

2011-06-28T22:03:00.001-05:00

Sometimes? It's messy and loud and ugly and smelly. That doesn't make me love our life less... or regret the choices we've made. Not at all... But it's truth. Things don't always look the way I wish they did...

Unfortunately, we have made financial mistakes... we have struggled to stay afloat in our economy. It's scary not knowing if Tim will be able to keep employment. Really scary.

That's the truth.

We try so very hard to never let money become an issue in the choices we make with our family. To trust that God has brought these children to us and He will provide. I'm just trying to take a deep breath and remembering that it's ok. We're ok. And that God IS who He says He is.

...

And on that note I want to acknowledge our really amazing friends who live 1500 miles away and STILL manage to bless our family. {We are SO thankful for you G &A!} And Friends who know our hardships and love us anyway...

We really, truly are blessed!

Two!

2011-06-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

Look who's TWO!!

TWO girls!!

both TWO!

Happy Birthday SweetPea! We are SO overjoyed and SO honored to be your family!!

Daddy-O

2011-06-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy-O! I love you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OndTIppPoM

Raising Knights...

2011-06-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

I was flipping through the pictures I took from last weekend at our local parade and came across these...

{Isaiah gently keeping sweetpea from running in front of a float...}

{Josiah gently holding Keziah back as farm equipment drives by...}

I love these because they reflect who my boys are so much. Gentle protectors. Little knights.

It was love at first sight...

2011-06-12T22:26:00.000-05:00

Great Grandpa meeting his newest granddaughter for the very first time...

Beautiful Blossoms...

2011-06-08T21:43:00.001-05:00

Back in the days of roll film... I can remember finding a roll of film and excitedly begging my mom to take it to the store to get it developed... always hoping for fun family pictures or something interesting. She would agree and off we would go. We would pick up the much built up and anticipated pictures a few days later. {wow. thems were the OLDEN days!!}

Most of the time... not all of the time... but MOST of the time we were greeted with picture after picture after picture of FLOWERS. Not just ANY flowers... Apple Blossoms and some Pear Blossoms. UGH! I would throw my hands up in disgust. FLOWERS??!! WHO took an ENTIRE roll of film of FLOWERS??!!

My Dad. That's who.

He's an orchard farmer in the great state of Washington. He LOVES his orchards and his fruit and his blossoms. And if I remember correctly he was taking pictures of his new breeds of blossoms... {A lot of the apples we eat today are because of Orchard farmers like my dad who slaved for hours over grafting apple trees together... to get that perfect crisp and flavorful apple.}

ANYWAY. All that to say...

I get it now. I LOVE being outside and smelling the flowers and PHOTOGRAPHING the flowers.

My Dad will be so proud.

You Capture: Flowers...

More You Capture Here.

Best Friends...

2011-06-07T00:26:00.001-05:00

When SweetPea & BumbleBee first became members of our family, Keziah had a hard time adjusting to not being the only sister in the house. She wasn't used to sharing her boys (or her toys)... and she didn't like it. Not gonna lie... I was nervous.

It's amazing what time can do...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE watching them play together. My daughterS. Sisters.

Keziah leads SweetPea around all day. Talking a mile a minute, glancing back to make sure her best friend is still following her. And listening to her...

Oh, the stories she tells her sister. {And SweetPea's language skills have grown leaps & bounds!}

"C'mon Sister! This Way!"

My Girls. Sisters. Beautiful Sisters.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

2011-06-02T07:59:00.000-05:00

Untitled from Sarahs Dandelions on Vimeo.

Because I spend THREE nights a week on the soccer field...

2011-06-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

More You Capture: GAMES here!

when 7 year olds play soccer...

2011-05-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

{Josiah is in the white shirt}

Life...

2011-05-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

can take us places we never thought we would go.

exciting places.

scary places.

unexpected places.

And sometimes we come to a place in Life where we have to make a choice.
To choose to trust God. With everything. EVERYTHING.
To choose to let go.
To walk forward.
And to believe that HE knows what's up ahead, even when we don't have a clue...

That's where we are.

THAT Love...

2011-05-22T01:27:00.000-05:00

May is national foster care month. I've wanted to write a post all month about foster care... and how we can all be involved in changing the world by loving these children. But writing about foster care is hard. Doing foster care is hard. That doesn't mean we don't want to do it... we DO!

But still. Hard.

We've lost friends in this journey... because they don't really want to step into our world. I can't say that I blame them...

Our eyes have been opened to the reality that is our world. Where there are hurting children. Children who are longing for parents, for anyone to love them... Children who have been severely neglected...

And it's hard. But like Jami says, just because it's hard, doesn't make it wrong... {link}

As Christians, Jesus has mandated each and every one of us to reach out to the orphans and the widows. I'm sorry if you don't like that... but that is TRUTH.* And, we shouldn't have to be alone in the things we are called to do. Should we? We are the body of Christ! Think about how much more of an impact we would have if each and every one of us had a support system. People praying for you. There for you. Encouraging you. And... helping you in practical ways when you need it! Wow!

We would ALL be better for it... and that? IS how Jesus intended it. To step out in faith and do what He has called you to do... and to do it together. Jesus says in John 13:34-35 "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Our Love for each other is what the world will take note of. Our love for the orphans, for the widows, for the homeless...

That love? Can change the world.

***
*Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.

*James 1:27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

*Matthew 25:40 And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

Officially...

2011-05-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

BIG NEWS!

We are OFFICIALLY Sweet Pea & Bumble Bee's Pre-Adoptive home! Papers have been signed and our state has officially changed our home from their foster home to their pre-adoptive home!!

this is sweet pea the very first day we met... {she has RAD {as do most adopted children} and shuts down emotionally when unsure}

and this is sweet pea now... She has come to life and sparkles with personality... I honestly can't remember the last time she shut down emotionally...

Aren't they BEAUTIFUL??!! We ADORE them and are SO honored to call them SON & DAUGHTER! We will hopefully be able to make it OFFICIAL, OFFICIAL in around 9 months... for now MORE PAPERWORK! :)

THE BUSY!

2011-05-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

Having 5 FIVE boys is hold on to your hats BUSY! Like. Wow.

Silly n Sneaky. Cute n Clever BOYS!

Sometimes serious...

Always goofy...

Super cuddly BOYS!

But somehow...

{photo's taken .2 seconds apart} :)

... having 2 TWO girls is equally as crazy busy as ALL.FIVE.BOYS. Maybe it's because they're the youngest? Because they are 2 years old and {almost} 2 years old? I don't know but WOWZA!

{this photo was taken .2 seconds after the last photo}

When I get overwhelmed with THE BUSY! the social workers {3-4x a month} the speech, occupational and physical therapists {12x a month} the homeschooling & LAUNDRY & everyday things... I look at these seven faces, and the faces of all the foster children that pass through our doorway.

They are worth every second of THE BUSY!
(but I wouldn't turn away help... just sayin'!)

:)

More You Capture Here!

Elijah's 3 Easy Steps to Folding Clothes...

2011-05-13T15:44:00.000-05:00

Untitled from Sarahs Dandelions on Vimeo.

Motherhood...

2011-05-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

is having so much food under the dining room table after a meal that it is completely reasonable to bring in your husbands shopvac to clean it up.

motherhood is beautiful. and wonderful. and messy. and heartbreaking. and heart healing.

motherhood is all of these things and so.very.much.more.

motherhood is worth every awful day i've had to get through. worth every mess so big i sat on the floor crying. it's worth it. motherhood has changed me to the very core of my body. in a good way. in a beautiful way.

More You Capture here.

My "Irish Quadruplets"...

2011-05-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Never a dull moment with this crowd...

Lovingly called "the littles" {4 & under} by our "big's" {7 & older}, our "Irish Quadruplets" are all less than a year apart from each other. Sweet Pea is the youngest with Keziah 9 months older, Bumble Bee is 11 months older than Keziah and Elijah is 11 months older than Bumble Bee.

It's nuts, I tell you! But, in a good way. In a our hearts are full and our feet are tired kind of way. :)

My Girls...

2011-05-06T07:44:00.000-05:00

Have I told you they're only nine months apart??

Dandelions...

2011-05-02T23:34:00.001-05:00

She sees love, where everyone else sees weeds...

"mommy! i have a flower for you!"

More You Capture Here!

cheap art...

2011-04-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

we rearranged our living room a few weeks ago... and when we were done I had a big empty space on my wall...

it was screaming for a BIG HUGE piece of art...

I love cheap art!

Loaded Grocery Cart...

2011-04-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

this is how the girls use their grocery cart...

Maybe because this is what mommy's grocery cart looks like? :)

Multi-Tasking...

2011-04-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take very long with a large family to realize you have no choice but to multi-task every moment of your day. Like right now, for example... I'm picking a winner for the Veggie Tales giveaway, while mopping my floors and putting clothes away. I'm also shooing a certain boy back into bed, even though he went to bed hours ago. I tried threatening him with "if you don't go to bed, YOU'LL be doing the mopping!" but he excitedly replied "Oh! I LOVE mopping!"

ANYWAY!

As promised, I went on over to random.org entered all of your lovely names in and TA-DA! We have a winner! Congratulations, Shawna! Just email me your address {sarahsdandelions@gmail.com} & I'll drop your DVD in the mail!

Now... I REALLY need to finish mopping!

Have a wonderful Easter!!

List Randomizer

There were 8 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Shawna
Maureen
Brent & Sarah
Katie
Maggie
Heather
Jennifer
Lexy

Timestamp: 2011-04-24 03:02:05 UTC

Twas' the Night Before Easter... {A VeggieTales Giveaway!}

2011-04-21T22:53:00.000-05:00

We LOVE VeggieTales, and Twas' the Night Before Easter is no exception! All the fun and adventure and music we have come to expect from VeggieTales plus a heartfelt message about the true meaning of Easter... God's love for us.

AND! I have one for one of YOU!! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered! I'll pick a winner Saturday night... the Night Before Easter.

This Boy...

2011-04-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

loves life.

loves his family. takes such amazing care of his siblings... all of them.

this boy. loves adventure. climbing trees.

this boy. makes me so proud. every single day.

this boy. is NINE years old today.

these...

2011-04-10T16:51:00.001-05:00

nine children.
are each so amazing. all in their own, unique way.
I am honored to be their mom... always and forever for some... and just until their true mother get's better for others.

{ages of the kiddos: 1,1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12}

"... They take kids away..."

2011-04-08T00:05:00.000-05:00

We took our little tribe to the playground today. It was such an amazingly beautiful spring day. YES! SPRING! SUN! OUTSIDE!

If you don't do THE.TWITTER. you may not know we are back to nine kids. Our five and the two we're {possibly} adopting... {Sweet Pea & Bumble Bee} and two more little boys.

So. Park.

We were there and the kids were delighted to be outside.

And then a police car drove by.

Our 5 year old foster son runs up to me and says, while pointing... "OH NO! a cop car!!!"

me: "Why 'oh no', honey? Police men are here to help us."
him: "no they aren't! they're bad guys."
me: "why are they bad guys?"

him: "because. they take kids away."

me: "oh, honey. only if they think it's the only way for your mom & dad to get better... and you know they aren't going to take you away from us, right?..."

him: "i know. because i'm already in a foster home."

we had a long, sad talk about police men trying to keep kids safe, and helping mommies & daddies get better so they can all live together again.

he sobbed as we prayed together for his parents.

gut wrenching.

When the bikes come out of storage....

2011-04-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

As soon as the pavement starts peeking through the snow & ice the boys start pulling their bikes out of storage. We still have snow. still wearing boots to play outside. but SPRING! BIKES!

When this shows up in the laundry pile...

2011-04-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

It makes me smile. Spring is coming... it's so close I can touch it!

Dreaming of Spring...

2011-03-31T15:37:00.000-05:00

today we woke to big huge snowflakes... but these two? are dreaming of spring... {in the house, of course!}

Sigh...

2011-03-29T14:51:00.000-05:00

New Windows. Sun Shining. Little Girl in a TuTu.

You Capture: Youth!

2011-03-22T22:54:00.001-05:00

More You Capture here.