Why Is It That KIDS "GET IT"????

Each and every day since we started our adoption journey, I've been blown away by all the amazing people that continue to inspire me and encourage me to "do more" with my life....I'm so thankful that our "adoption" didn't end with bringing LucyLane home, but yet it continues to bless our socks off each and every day by sharing our story and holding the hands of those that also want to jump on board this awesome adventure.....BUT MOST OF ALL...I've been so impressed at HOW KIDS SEEM TO GET IT....How kids seem to grasp the importance of "adoption" and caring for the orphans of the world EVEN MORE so than adults......Today, I opened Julia's Kindergarten folder to find this above picture....Her thankfulness for her "Baby Sister" is still here EVEN AFTER being home for 5 months....Lucy Lane is STILL the first thing that pops into her head when asked "what she is thankful for"...AND she's only 6!!! Leave it to US adults to "talk ourselves" OUT of following God's way...But to a child..it is simple....JUST GO DO IT!!! Before we had even sent in our first application to AGCI, our Julia who was 4 at the time, had already named our child LUCY and had obviously picked her gender!! I was sitting around worrying about silly things like, "What will people think?" Or, my favorite thought was, "Oh, we don't have enough bedrooms..we can't adopt!" But yet, our 4 year old had already named our future child and was already dreaming about her coming to live with us.....What if I had ACTUALLY listened to those dumb thoughts...What if I had listened to the "enemy" rather than God's whisper...YOU CAN DO THIS!

*** As my sister spoke with my church's youth this past Sunday...it was unbelievable to see HOW this generation of teenagers GET THE IMPORTANCE of doing something outside our comfy little box...They were ready to jump in....They wrote letters to my sister saying, "I will adopt now some day"!!! They didn't fuss over the details...They just had huge hearts and were ready to make a difference....
***Here are some more examples JUST THIS WEEK of kids with brave, big hearts:
* I was speaking to a Sunday School class when the teen daughter of one of the adults walks up afterwards and says straight to her mother while rubbing Lucy Lane's head, "Mom, can't we go adopt a baby like this"....I look at the Mom...She's uncomfortable and I can read her face..but yet, her daughter is standing there completely in love and ready to have a baby sister from Ethiopia.....Is it that their minds just aren't polluted yet like ours?? It is that they have greater faith that the money will just show up? Why is it that a teen is ready to jump in, but yet an adult immediately starts coming up with reasons WHY it would never work.....

**The BEST ,though, is a story I heard TONIGHT at gymnastics...This is ONLY our second week at starting back gymnastics....A woman last week on our first night there stops me and asks me "Are you adopting her or fostering her?" I explain that we adopted her from Ethiopia and she goes into HOW she had always had a heart for that sort of thing....I give her my blog and certainly never expected to hear back from her....Well, this week I return for our second week and she comes up and explains that she went to my blog, watched the video and has already done their application with AGCI now...I said, "Oh, wow...you were really being serious!...FANTASTIC" She then went on to say that she showed the video to her teenage daughter and she said, "Mom if you don't do this, then I WILL some day"....Isn't that just amazing!!
***My point here is to NOT bash us adults...but to try and figure out WHERE the switch takes place...When do we lose our faith? Our kids can teach us all to STOP over thinking everything, STOP over analyzing it all and just DO IT...Take that leap of faith like a child would and BELIEVE that God will PROVIDE everything you will need as you travel down that road!!My Julia, pictured above tonight at the computer, tells me every day that she is adopting 6 girls from Africa and 6 girls from China when she grows up....She's never once thought about HOW she is going to raise the money or give them all the attention they need...She just knows "she's going to do it" :) Well, she does say that she wants me to live next door so I can help her when she needs it :)

**I think my true inspiration for this post came from one 11 year old girl that is determined to raise the money herself so her parents can adopt another baby with Down Syndrome...I posted about this family last night...and I mailed in my check today to this young girl...because she BELIEVES that the money will come and she believes that God will provide!! If only we all trusted in God THIS MUCH....there wouldn't be another orphan left in this world :) You can follow this 11 year old's dream for her parents to adopt again at: http://www.the30dayjourneyforhope.blogspot.com/

As I look at pictures of Lucy Lane playing and pulling out EVERY baby wipe she can get her hands on, I think...."What if I had gotten scared and backed out?" It breaks my heart to think about "what" we would have missed out on....There is just no way I could have ever imagined the amount of LOVE and HAPPINESS that one little life could bring us...BUT GOD KNEW...and for that I'm so thankful!!!

***One last kid to tell you about....I received this email recently:

"Hello Kristine!I live in Mexico and I am 20 years old. I am a graphic design student.For some reason when old people ask me if I want to have children when I grow up I say "I don't know...I'm too young". But one day I had this idea of adopting a child from africa. At the beginning I thought it was a crazy idea came of nowhere, but then I realized God was telling me something. So I started looking on the internet and I found Lucy Lane's video on youtube. After I saw this video, I said to myself "yes, this is what God has chosen for me".I know I am too young for adopting, but I also know God will give me the right kid for me when the time comes. I think about it all the time."

****I wish I had been mature enough at 20 to think about "adoption" but I wasn't....We can only pray through all these children that God is planting seeds that will last a life time......Oh, ONE LAST ONE...What about Katie in Uganda!! She's only 20!! It was her "teen mind" that allowed her to truly believe she COULD make a difference...And, OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE SHE HAS MADE! What if she had waited until she was finished with college or grown "older" to move to Uganda...would she ever have done it??? What lives would have been changed if Katie hadn't come along?

**That's all i've got tonight...I'm off to "think like a child" and "have faith like a child" so I can figure out "what" next adventure the Johnson family is being called to do...My Hal (age 4) informed us that he was THANKFUL for his little brother in Ethiopia....I looked at him and said, "What?" He said, "Yes, we got the girls a "girl"...now it is my turn to get a "boy"...We're going to go get a little brother next from Ethiopia!" I said, "Hey, make sure you go and tell Daddy that one! :)"

***Happy Monday to you all, kj

How Do We Pull It All Off??? (pics of reality :)

Well, the top question I get all the time is..."How do you do it all?" Well, I chuckle (and so does my hubby) because we certainly can't "pull it all off"...It appears that we can take 5 kids anywhere and do anything....LIKE TODAY...my hubby took the older 4 to the zoo all day after church.....

And LIKE YESTERDAY...when we were having guests over for dinner...AND I had to FIRST spend the day driving over 2 hours in ONE DIRECTION to attend my nephew's 2nd bday party.....AND, then of course I had to drive back with the 5 kiddos by myself for almost 3 hours since we had to stop MANY times for potty breaks on the way home......AND, we arrived back home JUST IN TIME for our guests to arrive last night.....Oh, wait...before I give you the TRUE REALITY pics...let me share pics from the nephew's bday party (did I mention that is was being held over 2 hours away?? :)

above and below..I think my George and Cousin Braiden look so much alike...cuties!!!

OK.....So...Before you gasp with disgust at my kitchen pics..DON'T FORGET that i was also in charge of feeding over a hundred people on Friday night for our Annual Stocking Stuffer party (which I posted about) AND, I had to be MENTALLY prepared to speak at our church again (today)this Sunday morning (which was awesome, again, by the way).....So...ARE YALL READY FOR THE REALITY PICS?????? This is what my kitchen and OUR LIFE looks like a lot of time....This was my kitchen on Friday night when I went to bed....I had cooked all day for that night's Stocking party PLUS I had to get all my food ready for the dinner party the next night BECAUSE I knew I'd be gone all day for the nephew's OUT OF TOWN bday party.....

So I could actually get some cooking done..I let Lucy Lane and George pretty much empty out every cabinet and drawer that we had in the kitchen.....

They literally messed up everything on the floor while Hal (age 4) and I messed up every square inch of counter space...(since he insists on helping me cook , of course :)

Pots and pans even made it over to the couch and tv area...COMPLETE DISASTER!!! So now you see what it looked like on Friday night....So to pull it all off for Saturday night's guests coming....The hubby stayed home and CLEANED THIS MESS all day on Saturday while I took the kids to the bday party. I rolled back into town with all the kids to a fresh house ready for guests to arrive for dinner that night....I just had to come in and grab my food (that I had made the day before) and throw it into the oven :) SO, that's also WHY the hubby took the kids to the zoo all day today since he didn't feel like he got any quality time with them yesterday...

And, here's a pic of the MESS Bandit in action...She can empty out the fridge in one second flat and tearing up paper is one of her favorite hobbies too :)

***So, I just wanted to always keep my blog TRUE to who we are...We ARE A MESS a lot of the time!! We have to divide and conquer to get it all done and MOST OF THE TIME, you can still open a closet door and see where we "stuffed" everything inside!!! :) YET...we LOVE our life!! The hubby and I have sat around tonight just "reliving" all that we accomplished this weekend and we have to just laugh :)...The kids go to bed saying they had a GREAT weekend and LIFE IS GOOD...CRAZY....BUT GOOD!!! :)

So, just know that behind every cute event and awesome party...there are two parents sweating it out and staying up all night to pull things off....The hubby and I are partners in this crazy life..and we wouldn't have it any other way....(well, honestly he'd rather me NOT share the pics of our messy kitchen BEFORE it is cleaned and he'd rather me never show the PILES of laundry every where....but hey, I think it is just better to be REAL and make all yall feel better about your own messes :)

***Happy Sunday to you all...AND SIDE NOTE: If anyone locally would like our little "adoption team" of Mommas to ever speak to their bible study group, or Mom's group, or Sunday School class, church, etc...we're really diggin sharing our Faith Stories of Adoption with our church....and we always end it with "The Video of LL"...which brings the tears out :) We've now spoken 3X and it is a lot of fun...So let me know if anyone would ever like some TIME FILLED...cause we're good at talking about the one thing we love: ADOPTION!!! kj

PS..Good news break....Go READ www.the30dayjourneyforhope.blogspot.com This is a local family doing AMAZING THINGS....After birthing two children, adopting one with FAS, then birthing a child with Down Syndrome THEN adopting a domestic child with Down Syndrome..they are adopting again BECAUSE their 11 yr. old is determined to raise the money herself...It is just too touching....She at the age of 11 is trying to raise enough money for her parents to adopt a "waiting child" she has seen....What an amazing kid!!!

Our Ethiopian Baby Dinner Party....

If you read last night's post, you saw that three babies from Hannah's Hope Orphanage in Ethiopia were getting back together at our home for some dinner tonight..... Well, above, here they are...You have Lucy Lane, Silas and Olivia...All from the same orphanage and adopted within weeks of each other....Aren't they just precious friends??? :) Note: Silas was crying for his Momma...He needed some love :) So cute!!Here, above, you have the older siblings of these cuties enjoying some dinner at our house tonight...The Bonner family also joined us since they are on the wait list with AGCI and they are going for the same age child as Miss Olivia....I think it was good for them to see a child that is "about" the same age as a child that might be referred to them....I think they got to ask lots of questions....

The babies got to eat with the parents around the "grown up" table........Above is Olivia enjoying her dinner.....

Then, here is Silas enjoying his dinner above.........

Then it was play time....Olivia and Lucy Lane were enjoying the stage in the playroom together...

We were all entertained by a little show.....Great job guys!!

Then we attempted to get some shots of the 3 HH babies...but..well...they didn't quite cooperate :) It was getting late and everyone was a little tired :)

Ok, well they stood still for a minute around the chest thing.....

Then they were on the go again...

Well, everyone was on the go besides LL...they were more mobile than she is, so she was left behind at the table..As you can see...she didn't seem too upset by it :)

Olivia was so cute loving on her dolls....She knew just what to do...She rocked them and kissed them...It was so precious...

Amber checking out LL.....

Then Silas decided it was time to give Lucy Lane her b-day gift since he couldn't make it to her party....Look how cute!!! We love it..I can't wait for her to wear it...Thanks so much guys!!!!

Lucy lane's new trick is to stand up on her own in the middle of the room WITHOUT having to pull up on something...She's getting so big!!!!

Throwing her card from Silas...She liked the paper and card way more than the actual gift :)

The daddies hanging out with their babes :)

The Mommas: Me, DeeDee and Amber

**Thanks everyone for stopping in and having dinner with us! It was such a TREAT!!! I can't wait for our kids to play again some day together VERY soon!!! And, that is the reason I LOVE adoption...because it brings families and friends together that would never have known each other otherwise....God is so good like that!!! :) Happy Saturday to you all, kj

The 2009 Stocking Stuffer Party (and some special guests are coming for dinner)

Tonight was our annual Salvation Army Stocking Stuffer party...This is an annual event for our church and community of friends to remember the precious life of Mary Owen Hebert...She is the daughter of our sweet friends and neighbors: Jason and Angie.....These two parents had to face a tragedy that no one should ever have to face...They lost their second daughter when she was only 19 months old....You can read more about her story by going to their blog (that they haven't updated in a year) http://www.ourplaceofgrace.blogspot.com/ We wanted these friends to know that we'd NEVER forget sweet Mary Owen, so what started as some friends filling some stockings in her memory has turned into THE LARGEST donation of stockings the Salvation Army gets to date....We always ask the Heberts to bring pictures of Mary Owen so new members and new friends can all see the little girl that will forever carry a place in our hearts...We do this project in December because Mary Owen's bday is December 14th.. And now because of sweet Mary Owen...400 children will receive "filled" stockings from the Salvation Army that we all filled tonight...Here is the gal in charge...Holly (above)...She literally organizes the entire thing...I'm just in charge of food sign ups and paper products and drinks....Holly organizes ALL of the stuff for the 400 stockings...it is so amazing!!!One more pic above, before everyone arrived....And then below....is the mass amount of people that show up to participate......There are so many people that it actually goes quickly...THEN it is time for the pot luck supper afterwards....so yummy....

LL was enjoying a cookie....

We had it in our Church Youth Area which fit everything perfectly.....

George, of course, took a quick nap while we were there......:) (I know pretty soon, you guys are going to start thinking this kid is a narcoleptic :)

A few pics of my kiddos (besides George because he was still asleep :)

You can't keep shoes on LL and you can't keep her still..She is constantly on the move....

Some of the moms hanging out.......

The Fleming twins...so precious as always....

More stuffing..........

There was even an art table....You can see above that George woke up and was enjoying some coloring :)

Daddy hanging out with LL on the hip :)

****That was our night there...we cleaned up and got everyone home in time to prepare one last dish for tomorrow night's SPECIAL GUESTS......LuLu fell asleep but my older 4 enjoyed helping me make the dessert for tomorrow night's dinner:

OK, SO WHO'S COMING????? Well, two of Lucy Lane's friends from her same orphanage Hannah's Hope!!! Baby Silas, pictured below, will be coming for dinner....He's local and we've seen him a few times since being home.....

Man, our two babies have grown since these pics in Ethiopia.........

BUT, the little cutie I haven't seen SINCE Hannah's Hope is OLIVIA!!! (pictured below)

Olivia's Mommy and Daddy didn't travel with us...We just got to LOVE on little Olivia while we were there picking up our babies AND THEN Olivia got picked up shortly after our trip....So, I've officially never met Olivia's parents...but we've chatted lots by email, blogging, etc...and I feel I know them already....so I can't wait to actually meet them in person and SEE little Olivia since it has been 5 months since we last saw her at HH.....

This family is passing through town on their way to Thanksgiving Dinner with their family..so we're just having them over for some dinner to pass the time and break up their trip a little bit...:) Yay, can't wait....Stay tuned for some great pics, I'm sure :)

**Happy Friday to you all, kj

My daily devotional:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13"
-Stormie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Woman

Hal's 4yr. old Thanksgiving Program...

Today we had the privilege of attending Hal's 4 year old Pre-school Thanksgiving Program...He did such a great job and we were so proud of him...He remembered everything he was suppose to do and did it all so well....Let me get some close ups:

Here's our little pilgrim boy beating his drum....

Doing an Indian Dance........

This is our third Preschool Thanksgiving Program we've attended...and it is always so cute...BUT each year the kids are asked to go pick ONE parent to join them in a dance...Well, just like his siblings, Hal chose Daddy (pictured above ready to dance..George insisted on dancing too)...I'm kind of chop liver around here when it comes to being "picked"...but I still have TWO more thanksgiving programs ahead of me with George and LuLu...so maybe one of them will pick me ONE year :)

Sooooo, what were my one and two year old doing during the show???? Let me show you...They were being slightly crazy!!!

They played on the floor and attempted watching for about 5 seconds....

Then they decided it would be fun to play underneath our table.....

George tore the paper table cloth right away....and he kept yelling from underneath the table, "Baby Wucy...where are you? Come here Baby Wucy!" And, she'd go crawling to find him and then they'd just laugh... (i'm not sure everyone around us was appreciating how cute I thought they were being :)

But, they were having lots of fun together...And, let me just tell ya, having a one and two year old around will keep you on your toes...these two are just a hoot :)

One more pic, above, with Daddy before he had to head back to work.....

Hal then had fun placing his hat on our heads and then taking pictures with my camera of it...As you can see, George passed out at the end of the program......

And, one of more shot of Hal's hat on LL's head....She especially enjoyed the "feast" at the end of the program...:)

***That was our day!! Always an adventure!!! One week until Thanksgiving...Oh, how i love Holidays!!! Happy Thursday to you all, kj

My Daily Devotional:
"Remember, my precious sister in the Lord, that walking with God doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles. God’s plan for your life won’t happen without a struggle, so don’t give up when times get tough. Just keep on doing what’s right and resist the temptation to quit. Ask God to give you the strength and endurance you need to do what you have to do."
-Stormie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Woman