Gray hair....

So in the past couple years the gray hairs have started growing fast and furious! For the first time this weekend, Randy even noticed how many. My first instinct was to color them! I have the medium brown hair color under the sink ready to go. So whats the blog post about? I can't make myself do it! The curiosity has kicked in to see what I will look like if I don't cover it. Then it got me thinking, why do so many woman color their hair? Whats wrong with what our body already does? Why are so many women obsessed with looking younger, when the truth is we don't stay younger, we all get older? Then I thought I think too much...... So not sure yet if I will go for the color or let it go silver........I like the word silver better then gray....

Whew fun on ebay!

As we were cleaning out the basement in hopes of moving someday, I decided to put a few things up on ebay. As you can see above, we have quite a few clothes to purge! Its one thing about having a lot of kids, clothes just collect! I didn't think they would sell because my few tries on ebay in the past haven't gone far. But they sold! I was so excited to make some money and help clean out the basement! I am using the money earned to buy things for next year. We have decided to homeschool all 7 kids next year. I am super excited. Its something I have wanted to do for awhile but it just never was the right timing in all of the family's hearts. First my oldest daughter approached me a few months ago saying she was interested in it, then my son followed, then my husband too and I was so excited to see things I have been praying and thinking about be confirmed! So it will be an adventure, but we are all excited. So my hope is that this summer we will finish cleaning out the basement, have a yard sale, sell the house, pack up, move to Texas and get homeschooling underway. My prayer too is that sometime in their Liberia opens and Keith comes home to join our little school :)

Make Mothers Day Matter!!

This is an awesome organization that is run by an incredible lady. PLEASE consider donating to this cause! I know those of us who are mothers know how much love a mother has for her child, regardless of their circumstances. I was a 19 year old mom who was scared to have her first baby, I almost died, my baby could have died.... I was forever blessed to be living in a country in which doctors could save my life and my daughters. That was 12 years ago and because of that blessing, I can be a mama to 6 more children and Alex is an amazing girl! So PLEASE give these women and children dignity!

BECAUSE EVERY MOTHER MATTERS
What they do.....To reduce the occurrence of maternal and infant mortality by providing sterile birthing kits, holistic childbirth and development centers, and sponsorships of mothers in East Africa

We have no trinkets to sell. We have nothing that you can purchase to give to your mothers or women of importance in your life on Mother's Day. All we have is a vision. A vision of a holistic maternity and infant development center to be built half way around the world...in a village probably not big enough to be on a map. Because- it is not okay that 1 in 11 women in E.Africa dies due to pregnancy related causes. What do we need? Simply-We need money. What can we offer this Mother's Day? Hope. And the assurance that 100% of your donations go towards building the clinic. There are 3 Fridays left until Mother's day. We are asking 3 things. 1. Every Friday donate $10 that is a total of $30. 2. On Fri. make this your status and provide a link or address to donate. 3.Please let your mom, your friend, your wife, your daughter know that THEY MATTER!

http://www.domaconnection.org/ Please memo BEMM when donating

I am a terrible blogger lately!

I would love to say that I have been so super busy doing wonderful and amazing things lately so I haven't had time to update. Truth be told....I just haven't had anything to write much about lately! Things here are turning spring like, and I am loving it. After the long winter days with no time to play outside, the whole family is relieved to burn off energy on bikes and wagons! We have had our house for sale for 3 months now and only have had 4 showings and 0 offers. I am trying to be patient while God works out the details. It is nice knowing we can move whenever and Randy doesn't have to be in another state to start a job without us! Still no news on when Liberia is going to pass new adoption laws and when we can bring Keith home. Our homestudy expires this month and we will have to update it or get a new one in Texas if we move before things open. Its funny I feel as though I should feel defeated and feel like he will never come home, yet I am hopeful. I explained to the kids tonight during our devotion, my experience in life has been that when God lets us walk through hard times, he never lets us walk in it forever. He is always waiting around the corner with a bigger blessing then we can imagine. So many times I have let myself fall into the trap of believing that because it doesn't look like what I planned God must have forgotten me....now through experience of faith, I KNOW the harder this wait for Keith, the more beautiful God's plan will be.

On to funnier news........ Zeke and I tonight had a battle of the wills, I told him if he was going to be nice and stay in his bed I would give him a kiss and leave the light on in the hall...he replied....no I think I will be rude tonight turn off the light. Then he took my kiss off his lips with his hand and handed it back!! Later I hear a little voice say......mom I am ready to be nice, can I have my fooch (which is what he calls a kiss). So I kissed him and he STAYED in his bed! Woohoo I win :)

Its funny......

I can remember being in school and having to leave for a doctors appointment or be out sick and feeling a weird sense of thrill driving around seeing what was going on all that time I was in school. I remember wondering what life would be like when I didn't have to go to school and I could be free! I remember feeling like such a failure when I brought home less then good grades in Geometry, Technical Drawing and Chemistry. I honestly did try hard in school, if you don't count homework which I was terrible at remembering to do. The thought struck me as I was driving around the other afternoon at 1 when school was in session. I am here I have arrived!!!!!! Well honestly I have been here awhile, it just seems that starting your family while you are in school (college for me) tends to keep you busy enough to keep some thoughts away for awhile. What occurred to me though was more important then the periodic table to my life was my mom and dad teaching me about having a checkbook, technical drawing has never touched my life but more importantly was learning how to drive. Don't get me wrong I am a huge fan of education, without it we are a third world nation. However, I am learning that education is just a piece of who we are. Some people are drawn to drawing and end up architects or are excited about chemistry and work in labs or someone who loves geometry...ummmmm to be honest not sure where that leads........ I watch my kids soar in some subjects and struggle with others and I hope I can show them that we all can't be good at everything, nor are we designed to be! Take the things you love and run with it, as for the rest do your best! I find it funny that I spent 13 years in public school and that was what my whole life revolved around and now my kids bring home work that I kinda remember learning about, but since then I have not ever thought about it or used it! Just random thoughts..............

My first award!

How exciting I got my first blog award thingy! I was nominated by Steffany who is a wonderful amazing woman! She is truly inspirational and is "that" lady. You know the one that you read their blog or hear about and wish they were your friend, cuz they are just that cool..... So you can imagine how giddy I felt when I saw my name up there :)

For this award I am suppose to list 10 things that make me happy....
1. Jesus
2. Randy
3. All of my children
4. Babies
5. Vacations
6. Swimming
7. Baking
8. Music
9. Watching kids change when they have stability
10.Watching weather

Then I am supposed to pass this award onto 10 other people .....
1. HollyAnn-- Without here we would still be a family of 4. She was not only a great adoption agency provider, but a great friend! She is incredibly strong and determined. She follows God with her whole heart.

2. Summer is a woman who I have never met and lives worlds away in Uganda. Her spirit and determination to follow God inspire me. She is a mom to many beautiful children!

3. Michelle and her family are a family that I have met through blogging. Their journey has taken them to 3 countries (almost) with 6 children! Talk about amazing!!

4.The Burkulator cracks me up! She is a highlight of my blog reading day. She is funny and very insightful!

5. Chrissy is someone I knew through school. Her blog is funny and her kids amazingly adorable! She is truly a great mom.

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT 5!!

Discussions with 9 year olds.........

I was having a discussion about babies in utero and showing pictures to AJ and Hannah and this is part of it....

AJ: Whoa we were like tadpoles

Me: Sort of see here is the spine starting to grow

Hannah: Ewww babies are see through

AJ: Whats that cord

Me: That's how the baby gets food, blood and oxygen

AJ: so the baby can't breathe

Hannah: Oh my gosh won't it die!

AJ: So that's what they cut when it comes out

Me: Yes that's where your belly button comes from

Hannah: Oh no someone cut off my belly button!

AJ: No that's whats left when the chunk falls off right mom

Me: Yes I suppose.....

Hannah: So does the baby just fall out one day....

Me: Ahhh that's the dream of all women....not quite that easy.