I am excited to have wedding photos to share!
Large Family Life
Do you ever come home from vacation and feel like you don’t quite know where to begin? It’s Monday morning and I’m surrounded by laundry, wedding supplies, floors that haven’t been mopped since the reception, and lots of children. I want to blog, call a friend, do the easy tasks, but I need to jump in to the most daunting things first and get them out of the way.
We had a wonderful vacation on Whidbey Island followed by appointments in Seattle. My nine-year-old niece, Jujubee, is visiting for the week and she and Sunshine are sticking close together. If I can get enough done this morning, we’ll head to the pool this afternoon.
I’ll be back in the blogging groove soon. Thanks for not forgetting me!
~Lisa
I am home after a wonderful time at the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit. It was an amazing experience and I was encouraged in so many ways. I loved my time with the From HIV to Home ladies and my dear friend, Marybeth, who went with me. I also got to meet quite a few of you! Thank you to each one of you who introduced yourself and encouraged me to keep blogging – I’ll do my best.
I arrived home in time to make the frosting for Eby’s birthday cake. I didn’t manage to cook the dinner I had planned before I left (and before I was sleep deprived by lots of late nights), but Russ picked up pizza and Eby was thrilled.
After dinner I rocked my girls and spent some special time with Honeybee.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for Honeybee while I was gone. She did great and I came home to a calm girl. Thanks be to God!
I hope to write more about the conference soon, but in case I forget to say this, I would encourage anyone who has a heart for orphans, to attend. You will not regret it! I don’t believe they have announced the location for next year’s Summit, but maybe it will be in your neighborhood, or at least your part of the country.
~Lisa
Just in case I’ve ever given the impression that I am anything but a flawed mother, here is a little story for you.
I was having a hectic morning. The tablet on my desk had a “To-do” list that filled the page. Piles of dirty clothes crowded into my laundry room and breakfast dishes filled the counters. I breathed deeply and moved quickly from one task to another while also finding a Band-aid, getting drinks, wiping up a spill, etc. I felt just a tad bit harried.
The kitchen began to look better, the washer and dryer were running, it was almost time for me to tackle my list…and then the little boys asked for one…more…thing.
…until Mimi and Andrew’s wedding day of July 17, 2010.
We had the wonderful opportunity to meet Andrew’s family over Easter. They flew up from San Antonio, Texas, to meet us and spend time with Mimi and Andrew. We could not be more thankful for the second family God has given to Mimi. They are wonderful and we are so pleased to have them as part of our extended family.
We talked about wedding plans, laughed over stories of our children, got a little teary about sharing holidays (maybe it was only me…), and searched for the perfect place for a rehearsal dinner.
Do you want to know how to host a big Easter gathering in the midst of your already insanely busy life? Keep it simple…keep it very, very simple.
We had between fifty and sixty people at our house on Sunday. My family and Signe’s accounted for 24 people in the crowd; fortunately quite of few of them were small and didn’t require much space. I have to confess that part of what I love about having a big crowded party is that nobody expects perfection. Not many of us can host a sit-down dinner for fifty. So what does feeding a crowd like this entail? You may not be interested, but just in case you are
We start each session with Deborah by giving her an update on the past two weeks. We go over anything critical that has happened with the kids and she gives us strategies for the upcoming weeks. Then the kids join us, one at a time, to work with her. At our last session, as we talked over the past two weeks, she told Russ and me that we are fatigued because we are being “nibbled to death by ducks.” We all had a good laugh, but it is true!
You know those people who always seem to have it all together? They look great, their children are well behaved and dressed in darling outfits, their homes are decorated and lovely, and life seems to be going along swimmingly? I used to aspire to be like that, but that doesn’t seem to be God’s plan for me. It’s not that I’m admitting defeat or saying that I’m giving up on a tidy life, rather I’m accepting that our path is messy.
When we love people, we invite their brokenness and mess into our lives.
After taking a week off, I am back with a new Tuesday Topic!
Teresa asked:
How and when did you introduce your toddlers to larger functions–like church? Our Sunday mornings are quite extended–leaving home around 8:30 and arriving home around 1:30 (Church and Sunday School). I’d love to hear what was helpful or hurtful from your experience.
Teresa’s question is specific to toddlers because she is adopting children ages two to four. I would like to broaden it out to include newly adopted children of all ages. Teresa asked specifically about church, but let’s also include other situations such as family gatherings, sports events, and other situations where groups of people gather.
I’m sure you have thoughts on this, so send them my way. I will hold all comments until Tuesday, March 23rd, and post them all at once. I love hearing what you have to say – so don’t hesitate, leave a comment!
~Lisa
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