Christmas Pics to Enjoy

Ashley and her "Twin" doll and their matching gowns.

Chris and his soccer ref's gear.

Oh, I love those smiles!

Dad and Chris ready for Christmas Eve!

Mom and Dad are too!

My Engineer

I never know what I will find in the morning. As a drummer, Chris makes music with everything. Now, he's making towers with everything.

I went in the kitchen on Wednesday morning, Christmas Eve, and found this tower on my kitchen counter. The base is a water bottle; next his vitamin container, a condiment service piece with tums and glue as counterweights!

Anyone else see an engineer in training?

With Thanks to Chris and Kayle

Before Chris and Kayle, some of our adopted kids, left for Christmas, they gave our kids gifts. Ashley a baby bear - of course! And Chris an electric helicopter.

To stem he tide of arguement, we had to buy two more - one for Ashley and one for David. Ever try to rest while listening to three tiny helicopters whirl about your house?

Try to cook with them swarming your head! Or, get laundry from downstairs and dodge them on the stairwell!

Thanks, Chris and Kayle. When you have kids, the first gift they get from Aunt Kim? A train whistle!

A Dream To Travel

If there were anything I could do - money not an issue - I would love to travel. There's so much of my own country I'd love to see - Washington State, Washington, DC, Wyoming - it's a big country! But I'd also love to go to Scotland and Ireland - my heritage; England and it's castles; Italy and it's food; Paris and it's art. I want to walk through the National Museums and see the art and watach the people. I'd love to stand on the Alps and drink real Swiss chocolate.

But since that's still a dream, I'm getting a kick out of looking up the locations from which people visit my blog!

Today I visited Linköping, Ostergotlands. The 5th largest city in Sweden, it is home to Cloetta Chocolates - just the name sounds yummy! The castles from the Renaissance era really caught my eye - I had never put Renaissance and Sweden together. Coming from Oklahoma where we have wonderful lakes, I was struck with the beauty of the lakes in Ostergotlands. I can see why travelers stopped to settle this land. I must add this town to my list!

Thanks for visiting me from Sweden. Maybe we will meet someday. If not here, in Heaven. How wonderful God is to create a world with such diversity.

My Pleasure

In the past 24 hours, I have had the pleasure to love on 4 beautiful children. E and E from Ug*nd* and L and S whose daddy is from Ghana. Sometimes I grieve over the children I have lost and those that I was not able to have. I am so blessed with two wonderful children and I am so thankful for the heart for children that they have. Holding these 4 babies this past day has allowed me to realize how much a heart can love. I pray for them and their families. For these chosen children. For our Chosen children.

Father, let us care for those who have no voice as if they were birthed from my own bodies. Let our heart love them as if we ourselves conceived them. They are your gifts to this world. They are valuable. They are loved by their Father. Let us be your hands and heart.

Thankful Thursday - Chris

I am thankful for my son, Chris!

I am thankful for. . .
* his life - doctors told me we would never have children.
* his heart - he loves his family.
* his laugh - it is infectious!
* his humour - he's a pretty quick wit.
* his love of God - he quietly studies and reflects God in his life.
* his athletic ability - it amazes me the way he can run and pass the ball and and stop a ball.
* his music ability - he is a wonderful drummer; he played a pretty mean cello,too.
* his empathy - he has been the best physical therapist for his sister.
* his love of all sports - I love hearing him talk to my dad about football!
* his love of the outdoors - he gets that from his dad!
* his flair for the dramatic - he gets that from me!
* that he is taller than me - something he is very proud of, too.
* his willingness to help others - he gets that from his Heavenly Father.

Father God, thank you for this beautiful child. I see your hand in his life and they way you have ordered his steps. Let his life be a reflection of your mercy and grace.

Texans Welcome!

Did you know. . .
* you can take the Texan out of Texas - and she'll always be a Texan?
* that Bevo is the most beautiful beast in the world?
* that Texas is the only state that can legally succeed from the Union?
* that Texas won the National Championship the year I was born? (1969)
* that I was born with scratches on each side of my face where I had sucked
on my fingers "hook 'em horns"-style before I was even bor?
* that West Texas is beautiful!
* that the only ill-mannered men you meet in Texas are from New York and
Louisiana?
* that I miss my Home State even if I haven't lived there in 30 years?
* that my favorite colors are Blue and Orange? Blue for the wide-open skies and
orange for God's favorite color. Why else would sunsets be burnt orange?
(no, it's not a Bronco's thing! They're just a pale imitation of the original.)
* I was born in Waxahachie and grew up in Big Spring?
* that I would love to find my friend Jaccinda Beasley? She moved from Big
Spring when we were kids.
* Amarillo, TX always smells like a stockyard?
* that we eat rattlesnakes after we round 'em up and milk 'em (for venom)?
* that I'd like to go visit my Uncle and Aunt and Cousins in Dallas?