Monday, June 24, 2013

I Feel Like Throwing A Party!!

On Saturday, we found out from Caresse's precious friend that there was a soccer camp at a near by church this coming week.  So we sent in the form for 8 children to attend.  
I dropped them off this morning and came home with "only" three children.  LOL  And it gets better.  This is my last week of school, and soccer camp is a big happy for me, the teacher as well.  
So I feel like throwing a happy party.  

In other news, some wonderful blog friends came to visit us.
Jodi and her family, came out and we all fell in love with her two newest sons, Griggs and Hagan.


Hagan wanted to be like Landon and shoot a bow and arrow.  He got so excited when he found this Kinect safe version.  

And Griggs was an adorable little two year old who quickly had us wrapped around his chubby, little boy fingers.  
You know your an adoption loving family when your daughters say to you "Mom, they are so adorable.  Can we bring one home!?"  Yep, truly, it was the first thing that Kalyn and Caresse said to me. LOL!

I was so glad that we got together!!!  They are a precious family.  I hate that we live so far apart.


Steve and Landon got our electric fence up so that we can put the sheep out in a pasture.  


They loved the green grass to eat, and I love being able to look outside and see my little Shetlands so happy and peaceful.  



Well, it's almost time to pick up my little soccer team!  
Hope your having a great week.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Be Remembered...

What am I remembered for?
What will I be remembered for?

My personality, looks, achievements, clean home, well behaved children, great home educator?

What will I spend my days working at?  What do I want others to think of me?

Good questions.  And God has the answer to it.

"We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers , remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Thessalonians 1:2

My goals for each day are set, regardless of what comes that day.  I must remember:

-Work with faith ... 

-Labor with love...

-Be steadfast in hope 

-All because of Jesus Christ and His work to bring me home.
I'm tired today; several children are sick and when I read the above verse I felt encouraged by it.  I do want to set a good example, however, I want others to see that the LORD is faithful as I choose to follow His ways in my days.  I don't want to "put on a show" for others, but an example of faithfulness - because HE is faithful and helps me.  I wanted to climb back in bed but knew that I needed to do the next thing; laundry, prepare supper, school, take care of sick ones, etc..
And as I do the next thing, I remind myself it pleases the LORD as I  work with faith (when I do not feel like working at all); labor with love (yes, that is why I do it); and be steadfast in hope (even when I feel overwhelmed, the LORD is with me).  
I pray that you are also encouraged today and remember how much God loves you and is leading you.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Black Forest Fire 2013

Our oldest son, Jace, called from Texas and asked us if we knew that there was a fire west of us in Black Forest.  I didn't, but when I looked at the map, I knew it was really far away - west of us.  I called Gommy and Dandy, my parents, to let them know that we were far away and we didn't expect any problems.

 This picture is when the fire is moving closer to our home, and burning embers and ash is falling from the fire cloud.  I called Steve, who was driving home.



He told us to get the two trailers hooked to the van and the Bronco.  We were now under a pre-evacuation.  Steve and I made plans to pack the black trailer and the children up and send them to family in Denver.


I sat outside taking these pictures and waiting for Steve to get home.  He was just a few seconds away, but it seemed forever.  The eerie smoke cloud dropped more embers and ash, and had a horrible red glow in the inside.  

We quickly packed up valuables.  We went through the house, and I kept thinking and saying, "This wont come our way.  It's all O.K."  Steve, in his good man way would say, "O.K., we are just getting it together in case, but you're right, everything will be fine."  It was weird going through the house and knowing that very little was truly "important".  And we all grabbed the weirdest things - I guess they were "comfort" things.  

Steve on the phone with family to let them know what we were doing.


Steve and I loaded the children in the van with the black trailer and sent our brave little souls to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Ronnie in Denver.  Steve and I stayed behind with our animals, praying that we wouldn't have to evacuate.

About 10:30 p.m., Steve woke me up and said that we had to evacuate.  We headed east to a near by friend who was able to take our two sheep and our two Angora rabbits.  Steve and I then headed to New Life Church, where the Red Cross was set up.  We went to sleep quickly, but not restfully.  We knew the children were safe, and the animals were safe.  
We woke up early trying to find out about our house.  We knew nothing.  At that time, I knew that I needed to get the children back with us.  Noelani was just a few days post surgery, and needing to be on a special liquids only diet, plus, very little activity because of the hip bone graft site.  But, maybe the more honest response is, I needed my family together, and Steve and I couldn't leave our home area.  We needed to be close for what ever was about to come.


New Life staff graciously allowed me to put Noelani's medicine in their staff refrigerator.  The Red Cross graciously swallowed their shock when I told them that our 12 children were here with us and we now needed 14 cots for the night; and that one of them was just 4 days post surgery, and we needed a place for her to put up her leg.  On top of all this, someone stole my credit card and racked up over 1,500 dollars.  So Steve and I headed out east to our bank to deal with this.  
While we were there, with the children in the van, Jace (yes, he's in Texas, and was CONSTANLY watching the news to keep us up to date, because he knew we were "on the road", as it were), called to tell us that the New Life Red cross was having to move because of the smoke.  Our first thought was what about Noelani's medicine and the Bronco and trailer that was parked in the parking lot.  We drove back to the church and were able to get the medicine and the car/trailer.  Now, we wondered were to go with a family of 14 ... to the new Red Cross shelter, or the friends who had offered their homes to us.  It's hard being a family this size in a situation like this.  We know what it takes to care for us all, to feed us, and to sleep us.  As always though, the LORD had a plan.
The precious family what took our animals in asked us to stay with them, and a family that lives close offered for the rest of us to stay with them.  So we split the oldest in one place and Steve and I with the others.  These families blessed us with meals, beds, and baths!  They had toys and children for our children to play with.  This helped the little ones so much.  Though they would constantly ask, "Are we going home?"
We heard from a neighbor that our area and our home was safe.   We felt so thankful!; yet sad for all the families who had already lost their homes, and we wondered about those, including our own, who were still in danger.  We went to a noon prayer time at our church.  It was so encouraging, and I prayed with a family that had already lost their home.  


Our home area was "bubbled", meaning the fire was south of us, then bubbled west of us and then back north.  No fire came near us.  Smoke, ash, and embers, but no fire.  
Late Friday night, we were among the first of evacuees to find out what I had wanted to tell my children;
"Babies, we can go home."  
The below picture show a bitter sweet photo.  As we left our host family's home, this sun set sent us home - these pretty colors came from the fire ... a reminder of the sadness that still awaited us and so many.  Our neighborhood forever changed by this - the most destructive fire recorded in Colorado; 485 homes destroyed, 
14, 198 acres burned, two dead, 17 homes with partial damage, and many properties who are not yet verified as far as damage...
Tonight, we are thankfully home, still under pre-evacuations, but each day they gain more ground on the "Black Forest Battle".  I have no words, but "Thank you", for those who have fought this battle to keep the fire away from my home, but THE ONE I send my most grateful thanks to is the LORD.  I was ready to give it all to Him, and still am, yet, tonight, as I hear my children sing and laugh and play around me and as I remember Aiden saying, "Thank you, Jesus.", as he walked upstairs to his bedroom, I feel so many things;
gratefulness beyond words, sadness for those who still cannot go home, and for those who have lost their homes,
and a deep mourning mixed with hope for what the LORD has next for our community, and family.  I keep having dreams and startling awake, and I know that this is just part of the journey.  Our times are in His hands, and I rest in the midst of it all, for "The LORD is my Sheperd!!!!!"
Thank you all for your prayers and comfort during this time.  

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Still Evacuated


Our family is still displaced by the Black Forest fire.  

We had a wonderful and encouraging prayer time with our church today.  Now we are bathing some children - 3 by 3 LOL in our host homes. 

The evacuation orders have not been lifted, so we will stay at the two homes who have graciously opened their doors to our family of 14 for tonight again.  What a blessing they have been to us. They have toys and children for our children to play with and this helps our children so much right now.  

Clive is showing some stress and crying a lot.  

Noelani is now 7 days post surgery. (Cleft Palate surgery).  Poor little love has spent part of that time as an evacuee.  However, she is a trooper and doing well.  She is on a liquid only diet, and that is being the hardest for us without a blender to mix up different things for her.  Ensure and yogurt are our best friends right now for her.  Still, I'm sure that she is getting tired of that.  The site in her hip where the bone graft was taken is healing up nicely, and we would love to ask for prayer that there is no infection in it.
  
Steve Hassoldt and I feel scattered but thankful for the LORD's faithful provision of our family and animals.  Thank you for your sweet notes and prayers for our family

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Evacuated

We had to evacuate late last night because of a forest fire in our area...
We sent the children to Denver to stay with family and Steve and I stayed at the house until the evacuation was mandatory.  Then we went to a local church where a Red Cross is set up.  I need to get the children back with me.  Noelani is only 4 days post surgery.  She is on a liquid only diet and Kalyn is taking care of them all, but still...
We wait...

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Hi

Hi everyone this is Kalyn,
So I am wondering if any of ya'll know of a great young adult christian group that you would recommend. I am 20 years old and looking to get out in society more, I have been looking around and haven't really found one that I feel like is for me yet. So what do you guys think, know any good groups?

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Surgery Tomorrow

Isn't this a cute picture of Caresse and Noelani...they really enjoy each other.
Noelani is having her big cleft palate surgery tomorrow morning.  We have heard that the bone graft site is the most painful part of this.  Because she is older and for other reasons the doctor has said that her CP is unusual.  There is also a tooth that we are praying he can save and reposition.  
I am glad that we are finally to the point in her cl/cp recovery.  We will keep you updated tomorrow.
loves to you all.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

They're Here

 Our Shetland sheep came home today at 8 weeks of age.

 We were so excited to have them home - them, well, not so much.

 Poor little babies are scared to death, and just flocked up together.

 Except when Flynn went up to the fence and then Amber took a look.

 We had to put the halter on them to move them while we fixed the feeder in the barn.

 It was pretty funny between them jumping up in the air, or playing dead on their sides and refusing to move.

 They did a little better if we kept them real close to each other.  Opal would tried to hide under Amber, which is funny, because she is the bigger sheep.

 This is Amber.

 This is Opal.

I think my whole life I have had an unspoken desire to have sheep. I am so thankful to God for these little blessings!
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