3 more days til Christmas

Friday was a nice day but I kept feeling sad. I was happy when the bus pulled up and the bus driver called out to the girls. ~"Ho Ho Ho~!" They were so surprised to see him in his Santa hat calling them to climb on board with his arm waving them in. They giggled and got right on and daddy took a picture. :) After they went to school we did a little Christmas shopping and Jim took me to Panera Bread for some lunch. Rachel woke up and called to make sure we were alive...yup! the world didn't end!! We stopped by the grocery store for some milk and breakfast stuff for the kids in the morning and found a few stocking stuffers while we were at it. After Jim brought me home I tried to catch a nap but my grandson didn't want to sleep and Jim had to go to work. I got up to clean the house before the kids returned from school and started dinner. Alice's two friends came home with her. Soon it was time to go with Mrs. Amber to church and watch Alice in the Christmas play. I decided not to bring Hannah because she was not being nice to Alice's friends and she usually doesn't enjoy shows due to the lights and loud noises. It turned out to be pretty calm but it was better safe than sorry (she and Christian stayed home with her brothers). The kids are in bed. I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I just checked on FB and saw this thing called OhLife and decided to try it out. It helped me write why I have been so sad. - Rachel's friend died in a car accident a few weeks ago, 26 innocent people died in a school shooting with 20 of them being first graders last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, Thursday Jim did his second funeral this month and a student from Meade High was hit by a car and died, there was another student just not long ago who was also hit by a car from Meade. I think with so many young people loosing their lives lately it is just way too sad. Plus many of my friends on FB have sick children, many with Down syndrome that we are praying for. To top it off Russia stopped all adoptions between the U.S and them....SO SAD! Many children will not be adopted that would have been and to think how close some of the families were to getting their children just hurts. Many prayers going up tonight! Bless all these dear Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Hannah and Lera with their bus driver on Polar Express Day! XOXO

Alice and the children in the Christmas play

Alice and the children in the Christmas play

 Alice and Lera with friends afterwards xxx

Lera had a reindeer cookie for refreshments :)

There's only 12 more days til Christmas!

We have Santa place mats on our table right now (we usually don't have place mats, but hey it's Christmas!). As I was finishing cooking dinner this evening for some certain hungry little ones, they were having a disagreement (fighting) over which place mat was theirs. Trying to keep them happy, at the same time, I started singing...Who's got a big red cherry nose?  I couldn't remember the rest of the song so I continued singing...I don't know how the rest of it goes... Haha! That's when I thought to find "Must Be Santa" on my lap top for us to sing! O What FUN!!!  From there we clicked on dozens more...Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and some not so Christmas songs, but hey, they were happy and so was I! You could say our dinner ended on a good note!

Then Hannah was sitting next to me when I typed this and said, mommy I write my name. So she did >>>  hannah <<< Yup that was her own hand typing! :-) 

I hope your days are merry and bright celebrating Christmas this year with your loved ones and your heart is happy and blessed!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from our house to yours! :)

Christian, Lera & Hannah - building with blocks before bedtime :)

So do you know your way home from here?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Our Christmas tree up with lights :)

We put our Christmas tree up last Sunday but I wanted to share what happened on Monday and tell our adoption story one more time!

Monday started out a busy day. I went to work with Jim to meet our daughter, Rachel who spent the night with her sister, Michelle. Michelle's boyfriend, Howard brought Rachel with him to where they were working at an old farm house near where we live. Before I left there with Rachel, Jim asked me, "So do you know your way home from here?"  I thought it was a very profound question as my mind had been all wrapped up in other things the whole way there. Like, how am I going to sell my book and how I so do want to help look after orphans! The tears fell down my face as I thought about them and how it was exactly what I needed to hear. Jesus Is The Way!

Monday night the lights went on our Christmas tree after the branches fell in place over night. James and Amanda worked together and did a great job! I thought it looked so pretty the way the lights reflected in the mirror and the window! :)

Later on in the week the kids were happy to help put some decorations on our Christmas tree! The cats were happy to take them off lol. Oh well, here are some pictures of our cute kittens checking things out. :) (Smokey not pictured)

Griffin laying on the Christmas tree skirt :)

Jacques too! :)

Symone & Jacques :)) You mean it was supposed to stay around the Christmas tree?

I wrote this post to remember "the way" came to me five Christmases ago in an e-mail. It read: little blond angel needs a home. Of course it was no ordinary e-mail. It was meant for me to read it! God sent it by another mom (now friend, Theresa Mitchel). It went all over the U.S. and was forwarded to different Down syndrome groups everywhere to the one I belonged to. When I got it, it hit the mark and went straight to my heart!! God knew I would read the e-mail and He prepared my heart ahead of time (please refer to my book - Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow to read the whole story - for this chapter please refer to Ch. 7 ~ Called!). God knew I would want her! He knew I was her mother! God is sooo good!!! His plan worked to find her forever family! I was her mama and now we have nothing less than a miracle, a little blond angel from Ukraine named Lera! This will be her fourth Christmas home already! Praise God! I'm so excited all over again!!!
 

Here are some pictures of Lera waiting in line to visit Santa this year. She was so excited! 

 Here is a picture of Lera and Hannah ready to go see Santa their first Christmas together! They were dancing in our kitchen and holding hands...SO CUTE! I added a few extra details :)

Christmas 2009

To finish this post I want to share this song one of my other friends shared earlier this week. Thank you April Shattery Jackson! Be blessed!! 

Third Day - Merry Christmas - Christmas Offerings 

http://youtu.be/3Xebv7muzxU