My Sunshine{s}

My perspective is a bit limited right now.  I can look at the ceiling or I can turn my head a bit and look across the living room.  A few times a day I make a necessary journey to the restroom.  At night I go all the way back the hall to crawl into bed.  And that would be about it except...

I have these lovely ladies to twirl and swirl through my line of vision...

Smiling...

And making me smile!

Even pneumonia doesn't seem unbearable with such sweet entertainment!



Today I Am Thankful...

For a mother in Kazakhstan and a mother in China who chose LIFE and HOPE for their baby girls.

My girls.  (This was taken in October)

I do not know their stories, I do not know what their hopes and dreams and fears were (and probably are) for their little daughters.  I do not know what circumstances made them decide that they could not parent their daughters.  But I do know that abortions are easy to obtain in both Kazakhstan and China.  I do know that they chose to carry their babies and to give birth and to be sure that they were left in a place of safety.  And for that I am forever grateful.

Jesus is Coming!

On Monday night Annika had a dream.  It must have been a beautiful, wonderful dream because she talked about it all day yesterday.  The first thing she told me yesterday morning was, "Now I know what Jesus looks like! I saw Him last night.  He has a white shirt and a beard."

She asked many times throughout the day, "Is Jesus coming today?"  And I kept telling her that I don't know, but I do know He will come sometime.

I heard her telling Eliana about Him.  She said, "He is so nice!  And we would just want to sit on His lap!  Even if we were strapped in our car seats we would get out and sit on His lap!"

As evening was coming she said rather sadly, "I guess Jesus  isn't coming today..." 

It was so sweet!  And it made me think.  Jesus is coming again.  He told us to watch for Him, but the days keep rolling by and we often forget.  I want to live life as if I really believe (I do!) that it could be at any moment!

"Therefore be alert, since you don't know what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:32

Snowflakes That Stay on my Nose & Eyelashes... { just pictures }

Melt My Heart!

Aren't these two just so amazing!?

Each year we draw names to see who buys gifts for whom.  We spend Christmas with friends, so we put all of our names in a bowl and each draw one. Then Keith or I take each child out for supper and to shop for the gift they get to choose.  We all love and look forward to this tradition- I'm not sure if the parents or the children enjoy it more!

Tonight it is Annika's turn.  And she got to go with her Daddy.  I think they were both pretty excited about that!  They are shopping for a gift for Douglas and I can't wait to see what they come up with! 

Stir, Roll, Pat, Cut...

This morning as soon as Annika finished her school work we started on a fun little project.

Eliana needed to get in on the action too, of course.

We stirred and kneaded.

We rolled and cut.

We got pretty involved and got a bit of flour on our faces.

And now we have lots of Cinnamon Salt Dough "cookies" drying in the oven.  They smell wonderful and we can't wait to hang them in our windows to look pretty and smell good!

They Are Just My Babies...

As the normal morning activities of a homeschooling family with five children swirl around me I sit down to write.

I hear one son singing as he does his morning jobs. "I've been tickled by a feather, I've been tickled by a wasp, I've been tickled by a yellow bumble bee..."  It makes my heart smile to hear him. 

Another son wonders about the time, worried that he is not going to complete his jobs by the time I told him to try to finish. 

The girls are splashing in the tub.  They don't normally bathe in the morning, but this morning they are so excited about getting their hair washed with their new watermelon scented shampoo that we make an exception.

So what is on my mind that I sit at my computer at this time in the morning?  What kept me awake as I thought and prayed about it last night?

I have started this post several times.  I have always stopped and deleted it before it was finished.  I don't want to be misunderstood.  There is a lot of talk in the adoption world about the mission or calling of adoption.  And I understand that. I truly feel that God called us to adopt our girls. The needs of orphans around the world are very real and the statistics are staggering.  As Christians these needs should move us to compassion and mercy! God even commands us to take special care of orphans and widows.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James1:27 

But... I want my girls to know that it is so much more than that!  We need them in our family.  I need them as much as they need me.  They are not a mission project.  They are my babies. 

When God moves your heart with compassion and calls you to adopt one of His needy little ones He gives you everything you need to complete the calling.  He gives you the love and the longing.  He replaces your natural desires with His desire for you!  He creates a hole in your family that only that child can fill.  

That is the beauty of adoption.  Mutual need, of a family who needs a child and a child who needs a family, being brought together.  It is a match made in heaven.  Quite literally.

My Girls...

My girls . . . 

when they are not being giggly, wiggly, silly girls.

They are so precious. 

So beautiful.

I cannot thank God enough for entrusting these precious girls to our care!  I pray I can be the mother they need.  To help them to know that they are truly treasured and loved.

The other morning I pulled them both close and whispered in their ears, "You are my little dreams come true."  It is so true!  Thank you, God, for my girls!  Thank you that, in them, my dreams came true!

A Little Update on Annika

Yesterday was the day Annika was scheduled to have a biopsy of her enlarged lymph nodes, but after discussing the whole situation with the surgeon we all agreed it was best to wait six weeks to see if the problem will resolve on its own.  He really feels that this is just cause by a bacterial infection or virus of some kind.  We are so thankful!

We will have a follow up visit in six weeks and if the nodes are the same size or larger we will talk about a biopsy again.  Please continue to pray for her healing!

Favorite Photo Friday

Little Miss Eliana one evening after her bath...

I told her I wanted to take a picture of her flipping off of the sofa.  So...  she calmly hung there, crossed her little arms and didn't flip...

She thought herself incredibly hilarious...

She was joined by her big sister...

And she finally flipped!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

God Has Answered - Again { Part 2 }

A couple of weeks ago we had a unique domestic adoption situation mentioned to us.  A baby due mid-July who was not matched with a family.  We thought about it and prayed about it and said that our family could be presented to the birth mother as a possible family for her baby.  This was a huge step of faith as we had very little information about the situation, but if God brings a baby to us we will welcome it with open arms!

We waited to hear.  And I became quite excited at the possibility.  I have such sweet memories of the time our boys were tiny and even though I really tried not to get excited I did.  That is me.  It is a little embarrassing, actually, but opening my heart to a child makes them "mine" even if it is only for a short time.  Even when I advocate for a child they become mine for a time.  So even though I knew the possibility of actually getting to be this baby's parents was very slim, I still let go of my heart for a bit.

Last Friday, we heard that the birth mother had chosen another family.  And, while I wasn't surprised, I was very disappointed.  Because I wanted God to say, "Yes, this baby is yours!"  and He didn't.

Then on Monday I took Annika to our pediatrician because swollen lymph nodes in her neck and behind her ear.  This was her second visit in the last 6 weeks for this issue.  The pediatrician feels that the lymph nodes are not responding appropriately to treatment and that we need to get a biopsy done to find out what is going on for sure.

Now we are hoping and praying that this is not a serious issue.  And our pediatrician did say that he is not terribly worried, but that he felt this was a cautious approach. The biopsy is scheduled for next Wednesday. 

I wanted to be announcing to the world that we are welcoming another child into our family and instead I am asking you all to pray for our sweet little girl.  The possibility of what we could be facing makes me feel weak in the knees.

I want to be able to trust God with all of the answers, not just when it is the answer I am hoping for.  So God is still answering.  God is still good.

Sunday Snapshot { On Monday }

Annika. Our first daughter.  Born in Uralsk, Kazakstan, but every bit a Martin.

She and I headed out for a bit of a walk/ photoshoot about 7:30 yesterday evening.  She was full of good ideas for where to take pictures, like sitting among the corn or lounging on a large stump.  She even volunteered to go back out after she was ready for bed to take a few more, but since it was getting late, we decided that could wait for another day.

Goodnight, My Angels...

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away.

Not very good at pretending to sleep.

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me

A few seconds later.

Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

P.S. If you have never heard the King's Singers sing this song it is well worth your time to do so.  It brings tears to my eyes every time.  You can see it here.