What If It’s 100 Degrees And You Don’t Have A Swimming Pool?

Your first must pray for a really heavy rain.

Then you thank the LORD for the rather large dip in your drive way.

Add one cute baby, and...    (wait for it...)

Other’s will come!!!

There were two, but I knew, it wouldn’t be long!!!

And suddenly there where three!  Well, when you give one child a mud hole to play in, he will probably ask for...

his/her swim suit, and with all that fun, well....

others will probably want to join in. So now six little children enjoy childhood fun. 
And my question to you, is, if you let 6 children play in a mud hole for several hours,
what do you think will happen next?

The Heart Knows!!

“Someone” was very glad that the green blanket was back....

...And I’m pretty sure that he missed the sweet sister that was inside of it.

Courage To Love

''God's love holds us to the highest. This was the kind of love Amy Carmichael of India prayed for and taught to the children on Dohnavur--this love, the kind wherewith God loved us. "Hold one another to the highest," she told them. God's purpose was to lift us out of ourselves, out of the miry clay, and set our feet on a rock. We are not saviors, but we can help others toward faith. This means not only loving them while they're still in the mire, but loving them out of it. We must love them as they are and love them enough to draw them higher.'' Taken from Elisabeth Elliot


Courage to love....we all have that challenge before us.  As a mom I have needed courage to love a child when is was hard. Jace has needed the courage to meet and love new siblings who don't know him yet.  I have watched many precious children come home through adoption...what a great amount of courage is needed to love a child you haven't met yet, and then courage for the child to trust and love a new and unfamiliar family.  
The kind of love that the LORD ask of us will lift us out of ourselves. One reason that we must hold ourselves to this highest level of love is that it can become so easy to “love” with an expectation of what we may get in return.  As a mother who has welcomed 8 children into my home through the miracle of adoption, I have often reminded myself to be sure that I am loving them without expectation of anything in return.  Several of them have come home with their little hearts in “mire”.  If I am expecting them to attach to me, or give me love or respond in some way that makes ME feel good, then I am really putting my needs or wants above theirs. Then I pray and ask the LORD to forgive me for my self-focus, and I ask Him to help me love them with HIS love.  
-Will I have the courage to love without asking for or expecting anything in return?
-Will I have the courage to love others as they are; love them enough to draw them higher and towards faith in the LORD?
The LORD will give me the ability to love like that when I receive His love for me.  What an amazing amount of freedom I find when I receive His love (not expecting what I want, but receiving what is better!!!).
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” I John 4:7
So let the lovin’ begin.

New Friends that Feel LIke Old Friends!!

For some time I have loved getting to know Jodi over our blogs, and what a fun thing to find out that she was going to be in Colorado!!!
We met at a park in town and it felt like meeting an old friend.

We also met some other fun friends.   What a great day.



Kalyn will be home later tonight.  We are all looking so forward to seeing her again!

Weird Metal Spike Balls and Court

Aren't these metal sculptures fun?!  The children loved playing with them. These works of art where next door to the court house where we spend time this morning finalizing Keshawn's adoption. He is now a HASSOLDT!!!

The judge was a very sweet lady.  She really involved the children in the process and they thought that was cool. They each even got to hammer her very special gavel. 

After our "day in court", the children and I toured the Pioneer Museum that was next door.  We don't get downtown very often and the children convinced me with "we can count it as school Mom".  What smart children!

This last picture is Keshawn holding Caresse's hand as we were leaving the court.  When I look at it, I think, "This is why it is worth it all."  Someone to walk the roads of life with...a family.  Always there for each other, leading, following, helping, loving.  I know that our family seems big to many, but to us, it seems just right.  We are growing and learning together how to live for the LORD's glory.  Isn't it a lot of work?  Yes and No would be my answer.  On one hand, we do work hard, however, the "work" is good work as we learn to love and serve each other.  On the other hand, no it isn't harder because work is so much easier and so much more enjoyable when you have others with you.  

And the older children learn the joys of guiding little feet that are following them.  Those little feet need not walk alone now.  Those little hands are never empty now.  Those little heart's never have to face the future alone again.  Fears, dreams, hopes, and thoughts are shared and respected in their daily lives. 

Yes, there is the reality of screaming and arguing.  Even now, two of them are sitting in a quiet time beside me.  And what are they learning...that we respect each other and Mommy.  So, I look at the above picture in all of it's romantic-ness...

and I know that it is worth it. 

They have each other.  They have a family.  And that is one precious gift!!! 

Love Is So Cute

It was so fun to take pictures of Jace and Karlie under mom and dad's trumpet vines that was in bloom.  It really does hang over this beautiful door out side.  What can I say....these children are so darn cute!!!!

What An Adventure!

What a time Caresse and I had in Texas. After our 10 hour drive we arrived safely to my parents home.  The next morning EARLY, we were on our way to the hospital for mom's surgery. We knew that it would be a difficult and painful surgery and it was.  After 4 1/2 hours the dr. felt very proud to have removed the broken titanium rod and replace it with a new hip prosthetic.  We were all so grateful (especially mom and dad!!!!) to have this surgery behind them and we are all hopeful that she will be off crutches for the first time in 3 years!  We are all praying for a wonderful recovery and strength to return to her leg. 

Jace and Karlie came from Dallas.  Jace is an amazing cook and he and Karlie provided breakfast and supper for us each day, except one when Caresse made us yummy Blueberry muffins. Jace and Karlie also spent time doing fun things with Caresse so that she wouldn't have to sit in the hospital to much.

On the 3rd, we were able to Skype with Kalyn in Mexico and sing happy birthday to her.  That was so amazing to see her and hear her from so far away.  Things where they were became dangerous, so they had to fly out Monday and they are all safely in the USA again. 

It rained for three days and on the 4th it flooded in the city where my parents live.  Their house overlooks a lake and all of the docks were under water.

The dam to the other side of the lake was blocked off because it was too dangerous to cross.  

The boats just floated above the docks that you can't see here.

Jace, of course, found a fun flooded road to splash through. 

We had to crossed this flooded section of the road to get to the hospital where mom and dad where. I followed Jace in my little car and prayed!!!

We made it to the hospital and had a celebration party for my parents 51st Anniversary. 

And guess who is feeling TONS better...yes, my sister (in-law), Karla.  Thank you all for your prayers. We are all thanking Jesus.  She has not felt good since before December. It was so nice to get to spend time with her.
We are back home safely and Keshawn is pretty mad at me for being gone.  I am trying to make up with him...LOL. 
I had a dr. appointment this morning and need to go to therapy for a very painful sciatica pain in my back and leg. 
And Kalyn will be back home this weekend.  
I was so glad to get to be with my parents and other family.