A New Thanksgiving Tradition

This year, Andy decided it was high time we start a new Thanksgiving tradition.  On Thanksgiving morning, before heading to Papa and Granny's house for a feast, we loaded up the kids and headed to a nearby mountain to go trail walking.  While hiking, we talked about the many things are are thankful for -- our many blessings given by God.  It was a hit with the whole family!  We'll definitely be keeping up this tradition. 

This was an exciting *first* for Jasmin, who had never been hiking.  Jasmin is 10.5 years old, and she is living with our family for a while.  She and Nichole call each other sister-cousins.

Some people seem to think we have a lot of kids.  We like to think this is normal.  (It is, right?)

Okay, so maybe five is more than some people have.  But we still get to walk alone and hold hands for a few minutes here and there.  So it works.

Today, we were very thankful to live in Phoenix.  The weather is amazing right now!

Thanksgiving at School

The night before the Thanksgiving feast at school, Keandre cried himself to sleep. I may have shed a few tears, too. It's heart-wrenching to watch your friends prepare all week for a special meal, and know you can't participate. Holidays that focus almost exclusively on food are especially hard for those with multiple severe food allergies, or Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease (EGID), or both. 

Surprising Keandre at the school Thanksgiving feast.

When I shared how broken I felt over my little boy's pain, my lovely sister-in-law, Sarah, suggested a creative new way to prepare his safe foods.  That was just the sort of idea this tired Mama needed! (My creativity is a bit shot at the moment....stress will do that to ya! ;)

Andy stepped up to do the creating, and the end result was a fun surprise for Keandre.  He loved it!  I think he really appreciated the effort Daddy put into making his lunch special.

Can you guess what it is? ;)

Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day! 

So, what are you doing today? :)

Happy Birthmother's Day!

    

Nichole and I surprised Destany with a visit today.

Destany gets to choose when she feels ready for a visit these days, and she had asked if we could celebrate Birthmother's Day again, like we did a couple years ago.  I said maybe.  I stalled.  I said hopefully sometime soon.  And secretly....I planned.

Standing in the line at Starbucks (Nichole and I needed a little treat!), I told her who the second coffee was for.  She squealed.  She jumped up and down.  She was absolutely glowing!  Everyone stared.  I thought of how God delights in giving gifts to us, His children, and how fun it was to give the gift of this visit to my precious daughter! :)

I'm so thankful our sweetie knows how loved she is....by ALL of her family.  Her birth grandma even sent her a gift when she sent one for Arjay and Dedrick, Nichole's sweeties.  What a special surprise!

Adoption is bittersweet.  It is a wonderful way to grow a family and provide a home for a child, but it is based on deep loss.  Today is a day that we can honor the connection and say thank you for the blessing of our children.

(See the link above to read a bit of history about this day, designated by moms who placed an infant child for adoption at birth.)
 
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Do you recognize Birthmother's Day in your home?  How do you honor your child's birthmother on this day?  If you do not know your child's birthmother, how do you keep her presence alive in your family at special times like this?  

New Year bliss

  

Camera issues prevented the taking of memorable photos during our trip, but we did capture this one during our time with Claire & Kyndra.  Auntie Elise was probably next to me, jumping up and down in hopes of getting everyone to look forward at once.
Not bad for 6 kiddos, huh?

We are three weeks into the new year, and still, I am feeling so thankful for the start of a new year.  And it's all because of the week between Christmas and New Year. 

We spend that week with Andy's family, in Southern California.  I'll be the first to admit it is hard to travel at Christmas time.  We do it every year, and with a young family that seems to grow in number on a very regular basis.  Most years I threaten that this may be the last time I'm willing to spend the week before Christmas doing all the normal celebratory activities AND packing up our whole house family.  But we sure love it once we get there.  And here's why....

Every year, our travel time is a wonderful opportunity for Andy and I to catch up.  We talk about anything and *everything* during the six hour drive to Southern California.  And my sweet husband is so patient that he doesn't even complain if I talk his ear off about whatever topic is closest to my heart at the moment.  I suppose at the very least, it is entertainment during a long drive! :)  Seriously, though, God uses this time every year to knit our hearts closer together as we evaluate how our year has gone, and what changes we need to make regarding any areas of life that are not running so smoothly. 

And oh, how we love to dream together.  We talk about books we want to read with the kids (Narnia!), home projects we'd like to start (landscaping and a chicken coop), and ways to better organize our time.  The kids travel pretty well, so although there is always some restlessness, for the most part it's not too bad.  This year we listened to half a dozen Adventures in Odyssey cds!  (Incidentally, we avoid the Aventures in Odyssey dvds and books like the plague.  We love using our imagination to picture the town, the people, and the adventures.)

Once we arrive in California, my week of bliss begins.  Maybe it wouldn't be bliss to others, but I love it!  I often go to bed a little earlier than Andy, and relax in the quiet of our room as I listen to Keandre and Brooklyn sleeping peacefully.  I definitely get more sleep than at home, even if Brooklyn decides to go through a growth spurt and get her first tooth in the same week, and wants to cuddle and nurse every 3 hours around the clock.  In fact, I may complain a little, but I'm more rested than usual, so it's really not too bad. :)

In the morning, we take turns getting up at 7am with the kids, who have strict instructions to not leave their rooms until then, and we eat breakfast or snuggle by the woodburning stove while I feed Brooklyn and read Keandre stories.  During the day, we go on long walks with Grandma's dogs following along behind, traipse through the many acres Papa and Grandma live on, make dams down at the creek (which was actually running this year!), and watch the kids ride trikes, skateboards, and play tractors down the steep driveway.  Oh, how they squeal with delight!  There is also lots of cousin time.  For Destany and Lisa, that means playing with dolls; Lucas and Cooper spend endless hours playing outside.  Oh, the memories they are creating.

This is also the only week of the year that I actually have time to read, journal, pray, and reflect on how things are running in our family, what God seems to be calling us to in the new year, and start getting excited about the weeks and months ahead.  And I take full advantage of it.  By the time we are heading home, I feel refreshed, excited for the new year, and ready to jump in.  The new year is so full of HOPE!