Cousin's Sleep Over

So last night we had three of our seven cousins over for a sleep over! We were hoping everyone could make it (Well, I guess Graham is a little young for a sleepover) but the holidays are pretty hectic! So the Young kids came over and we had a blast! We made our own pizzas and mostly enjoyed them... I think Kiley only ate a half a bite of hers! Here they are enjoying their creations!

And Drew and Braden being their silly selves! (Okay, Drew being his silly self, Braden being good!)
After dinner we watched Horton Hears a Who. By the time it was over, and they got ready for bed, it was 9:30! So we got their beds made up and started trying to get kids to sleep! Drew and Braden were a little busy playing with their DS's.

Taylor and Kiley watched Cinderella 2 in Taylor's room...

And Toby and Dawson were watching Star Wars in Toby's bed. Toby only sucks his thumb when he is with his buddy Dawson. Dawson was telling me how he went to the dentist and the dentist told him that he can't suck his thumb any more. It was very painful for him to tell me this, as he stuck his thumb in his mouth!


Believe it or not, they were all asleep by 11:00 and didn't get up until around 8:00. We had a nice big breakfast of heart shaped pancakes and bacon, then got dressed and cleaned up and before they knew it, it was time for Aunt Mer to come and pick them up!

I think all the kids had fun! I need to get some Christmas photos up. I will try and do that this weekend!

Have a Blessed New Years Day!! And don't forget to eat some Dduk Gook for Good Luck!

God is Good!

The New Additions

I always new we would adopt again, just didn't think this would be the result...

Meet Leapord...

And Hermie

Tonight we are having a cousin's sleepover. We were hoping all of our cousins on Nate's side could come, but we were very happy to have half of them! I'll update with photos tomorrow... right now, we're still trying to get them to sleep!

God is Good!

Christmas Prayers

Wishing you all a happy Christmas Eve. My heart is heavy this morning, however. Please read on...

You may remember this post about a young girl adopted from China that is battling Leukemia.

Well, please continue to pray for this family, as they got some bad news yesterday and they are in more appointments today, Christmas Eve, to determine their course of action. (click on the link above to read their blog)

As we all enjoy our Christmas (or some, maybe not so much), remember the simple blessings that God has given us, including our health and the health of our children. But most of all, remember the gift of Salvation that God provided on this day. A gift that, at such a terrible time for the Miyashita family, provides HOPE! Hope in knowing that they will never be permanently separated from their beautiful daughter. No matter what God's plan is for her near future, her ETERNITY is guaranteed!!

So as you tuck your children in tonight, as you check off your Christmas list, as Santa makes his way around the world, say an extra little prayer. Pray for Lydia, that God would heal her body and that they would find a treatment that is suitable. Pray also for Mark and Monica, for patience, and for a hope. For knowing that it is okay to be down, but they need to continue to look UP! That they would find their strength and endurance in Christ! And for Max, that through all of this, he will understand the love of his parents, his sister and his God! That God would protect him from the pain that is being felt around him.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. As my Aunt Opal wrote in her Christmas card this year..

Christmas Love
ChristWas Love
And always will be!

God is Good!

Tis the Season

Well, the Holiday Season is upon us!! I say that with unsure feelings... I LOVE Christmas... it is my absolute favorite Holiday. When I was younger (and maybe not so young) it was all about getting stuff! I loved getting presents... but now, it's all changed. Yeah, I like a nice gift or two... who doesn't... but that is not why Christmas is my favorite Holiday. I am so moved by the fact that God, who created earth and let us destroy all that was good about it, would humble himself and come here in the form of man, Jesus, to serve. What does that leave me to do? Want more gifts? Be the Grinch when things don't go my way? No, I am reminded that I am to Serve!

But... there are days... let me tell you!!! I love to make people happy. I love to do things for people. I love to give things to people. But I am learning I can't be all things to all people all the time. Especially now that I am working. That just doesn't leave much room for God to work, does it? So this Christmas is going to be a little different around our house. The kids already know that there won't be as many presents, and they are fine with that. It is amazing to me, but they are perfectly happy. Taylor even said to me "Mom, even though there may not be a lot of presents, I have a feeling this is going to be the best Christmas ever!" Wow! I just hope she's still saying that on Christmas Morning :)

But to keep the "holiday" spirit alive, we once again pose for the wonderful Christmas photo. Now, I know many of you may be getting our wonderful card (hopefully by weeks end), but I thought I would throw out some of the photo outtakes!

I had this great idea of taking the kids photos at Church after the concert tonight... this is some of what I got...

Toby is Bored, Drew is mad, and Taylor can't believe her brothers won't cooperate, it's a photo op after all!
Then there's this one...Taylor is bossing, Drew is still mad, and Toby's having fun all by himself!

So they weren't working out at church, so we decided to try again at home, with the usual by the Christmas tree. All I said was "Taylor and Drew, stay still and we'll eventually get a good one of Toby!" So here is the good one of Toby! Yeah, that really worked! I guess Drew had to see for himself!

And for your viewing pleasure, a clip from tonight's program. Drew is on the bottom right, usually the 2nd to last one. And Taylor is on the top left, usually 2nd from the end. It was a wonderful program. The kids did great, as did the adults but they aren't in this clip! Enjoy!

God is Good!

What is our role?

Well, it has been a fun weekend... and a not so fun weekend. Nate has a paper due for school tonight (it's late on Sunday) so he has been holed up in the office working on the paper. And if I'm being honest, he's been a little grouchy. I know he's under a lot of stress, so I'm trying to not take it personally!

Friday evening, a friend of ours was in a car accident. It was pretty scary, from the sounds of things. He ended up showing up at the Christmas party we were all at, but said he was hurting. He went to the doctors yesterday and has a sprained back and neck. He is doing well otherwise, physically. The woman that pulled out in front of him was lifeflown to Akron and we don't really have a status on her. Please pray for her. And what a praise that our friend is okay. It could have been much worse from the sounds of it. His F250 is totaled most likely, as well as her minivan.

Also Friday evening, I attended our Sr. High sleepover at church. We had about 40 girls come, and was a really nice time. We baked cut out cookies on Saturday morning for about 3 hours. They will be given to families in our community next weekend as an outreach event.

So what is God doing in the lives of teenage girls?? That is what I would like to know! I am the adult leader of a small group of girls ages 14-16. We meet once a week and have a study that we are going through together. I have a great group this year. This is our first year together, with me as a leader at least. They are all very good friends, and are mostly all faithful to being there each week. We have learned a lot from each other. I can't even imagine being in high school right now. Things sure have changed! I know I've changed a lot, too, but it seems like things have changed since I was in school, 15 years ago!

I was not a believer when I was in high school, so a lot of the things I did, I had no eternal perspective. I attended church, so I wasn't a bad girl, but I just didn't have any idea how a relationship with Jesus was going to change my life and change my views! It's amazing. While I used to think certain things were okay, now I realize that God has so much to say about it, and so much better things in store! Relationships in particular. Talking to these young girls about what God wants for their lives... and also thinking I have a pre-teen coming up the way!

Anyone know of any good books to read about raising a pre-teen girl in a Christian home in today's society? I'd love to hear from you. My heart is burdened for Taylor and what she is about to be going through. She is 10, goes to a public school, and right now has no interest in dating or "having a boyfriend" as they say! But I know the time is coming. She has a young boy at church right now that has his eye on her. He's a year older, and a great kid, but he's always around! In a way it's cute, but in a way IT SCARES ME TO DEATH!! So any feedback from my blog world friends would be great!

Well, that's what's on my heart today... for what it's worth. The world of teenage Girls!!

God is Good!