Category: Family

Since the UHaul is in the driveway…..I guess that means this move is really happening.  Not sure exactly how we are pulling this one off (there were a few moments that I doubted we could) but, most of the truck is loaded, the house is almost empty and the goodbyes have started.

We have averaged a move every 2.5 years that we have been married so you would think that I am a pro at this moving thing.  Somehow each time I forget how much work it is.  I have decided that each additional child makes that difficulty rate rise!!  I must admit, the four child difficulty level is evened out by not moving internationally.   I was so thankful not to be required to fit all that my family needs into eight suitcases that weigh under 50 lbs each.  I have done it before.  It is a very good exercise in helping me to simplify my life, but not an easy task.

For this move there was less organization and more raking junk into boxes.  I strapped Little Man onto my back and did the best I could.  I can’t believe how much stuff we have gathered over the past two years.  Shocking and disturbing!  The big kids have all been great helpers and done a good job at entertaining themselves and their new brother.  I have amazing children!

For Little Monkey this is the first move since joining our family.  She is taking it hard, feeling very unsettled and claiming she is staying in KY.  A new brother (displacing her from the spot as youngest) and a move all in the same month is a lot for any 5 year old.

Sad to say that Big Girl and Soccer Dude are taking the move in a stride.  Big Girl is so focused on her new little brother I sometimes wonder if she knows we are moving.  For Soccer Dude – he has moved so many times he shrugs it off.  I was shocked when he told his buddy today – “have a good life.”  In his mind good-byes are final.  I can see his point.  Last time he said goodbye to his best friends (one from Denmark, one from Canada and one from the US) – well we haven’t seen 2 of them again and who knows if we will.  The hard part of being a MK.

We so appreciate all your prayers and support during this month of crazy transitions.  We couldn’t have done it without all of you.  The encouraging emails, phone calls, help with moving, kids and food…..I really will never be able to repay it all.  It is humbling.  So thankful for Christian community.

Cleaning tomorrow and then the UHaul pulls out Sunday.  I better go get some sleep.  Signing off for now – next time from Florida.

I have been banned from all future preschool graduation ceremonies.

(No, I did not go all soccer mom crazy screaming at the teacher handing out diplomas.  I am not that mom.  Although, I have been told that I can be obnoxious on the sidelines.  It is my goal to out yell the overly critical, mean soccer mommas and overly ambitious dads.  I figure if I yell encouraging things two times louder then it all evens out….right?  I have been banned from carrying my guitar to soccer games to sing my “we are all winners” song too.  That is for a different post.)

Little Monkey graduated from preschool and it was a huge event with a commencement speech – the whole nine yards.  As the children’s pastor gave what was supposed to be an encouraging sermon on how our kids grow up if given the right environment, I found myself growing faint.  “In six years they will be going to middle school,” he beamed.  I swooned to the right.  “Another six years and they will be off to college,” he added with pride.  I rocked to the left.  “The years go quickly.” the pastor ended with a flourish just as I thought I would vomit ending  in a messy heap on the floor.

Will it really be over that soon?

When I think of how far Little Monkey has come in one year, I believe it.  Just a year ago she clung to my leg, cried and feared making new friends.  Now she is one confident little girl who is counting the days till the next milestone.

I  know… I should want her to grow up confident, independent – the world changer she is bound to be.  I do.  But a secret confession….I love kids!  I got hooked back in my babysitting days and decided then I should have 13 kids and a station wagon.

Wait!

13 more kids.  Perfect!

Just when I thought I would faint during preschool graduation, I thought of Little Man.  Little Monkey might be growing up, but there is another to come.

Somehow my sweet hubby knew the gleam in my eye as I pulled myself together to celebrate our daughter’s big moment.

“We can’t keep having kids so that they never grow up, you know!”  “What?”  I replied with innocence.  He wasn’t fooled.

“You are banned from all future preschool graduations!”  He declared hoping that it would curb my need for just one more baby!

Hmmm, we shall see! I guess we should see how we do with four before I make more plans.  I will give Hubby that!  😉

Our big girl turned eight this week!  We had so much fun celebrating our passionate, dramatic, artistic daughter.  She asked for an art party which gave me a chance to throw the party of my dreams!  Tye die, watercolors, stamps, canvas, sidewalk paint….oh my, did I have a ball planning!  We set it up in the garage so they could be as messy as they wanted and then they entertained themselves.  Big girl even wanted to make the cake into an art project – so the girls decorated their own cupcakes.  Seriously the most chilled out birthday ever and we had one happy birthday girl.

Here is a peek into the fun:

 

I drive a light blue mini-van that is sporting a medium sized dent with a touch of red paint splashed across the middle.  I will spare you the details – just know that a really bad day is forever marked on the back of my van.

Today, I was sitting in the car line dropping off the big kids at school watching a van in front of me when I noticed her dent.  Hmmmm.  What happened on her bad day?

Made me realize that I am not the only mom who has a bad day….running late, distracted, not looking out the rear view mirror to see that my sweet husband had not parked in his usual place, but rather behind my van.  No blame.    (Not going to tell how many times I have had to run over the trash can to make the wheels pop off and be dented like it is.  Who leaves the trash can in the drive!!!)  Just realizing that it happens to more moms than just me.  (Well, dents happen to more moms than me.  The trash can…I do own that I am a bit over the top and certifiable nuts.)

Sometimes I feel like the only one.  Why don’t I see other darlings looking so sweet in their ballet outfits rolling on the floor in a fit of rage?  Why am I the only mom who has children in Sam’s Club fighting over the samples, which sample tastes better, who had a sample, who didn’t have a sample and if that was fair or not?  (Where did my Sam’s Club Card go?  I know I just had it.) Why am I the only one in the meeting with a large brown spot on my blouse?  (Should I sniff it or not?  Ignore it and maybe no one will see it or smell it.)

Oh right….I am not the only one.

The dent in the van who just happened to be in front of me in line today blessed my socks off.  I hate that she had a bad day, but man did I need the reminder that I am not alone.

I need all of you.  I need to know that this huge job of raising my kids can be done and that you are with me struggling in the day to day stuff, but not giving up.   Thanks lady in the red mini van with the biggish dent in the left corner for being there for me this morning.  Hope you see my dent tomorrow and are encouraged as well.

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

 

 

 

 

I totally think my kids are amazing….of course.  But, it is so much fun when my suspicions of their super star quality is confirmed by others! Soccer Dude won second place in the pine wood derby for Royal Rangers for fastest car.  (Royal Rangers is the christian equivalent for boy scouts.)  Notice his choice of paint colors….he was killing his dad by picking Florida Gator colors!  He did work very hard on his car – but I must confess it was a bit of dumb luck that he did so well.  We had no idea how much strategy and science go into these little wooden cars.  He has tasted victory and is now motivated to do his research and be #1 next year!

Big Girl also sparkled and shone at the Wilmore Elementary art show.  She had several pieces on display and was thrilled to drag us by the arm and set us up in front of a wall exclaiming “guess which one is mine!”  I must admit I love that she plays this little game.   It is fun for me to see all the art work and to have a child who shares my excitement and passion for art.  We are blessed with a fantastic art teacher at the kids school who has helped Ruthie to take her art skills to another level.

My favorite was her painting titled “Baby in Blanket.”  I looked at the display of baby paintings and easily picked out the one done by my girl.  Their was only one brown baby in the bunch (with tiny Chinese characters decorating the quilt.)  She had painted her new brother.  LOVE, LOVE her heart that came out in this class project!

You might call me a proud momma.  I prefer to call it blessed and I am just counting those blessings!

Two weeks ago today we sat huddled in the bathroom listening to the tornado sirens.  Our town didn’t have any damage, but other areas in Kentucky did not fare as well as we did.  Those whose lives have been turned upside down by the awful storms have been heavy on our hearts.

GO InterNational (who my hubby works for) has been involved in the tornado relief partnering with churches in the areas hardest hit.  Today, as a family we were able to offer some tornado relief in the form of a carnival.  Nontraditional for sure, but the results were worth the effort.  The church invited families who lost everything.  We then were able to partner with the church to help give these families an afternoon of joy.

We tied balloon animals, Soccer Dude and Big girl ran carnival games and Little Monkey ran around making friends.  It felt like any other church carnival – until you looked across the street to see houses and business completed turned to a pile of rubble.  I’m  not sure that we really made a difference in the lives of the tornado victims.  But it did make an impact on our kiddos.   They saw first hand how thankful we can be for our home, our church and our family.  They also met a group of people who are being courageous in the midst of devastation.  That is good for any child’s heart.

Here is a photo of Big Girl working hard at the penny dig game.  She is our gift giver – always passionate and ready to share from her heart.  It was fun to see her in her element – blessing others.   She asked me a few weeks ago, “how can we be missionaries if we are living in the States and not in China?”  As I was trying to craft a response she answered her own question.  “I guess there are people everywhere who need Jesus.”   Yes, my sweet girl there are people everywhere who need Jesus…even in Kentucky! 😉

Soccer Dude stood outside the closed bathroom door – legs spread, eyes directly facing forward, light saber held battle ready.  I was surprised, to say the least, when I rounded the corner and found him guarding the door.

Trying not to smile I asked my warrior, “hey, what’s up?”

“I am keeping sister safe from her fears of the dark.  I can’t stand it when she is scared.”  Matter of fact – just like that.

The story from Little Monkey.  “I called and you were busy.  You know I can’t go into a dark room.  I had to really go.  Brother helped me.  He even checked the shower with his light saber for dark monsters and promised to stand near by so I wouldn’t be scared.”

There are times as a mom that I want to pull my hair out, bang my head against a wall, or sit down in the midst of our family craziness and have a good cry.  Will they ever get it?  Am I speaking Greek when I explain how important it is to be kind, loving and stick together as a family.

I pray hard (and often.)  I come up with new charts, ideas and plans on how to best instruct the hearts of my three treasures.  Really.  I try not to bind my success as a person around my children, but to be frank I really want them to turn out to be people who love Jesus and show it through their actions.  I have given up hopes of teaching them not to pick their noses – but I still strive to instill compassion, love and joy.   In the middle of crazy moments I have even been known to raise my voice and shout, “PEACE! LOVE!! AND JOY!”  (I kinda wish I was making that up just to make this a better blog post and story.  I’m not.)  I don’t know.  Shouting these words at arguing children seems at times the only thing I know to do before I sit down and weep.

Then I find a warrior outside the bathroom door.

Tonight I am shedding different tears.  I am the one who has joy, love, peace…..and hope.  They are getting it!  I need to hold on to these moments and remember them when teaching my children seems like a job to difficult for me.

We celebrated the life of our little monkey who is now 5!  She tore into her gifts, blew out the candles, attacked the pinata and ate her fill of ice cream and cake.  Sounds like an average 5 year old.

But for our girl this is extraordinary.

Only a year ago she wouldn’t open her gifts, was afraid of the candles, was to shy for friends, and cried when there was any kind of excitement.  She has grown up so much in the past year!

Hubbie just mentioned how our little monkey really is like an onion.  It seems like we slowly are peeling back layers and learning more about her core.  We are delighted by this sweet, funny, loving girl of ours.  On Monday morning I woke at 6am with her nose pressed to mine.  “I AM 5!”  She exclaimed loudly, waking me with a jolt!  She laughed at her early morning “joke” which ended by smothering me in kisses.  Love, love that girl!

Her birthday doesn’t pass without me thinking about a woman who lives on the other side of the world.  A woman who loved this girl as deeply as I do.  One who made painful decisions in order to give our little monkey life.  My heart breaks for her that she had to miss out on the jokes and kisses.  I see her in the face of my beloved little one.  She must be graceful, witty, loving and compassionate.  How else would my daughter be those things? I am sure she wonders.  Wonders if her girl is now healthy, happy and cared for.

As little monkey blew out her candles, my wish would be to send her birthmom a heart filled message.  “She is amazing!  Thank you for choosing to give her life.”