Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Winner of the Basket!!

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It is so fun to do a give away...I wish I could send every one of you something. And I loved your answers to the question. To be fair, I'll tell you what I do for rest and relaxation...time out in the LORD's beautiful outdoors (especially with my camera), but second is NAP, when needed!

And now the winner is... I know it is hard to see, but Jackie, it's YOU! I can't wait to send it to you!
Jackie, please contact me so that I can get your basket in the mail ASAP.
Thank you all for playing along with me. It has helped one more week pass as I wait to bring Keshawn home!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Parenting Verse-one

"Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20


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You are probably familiar with this verse as I am, however, I have been especially looking at verses with an eye towards what it teaches me as a mother. I then label these with a "p" for parenting and a pink sticky label so that I can find them quickly.
So here is my "mommy paraphrase" of the above verses; "I need to be quick to listen to my children, slow to speak until I have heard their heart, and slow to anger, for my anger will not bring about the LORD'S righteousness in their little hearts."

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I find this helpful and even now as a write this, I am reminded and convicted of an incident that I handled very badly just a few hours ago.
"Father, please forgive me for being quick to anger, and slow to hear and speak. Help me to patiently parent my children and I ask that YOU would bring about YOUR righteous fruit in their lives. Amen"

Cute As A Button - By Kalyn

I decided to call this post Cute As A Button, and I got the idea from Caresse and Landon. They were making little button men and just having fun doing crafts with buttons.
Well I was looking at those buttons and I started to think at how pretty and different each one is. They can be different shapes, sizes, and colors.

It put me in mind of every little one we have brought home from all over the world. Each one is different in shape, size and color. Each one is precious in their own way.
So I grabbed the camera and started taking pictures of the kids with buttons. I got lots and lots of pictures but here a some of my favorite ones.







Kiana let me take some pictures of her; is she pretty!






She is so cute!!!!









I don't know what it is with feet, but they do make cute pictures!









I think buttons are pretty cool. You can come up with so many crafts you can use them for. Buttons are pretty fun to play with!





I wish that just as I gathered the buttons in my cap; I could do so with all the little children all around the world.












Every time I look at my siblings I can't help but be thankful that they are in my arms instead of on the streets on the other side of the world.
But still our there are 147 million orphans just waiting for someone to come along and love them.
















The only thing that keeps my heart from breaking for all those lost orphans is knowing that God holds each one of them in His hand and knows them by name.




Adoption was the best decision in the world for our family. When people come into our house they are sometimes overwhelmed by all the noise and continual motion. But to me it really isn't that crazy. Okay maybe sometimes! But each one has stolen piece of my heart.





Children are so precious and special. How can any one not love children!! They are the constant source of fun, adventure, love, excitement, and mischief.

I just don't understand people who can abandon their kids. I can't imagine the heartache those kids must feel as they grow up without a father to help them along or a mother to sooth and comfort them.


I am thankful that God chose my family to place these amazing kids. Now I get to call them my siblings and even when they get on my nerves I still love them better than any thing in the world.

Kids really are as Cute As A Button!


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Something Fun - My "While I wait for Keshawn" give away

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I always love time with may parents. They live in Texas and came because they "can't go to long without seeing the babies." Dad and Kalyn made a delicious Lemon Coconut cake...it was really yummy.
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I think Alia is helping Gommy (that is what the children call my mother) with her next move.

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Dandy (what they call my dad) and the birthday girl working on their strategy.

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Kiana and Aiden were really watching the lava lamp, Kiana's birthday gift, to see what it was going to do.
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Now to the "While I wait for Keshawn" give away...

I thought it would be appropriate to give away this basket that I picked up while we were on our mission trip in Uganda.


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To enter my give away answer this question...
"What I like to do that is refreshing and restful emotionally, physically and/or spiritually is..."

Have fun answering...I can't wait to see what you write.
We will randomly choose a winner by this weekend.

Look at My Blessing

Look what I received in the mail from sweet bloggy friend mommy24treasures.
Isn't is beautiful and I can hardly wait to begin reading it.
This is what is said in the forward,
"The Family Blessing is about more than another nice family tradition to practice. It is about the great "I AM" declaring His glory from one age to the next. May the LORD grant each reader's heart to overflow with blessing on the heads of their sons, daughters, and grandchildren. And may this new edition bring great joy to the coming generations through Jesus Christ and through the blessing of their parent's hands."
Thank you so much mommy24treasures for your gift and encouragement to others!
It has been really busy around here...
still no word on travel date....waiting...
need to get going on some more school...
Can't wait to show you some fun pictures from our weekend with my parents;
and I have a little surprise for you coming, cuz doing something fun will help me as I look at this
Keshawn
and wait!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Delicious Pumpkin Swirl Muffins!!!

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Really, I promise, even if you don't like pumpkin (like me), you will love these muffins. Every Autumn we start craving these, so I made some to have ready for breakfast with my parents tomorrow.
Here is the recipe for you

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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese (room temp.) and
3 Tbl. maple syrup or honey
Set aside

In a large bowl, place
1 cup honey or maple syrup (we like honey)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 stick butter - soft
2 eggs
Mix this well
Add:
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 ts baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Mix until well blended

Now fold in the cream cheese filling very gently.
Fill greased muffin tins or lined muffin thins 3/4 full.
Mix 1/2 cup nuts with 2 Tbs. brown sugar and sprinkle on top (I double this...just cuz-yummmm).
Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly brown on top. We live at a high elevation, so I usually have to bake a little longer.
Now....go enjoy those wonderful muffins with some butter!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

For You Adeye-Dean Martin(and for all who love him)

Grateful/Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful for what we call "green cream", or Eden Salve. When any one gets a scratch, scrape, bruise, and any other "boo-boo's (even imagined ones-LOL), this is what we run for. You can buy it at Bulk Herb Store. They have a little one that I keep in our van and a larger one that stays in the house.
Here is the description for this amazing, natural cream...


"We formulated this salve using an effective blend of herbs and natural ingredients to numb pain, as well as heal and soothe. It acts as an astringent to draw out infection and poisonous bites. It is an antiseptic and fights bacteria. When you and your family needs it, Nature’s Healing Touch is here for you!"

We never leave home with out this 1st aid cream and it is always within easy reach here at the house. See, it quickly brings a smile...
I am also grateful for my older darlin's who help the little darlin's get ready to go outside to play in the snow. Without this help, my little ones would never see snow until they were old enough to dress themselves...something about trying to find all that snow stuff for 8 children, then get it all on (8 hands x 10 fingers and 8 feet x ...well, you get the point), and send them outside just OVERWHELMS me (LOL).
I am also very grateful because my parent are coming to see us tomorrow for the weekend and we love having time with them!!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

WOW

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I just had to show you these two pictures of Joeliana...aren't they hysterical!!!
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I'm not sure if she is walking Bluez, or he is walking her....

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We went to the green belt not far from our home for a nature hike, since the weather is suppose to turn cold tonight.

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Cool picture of Caresse, because I had the camera on black and white and forgot to adjust the exposure...so accidentally a pretty fun picture.

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Aiden working hard to "capture" his picture of nature....

I have had a few questions about bringing Keshawn home...of course, WE ALL want to know when....I wish I knew...they say I might could leave in 4-6 weeks to bring him home; but not sure at this point...
-We are really praying that we can bring him home before Christmas....
-And, we are praying because I really am not feeling that I am suppose to travel alone this time, (this is a longer story for later...I have done it before....but...), so we are praying for the extra money for an extra travel person....
-We still need to raise money for travel for even just me....

Also, I have had some wonderful questions about how I take care of my African girls hairs and I wanted you to know that I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned in the next few days.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments in response to Keshawn's picture and court approval....Thank you LORD GOD...almost home!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Introducing....

our new son...

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Keshawn Lee Wodamo Hassoldt
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After anxiously waiting this morning, I got the wonderful phone call that told me I am mom to this precious little boy!!!
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We now wait again, to hear when we can travel to bring him home.
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Thank you for praying for us...we are celebrating and making all the fun phone calls to family! I am so glad that I can show you how CUTE he is!
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"Thank you Father God, for giving us another son!!! May he be home with us soon!"

Sunday, October 18, 2009

That Silly Ol' Van

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Do you know why I love this silly ol' van...

-Well, I'm just thankful to have something that takes us ALL on family vacations together...

-and, though it has been "hit and run" FOUR times; yes FOUR TIMES, it still serves our family needs....

-it gets us up into the mountains for camping and pulls a trailer full of food, toiletry and bedding for 11 for 3 nights (including the "mommy MUST" porta-potty...because this makes me happy at 2:00 a.m., but then so does Dean Martin...his voice just makes me happy...sorry);

-but do you know why I LOVE this van....

-tomorrow we find out if our little Keshawn passes court in Ethiopia....

and my silly van has room for FOUR more babies...

Bring them home LORD GOD...
...and by the way I bought a blanket for Keshawn today, because....

well, because, I'm am so "pregnant" and ready to hold my little one...please pray for favor for our court date!!!!
Thank you!


Saturday, October 17, 2009

Spicy?


We are doing the dreaded seasonal changing of the clothes this morning and one of my little sons was getting his clothes on when he said,
"Mom, my bottom is spicy."
"Really", I said...waiting to get a clue...
"Yea, I need a bath."
Nuff said!


Thursday, October 15, 2009

New Hair Cut-by Kalyn

Okay so yesterday I got a hair cut by mamma. Here is how it all started; that afternoon mamma went in to get her hair cut and she didn't come back until dinner time. We are all sitting at the dining room table having a yummy chicken pot pie dinner...mmmm....and mamma says to me, "Kalyn hurry up I'm in the mood to cut your hair." It kinda shocked me because a few weeks ago I asked her if she would and she said she would rather take me into a professional.
So quickly we ate dinner and I raced upstairs to wash my hair and bring down everything she needed. It was probably about an hour and a half long hair cut but it was worth it. She cut it and styled it and it looks sooooo cute. I love you MOM!

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what my hair had looked like before


It was pretty long as you can see.
That picture was taken when we were up in mountains and man was it cold.



So here is me after the hair cute and loving it!!

Thanks mom!
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