The Dotson Family

Kevin takes a Fall

2012-02-04T13:08:00.002-06:00

Meet Kevin, our 2 year old barn cat who got a rough start to life after being left to die by his mother at 3 weeks old. He came to us with a broken tail and other minor issues. Bailey adopted him, took care of him, bottle fed him and taught him how to be a cat. So he really is her baby! Seriously, she LOVES this cat more than most of the people in her life. So when Leul found him lying in a crazy pose by our back door on Wed, we all panicked. We rushed him to the vet and discovered that both his front legs were badly broken.

At the vet on Wed morning. We had no idea what had happened to him but he could not move out of this position. He just purred as we pet him and waited on the vet. Sweet boy!

The vet does not think he was hit by a car. Rather that he fell off the house or out of a tree. It would have been nearly impossible for him to make it any distance to our back door in the condition he was in. The vet performed surgery to repair both legs and inserted pins and plates to keep the bones in place. He also got a nifty green cast. We go back at a later time to get the cast off and pins removed. In the meantime, he'll be pampered more than usual and fed whatever he will eat. I hope he doesn't get used to that nasty canned cat food because he'll be back to his regular food soon!

Mazie (dog) and Harold (cat) greeting Kevin. He was happy to see his buddies!

8 Months

2012-02-02T15:32:00.001-06:00

"Aren't you done with Leul's adoption yet?" That is the question I am often asked and, frankly, I wish I could say "YES!". I can't but I hope to be able to very soon. Moving has set us back some but we are already getting the paperwork started for SC and should have it all complete by next week! Then we wait. Again.

In the meantime, enjoy a quick update and a few pics of our sweet boy who is growing and maturing at a rapid speed now.

He is very comfortable asking for affection and time together. He wants to be close to someone all the time. He doesn't like having his own room because he feels lonely. We think it is good for him to be okay by himself. He knows he can come to us if he's scared and he does. He's doing great!
He is not nearly as independent as he first was and isn't too proud to ask for help like before. If he doesn't understand something he has read or heard, he asked us instead of saying "I know" or pretending he gets it when we try to explain. That is a big step for him.
He is still totally obsessed with TV and video games so those are seriously limited.
He loves Rainbow Sherbert.
He loves Bill Cosby and has memorized all of Bill Cosby Himself (1983). He favorite line "Oh God. My head!" which he repeats several times a day! He sounds just like Bill! Crazy boy!
He loves country music but don't tell him I told you that.
He still hates getting his hair cut but he'll be begging for a haircut in a month or 2. He'll be getting one this week but not as short as I would like. It is his hair so...
Oh and he changed his name spelling to Leul. Go figure. I think there are a million ways to spell it really but he likes this one better than Le'oul.


I walked by his door earlier today, a few of his favorite things were laid out on his bed. Diary of A Wimpy Kid book (he has them all), a soccer ball pillow (also used in dodge ball on the trampoline), a pink blanket his birth Mom made for him, a book from Layla House (his orphanage) which contains many pictures of his friends and himself, Harold (his cat), his quilt and fleece throw and his bear pillow.

Just a note about the blanket and Layla House book: This is part of his story we are blessed to have and he was very excited to get them in the mail today. Laci found them tucked away and knew he would want them. He spent a long time quietly pouring over the pictures in this wonderful book before wrapping it up in his mothers tiny blanket and taking it to his room. I am teary just thinking about how happy it made him to see those familiar faces and remember. Even more how he was able to put it away go on with his day like normal.

Anything Uncle Kenny has/does is amazing!

Just Dance. Leul is good. Sage, not so much.

Candy is his favorite. Nevermind the moving mess in the background.

He has started napping every once in a while. He can finally relax!

Catch Up

2012-02-02T14:53:00.000-06:00

This is my attempt to catch up quickly so I can put in some other good stuff later today. It might be a marathon blogging day!

We have mostly settled into our new home with just a few boxes that need to be gone through. Some boxes and toys will stay in the garage until they are needed but we are mostly done.
We have been out and about A LOT, getting acquainted with our little town and the surrounding area.
We have seen many friends and family too!
The weather is fabulous! I mean, anything about 40 is fabulous to us but 60's are grand! Sage has had on shorts since we got here, even on cooler days in the 50's.
Dale is settling in at work and getting used to the grueling 4 day work weeks. I love having him around an extra day to ~~get things checked off the "honey do" list~~ spend lots of quality time together.
I am back to making cookies and working on a lot of changes to Cookie Capers to make it better and grow!
We are church "shopping" which we all hate! Prayers appreciated in that area. It is so important to us to be plugged in to our local body of Christ!

Looking forward to catching you up on the latest happenings as we figure out what God has in store for us back in SC! As promised, here are some pictures of our first couple of weeks.

The first weekend we were here, we met up with my brother and had lunch. Uncle Kenny is a celebrity at our house and Leul is fascinated by him. I'm not entirely sure this is good but I do love my baby brother and I love having my boys (and girls) getting to know their crazy, truck driving uncle a lot better!

The child could not contain himself! He absorbed every word Uncle Kenny told him about the truck and repeated it to us in the car on the way home. He wants to drive a truck just like this one! His awesome uncle endured his bazillion questions with matched excitement and even let him blow the air horn!

2 Peas....it's a little scary to tell the truth!

Sage is too cool to look as excited as he really was!

Bonding.

How did he talk his 18 year old sister into getting into our new trash can in the store parking lot? I don't know but she liked it. That worries me a little.

We made it!

2012-01-22T08:15:00.001-06:00

This post is a little overdue but we did make it safely to our new home. We give God all the glory for keeping us safe and giving us a peaceful ride in "The Ark". All 13, yes 13, animals were great in the car! They were so good that neither hotel had a clue that they had that many animals in their rooms! Sneaky? A little. But we had to sleep and they had to sleep so...

Dale's family came down to see us on Saturday and the Bishops came up from Charleston on Sunday. Sydney left with the Bishops and we drive down to Charleston to get her and spend the day at Upward Basketball. We saw lots of friends and plan to go back in a few weeks for an overnight.

It's great to be back but we already miss our MN church family and friends! Now it's on to find a church! I hate 'shopping' for churches but I love being part of Gods family!

Farewell Minnesota!

2012-01-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

Well folks, this is our last day living in Minnesota! It's very sad though I didn't think it would be. As friends trickled in and out over the last few days, I found myself getting emotional at the thought of not seeing them again or at least for a long time. I tried to get pictures of everyone who came by and failed miserably but I will share the ones I have.

Sage is taking this move pretty hard so we have let him go spend most of his free time with his friend Dylan. Bailey and Nick have been inseparable. Of Course.
Sydney has had lots of time with her friends.
Le'oul got some time with his friend Alex but he really doesn't care if we stay or go.
Dale is driving home from Prairie Island Nuclear plant for the last time and
I am trying to get all the little things done that no one except Mom thinks about.

Le'oul and his buddy, Alex

Pastor Ben and his boys, Josh, Sam and Daniel. Seems like a few folks are missing from their picture. Oh yes, Stacy, Caleb and Phillip stayed home. We'll miss our Pastor and his sweet family!

James Weir

Joel Newman!

Martha and Le'oul

Ben

The 3 Amigos

Quenna, Ellen and Sydney

Sam (and Cookie)

THIS is a face I can hardly stand to leave. I ♥ John Weir.

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel to our next adventure!

We will be traveling 1100 miles with: 2 vehicles, 6 humans, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 6 birds

and a 33' camper affectionately named The Rolling Turd!

YES, we are crazy but you wouldn't want us any other way! See you in SC!

Happy 12th Birthday Le'oul

2012-01-01T17:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to the newest member of our family! It's hard to believe that we just passed the 7 month mark with Le'oul here. It seems like he's always been here and like he just got here all wrapped up in one. I don't need to write tons of things about him if you read this blog but I do want to say how very thankful we are that God saw fit for this crazy, wonderful boy to have us as his forever family. He racked up on his birthday! He now has $150 in his wallet! I'm jealous. All my kids have more money than me!

Enjoy the pics of Leo's special day even though he's a big ole dork who hates to have his picture taken!

From Grandma and Grandpa Powers

From MawMaw and PawPaw Dotson


Le'oul got a Blow Gun 35 that shoots "spit wads" for Christmas. Bailey and Nick got him axes and 600 spit wad refills! Oh dear.

Soda is a luxury! Sip it slow, it's all you get!

Steak and shrimp! His FAVORITE!

Mmmmm...Ice Cream!

Bailey and Nick

Sage and Sydney

Dear Le'oul,

Your arrival was a complete surprise to our happy family of 5. When you came here, you were wild-eyed and terrified! You had no idea what to expect and neither did we. You have tested our parenting skills and I now realize why God gave me such a deep love and compassion for "tough" kids. Words can not express how grateful we are to God for allowing us the privilege of being your forever parents. We pray you come to know Jesus as your Savior and learn that God loves you just because He made you, not based on how good or bad you are. We love you and can't wait to see what God will do in the coming year!

Love, Ma'am and Dale (AKA Mom and Dad)

"Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!" Psalm 126:3

Niki Update

2011-12-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

I am posting the Caring Bridge site for my friend Niki. Many of you have asked and I want you all to see what a mighty God I serve! If you don't know Niki's story, I plead with you to read from the beginning and see what God has done!

I firmly believe that God is good no matter what happens in our lives but I am so very grateful to be part of a real life miracle story! On Wednesday, I get to see her one last time before the move. It will be so hard to say goodbye but I know God has great plans for her and for me! To God be the glory, great things HE has done!

Niki Weir's Caring Bridge

Hoarders and Purgers

2011-12-28T21:48:00.000-06:00

My sweet husband inherited an annoying trait from his Dad. He's a "keep odds and ends that were once part of a project but serve no purpose anymore" kind of hoarder. He just can't part with random leftover items from various projects! That stuff starts to grow and multiply over the years. It now takes up quite a bit of space.

I also inherited an annoying trait from my Dad. I'm a "get rid of everything that is not needed and can be easily replaced if a need for it arises" kind of purger. I hate stuff hanging around that isn't useful. I would SO get a dumpster over here and get rid of tons of stuff. Literally. If the Hoarder would let me.

Last time we moved, Dale's company paid movers to do all the work of packing and moving. The times we've just moved short distances have been pretty easy too. This time, it's a DIY move half way across the country! There is no way to make multiple trips back to the old place to get things that wouldn't fit in the moving truck.

I'm really looking forward to this move because Mr. Hoarder is also Mr. Cheapskate. The price of the move is based on the amount of space our stuff takes up in the moving trailer. It'll be interesting to see if Mr. Hoarder will get to keep his stuff or if Mr. Cheapskate comes out the victor. Who do you think I'm rooting for?

Either way, I'm happy to be heading closer to home. I'm ecstatic that I will not be spending even one night in MN without my sweet husband. It will be great for all 6 of us to start a new adventure together! I can't wait to see what God has in store.

We're Moving!

2011-12-27T18:09:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to share our moving news! Dale's boss in MN moved to SC and asked if Dale would be interested in relocating (and making a few more dollars a year). Ummm....YES! Of course we would but there were some hurdles in our way. One being that our adoption is not final. Moving would mean staying here until it was final or to pretty much start the whole process over.

Dale had originally planned to go ahead of us and fly back when we had a court date. Since we started talking about that, Le'oul has had many nightmares, frequent sleepwalking and the return of bed-wetting (which has not happened in months). He asked lots of questions and was worried if we would be safe with Dad gone.

Now he doesn't have to worry because we are all going together!

After talking to our attorney this morning and learning that it could possibly be April before we have a court date, we decided that it was not worth the stress and separation. We will start over in SC. Together. We've figured out what we need to do to get it done and have permission to take Le'oul with us to SC.

SO we're out of here on January 9. Dale starts his new job on January 16. That is not much time my friends. Not much time at all. I was not prepared to leave that soon so a LOT of packing has to get done before the moving truck comes on January 4.

Leaving friends and starting over is so hard. We've done it quite a few times so we are trying to brace ourselves for the shock of it all! It has been a terrifically fast change that was not in our 5 year plan. We have learned not to hold that 5 year plan too tightly because God may have different plans! Better plans! We once again find ourselves on a wild ride. We are clinging to the God who gives peace in chaos and works all things together for our good. Praise Him for his provision and faithfulness!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:04:00.004-06:00

Just because we didn't send out Christmas cards doesn't mean we didn't do Christmas! We try very hard to help our kids remember what Christmas really means to us but we do that everyday! We managed to keep things pretty normal this year despite the temptation to go all out for our first Christmas with Le'oul. I don't think he thought it was "normal" since we overheard him tell a friends mom that we bought him 8 presents just because we loved him. That makes me smile even now! I hope you enjoy the pictures of our great kids! We are blessed beyond measure and thank God every day we get so share together!

Christmas Eve is the time they open their Grandparents gifts, sibling gifts and PJ's.

Mawmaw and Pawpaw Dotson sent money this year! The kids didn't mind at all!

From Grandma and Grandpa Powers

Not the dolls, just the outfits. Yes, our 15 year old still loves her American Girl dolls!

Do you think we have a Colts fan at our house?


"Date" clothes is what Bailey really wanted. Now if she only had a date...

Oh wait! She DOES have a date. I guess she'll get some use out of those clothes after all.


Le'oul asked for Bionicles but they are discontinued. I'm pretty sure he loved these just as good!

They are all sporting new PJ's and robes (except Sage who already has one).

The kids got Dad a Fossil watch! He loved it but don't expect an excited look. He doesn't have one.


I got a Keurig Coffee maker from Dale and the kids. This is the Kcup holder to go with it!


I don't know how well you can see the wrapping on this gift but Le'oul wrapped it with packing tape to make sure Dad couldn't sneak a peak. He was so cute about this because he LOVES Dale so much!


Le'oul explaining to Dad that he wanted to get him a really cool cell phone "because he needs a nice phone for his job" but we couldn't because he has to be with us to do that! He was actually about to cry when explaining this but Dale said he will take him with when he gets a new phone. Sweet!

How old are the kids before you get a good picture? I think never!

He didn't want to take time out from playing to display all he got. This is not all. His pile looks a lot like Sages. His big gift was Skylanders for Wii.

Sage knows the drill. He even laid out his candy. His big gift was a PHONE! Boy was he excited!

Bailey got a Kindle Fire which is pretty dang cool. I want one.

Sydney asked for a real stereo that plays CD's and docks her iPod. She got it and made us listen to Taylor Swift for as long as we all could stand it.

Who let Bailey have a knife?

Concentrating! SO cute!

Being himself.

Showing off her new lamp from IKEA.

Well folks, that's all I have for today. I hope to get a good video of Le'oul dancing on the Wii if I can sneak it. He's good but he doesn't want me to video him. Merry Christmas!

No Christmas Cards

2011-12-24T21:32:00.000-06:00

We have decided not to send out Christmas cards this year though we have enjoyed receiving them from all our friends and family! It's great to see all our favorite kids growing up! We will wait to celebrate Le'ouls adoption with a family photo shoot and send out our "Christmas Cards" then!

I'm making my New Year's resolution early. I promise to be better about taking pictures in 2012 so be looking for some great ones starting in Jan! Until then,

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-22T20:10:00.001-06:00

Gingerbread houses are fun to make but, honestly, I'm pretty sick of royal icing and cookies by this time of year. I have no desire to roll, cut & bake gingerbread then make beautiful houses. I usually buy the kit that has everything in it and the kids do their thing. As a cookie decorator it is hard to just let the kids go without "helping" them. I do it but my tongue is usually bleeding by the end! (from biting it)

This year we found great looking houses made from real gingerbread at IKEA.

The kids reminded me that Jolly Ranchers make cool stained glass windows.

Here's how you do it:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°.

2. You can do this to your house before baking so it's all done together but ours were precut. You can also do this with pretzels or sugar cookies with holes cut out.

3. Choose the colors you like and put each color in a separate baggie.

If you want different colors in the same window, just put the ones you want together in a bag.

4. Get a meat mallet or hammer and ~~take out all your frustrations~~ lightly tap the candies to break into pieces.

The colors will not mix when melting so you can use big or small bits. Experiment. It's fun!

5. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Fill each "hole" with candy pieces in a little pile.

They will melt down quite a bit.

6. Bake just until candy melts (2-5 minutes approx) or until your cookies are done.

BE CAREFUL! Melted Sugar is dangerously hot and sticky!

Leave them on the cookie sheet about 10 minutes to make sure the sugar is hard and wont burn you.

Slowly peel the foil away and VOILA!

Now that the windows are done, it's time to put them together and decorate!

We melt 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat and use the melted sugar as glue (you might have to do this a couple of times depending on how many houses you make). It dries FAST and is pretty easy. Just dip your sides into the sugar glue and quickly stick your house pieces together. Please be careful! I don't even let my teenage kids do the gluing because they tend to be a little clumsy.

I sacrificed my own finger to show you how dangerous molten sugar is. Of course, I did this for instructions sake. I would never be so careless as to burn my finger by accident!

Let the decorating begin! Do you think we have enough candy?!

I'm pretty sure the boys ate more candy than they put on their houses.

Poor Dale. His roof broke so he had to piece it together and try to get it to stay on!

That's all we had time for tonight. I'll post the finished products tomorrow.

6 months and still waiting....

2011-11-24T10:19:00.000-06:00

It's been 6 whole months since Le'oul came to live with us! I wish I was celebrating the fact that he now has our name but, we are still waiting (insert long, frustrated *sigh* here). We have done our part and are waiting on all the background checks (one from every state we have lived in since the age of 17). Then it's a quick visit to the house from a social worker and FINALLY a court date! We thought this would all be done by now. We want him to be all ours without the dark cloud hanging over our hearts that something could go wrong and he could be taken from us. Devastated does not adequately describe how we would feel if anything happened to prevent our adopting this amazing boy.

A few things about Le'oul for November:

Le'oul HATES having his picture taken. I would love to fill this post with pictures of him but I don't have many. We're working on that.
Le'oul's "Love Language" is quality time. He needs time everyday where he has our undivided attention. It doesn't even matter what we are doing.
He is obsessive about unknowns (and some totally unreasonable fears) and is constantly seeking reassurance that he is safe. He doesn't like to be alone. Ever.
He is very open with us about how he feels about EVERYTHING. Sometimes, he shares more than we really want to know but that's okay. All our kids are very open with us and we'd rather have too much communication than too little.
He worries about letting his other "mom" know that he is happy here because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings. He's clear about not wanting to go back there but he doesn't want them to be mad at him because he wants to stay with us. He's torn because he loves them too. They (and we) have reassured him no one is mad at him and that we are all glad to see him adjusting so well. He still worries a little. Poor kid.
He worries about the other siblings missing him and being sad that he won't be their brother anymore. Again, constant reassurance that he's okay and everyone else is okay too.
He does his school work everyday without grumbling and complaining. He is especially thrilled with Teaching Textbooks math because it is interactive on the computer. He also loves the time we spend cuddled up reading together.
He does his chores daily without being reminded...most of the time. He is 11 ya know!
He has decided to give his guinea pigs to a friend. The guinea pigs require weekly cage cleaning and are a bit messy daily. He is responsible for their mess and is great about it but he prefers Harold, the Siamese cat. Bailey said he could have Harold if he gave away the pigs. DEAL! We are happy to have 2 less animals to feed and Le'oul is happy to have a low maintenance pet that he can ~~drag~~ carry around all day.
He loves that we usually watch a movie or TV show during dinner. I know people think we should eat at the table but we spend all day together at the table doing school and other stuff. Don't worry, we aren't cutting out conversation in lieu of TV. Our new favorite show is Once Upon A Time on Sunday night. We had successfully avoided getting hooked on any TV series for years and years until Le'oul talked us into watching the premiere of this show. Now, all 6 of us are hooked! Ridiculous!
He takes a shower on his own with no "guard" at the door or in the bathroom with him. Unless, you count Buddy, the dog, who he makes wait right outside the door until he comes out. The dog listens y'all!
He loves to help, work and feel useful. Of course, he is also 11 and a tad lazy when it is convenient but so is everyone else.
Le'oul is a little hoarder and we finally had to give him one large box and tell him he could keep what would fit in it but nothing more. He was mad because he had himself quite a nice stash of junk in the garage. He can't bear to throw or give anything away even if it was never his stuff! It's kind of sad. Our solution to his frustration: Several days after the garage meltdown, we "accidentally stumbled" on the Hoarders: Buried Alive TV show and watched it together. During the show, he asked lots of questions (like he does during any movie or show). He totally got it!!! It was amazing to watch his little wheels turning and be able to deduct all on his own that this could be him if he didn't ever get rid of stuff. He actually said that it was sad that they (hoarders) thought keeping all that junk was good for them but it was really bad. Of course, now, he's fascinated by the show and loves to watch it over and over. But he is more careful about what goes into his box and will actually get rid of something he doesn't think he'll really use to make room for new "treasures". PROGRESS!
My parents came to visit for a couple of days at the beginning of the month and he stuck with Grandpa the whole time. The most hysterical thing about their visit is that no matter what Grandpa was watching on TV (Grandpa spends MOST of his free time in front of the boob tube), Le'oul was right beside him watching. The child is totally obsessed with TV, therefore, viewing time is usually very limited. Under the guise of hanging with Grandpa, he endured 2 whole days of the Military and History Channels just to watch TV. He told us after they left that "Grandpa watched really boring shows that I (Le'oul) didn't even understand". I think he liked being with Grandpa too!
Even though I know he can draw very well, he will not draw here. He says he doesn't like to draw anymore. I hope he will start again once his heart and mind are settled. He's really good.
He is SO excited to be helping us pick out sibling gifts for Christmas. One of our Christmas traditions is to have the kids help shop for their siblings "Santa" gifts. They get so much joy out of picking out what the others are getting and to see them open it on Christmas morning! To them, it's almost as exciting as opening their own gifts. It's great!!! They also like to tease each other because they know who's getting what. We try to keep a surprise or two from all of them but it is fun to let them in on some secrets! To our knowledge, they have never told each other what their surprises are. They have too much fun keeping the secret! I ♥ my kids!

I know the other family is heartbroken that Le'oul didn't thrive in their home and we are heartbroken for all of them. We are praying that the rest of the adoption process goes very quickly with no major hurdles so we can all move forward without this cloud hanging over us. We are so thankful for Le'oul and look forward to shouting his new name from the rooftops!

Happy 20th Anniversary!

2011-11-16T00:01:00.001-06:00

When we got married 20 years ago, we had no idea how hard marriage would be. I hope to someday have an anniversary where I can look back on the previous year and say we didn't have any major marriage issues. Maybe at our Golden Anniversary? In the past 2½ years, we have really worked hard just to like each other. Living 1200 miles from "home" and not having many friends here has forced us to face some problems we were pretending didn't exist. There was one point this year where we actually discussed the "D" word and worked out the details. There were many serious questions that we talked through and came up with solutions to. When it came down to talking with the kids about what was happening, we just couldn't do it. We knew it was the easier way for us but it would be devastating for our 4 kids. God reminded us that we were not just any couple. We are Christ followers, Jesus Freaks even. When we turned our lives over to God, we gave up our own life for a new life with Christ. Marriage is a covenant not meant to be broken until death. To follow the path of divorce just because we weren't happy, our "love tanks" were empty or because we had deeply hurt one another many times, would be wrong. God doesn't call us to a life of ease and comfort. He calls us to hard things. Life is hard, marriage is hard, parenting is hard, dealing with people is hard. What do we do when our kids are hard? Give them away? No! That is not an option most people would consider so why is giving up on our marriage an option? So many people miss the blessing of restoration through God's healing power in marriage. They would rather tear their family and children apart than put in the work it takes to restore their marriage. I would be lying if I said we were now perfectly happy and blissfully in love again. We aren't. BUT we are taking purposeful steps toward building a stronger relationship and putting each others needs ahead of our own. We've seen God do some pretty amazing things in the past year and look forward to what He will do as long as we are willing to let Him in and keep Him at the center of our family. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Dale, I love you more now than I ever have. All the hard things we've gone through over these 20 years have taught me to look to God for my everything and not depend on you to meet all my needs. That's too much to expect from another imperfect human being. Marriage is hard but I'm so glad we stayed. Your love is worth the work and sacrifice. I pray God gives us another 20 years to right all the wrongs. Happy 20th Anniversary! I love you! Stephanie

Happy 14th Birthday Sage Thomas!

2011-11-07T15:27:00.002-06:00

As I reflect over the past year with Sage, I can see so many changes in him. The biggest change is his size! The boy has grown exponentially! At this time last year, he was 5'7" and weighed about 115lbs. This year he is my height @ 5'10.5" (the 0.5" really counts to him!) and weighs 121lbs! He is the first born son so, just like Bailey, he is our guinea pig. Poor kids!

I had a 14 yr old brother once (now 35) and he was obnoxious and a general pain in the behind so I decided MY son would not be like that. Like most of the other things I said my son would or would not be, I lied. My son is obnoxious, irresponsible, sarcastic, lazy (when it suits him), makes weird noises all the time, drums with anything he is holding (or with his hands if he has nothing to hold) and loves to torment his sisters and brother. What can I say? He's a boy. It took me years to figure out that boys will be boys. Period. It isn't something to try and change. God made them this way. We just try to guide them to find constructive things they enjoy, help keep them alive when their siblings try to kill them and hope they make it through to adulthood without any life threatening injuries. So far, so good. Things that stand out to me this year:

Sage has a sensitive side but acts tough.
He has a couple of good friends here but still misses his SC friends a lot.
He's the coolest kid he knows. No self esteem problems here.
He wants to please us and is very repentant when corrected. He usually tells on himself if we don't catch him. It's hard to punish a kid who can't even sleep because he has done something wrong.
Sage LOVES little kids! They love him too! He is frequently invited to little boys birthday parties because he is their best friend.
He loves his dog, Buddy. He doesn't like that Le'oul tries to claim that they share Buddy. He doesn't share his dog. He will let someone else feed or walk him if he doesn't feel like it. That helps Le'oul feel like he "owns" part of Buddy even though Sage will never agree to that.
Sage has matured a LOT since Le'oul came into our family. I have seen some great examples of self control when Sage has been pushed to his limit. I have also seen him lose it but apologize and mean it. He has had the most difficulty with this adjustment because he was the baby. He now has to share a room and other things that have always been just his. He's a great big brother!
Sage and Sydney are still "twins" and best friends. It's a blessing to have them be so close in age and friendship.

Sage shares his birthday with one of his modern day heroes, Billy Graham who is 93 today! Sage thinks he may follow in Billy's footsteps someday! We are so proud of Sage. We can't wait to see how/where God will lead him as he grows up.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

Fall "work"

2011-10-23T21:41:00.001-05:00

What do you get when you add 3 guys + a yard full of leaves?

A lot of fun! They DID work really hard too!

They took out the mini trampoline and did

all kinds of crazy stunts with it!

Dale had been randomly grabbing them and tackling them into the leaves

so they decided to try and get him back!

Happy 18th Birthday Bailey

2011-10-23T01:11:00.000-05:00

I can not believe I am wishing my oldest child a Happy 18th Birthday!

Dear Bailey,

God blessed us with you first and you have been the first to do almost everything (Except riding a bicycle. Syd and Sage both beat you on that one!). It is true that God knows what kind of personality the first born child must have to survive being a guinea pig for their parents. You were born a 'grown up'. Thank you for being so easy! Here are a few things about you at this time in your life:

Sometimes it is hard to know if you're okay because you would rather say what you think we want to hear instead of how you are really feeling. You are realizing it's really okay to let people know how you feel.
You are too bossy and think you can just do your own thing most of the time and that others should do what you say just because you know everything! BUT you respect the rules and will follow the law almost to a fault. You also expect the rest of us to follow the law and probably keep us out of heaps of trouble!
You give looks that could cut someone to the heart yet have such deep compassion for people. You are never too busy to help someone in need.
You are a total clutz sometimes but the blond moments have decreased significantly recently.
You still think maturity means just dealing with things by yourself instead of talking them through. This has always been the case with you but you are learning.
You depend on God for your answers more than us now and that is what we have prayed for your whole life.
I love how you love Sage. You are never too busy to hang out with him and you don't try to pretend his is not your brother in public. Every boy should have a sister as great as you!
You have become best friends with Sydney at a time when you could be leaving her in the dust.
God knew Le'oul needed a big sister who was willing to invest in him and even spoil him a little. We are so thankful for the times you have taken him for a "date" when we needed a break. I love how you kiss and hug him because you truly love him. I love, love, love the way he asks you "What? You aren't going to kiss me today?" but wouldn't dare admit that he likes, even needs, your affection.
You are beginning a relationship with a Godly young man which is a little scary for us. We don't know where it will lead but we are blessed that you to seek our counsel about courtship/dating. It's awesome to watch you putting into practice what you've learned over the years. Whatever man God has for you will be one of the luckiest men in the world!

We are so proud of the woman you are becoming. We can't wait to see where God will lead you in this next year. Keep seeking God with everything you have and He will grant you the desires of your heart!

We love you 4012,
Daddy and Mom

5 Months

2011-10-21T20:30:00.001-05:00

I decided to go ahead and post the 5 month update on Le'oul a few days early. What can I say? He's doing awesome! We were prepared for lots of bad behaviors to start coming out as we firmed up the boundaries and he became more comfortable. We eased into school, regular chores and general busyness. I waited about 3 months before taking new cookie orders. I had Operation Christmas Child on hold for a while as well. I started back with a bang when we needed cookies to help fund the adoption and it is now my busiest time with OCC. I am prepared to drop all commitments if need be but there haven't been any problems. Of course, he is a normal 11 year old but nothing like what we were expecting. A few things:

Le'oul just finished up a short fall soccer season and is very excited to be playing again in the spring.
He and Sage have both assembled 2 model cars and seem to like it a lot! This is a great focus for their wild attention spans!
I haven't measured him but the jeans I bought him in Seattle (12 slim) are now too tight and too short. He hates shopping for clothes but it's a life skill. He'd rather have me pick out what I like and bring it home so he doesn't have to think about it. Not happening. I hate to shop too so he has to endure it with me. He is beginning to develop his own "style" so we are making progress. He just told me his shoes were too small as well.
He eats constantly just like Sage (and most other boys I know). He can't stand for there to be leftovers in the fridge so he usually has them for breakfast the next day. NO MATTER WHAT IT IS!
He has been making great strides in his ability to take responsibility for his own actions instead of trying to give a ton of excuses or blame others. HUGE progress in this area (in both boys)!
He has a hot little temper but is learning to take a deep breath and explain what is making him angry instead of sulking about it or raising his voice to someone. THIS has been a great lesson for all of us to learn. 3 teens + 1 tween + crazy hormones = a LOT of voice raising if we don't keep a tight lid on tempers. It has been especially good for Dale and I to learn to LISTEN to the kids and talk through their frustration instead of sending them to their room or losing our temper too. I can't say enough about how much it has helped to actually take 60 seconds and let them explain or vent. It almost always diffuses a situation immediately.
Le'oul has been asking many questions about becoming a Christian. We don't put great emphasis on whether or not he has said a certain prayer. We simply answer his questions, clarify as needed and show him from the Bible how we know the answers. God made the Gospel simple, why complicate it with too many of our words? His Word is enough.
We (Le'oul and I) started AWANA last week and really liked it. I am in Sparks where I belong for the rest of my life! He is in T&T. He was a little perturbed that we wouldn't let him go to youth group at that church because 2 of his friends from soccer went there. He got over it.
He just purchased an iPod with his own money. To say he is excited is an understatement. In iTunes, you name all your Apple devices. He didn't even hesitate when I asked him to name it, Mr. Awesome Leo's iPod. No self esteem issues here.
He admitted a few days ago that he actually likes country music and has some songs he'd like added to his iTunes library. He didn't want to admit it because he's always giving Sydney a hard time about having to listen to it in the car when it's her turn to choose music (or mine).
He is doing great in school. We do a lot of reading and really only do Math in a book format for now. We are also working on writing and grammar. Nothing too exciting. There will be a loooong winter with plenty of time to work on some science experiments and get into a more rigorous routine. I can't make them stay inside when I know how fast winter will be here and they won't be able to go out much.
He has been very affectionate over the past 2 or 3 weeks. He will just plop down in mine or Dale's lap anytime he feels like it, no matter who's around. He always, always comes to find me first thing in the morning and hugs me (Dale too if he's home). Le'oul wasn't here when we taught the lesson about our bed being off limits (from infancy) so he just comes in and lays with us if he gets half a chance. Today, I had a meeting and some errands so I was gone most of the day. He asked Bailey if he could call me because he missed me. (insert "Awwww, how sweet!" here)

We are done with the homestudy paperwork! Everything that is left is out of our hands. The agency will review the documents, make sure it's all there, schedule 2 social worker visits and a court date! It can't come fast enough for all 6 of us! This Momma's heart needs to feel settled and done with all of this. Maybe at the 6 month update will can say he is OURS!

Random Pics

2011-10-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

YES! Sage is wearing Bailey's earrings. I didn't ask.

Dork

Red Wing Soccer Star #22!

Being his usual silly self!

Sydney's new do.


Sydney at Le'ouls last soccer game of this season.

A girl with a lot on her mind.

Bailey started a new job at the hospital working in Food Service.

It's complicated...

2011-10-14T22:16:00.002-05:00

Could life get a little more complicated, please?

We are trying to finish up an adoption that should already be completed!!! Every time we make progress, something happens and throws us off for a few weeks. This is so very stressful.
Dale could possibly have a job back in SC as early as January. It's a scary option that we have little information on right now. It's made more complicated by the fact that our girls no longer want to move back because one has a boyfriend and the other has 2 besties. Sage likes it here but would be okay with moving and Leo could care less as long as the TV and dogs go with.
Dale's Dad is feeling better but still not able to get around well by himself and we want to be there to help Mom. We want to be the kids who take care of our parents as they age. We want our kids to learn to invest in people when those people can't give back.
Then there's the OTHER category that is not worthy of sharing here but still major when it all adds up.
There is good in all this craziness. I have been feeling as if I'm wasting my time here because I haven't been using my gift of loving little kids. I've prayed about this since before we moved here and God finally led me to an AWANA program at a local church. It is not "my" church but I was so excited to be donning my red Sparks shirt again! It was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L to be back in AWANA! The current Sparks director is not happy about being director and asked me right away if I would be interested in taking the position. That was a little scary to me since she doesn't know me at all. I guess I just look like I belong there! I do. But I don't think I'm quite ready to direct Sparks in a church I have only been to ONCE. Maybe the second time. :)
It is also the busiest time of the year for my "job" as Area Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child! I have a big event coming up at the end of the month then I get to work for 2 weeks at the Processing Center in Minneapolis. Imagine, I get paid to spend 2 weeks playing with friends and praying over shoeboxes! I can't wait!

SO all this good and bad stuff is mixing and making my life very complicated. Funny how in all the chaos, God is so much more real to me. He is pouring out His peace in a way I haven't known in a long while. It's good to know that nothing comes to me unless my Abba allows it and if He allows it, then it WILL work out for my good!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Update on Dad

2011-10-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

Dale's Dad is finally home from the hospital and doing much better. He has a wheelchair so Mom can help him get around better and not hurt herself (or him). He also got a hospital bed at home which is much more comfortable than he thought it would be! Mom says he slept until 7am this morning and that's great! He still has an IV port so a nurse can come to the house daily to administer IV antibiotics. This takes approx 4 hours a day for 2 weeks. He will also be receiving physical therapy on a regular basis. Keep praying for him to gain strength in his legs and learn to let people help him!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

2011-09-28T21:15:00.001-05:00

There are no words to describe how helpless you feel when a 3yr old asks you to take flowers to his mommy and you know you can't. She's unconscious, in ICU, and can't have flowers in her room. So you say "Mom will love these!", take a picture of him holding the flowers, discreetly discard the flowers and put the pictures in her room with the hope that one day soon, she'll wake up and see that sweet face again.

4 Months

2011-09-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

Le'oul is doing wonderfully! We love him and we are so thankful that God placed him in our family. There isn't much to report this month as we have settled into a family routine and things seem "normal". Of course, there are things that we have to deal with but that is no different from the other 3 kids so we won't bore you with those details.

Le'oul did ask when all the "adoption stuff" will be final. We can't answer that right now but are hoping to be DONE by this time next month. No certainties but we are fairly certain we will be done before Christmas. I know his former adoptive family is ready to put this process behind them and so are we. They are still part of his life and he enjoys sharing his new adventures with them. We will encourage him to continue a relationship with them for as long as he has the desire to do so.

Please pray that things move quickly now that we only have one more thing to tackle in the paperwork. It seems like something always comes up and we are set back a week or so. God knows and it will happen in His time.

Updates

2011-09-24T22:50:00.001-05:00

This has been a week in the Twilight Zone. I'm still hoping to wake up and find that it has all been just a bad dream. My dear friend, Niki Weir, was critically injured by one of her horses on Sunday night. This week has been spent at the hospital waiting on news and loving on her family. There have been some terrifying moments but it has been wonderful to see how God can take such a tragic accident and IMMEDIATELY begin using it for His glory. I am in awe of Him. I won't post too much about Niki here but you can go to her Caring Bridge site to see how she's doing and PRAY!

Dale's dad, Harvey, was scheduled for surgery Monday morning. A sore had developed on his shoulder that was getting larger and causing him a lot of pain. After a week of various doctors appts, it was decided he should have surgery to clean the site and have a drain line put in for a few days. He was put on IV antibiotics. When the first drain line was removed, there was still lots of drainage and the infection seemed to be getting worse, not better. SO they performed the procedure again yesterday to re-insert the drain line. The doctors are not sure what kind of infection they are dealing with and are planning to send him to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte if there is not improvement over the weekend. They also found out that his Thyroid was not functioning which would explain a lot of our concerns about the dramatic decline in his health over the past year or so. Please pray for him and Dale's mom (and us). It's very hard not to take off to North Carolina but we simply can't be there at this time. I'll update as soon as I know.

It's been quite a week and we are exhausted. Le'oul is also sick with a cold and slight fever. It's almost too much but we rest in God's mighty hands knowing that He has allowed these trials, at this time, for our benefit and His glory. We serve a living God who loves us. How in the world do people live without God to lean into?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T19:43:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

Crazy Girls and Cupcakes

2011-09-03T12:26:00.000-05:00

So Bailey and Sydney are baking cupcakes from scratch. They got a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes that they wanted to try tonight. Total for icing, dough and cake batter, the recipe called for 6 sticks of butter! They are so excited to make them. I am enjoying laughter from the kitchen when...

Sydney calls from the kitchen: "MOM! The icing is not doing right. It's all grainy and stuff."

I go through the recipe steps and say "Did you do this/that? Did you use confectioners sugar?"

Sydney: "Ummm...I used sugar like it said."

Me: "Sydney, 3.5 cups of granulated sugar is NOT the same as 3.5 cups confectioners sugar. That's why it's grainy. You're a dork!"

Sydney: "Oh crap! I told you people that I can't even cook!"

Bailey said it looks like gravy!

Bailey (AKA Miss Responsible): "SYDNEY! We can't throw it out! Butter is expensive and that is 3 sticks of butter wasted!!! How could you mess this up? I even got the ingredients out for you!" *sigh*

Sydney: "Sorry guys!" As she is cracking up!

Dale: "We could just spread it on toast! It's already got the butter and sugar in it!"
Sydney: "Yeah! All it needs is a little bit of cinnamon!"
So, they did!

Bailey made new icing with the right kind of sugar, I piped on some cupcakes for her. They were yummy!

I ♥ my family!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T20:08:00.000-05:00

3 months

2011-08-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

We are at the point where we feel like Le'oul is part of our family instead of a house guest. He has made heaps of progress this month. We are so proud of the way the other kids have accepted him. Bailey said "Life was so boring before Le'oul came. That kid cracks me up." She and Le'oul take horse riding lessons together on Wed and for the last 2 lessons it was just the 2 of them. She took him to DQ after each lesson. She says his love language is words of affirmation so she is always complimenting him or encouraging him to do better. He LOVES Bailey!

This month:

Le'oul has shown much more affection to us. We are a huggy/kissy family so I'm sure he was feeling left out. We never try to make him hug or kiss us. Mostly, we just give a quick squeeze and kiss on the head before bed or whenever he's standing around looking lonely. Except Bailey. She hugs and kisses on him all the time. So much so that when he came back from somewhere the other day and she didn't hug him, he asked "Aren't you going to hug me?" CUTE! Letting him dictate affection has really paid off in a big way!
When he talks to me or Dale, he usually touches our arm or shoulder and looks right into our eyes.
He still calls us Sir and Ma'am. He has slipped up a couple of times with Dad or Mom but quickly corrected himself.
That wild look is gone from his eyes. There is still some hurt there but much more peace.
He goes anywhere in the house by himself if he has to but still would rather have a companion.
He noticed BO and asked for deodorant. Funny! I have never smelled him but did remind him that showering everyday would take care of that! :)
He still needs someone to "guard" the bathroom while he takes a shower but his showers have gotten a little longer and he is actually enjoying it.
Sometimes he talks Sage into playing with him in the bathtub. Le'oul wears a swimsuit and Sage sits by the tub. Sage's a little too tall to sit in the tub with anyone else! Besides, he hates baths.
He starts soccer this week and can't wait! When we got his equipment, he was worried that we were spending too much money on him. We told him he was worth it! He is. Of course, he doesn't think it's too much to ask for an electric scooter or a BMX bike. :)
He had his first sleepover with his friend Alex. That is a huge step because he has been asking but we had not allowed him to stay anywhere without one of us. He had a great time! He actually stayed 2 nights in a row!
He is still impulsive. For example, the other day, the van's battery was dead and before I knew what was happening, he had gone to a neighbor's house to ask if they could jump off the car! We talked about safety and not talking to people he doesn't know without permission but also thanked him for "taking charge" and finding a solution to the problem.
He is asking a lot of questions about God and Jesus. He still thinks that being "good" makes you a Christian. We're taking this slowly and carefully. There is so much he doesn't understand.
We start school next week and Le'oul tested on 4th grade level in most everything so that's where we'll start. He's not excited about school. School days mean no electronics which means 2 unhappy boys.
He loves all the animals. Sometimes a little too much. :)
He loves to experiment in the kitchen. Sometimes a little too much. :)
He is very compassionate and wants to help. Sometimes a little too much. :) We try to appreciate his attempts to "fix" problems. He'll be a great leader someday!

Le'oul is a joy! We are almost through with our home study paperwork. After that is done, we have 2 visits with a social worker, get approved then go to court to finalize things. Not sure how long that will take but hopefully only 2 months but no more than 3.

Still hoping that COOKIE CAPERS will help fund the rest of the adoption.

So far we have 4 orders to fill and a $100 monetary donation. God knows.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T15:27:00.000-05:00

Spontaneous Getaway

2011-08-16T21:13:00.000-05:00

We took a little trip on Monday to see a friend who is very sick with cancer. She is from NC but came to Chicago for a last attempt to cure the cancer. Cancer Centers of America is a wonderful place that is doing great things for cancer research and treatment! They paid for Marie and her husband to fly to Chicago, a hotel and even meals at the hospital for him. They are taking good care of both of them.

I wanted so badly to go see her since I hadn't gotten to on our last trip home. I planned to go by myself but Dale was not comfortable with that. I teasingly asked him if he was worried I would run away and leave him with '4 hungry children' but he was seriously worried about my going that far alone (and there is Chick Fil A in Chicago but I'm sure he wouldn't go just for that). So Sunday @ midnight, we decided he would take a day or 2 off work and we would all go to Chicago together. We packed coolers and overnight bags then went to sleep. Our poor children went to bed thinking I was leaving and they would get a 'free' day while Dale was working and woke up to us rushing them to get ready and piling them into the car with their pillows at 7am.

We got to Chicago, ate lunch in the hospital parking lot, went in to see Marie and then Dale took the kids to Lake Michigan to swim. They had a great time while I visited with my sweet friend and sent her husband to the hotel for a long nap. She and I had some catching up to do! It was a sweet visit even though she is very sick and I was sad to see her that way.


They had to dress in scrubs to visit Marie! Too cute!

After a few hours, the family picked me up and we let the boys take one last dip in Lake Michigan before leaving Chicago.

Sydney

Is he watching the kids? I think not!

Sage getting buried.

My girls!


Le'oul begged Sage to go out to that jumping platform then chickened out about half way.

We stopped in a mall in Racine, WI (just north of Chicago) to eat Chick Fil A. Le'oul doesn't appreciate Chick Fil A so he had very spicy chicken from the Chinese place. He's always bragging about eating spicy, hot food that is too hot for some of us. The chicken he got at the mall was even too spicy for him. He ate most of it with watery eyes and a runny nose just to prove he was tough. He also sucked Sprite up his nose with a straw on a dare from his brother who had already found out how bad that is. BOYS! Gotta love em!

We drove as far as Wisconsin Dells, WI (half way between Chicago and home) and stopped for the night. The kids were so sad to be in the Water Park Capital of the World and not be going to a park but happy that the hotel had a nice indoor pool (and those nifty waffle makers). They couldn't wait to get up for waffles and swimming before coming home. They had no idea that we had planned a side trip for Tuesday. See, we are saving for a very important purpose so there has been very little in the way of summer entertainment this year. We are cheap too, so paying $35 per person to get into a giant water park is pretty much out of the question even if we aren't saving for something special. Thanks to my friend Shannon, we learned that Mount Olympus allows free play at their outdoor water park every Tuesday in August. FREE y'all! The only thing we had to pay for was lunch. So for $25, we got to spend the day playing in this enormous water park!

We are all sunburned but this trip was worth it in so many ways!

Bailey and Sydney going down Devil's Drop! SCARY! The screaming you hear is Bailey! Even the people around us laughed at her! :)

Dale and Le'oul also went down Devil's Drop but Sage did NOT! Smart boy! He did run to greet his siblings as they came off the slide and he did the other slide, Dragon's Tail. They were always too fast for me to get a video of them!

The Chase

2011-08-14T00:26:00.002-05:00

The paper chase that is. We completed our initial home study application for adopting Le'oul several weeks ago. After several calls to the home study agency to find out what was taking so long, we received our big stack of forms today. I know what I'll be doing this week! I am not looking forward to it and I don't like to disclose all this personal information and extra stuff to them. It doesn't seem necessary since he's already here! You'd think we could skip a few steps. Oh well, I will do it all without grumbling or complaining because he's worth it and I want this to be done as soon as possible. He has asked several times in the past few weeks when the adoption will be done and I can't give him a real time line. It must be very unsettling to feel like you don't belong where you were but you don't really belong where you are either. I think he'll feel even more settled once he changes his name to match ours. He is such a joy (most of the time) and we can't wait to have him be ours completely!

Cookies for Le'oul

Slushies

2011-08-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

Le'oul loves slushies and often asks to buy one when we are out. We don't usually. It's just expensive for syrup and ice. I showed him that our blender would make them so he got busy coming up with some "interesting" combinations. We've had Sweet Tea slushie with vanilla and rainbow sherbert with a broken popsicle as the decoration and one with frozen fruit, juice, and vanilla. We've also had several recipes with all sorts of mixed up ingredients. We try them all even though we haven't been overly impressed with some. Yesterday, the blender broke! Tragedy of all tragedies. Bailey saved the day and purchased a new one while she was out running errands. When Le'oul saw the blender, he said "Thanks Bailey! Aren't you gonna hug me?" (Insert big smile here). He and Alex (one of our 4 extra kids this week) went to work opening it and getting it set up. They made Hawaiian Punch slushies for all the kids last night and for lunch today! I think we'll pick up some frozen juice and other drink mixes to see what he can do with those! He's a nut but we love him!

I've got to get a camera. Mine is broken and my phone doesn't always take great pics!

Add caption

It's about time!

2011-08-10T21:15:00.001-05:00

We want our kids to have about 2 years driving experience before we turn them loose on the roads alone. Bailey got her SC permit in January 2009. Late last fall, we decided to let Bailey go ahead and try for the MNDL. She took and failed the test 4 times over the course of 6 months. The last time she took the test there was still snow in great heaps all over the place. She aced the test except for that darn flag that fell over when she pulled out of the 90° backing space. She was crushed and decided to wait a while before trying again. Today was the day and she did it! Hooray!!!

She couldn't wait to go somewhere alone so she begged me to let her go to the grocery store even though it was right on Dale's way home and he had already planned on stopping! I let her go but I was a little sad watching her drive away all by herself. I wonder if my Mom was sad when I drove off to the store on the day I got my license. She sent me to Winn Dixie with a blank check and a grocery list. She didn't go to the grocery store again until I got married! She said it was cheaper when I shopped because I only got what was on the list. It's going to be nice having another taxi driver and grocery shopper around here. Except the insurance. It'll be worth it!

Cookies for Le'oul

2011-08-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

I am nauseous and hesitate to post this even as I type but I know God is purging our pride and directing us to ask for help. I have a very hard time with fund-raising. Actually, I hate it. Yet, here we are in need of the funds to finish up Le'oul's adoption as quickly as possible. Le'oul is here as our "guest" right now. We have documentation that gives us permission for doctors, sports, etc but he has not been legally adopted to us yet. In order to complete the adoption, we need an additional $3000-$5000 (depending on many things). Up to this point, we have paid all the travel, legal and other expenses out of our savings. We hoped to have the rest set aside by now so we wouldn't have to ask but it's just not coming together as fast as we hoped it would.

I decided that if we were going to ask our friends to help, we would not ask them to just send money, although, we would not turn it down. ;) I make beautiful, cute, fun, great-tasting cookies! I can use that gift to help get this adoption complete and be a blessing to the people who receive the cookies.

I will be putting my Etsy store back online, updating the Cookie Capers BLOG and Facebook Page. I am also making a brochure and/or a flyer for anyone who wants to print them to hand out. I just have to get the word out and let God do the rest.

If you feel led to help in any way (even if it's not cookies), great! Email or Facebook me to let me know how you can help. If not, that's great too! God knows. We have been challenged and blessed to have Le'oul come into our lives so suddenly and unexpectedly. We trust God to provide for this adoption in the ways He sees fit and in His perfect timing. I sure hope He hurries! :)

Little things

2011-07-28T00:07:00.001-05:00

It really is the little things that make this journey as a family worth it all. It's like the baby who cries for hours before falling asleep then wakes after not nearly long enough and gives you a sweet, slobbery smile. All the hours of lost sleep are worth that one moment! It's still exhausting but you know if you get those "kisses" from God, you can make it.

That's where we are. Most of the day is spent telling Le'oul he will have to find another form of entertainment besides electronics or telling him he'll have to work out his problem with Sage. I don't take sides or get involved at all in sibling squabbling unless someone is actually hurt or they are physically fighting. I call him to me several times a day just to say Hey and so he gets used to his name in a positive way because, God knows, I say it enough in correction! He spends a lot of time with the animals. We still monitor this because he likes to be a little too rough sometimes. We are dealing with a 5 year old in an 11 year old body. Constant redirecting and correction. Overall, Le'oul is really blossoming!

2 days ago, I got a spontaneous hug.
He built a bicycle ramp and took great pleasure in our praise of it and his tricks!
Last night at dinner, he was sitting across from Dale and I and said (totally out of the blue) "I worry about this guy. He works too hard and I don't think he gets enough rest. He sits by my bed so I can sleep but he has to get up 'wreally' early." Dale (almost choked up): "I like sitting with you so you can fall asleep. Don't worry. I get enough rest."
Tonight at bedtime: Leoul asked if he could sleep in our floor. When asked why, he gave a very similar answer to last night. He felt bad for Dale to sit with him when he knew Dale was usually at work by 6am. We generally don't let kids do that because there is simply no room for them to be in our floor. Besides, that's a very hard habit to break and it's better for them to get used to their own bed right away. Hence, the reason Dale sits with him. Leo suggested that I sit with him instead. Dale said he liked to sit with him and that he didn't want me to do it. He wanted Le'oul to feel safe and it was a Daddy's job to make his kids feel safe. I ♥♥♥ Dale Dotson!
He is still scared to get up and come get one of us at night. He won't even wake up Sage in the next bed. That is probably why he still wets the bed too. Not because he can't wake up but because he's terrified of the dark! There's a light on in the bathroom but that is not much consolation to a boy with too much imagination and painful real life trauma in his past.

First Hug

2011-07-25T23:42:00.000-05:00

I got my first spontaneous, unsolicited hug from Leo today! Just thought I'd share.

3rd Place

2011-07-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

Sydney just finished up a busy softball season. While many of their games were reminiscent of the "bad news bears", they have played hard and learned a lot. Their last set of games was a tournament in Pepin, WI (the birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder, in case you care). They played 2 great games and 1 not so great game and ended with 3rd place! I'm so proud of Sydney for sticking with it and trying new things. She is not a social butterfly but has made a couple of friends through this team so it's a win to me!

Red Wing Wingers 14U Girls Softball Team

Sydney is the first girl on the front row kneeling.

Two Months

2011-07-24T12:00:00.002-05:00

Yes, it has already been 2 months since we met Le'oul. This boy is a mess! I am learning to be a more patient parent and having to lean on God's wisdom far more than I did with the other 3. That's a good thing. I also have to keep reminding Leo (and myself) that he was not born in this house so he won't always know what we expect or why something is done a certain way. He's made SO much progress in so many areas.

He usually accepts correction without much arguing. He's like Syndey in that he would rather get 40 lashes and be done than to sit down and talk about what the problem really is. He's realizing that talking through things doesn't mean you are in trouble and it really helps us all understand each other better.
We have worked on tone and volume of voice quite a bit in the past month (with Leo and Sydney). He isn't usually meaning to be disrespectful but is sometimes louder or more "sassy" than I want him to be with me. We just keep reminding him (and the other 3) that they are free to explain their point but not free to raise their voice or use harsh tones with us. We're getting there.
There is also much progress in the fear department. He is okay to go upstairs by himself now in the daytime. At night, we just send everyone up to get ready for bed around the same time so he can just go instead of having to feel embarrassed by asking someone to go with him. He takes 3mg of melatonin before bed to help him settle down and Dale rubs his back and/or sits with him until he falls asleep.
He still wants someone to be upstairs while he is taking a shower but no longer requires us to stay in the bathroom. As long as we sit in view of the door, he is okay. He still holds a record for the fastest shower in the world! This one was a tough fear to figure out and we have been praying for wisdom about how to handle it. A few days ago, we learned (not from Le'oul) that some sexual abuse happened in the showers of the orphanage he was in. Insert my poor excuse for psychological assessment: If he was abused or witnessed abuse in the shower, that would cause a "flight" reaction to showering hence the reason he resists every single time we send him to shower. He would have a fear of showers patterned in his brain until he had enough positive shower experiences to overcome it. Abuse in ET may not be his reason for this particular fear but we believe it is. We just want him to know we will protect him and he is safe here! Whatever it takes, even it it means sitting outside the shower forever.
He's taking horse riding lessons and LOVING it! I think it's great therapy even though it isn't in a therapy setting. His teacher has taught him that "If you can control that 1200lb horse, then you can control yourself" by PATIENTLY waiting for and following her instructions. He's very eager to please her so he can show off and make Bailey proud of his progress. She takes her lessons and boards her horse there as well. It's so far to drive but worth it for these two wonderful kiddos!
He loves to play with Hot Wheels cars.
He loves to jump on the trampoline.
He enjoys watching TV way too much. His favorite right now is Avengers.
He loves the dogs and cats. He likes to feed them bites of food which he knows causes them to beg but he does it anyway. He just can't stand the way they look at him.
He loves Popsicle's and ice cream. Popsicle's are free for the taking but ice cream is a treat that requires permission to eat.
He loves pasta. Mac N Cheese or plain noodles with Italian dressing are his current faves.
He loves to meet people and find out all about them.
He can follow 3 or 4 conversations at one time and be accurate in retelling what he learned in said conversations.
He doesn't like to lose but what kid does?
He likes to read...a little. He's reading Diary of a Whimpy Kid which I don't really care for but we said 'no' to quite a few series before compromising on these. Once school starts, we'll insert some good stuff into his library too.
He almost cried when I told the kids we would be starting school the first week in August. I won't break the news that we school year round. He'll figure that out soon enough.
He loves any liquid except water. He'll drink it but he doesn't want to.
He is very considerate of others. He wants to help and usually offers when he sees someone in need.
He is very impulsive. Sometimes good, sometimes not.
He bought himself a giant Tigger at a garage sale. So sweet! He also bought cars to play with but my favorite is Tigger.
He has arranged his side of the room so neatly with all his "treasures" including a framed picture of his parents from ET. I love it.
He doesn't like going to baseball/softball games because there is really nothing to do. We are enrolling him in fall soccer so he'll get a chance to be the star player for a while.

We love this kid and look forward to sharing his story as he grows. We will not forsake the first 3 Dotson kids either. It's just that nothing newsworthy is happening with them right now. :)

Sharing our journey

2011-07-22T16:38:00.003-05:00

I want to be able to share the struggles and triumphs of our journey as a family of 6 honestly without making Le'oul's former adoptive family sound like bad parents. They aren't. To us, they are the tool that God used to bring our son home. They have loved him, disciplined him and taken care of him. They taught him many things about God, family and country. They taught him to speak, read and write English which has made our transition a little easier and very different from theirs. The problem is that he blames them for taking him from ET and couldn't get past that while he was with them. He's even said that to us. They love him and did the best thing for him by letting him go just as his bio mom had to do in ET. We know they aren't perfect parents and they know we aren't. I'm sure we differ greatly in parenting styles as we do with many of our friends. We are different people but we all trust God for wisdom to raise our kids and give them the tools they need to succeed at whatever He calls them to do. Please join our family in praying for their family as they have encountered many challenges and changes in their lives since Le'oul came to live with us.

Ethiopian Cuisine

2011-07-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight we went to Fasika's Ethiopian Restaurant in St. Paul. It took over an hour to get there with all the road construction but it was worth it!

The boys and I ate at an ET restaurant while we were in WA. Maybe it was just being there as a family but what we had tonight was much better. The server was not very friendly at first but warmed to us once she realized we weren't totally ignorant about how to order. Le'oul tried to talk to her in Amharic but I'm afraid he is losing his language very fast! We had seasoned beef and chicken (prepared similar to fajita meats but much spicier) served with a veggie platter and injera. Injera is a giant pancake-like bread. I can't explain it. It is a fermented bread and the texture resembles a soft, thin sponge. That doesn't sound too appetizing but I promise that it's delish! I have been told that it is almost impossible to make injera if you didn't grow up Ethiopian but Le'oul said it was "wreally easy" and his Ethiopian mom makes it all the time. He didn't see what was so hard about it and says we should try it. I think we will make it a school project! I love that he already thinks I can do anything.

The best part about ET food is there is no need for utensils! You tear off pieces of injera and pick up your food with it. This probably explains Le'oul's bad habit of eating with his hands when he is tired or super hungry! The food is all placed in one or two big platters and everyone eats off of these. Don't worry, we don't "double dip" and everyone washes hands thoroughly before eating.

This is a veggie sampler served on injera. YUM! From the top, there's: lentils, fresh salad, cabbage/potato/carrot stew, collards, lentils and 2 things I don't recognize plus VERY spicy lentils in the middle.

If you go with Le'oul, you better eat fast. He will scarf down a man-sized portion in no time! It's necessary to remind him several times to slow down and chew. We decided to try something new each time we go. We plan to go once a month so Le'oul can be exposed to his culture and we can all eat really great food! Maybe if we go often, he won't feel like he has to eat like he may never get it again. We love our sweet, funny boy so much already! Bon Apetite or Melkam Megeb!

Summer Fun (Part 2: Valleyfair)

2011-07-15T23:16:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, we went to Valleyfair with several families from our church. There are roller coasters and various rides plus a small water park. Leo was not happy that he had to stay with Dale and me at all times instead of running off with the teen boys like Sage. We want him to feel trusted but also to understand that there are some things a 13 yr old can do that an 11 yr old can't. We got him to ask his friend, Sam, to go around with us. We just had the 2 boys most of the day. There was always someone for him to ride with and we got to spend some fun time focusing on Leo. We had a great day and plan to go back with just our family in a couple of weeks. There aren't any pictures because we were busy playing. When we go back as a family, I'll try to take pics. I did get one video. Leo wanted to ride the Power Tower but he was SO scared! It was all about, in his words, "proving I'm not weak" so he did it. I see no reason to fall from great heights and be scared half to death so Dale rode it with Leo and Sam. This is a video of the end of the ride. Not sure if you can hear what he says so I'll translate: "That was NOT fun. That was scary." He rode it again though!

God is still good

2011-07-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a long day! We spent it at Valleyfair with lots of friends. It was a great time but I was a little distracted because I was constantly praying and checking for news of Eli G's arrival. Right around the time his birth was posted, there was a post from my dear friend Marie's husband that her cancer was growing rapidly and the doctors were going to stop chemo. There is nothing else they can do. Trying to keep my chin up and have a great time was very hard. I was on the verge of tears the rest of the day. Yesterday, as Leo and Bailey were having their horse riding lesson, I walked and prayed.

God reminded me that no matter what happens, He is still good. No matter what the outcome is in any situation, God is still good! For the G family, God has answered so many prayers in the way they hoped and some things did not/will not turn out the way they hope. For my friend Marie, God has answered many prayers but most of them have not been answered in the way we hoped. We'll keep praying for that miracle we want so badly knowing that life and death are God's business, not ours.

Circumstances do not change who God is or what He can do. God made us and He numbered our days before we were even thought of by our parents. We can find a cure for AIDS, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc and people would still die from something. Life and death is God's business. Neither happens without His approval. We can't always see the reason why but God can only do good. Eternity is certain and our choices are Heaven or Hell. God made a way for us to get to Heaven by trusting Jesus Christ (not our good deeds) as our savior and living for Him. If we don't choose Jesus, we choose Hell by default. It doesn't matter what we think is fair. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. All other roads lead to Hell. Period.

I know that many of my loved ones have trusted Christ as their Savior and even though we will be separated temporarily on earth, we will spend eternity together in Heaven. I can wait.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T12:56:00.001-05:00

TV Turn Off

2011-07-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

We declare at least 3 TV Turn Off Weeks each year. I know it's time when it feels like I am telling someone to turn off the computer or TV every minute of the day. The objective is to decrease "screen time" and increase "face time". The time that we usually spend in front of a screen will be ideally spent as a family playing games, reading a book together or something like that. It starts that way but by day 2 or 3, the kids have found loads of things to do and they don't require me to entertain them. I get a couple of books and a lawn chair and the kids get dirty and tired every day! Even if friends come over, we will have them do something besides TV and video games. At first, it's maddening but after a couple of days, they don't even miss it! We missed the national TV Turn Off Week this year but it happens each year in April. Check out the website to see what fun things you can do to build family ties without the "boob tube".

I am thinking of taking the rest of July off from screens.

I fear mutiny but it might be worth it!

Summer Fun (Part 1: Boys)

2011-07-08T18:46:00.001-05:00

We did it. We gave in a bought a trampoline. ~~I have been adamantly against them~~ We have managed to avoid this contraption for 17 years but with 2 energetic boys, ~~I gave in~~ we decided it would be a good outlet. It is. Of course, the girls like it too but the boys LOVE it! We had 3 extra boys over for a night and they loved it too.

ROFL

Sage supervising!

Very serious when he's working

My 3 boys playing on their new toy!

4 Crazy kids!

Dale after jumping a few minutes!

It was loads of fun to have three of the Garrett boys with us too!

Yes, they are in Tshirts and underwear. It's better than being naked.

To Move or Not to Move...

2011-07-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

...That is the question. We have been praying for a while about how long to stay in Minnesota. We already know that someday we will move closer to our parents, it's just a matter of timing. Right now, Dale loves his job. I am a year round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child which I love. We have 2 girls in high school and 2 boys in middle school. We have a great church family and lots of good friends. Our last move was more than traumatic for me and the kids. Le'oul just got here and is making good friends and great progress. We want our kids to finish their growing up years in one place with the same friends. You know, stability. All these things greatly affect our decision about when to move again. We have been married for almost 20 years and have changed homes 11 times!!! The next time we move, we want it to be permanent. We'd like to settle down and have a home that's ours and one we will stay in, grow grandkids in, grow old in.

God's best is always what we want and we know that if we are walking with Him, our wants will usually match up with His wants for us. So we are at a decision time again. This week we came across an opportunity to rent a house on 17 acres in Wisconsin. It's not much farther out than we are now. Many of our friends live within a couple of miles of this place which would be wonderful! It would mean a move before the 'big move' but we think it would be worth it to have friends close by and to have property for our small petting zoo! (Now featuring: 4 Dogs, 3 Cats, 2 Guinea Pigs, 6 Birds, 11 Gerbils and 1 horse) The rent would be cheaper and we could put our horse there which would save even more money. We wouldn't be able to move until the end of August though. We are praying for direction. You could pray for us if you feel so led. Happy Friday!

Heat Wave

2011-07-02T01:35:00.000-05:00

Today was 98 degrees and super humid. It made me miss the south! I remember a talk I had with friends (who were questioning our sanity in moving to MN)about how I could deal with extreme cold better than extreme heat! I lied. Even after today with heat indexes over 100 degrees, I'D STILL TAKE A HEAT WAVE OVER A SNOW SHOVEL!

Hey!

2011-06-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Just dropping by to say "Hey!" and that things are going well in our crazy busy world! Baseball and softball are almost over! Hooray! We'll have a short break then Le'oul gets to be the star player that we all go watch! He starts soccer soon. In MN, Fall Soccer starts in July because, well, you never know if you will get fall or winter after Mid-Oct! We hope your family is enjoying summertime as much as we are! Off to a busy July 4th weekend with friends! Happy Thursday!

A Month in Pictures

2011-06-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

Since I have been posting so many long posts, I thought I'd share a few pictures of the past month. ENJOY!

Bowling

Bailey is always trying to kiss the boy! He likes it but he wouldn't tell her that!

Sage did not have a great bowling night.

He drew yard chores the first 2 weeks. The glasses are some funky safety glasses that Dale gave him. Funny!

Music is his escape.

You know you are too skinny when baseball pants won't stay up!

Left Field Superstar, Sydney!

One Month

2011-06-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

I always worry that these posts are too long but there is so much I want to remember and share. It's like having a new baby!

Has it only been a month since we met Le'oul? When we first met him, he was WILD. His eyes were wild and he moved and/or chattered constantly. He also laughed a lot but it was nervous laughter not genuine laughter. I am sure he was terrified. Once we were home, we dragged him to NC for a week and now, we are spending our summer evenings and weekends at baseball and softball games. Not exactly the great adventure he was probably hoping for but it is summer and summer is ball season. We have managed to squeeze in a Father's Day fellowship, a play date (where Le'oul and Sage swam on a 61° day), bowling, 2 skateboard parks, Cars 2 at the Cottage View Drive-In (don't be jealous) and plan to get season passes to Valley Fair (like Carowinds for all you Carolinians) and the Zoo. I think that's a pretty good start to summer.

Here's the long part! :~)

Le'oul is doing well and has even opened up a tiny bit about the things that have happened to him. We generally don't ask because it is his story and he will share it in his own time. If there are things we need to know, we ask. If he can answer our question, he does. He is very private about his past and we respect that. As time goes by and he realizes that he can really trust us, he will open up.
When he needs correction, it is very swift, short, calm and specific. We do not raise our voice, spank, withhold food, take toys away or make him do anyone else's chores for punishment. It has taken LOTS of prayer and self control to find the right way to correct him without compromising the relationship. It's exhausting but worth it because we are making so much progress very quickly. I'll share specifics another time.
We encourage him to look at the eyes of any person he is speaking to. In parts of Ethiopia (and a lot of other countries), it is considered disrespectful for children to look into the eyes of an adult so we are not going to correct that overnight. He spent his formative years there so we have to allow for cultural differences in many areas.
Even though he has been in the US for almost 3 years, there is still a language issue. He understands English but in a very literal way. We have to make sure he understands what we mean not just the words we say. For example, Sage called "shotgun" one day and Le'oul ,looking quite concerned, said "You have a shotgun in the truck?". We had to explain that Sage was trying to claim the front seat and that it was just a figure of speech.
He is quite obsessive with anything he likes or wants. I wonder if, in the past, his 'persistence' (to put it mildly) eventually landed him in big trouble or even got him what he wanted sometimes. He is learning that neither is the case here. At our house, there is no audience for bad behavior.
This boy LOVES food! The only thing I have found that he doesn't really care for is bananas. We don't limit food. Food is a serious issue with traumatized children so we do not worry about how much he eats or doesn't eat. His body will self-regulate as he feels safe. He's already eating mostly normal portions and not gorging himself. I'm pretty sure we will never have the issue of him starving himself! ☺
Le'oul is SO funny! He has been to youth group 2 times now and countless ballgames. He's very entertaining! He seems to be making friends and the kids I know have all reported that they like him a lot. We try to let him have his space while still keeping an eye on him. They would tell me if they didn't.
He doesn't meet a stranger and he is certainly not afraid to ask ANYONE ANYTHING that is on his mind. So, he's still quite a handful and we are never sure what he might say. It makes life more interesting.
He is still afraid to go upstairs by himself even in the daytime. He is definitely afraid of the dark. He usually requests that Dale or I stay in the bathroom while he takes a shower and Dale almost always rubs his back as he falls asleep.

Le'oul is a joy and we are so happy to have him! Once the whole home study process is complete, we set a court date and he will become legally ours. This will also help him feel more like a part of our family. We are praying that we continue to do the right things to help him become more emotionally healthy, attach and feel safe. Thanks for your prayers!

Parenting 101

2011-06-21T00:14:00.001-05:00

Le'oul (Leo for short) is doing great! He keeps us in stitches. At first all of his laughter was a nervous sort of laughter but now it's mostly genuine laughter. He's also making a few friends. There are times when we have to correct a behavior but we deal with little things as they come and just love him. To help him better understand how our home works, I dug out my old copy of 21 Rules of This House by Gregg & Josh Harris. It's has 21 simple rules for your home based on Godly principles. It has really helped to have that poster to point to when I need to correct Le'oul but don't want to "fuss" at him. He's trying to figure us out but I'm pretty sure he has already realized that I will not be manipulated even when he flashes that beautiful smile. He sure has tried though and will try harder as he feels more and more comfortable. He first tried in Seattle at our hotel. It was the 3rd night he had been with just us and he needed a shower. The conversation was really simple.

Me: "You should take a shower tonight. You haven't had one since we left Port Townsend."

Leo: "I don't need a shower."

Me: "Yes, you do. Go get clean."

Leo: "I really dont want to take a shower."

Me (smiling and sort of laughing): "I don't argue with children so you have 2 choices. You can take a shower or I can give you a shower myself."

Leo (nervously laughing as he goes into the bathroom to take a shower): "No thanks. I can do it myself."

I didn't raise my voice, I didn't lose my temper, I didn't argue and I didn't beg. He knew me well enough not to take the chance (very perceptive kid). I'm pretty sure he didn't wash with soap but that wasn't my goal. My goal was obedience and letting him know I was in charge without battling. I didn't say another thing about it to him and he has never heard me talk to anyone else about it either (though I have). He has tried the same trick 2 more times. Once at my mom's in NC and once right after we got back. Both times, he got the same response. After the first "I don't need a shower", I said, "You know the choices, right?" He said "Yes ma'am" then promptly took a shower. He has since taken a liking to being clean and often takes a shower without my telling him he should. I even bought him some shower gel that smells nice and make sure I tell him how nice every time I notice he used it.

People tell me how great my kids are and how much they like to spend time with them. I know my kids are great but I don't really think it's because I am a great mom. I screw it up a lot! A LOT! I have a short fuse and I sometimes lose my temper with my kids. I don't always give accolades when they are due and I don't kiss my kids enough. All I know is that I have a great God who is constantly teaching me better ways to raise HIS children. It's all right there in the Bible. How God parents His children is how we are to parent ours! My parenting philosophy is really simple and it works with adults too!

1) Do not feed "monsters". I know all about a kid in the first 5 minutes I talk to them. I can tell you what your "monster" is in just a few minutes too. I will try very hard not to feed it. Don't feed mine!

2) Do not give an audience to bad behavior. It doesn't matter to me if you are 2 or 92, I won't be a part of your drama. Just walk away. Most of the time. I do have 3 teenagers, you know.

3) Give children very few "rules" but very clear boundaries. If you give them too many rules, they just quit trying or try too hard but never measure up. It's disastrous either way. Try to keep the 10 commandments for a day. Just a day. I bet you can't. Children are dirty rotten little sinners just like you so don't think you are going to make them model citizens when you can't even be one yourself! Besides, they are not adults yet. Let them be children! Trying to control their every move will only cause resentment.

Your job is only to help children realize who they are in Christ and steer them in the direction God has for them, not the direction you have for them. I love kids! They understand me and I understand them. We make a great team and anytime I can get one of those especially hard kids to work with, I'm a happy camper. They are my favorite! You can't force them to follow God and you can't be their Holy Spirit either. Don't even try. Love them, guide them, pray for them and with them often!

Road Trip

2011-06-14T21:01:00.001-05:00

As much as I love going to see my family and friends in Carolina, I hate riding in the car for 22 hours. We decided to drive straight through this time which we have never done. On both ends of the trip, we left at night so the kids slept all night and we were at our destination by supper time the next day. On the way there, we only stopped for necessities but on the way back, we made 2 detours. One in Washington DC and the other in Pleasant Prairie, WI.

First things first. Washington DC is capital city of our great nation but I think visiting there during a record heat wave may have made it no so great to our kids! We left NC Tues morning and arrived in DC about 3pm. We checked into our room, took the kids to the pool and ordered pizza. Wed morning, we attempted to go sightseeing but got lost for 2 hours and then could not find parking at any Metro stations nearby and actually driving into DC was out of the question. We didn't know what we were doing and ended up just going back to the hotel for that day too. Let me say here that when Dale Dotson has reached the end of his patience, it's time to take a time out! On Thurs, we got up extra early, drove to the Metro, parked, paid $25 to take the train into DC, rode in a HOT train with a gazillion people and got off at the Smithsonian at about 8am. The crappy part is nothing opens until 9 or 10! We walked the whole Mall and saw everything we wanted to see. There aren't many pictures because no one was feeling like having their picture made. You could say they were a tad grumpy. Just a tad. But we survived it. We really did have fun except a couple of moments when we thought we might melt.

Favorite President, Abe Lincoln

Le'oul has the amazing ability to spot fellow Ethiopians so he was thrilled when the cashier at the Lincoln Memorial affirmed his suspicion. He was quite taken with Le'oul and hey chatted in Amharic a little and Le'oul stood aside when customers came up. He was very polite. Anyway, the funny thing was that Le'oul had picked up that "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" were considered good manners in the south. He was talking to his new ET friend as the man was ringing up a customer. She was an older lady who seemed to be very sweet. She looked at Le'oul and said (not rudely) "Young man, you should stop talking and let this gentleman do to his job." Le'oul stood straight up, SALUTED HER (very seriously) and said "Yes Ma'am!!!". Very loudly. I almost died! Laughing, that is. He was totally sincere but she was indignant at his rude response! We had been right there with him, making sure he wasn't annoying the man or keeping him from his job, so we knew he was fine. Oh my gosh, I laughed SO hard when we got out of there and laugh every time I think about it! I think the lady even smiled on her way out. We did explain that we knew he wasn't being disrespectful and why the lady thought he was. He was mortified to realize that wasn't the right response when he thought saying "yes ma'am" was the right thing to do.

Bailey LOVES Mark Twain

Taking a break from walking

The boys shared a bed in the hotel because, at my mom's house, the girls got sofas and the boys got the floor.

The boys found that city squirrels really like people because they know they have food! The squirrels ate right out of their hands and came back for more. Kashi Peanut Butter granola bars are a hit with squirrels too!


This is as happy as we got in DC!

On the way back to MN

I'm sure you know that a trip to DC was edutainment but Pleasant Prairie, WI? What in the world is there? The Jelly Belly Candy Factory is there and you can tour the facility. The tour was a bit disappointing but free. The kids were hoping to actually see the beans being made but it was just a short train ride around a warehouse with TV's telling us all about the company and how the candy is made. At the end we got a small bag of Jelly Belly's which makes enduring the tour worth it. They have a fun store and you can sample all the flavors you want. Our favorite item (and the reason we came) is Belly Flops. Belly Flops are perfectly good Jelly Belly's that didn't pass inspection for whatever reason. Too small, stuck together, too big, mis-shapen. We don't care, we just want to eat them anyway and they are much cheaper than the nice, perfect beans! We bought lots (12lbs) but they have to last until we go back. I actually put them away and the kids have forgotten we bought them!

Happy 50th Anniversary

2011-06-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

What do you get parents for their anniversary who live simply and don't really want anything? We decided that since their deck was rotting off the house and they were no longer physically able to build a new one, we would replace it for their gift. My brother, Kenny, got a friend to help him figure out what to do and they planned it. When we came, all the guys got out there and got it done in one day except the railing.

Kenny, Mawmaw, Sage and Me

Dale was determined to be part of building it for his mom and dad! What a great son! (and cute too!)

Leo's job was mostly putting in the screws. He must have done half of the screws. He loved working with the men. He likes to be busy and useful! Turns out that Kenny's friend, Tim (red hat), is also a very good friend of Harvey's. Small world. We are so glad Tim was there to show us what needed to be done! It went much faster than we thought!

You can't see it but the deck was only about 1/3 built when Harvey and his friend Vic came out to sit on it and watch the progress. It was sad for Harvey not to be able to help them but I think he enjoyed talking with the guys and overseeing what was being done.


Sage was in charge of getting the boards in place and spaced properly. He did a great job!

Mawmaw and the girls admiring the guys hard work!

The finished deck complete with a new table and chairs! We hope they enjoy it for many years!

Suprise, Surprise

2011-06-06T07:17:00.003-05:00

SUPRISE!!!

We pulled off 2 big surprises this week! When we were in the Carolinas just 6 short weeks ago, we knew we'd be back this week for 2 surprise parties. The first one was Dale's parents 50th Wedding Anniversary party. The second was my mom's 60th birthday party. Little did we know what a whirlwind our lives would be in the meantime! The day we got back from our last trip was the first time he had heard Le'oul's name. Once we had decided to take Le'oul, we had to decide whether or not it would be good for him to make the trip. We are so very glad we came!

We left MN about 11pm on Thurs night and got to my mom's about 8pm the next night. We drove straight through so we would have a whole night's sleep before the festivities began. My parents always spend the weekend in Boone, NC so our staying at their house didn't spoil my mom's surprise.

Surprise #1 ~ Saturday we helped one sister get things ready for Dale's parents party while his sister, who flew in from CO, kept them occupied. They thought the girls were taking them out for supper to celebrate. They had no idea we were coming too. We parked a little ways down the road and walked up their driveway as they were gathering at the door to leave. They were SHOCKED and happy and cried and hugged and smiled and laughed. All that great stuff you hope they'll do when you've done all the work to make it happen. BUT that wasn't the end of their surprise. We had invited family and some of their dearest friends from over the years to the party. We reserved their little town hall. So when we got there, they were surprised again to see all these people who loved them. It was awesome!

Harvey, Betty, Denise, Dale, Loraine

Surprise #2 ~ Yesterday was my mom's big surprise! I had left the invites to my brother and no one I asked had gotten one. I was worried that we would have a big surprise party with no guests! I had to prepare everything that morning so it was crazy busy. By about 2:30, the guests began arriving. We had a house full which was wonderful. When my parents got home at 3:00, everyone was hiding in the hall. My mom came in fussing about Kenny (my bro) having a party and not cleaning it up when all the people came out and yelled SURPRISE! She definitely was not expecting us to be there so when we walked into the crowd, she didn't even notice. Someone said "turn around Patti" and when she did, she burst into tears! It was SO GREAT!


My Momma


My Mom with her autographed picture of Dale's mom who won $100 from the local shopper newspaper.

My mom with Deann (my stepdad's first wife).

I bet you are wondering how Le'oul did with all this. He was not thrilled with the long 20 hour car trip but neither were the rest of us.

The only person in this picture who isn't faking a smile it is Leo! We were just coming into NC after 16 hours in the car (with 4 more to go)! No one was happy. No not one!

He was scared to sleep in my mom's house because of so many windows and doors. The other 3 kids have always been that way as well. The second night he wanted Dale to lay down with him until he went to sleep which was a first. He has never let anyone but Sage be in that intimate sleeping space or even admit he was really scared. I think that's a HUGE step in the right direction! As far as the parties, we had told him that there would be lots of people at both parties and that while he couldn't be rude, he didn't have to socialize either. If he needed to escape, he could take his Nintendo DS and go sit somewhere alone.

This trash can was his seat away from everyone.

He did that some but mostly he played with the kids who were there. He really had a good time meeting his new cousins, especially Tre. I think Tre was disappointed that they didn't have much time together but we'll work that out! He did great!


Tre got him a "welcome to this crazy family" gift! So sweet!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

First Days V

2011-06-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Sage had a baseball game tonight and I am so proud of him for getting back in the game even though the thought of batting still makes him sick to his stomach. I guess getting hit in the face will do that to you. Anyway, we ran our errands then went to Sage's game. We ate at Culver's which is a great little fast food restaurant here with the best cheeseburgers! We also went through the car wash. Sage asked Le'oul if he'd ever been to a car wash and he said: "No. We never wasted our money on that when we can just wash it at home." ROFL We had to explain that in the winter, car washes are necessary to keep the salt and chemicals from rusting your car but it was just laziness in the summer. I offered him $10 to wash the car but he thought it was worth the $10 to go through the car wash for the first time! This kid cracks me up! Le'oul does not meet a stranger and will say whatever is on his mind. This can be good and bad. For instance, at the ballgame, the brother of Sage's teammate came by and Leoul said "What is he Chinese?" Sydney: "No. Japanese." Le'oul: "Hey Japanese! Want to play with us?" Of course the little boy looked at him like he was crazy! It's not nearly as funny in print as it was there but you get the idea. No filter! We are working on manners very gently and mostly laughing about the things he does while correcting him. He's so funny!

So many want to know what he looks like and how big he is etc. Here's a video I took of him playing with Bailey tonight. If he thinks the camera is on, he is not himself so I have to get snipits. Enjoy!

First Days IV

2011-06-01T00:31:00.000-05:00

We had a blast today. We had errands to run this morning which included a haircut for the boys. He said he did not like getting haircut and actually started to look upset. Once we asked how he liked his hair and assured him that we wouldn't let the lady shave his head bald or cut off his curls, he was fine. Not sure what that is all about but we will figure it out. It's not something I'm willing to battle over. The kids came back and had a water gun fight which ended with 2 boys squirting each other with the hose. Syd and Sage had ball practice so Le'oul and Bailey stayed here with me and played Wii. I wish I could share more pictures but I think that will just have to wait. Le'oul (we have nicknamed him "Leo") is not crazy about having his picture taken so if he sees me, he stops whatever he's doing. I don't want pictures if they interfere somehow with his adjustment. I want to video his laugh too. It is so cute and genuine. He entertained us at dinner with his crazy jokes and schemes. He adores Frieda Rosebud (Syd's tiny kitten) and on the rare occasion he is still, he has her right with him. He asked for a dog and a skateboard and lots of other stuff while we were out today. I think he thinks we'll give him anything he wants. We won't and he's learning. He did not want to go upstairs alone because it was dark. We deducted that he is scared of the dark based on some observations over the past week (though I'm sure he wouldn't admit it) so we left the bathroom light on. He's doing very well! Keep praying!

2011-05-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

Sage thinks he found a chest hair!

First Days III

2011-05-31T14:17:00.001-05:00

Day 8 Monday: Our flight arrived @ 5am CST. Dale and the girls were so happy to see us! Le'oul was kind of watching our reunion but the girls pulled him right into our family and made him feel so special! He did great and within just a few minutes, he was talking and laughing again. It was a long, noisy trip home. I loved all the chatter going on in the back seat! Finally made it home around 6:30am, brought in all the bags and 3 of 4 kids went to bed. One boy was a little overwhelmed and said he was not tired (even though he had been up 24 hours). I wasn't going to force him to go to bed when he had just gotten here so we talked with him while he played with the cat. Dale sent me to bed since I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. He hung out with Le'oul until he finally fell asleep with Harold the cat.

Dale slept on the couch so he wouldn't wake up and feel alone or scared. Great Daddy! When Le'oul woke up (5 hours later!) he sat straight up and said "Did I sleep here? I didn't even know I was tired." We spent the day watching movies and playing outside.

Dale helped him get his bike working and he worked on it a little himself.

He LOVES Frieda Rosebud!

Tonight, he got ready for bed and I could tell he was a little scared even though he wouldn't have admitted it if I asked (I didn't ask). We talked for a minute about what would happen tomorrow and he was reassured. Dale prayed with them and he went right to sleep.

What a great, exhausting week this has been! Thank you all for your prayers for Le'oul and the rest of our family. Please don't stop. He may seem comfortable but it will take some time for him to adjust. Also, keep the Zacapu family in your prayers. This is hard for them too and we want God to protect the hearts of their other children lest they think they are next in being sent away. God chose us for Le'oul and He will heal all the broken hearts if we seek him! I would praise God even if things didn't go exactly as I hoped but I am so grateful that HE made Le'oul feel safe with me right away. God gave me insight when I needed to catch a look or an action that indicated a problem. He gave me wisdom to know how to handle every situation as I am sure He will continue to do as we seek Him not just for Le'oul but all 4 kids. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this boy who has been through so much in such a short time. To God be the glory!

First Days II

2011-05-31T01:01:00.001-05:00

Day 4 Thursday: The weather was supposed to be rainy so I decided maybe we should just get a hotel near Seattle with an indoor pool instead of sitting around being bored. The boys liked this idea so we spent the last 3 nights at a hotel. We met the Zacapu's for ice cream near our hotel. I thought Le'oul looked uncomfortable but OK. He just didn't know how he was supposed to respond. It was good for him to see us all together. He had a little trouble relaxing at bed time so I kept the TV on until he fell asleep.

Day 5 Friday: We spent the day at Pacific Science Center with the whole Zacapu Family then had dinner at a great Ethiopian Restaurant. Le'oul didn't really want to go to the museum but he did want to eat at Cafe Ibex so he went without too much trouble. The museum was fun and the food was...interesting. Actually, I thought it was pretty good but Sage did not like it. He ate it but he wasn't crazy about it. Le'oul, on the other hand, ate like he might never get another bite of food! We had fun but he was bored and ready to leave so he could get back to the pool. That boy is a ball of energy! He didn't have near as much trouble falling asleep that night!

Day 6 Saturday: Picked up Le'oul's things from the Zacapu's and gave him some time to play with the kids and say his final goodbyes. He was quiet and fell asleep on the way back to our hotel. Once we got there, he was ready to go. We decided to lay low that day so he had time to process what had just happened. We did a little shopping while we waited on our movie (Kung Fu Panda 2 is a great movie) to start then we went to the hotel and swam until bedtime.

Day 7 Sunday: Went to church with our sweet friends, the Quiambao's.


Not sure what this was about but it was in church.

Then we went to Chuck E Cheese with them as well! It was fun! Le'oul said he had never been there. He sure had a good time! We walked around Seattle for a while then headed to the airport. Dale said we could get a Nintendo DSi for each boy to keep them occupied since we had so long at the airport then a long flight. My HERO!

Happy boys! New DSi's and all they didn't have to work for them!

Le'oul, the Bird Whistler! This bird came right to him when he whistled. Cute!

Safeway Field

Our flight did not leave until midnight but we had to return the car before 9pm. The boys were happy to wait with their new game systems and I was happy to watch them talking to each other and showing what they were accomplishing on their games! Le'oul was very nervous and excited about the plane ride so he didn't sleep much. Only about 30 minutes and that was by accident. He kept me informed of all he was seeing out the window especially the Tstorm we were flying over. Watching the lightning from above was pretty cool! If he didn't know something or heard a weird noise, he asked me so I didn't get much sleep either. It was fine though. I knew he wouldn't sleep.

Airport

First Days I

2011-05-30T23:36:00.004-05:00

OK, OK! I promised I would keep you updated and I will! I intentionally did not take my laptop to Washington because I didn't want the distraction. Aren't you so proud of me? :) Our flight did not leave Seattle until midnight last night and we arrived in MN @ 5am! THAT my friends is an exhausting day! So here's your update and I promise I'll be good and keep up with how things are going! :)

May 23-30
Day 1 Monday: We (Me and Sage) arrived in Seattle, rented a car and drove to the Zacapu's home. We had a great visit with them and were able to go through his things and get some paperwork out of the way without him there to feel uncomfortable. They graciously offered beds to us so we didn't have to pay for a hotel and it gave us time to get to know one another much better. It also helped the other kids to see the people their brother was going to live with.

Day 2 Tuesday: Drove to the Little's home in Port Townsend, WA where Le'oul has been staying for about a month. The meeting with Le'oul was just like we planned. He was there when we came in and greeted us but he was shy and took Sage off right away! That was great because it gave us time to talk about how he had been doing and how the visit would go. We had lunch and dinner there and spent just a little time with Le'oul. Mostly, he just sat and listened to us talk. That was the plan! The Little's have a small guest house on their property so we stayed there. The first night only Sage and I stayed there. It was wonderful to have our own space and not feel like we were a bother to anyone. I didn't take pictures because it never seemed to be the right time.

Day 3 Wednesday: We took Le'oul for a drive around Port Townsend and just chatted. Port Townsend is a beautiful town set on a peninsula. You should Google it! We went to Mc~~Yuck~~Donald's for lunch and then to a local ice cream shop. We also rented a couple movies from a Red Box and hung out at the guest house between meals. We had planned on staying 3 nights in Port Townsend (2 just Sage/Me and 1with Le'oul). Le'oul asked if he could sleep at the guest house with us that second night. Yay!

First night together and already being silly!

Ready for movie and bed.

When I checked on the boys, this is what I found. Le'oul laying on Sage's shoulder. ♥

First days as 6

2011-05-26T01:05:00.002-05:00

Things are going really well with Le'oul. He was pretty edgy yesterday but today, he has been so relaxed and talkative. He is sleeping with us in the guest house tonight (his request). Tomorrow we are shopping for a few things he needs and meeting the Zacapu's for a bite to eat. We (all involved) think it's good for him to see us all together. Friday, we spend the day with the Zacapu's at a museum then dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant to celebrate one of his brothers birthday. He's so at ease and I know that he already feels safe which was our prayer! Praise God! I had thought that this trip was going to be way too long but as I sit here listening to new brothers laughing and talking (when they should be sleeping), I think we will be glad we did it this way. I miss Dale and the girls but spending this time letting Le'oul get very comfortable with us will be worth it! I just met him yesterday but it just feels like he belongs with us. Amazing! Pictures to come.

Five Going on Six

2011-05-21T18:08:00.001-05:00

I leave Monday afternoon with one son and return the following Monday with two! I am sure that Le'oul is nervous about coming to live with us and, honestly, we are a little nervous too. We aren't nervous about his fitting in because we know he was hand picked by God for our family. We just want him to know he can trust us. It's really that simple. We want him to feel safe here so he can deal honestly with his past and move forward with the life God calls him to. We are as excited about Le'oul as we were each time one of our other children was born! Pray for all 6 of us as we go through this transition. It's going to be great!

Isn't he handsome? I think so!

Baseball is dangerous (con't)

2011-05-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

As you can see by the pictures, Sage is feeling much better! Thanks for all the prayers!

Day 5

Truancy

2011-05-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Our girls are in high school and take all their courses online through a public charter school. Their attendance is measured by the percentage of work completed each day as well as a certain number hours. If work is done, they are fine. If they fall too far behind or don't log in enough hours in a day, they are counted absent. If a pattern of not enough work and not enough hours put in is noticed, they are truant. I ask them every day if they are completing assignments. I always get "yes" and since I have never had problems with them doing schoolwork, I assume they are telling the truth. That is until early March when we got a letter in the mail saying Bailey was truant. Apparently, Bailey was not spending enough hours online and was falling dramatically behind in her courses. All 7 of them. Bailey. Miss Responsible. Remember her? It seems that work and social engagements had Bailey all consumed and she was neglecting her studies. This happened in a less dramatic way last semester too but we helped both girls catch up before anything serious happened. We made sure they understood then that we would not help them again. At all. It was their responsibility..blah blah blah. We meant it.

For a while, Things became very uncomfortable around our house and we knew Bailey still wasn't keeping up with school like she should. We finally sat her down and told her it was time to take her crappy attitude to God and see what He said about things. We cried together, prayed with her and sent her to her room for the evening. She came to us the next day and said God was saying she should quit her job and spend more time pursuing the things He had called her to first. That was wonderful! Her attitude improved and people could talk to her without getting their head bitten off until...last week.

On Tuesday, WE GOT SERVED WITH TRUANCY PAPERS. As in, the deputy showed up at our door with papers saying "Come to court on this date because your child is a habitual truant and possibly needs a guardian", truancy papers. I was T-I-C-K-E-D to say the least and I had a teeny tiny temper tantrum. I mean, we are trying to adopt a little boy. What will that look like to a social worker? What happened to Miss Responsible? Doesn't she know this is embarrassing for us? Doesn't she realize that this could wreck her plans to graduate in Dec? UGH! After I composed myself, I talked with Dale and we decided that this would be the end of life for Bailey until she got her head back on straight. We made her quit her job (immediately instead of completing a 2 week notice), no social engagements (including church or youth group) and no phone until school was caught up completely. She stomped, cried, sulked, begged, and stayed mad for 3 whole days. She barely talked to me and that broke my heart. I knew we were doing the right thing but it was tough! When she realized we were not going to give in on any part of the consequences OR help her in any way shape or form, she sat her mad little self in front of that computer and did not move for 12 hours a day, 3 days straight. See, she had a very important social engagement this morning (fishing with her siblings and some friends) and was determined not to miss it (I think standing before a judge was also part of the motivation). She started this marathon being 60% + behind. Last night, about midnight, she was so close to being caught up that she was sure we would let her go anyway. Nope. That was not the deal. There was that mad face again. I kissed her good night and went to bed. When she got up this morning, she was beaming! She had stayed up until 5am to get that work done and she did it! Am I proud of her? No. I am glad she got caught up but I am not proud. She learned a hard lesson (and so did we).

My mind keeps going back to Mark 9:42 where Jesus says "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea." I know, it's not the usual application of the verse but I really believe we ARE causing our children to stumble when we are over protective and fight all their battles for them. Our main job as Christian parents is to point our children to God and teach them to hear Him. Not know about Him, but to know Him. How will they ever know how to hear God speaking to them personally if we always tell them what they should or should not do. Once they are teens, our job is guiding them to God for answers instead of relying on us. We pray for them and support their decisions even if we disagree. These are the last years we have to pour God into them before they go out into the big world. We'll still have input but they will be on their own. We have to teach them dependence on God before they go because we won't always be there when they face tough decisions. We can't do that if we are not walking closely with God ourselves. Pray for your kids. Pray for each other and stick together no matter what! Don't let Satan use kid trouble to divide your marriage. Most of all, love God with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!

Baseball is dangerous!

2011-05-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

Sage has wanted to play baseball since we came here but was hesitant because he's sure he's not very good. We encouraged him to give it a try this year and he has had a great time. Until this week. On Saturday, he was hit in the hip with a pitch that left a huge goose egg and made him sore for a few days.

PS If this boy gets any thinner, he's going to blow away!

THEN on Tuesday, he was up to bat and got a pitch right to the face. There was much gushing of blood (alarming amounts of blood) which caused the umpire to think Sage might be hemorrhaging and ~~yelled at us~~ suggested we get him to the ER immediately. We did drive very fast to the hospital where they rushed him right in and got the bleeding stopped. The nurse (who goes to our church) comes in to ask all the usual questions. "Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Cold? Hot?" To these questions Sage answered, "No, but I'm really hungry." The CT scan confirmed a broken nose and ruled out a concussion or other serious injuries. The doctor (also dad of a teammate) said he would feel pretty bad for a few days because of the injury but also from the amount of blood he lost. He also said to expect 2 black eyes and lots of swelling. The injured eye is very swollen and starting to turn black today. The other eye doesn't seem to be bruising at all. His nose looks crooked because of the swelling but should go back to normal once the swelling goes down.

His team mates were very worried so a few of them got their parents to come by the ER after the game to check on Sage and tell him they won! I thought that was sweet. It was just what Sage needed too because he had already been saying he was done with baseball but changed his mind once they showed up to check on him. Here are some pictures of a kid who didnt want his picture taken because he knew they'd end up here. :)

In the ER right after they got him cleaned up.

In shock and ticked off because he couldn't have any food!

Baseball wounds!

Day 2

There's that smile. Still having little nose bleeds. He is very tired and spent the day on the couch.

Day 3


Lots of swelling and a crooked but cute nose. Note my hand on his head holding him still as he whines, "MOM!!! PLEASE don't take pictures! I don't want people to see me looking like a freak!".

"Fine! Hurry up will you!?" He's feeling a little better, I think.

100 Miles of bargains

2011-05-06T20:46:00.002-05:00

When we first came here, I laughed at the people wearing shorts and tshirts when it was still cold out. In my then southern mind, 45° was COLD. After surviving 2 winters (one fairly mild, one freakishly long), I totally get it. With 4-6 months of winter, you are ready to get outside and let your skin soak up some serious sunshine. If the temps are above 50°, you can bet people will be out in droves walking, hiking, strolling, and any other reason they can find to be outside! Minnesotans (and mid-westerners in general) are serious about their outdoor activities and garage sales are no exception.

This weekend is the annual 100 Mile Garage Sale which happens every year on the first weekend of May. We go to WA for our new son, Le'oul, in 18 days (thinking of him makes my heart smile!) which means he will need a bed and some other things before he arrives. We are on a mission to find great deals where we can! We are also excited that our friend Jessica is at the hospital delivering baby #7 today so we get to ~~spoil the 4 little kids rotten~~ hang out with her 4 youngest kids (+ another sweet boy for good measure) this weekend as well. We ~~dragged~~ took them to lots of garage sales and bought them ~~anything they wanted~~ things they needed! For instance, there was this purse with sequins that Evangeline HAD to have and Ranny couldn't live without those rain boots. Keaton NEEDED those plastic cowboys & indians and Darius could not live without Buzz Lightyear wings. Joel had to have that pocket knife and those poker chips (yes, he needed poker chips). There are a few other things we still need to find but today was wonderfully exhausting and we found almost everything we needed, including a new mattress and boxspring (only $40) for under $200! I'd say that's a pretty good day!

We're expecting......

2011-05-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Yes we are! We're expecting....

....but not what you think and it's not puppies either!

We are actually expecting an 11 year old boy named Le'oul! We only started this process about 10 days ago so you are not behind, we are just moving at lightning speed! I told you that I hoped to soon explain the random pictures post last week. It was a post so Le'oul could see us and where he would live. Le'oul was born in Ethiopia and is currently living in Washington state. We now have permission to share this wonderful news and his picture with our friends and family as we are well on their way in this process. The plan is to fly to WA on May 24, spend a few days there getting better acquainted and bringing him home on May 29. All 5 of us are so excited to be adding to our family! 6 is a nice even number, don't you think? Sage is super excited to FINALLY be getting the little brother he's been asking for! We are busy preparing for his arrival and I am in serious "nesting" mode. He will be a perfect fit for our family! Pray that the transition goes smoothly for all involved.

Spring is here....maybe

2011-04-30T11:30:00.001-05:00

We have had way too much snow and cold this winter. Even my happy-go-lucky friend Shannon is tired of winter. I told the kids last week that if we would go ahead and start spring cleaning that Spring might get the hint and come! They weren't convinced but we started anyway. Sure enough, the sun popped out and we had a couple days of wonderful weather. I thought today was going to be awful because it's cold and rainy then a Rose Breasted Grosbeak and 3 Baltimore Orioles showed up at our feeders signifying that Spring really is here!

We have 10 feeders around the yard and feed birds all year but nothing is as beautiful seeing those brightly colored birds come back in the spring! Hundreds of birds are around our yard today! So far this year we have Goldfinches, House Finches, Orioles, Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers (hairy, downy, red bellied and pileated), Chickadees (year round), Nuthatches (year round) and a bunch of sparrows and swallows.

Baltimore Orioles love oranges and GRAPE jelly.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak


Red-bellied Woodpecker is one of my favorite, year round birds!	They love suet and are pretty big.

Since I am homeschool to the core, we identify and read about all the birds we see in our yard and on the lake/river. Having the water brings more variety and also brings birds that wouldn't normally come this far north. All About Birds is our very favorite site for backyard birding. It's free and has almost any bird you can think of including descriptions, habitat, migration and sounds.

I don't know how people could possibly think this world happened by random chance when they can see the wonder of creation! I praise God for making this beautiful world for our pleasure and His.

Romans 1:20-21
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Random pictures

2011-04-27T19:06:00.001-05:00

This is going to seem like a totally random post of pictures (which it is) but it really does serve a purpose. I hope to be able to share what it's all about very soon!

Front: Dale, Stephanie, Bailey, Sydney. Sage is up in the tree!

Bailey, Sydney, Sage (Fall 2010)

Our home

Our huge front yard

Backyard view of Mississippi River

Back Patio

This is a long view of the LR, DR and Kitchen

Obviously, this is the kitchen

Kids bathroom

This picture and the one below are of a big bedroom that the girls share right now.

Mazie

Sunny

Buddy

Window Moments...

2011-04-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

After a marathon week of preparing for our trip HOME, I am wiped out! What in the world possessed me to think I could make over 200 cookies, give blood, pack, clean, school kids, create detailed instructions for house sitter (good grief, we have a lot of animals), in addition to what normally has to be done in the 5 days leading up to traveling 1100 miles? Bailey says I am a visionary. Perhaps. I lean more toward CrAzY. I was beginning to ~~spew venom all over the place~~ get a little grouchy. Perhaps it's because I am behind on my list of things that can NOT wait until tomorrow. Or perhaps its the fact that I gave blood today and hadn't eaten because I was working madly to get these cookies done. Anyway, everyone ~~played it safe~~ was so sweet and left me alone to finish. As I sat alone at last, continuing my challenge of actually listening to all 1463 songs in my iPod, finishing the 200 cookies and wondering why I always do this to myself, I heard a familiar sound. Clink. Bat hits ball. I looked up and saw a beautiful picture outside my window. My sweet husband was outside playing baseball with Sydney and Sage (saving them from their tired, grouchy mom). Neither one of them is any good but they don't care. They are playing with their Daddy and that is what really matters to them. My mind took me back to all the times I have seen a similar picture outside (probably when I was also grouchy and tired) then it fast forwards to just a few short years when they will all be grown. I can't wait to see what God has for them but I want to cherish every moment until they leave the nest. I am blessed that God chose these 5 people to be a family and I am so very grateful for every "window moment".

Happy 15th Birthday Sydney

2011-04-06T08:02:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to our sweet, middle child! Sydney is the child we both have the hardest time seeing as growing up. Maybe it's because she is such a goofball that we think she may never really grow up. She's Daddy's girl and she knows it. Last week she said "All I have to do is look sweet at Daddy and he'll pretty much do what ever I want." Oh dear. Was Dale surprised or bothered by this? Nope. (Of course Bailey also has this power over her dad but she's a little more sneaky in using it) Of our three kids, Sydney is the most stubborn and rebellious. I have a video of her at 3 years old sticking her tongue out at passing cars. When I asked her if that was nice, she said "No, but I still will tell them :P." and stuck her little tongue out at the next car. Hilarious now but a big issue when she was younger. She was also the bully at home and hit the other 2 if they did something or didn't do something her way! Boy does she have a temper. I'm not sure where she got that from...

She is definitely a teenager now with an attitude to go with it. Don't get me wrong, she is not into typical teenage rebellion, she's just a little more sassy and snarky about her frustrations. We don't tolerate too much of that and she's learning. We are convinced that she waited to officially begin the teenage journey until her baby brother was also a teenager this fall. They are 'twins' born 19 months apart. Seriously. They have achieved almost every milestone at the same time. He's always a little early and she, a little late. They are best friends and worst enemies at some point in every single day. Of course, she and Bailey truly are best friends and that is such a blessing.

Sydney wanted Chinese Buffet and we went last night so Bailey could join us. We also had free movie passes so we saw Rango (boring). While we are out today, we will check out new bicycles. She has wanted a new one since we moved to MN but we were waiting for her to grow a little. She has grown...a little. We'll also be on the hunt for a "lefty" softball glove since she's going to give that a try this summer. Here are a few things about Sydney this year:

She recommitted her life to Jesus a few weeks ago. She understood her need of a Savior at 6yrs but is discovering that what God truly desires is to have a relationship with us. She sees her need to spend time in conversation with God instead of quick prayers at meals and bedtime or just reading her Bible everyday because she's been told she should.
She still loves all things American Girl and dresses her dolls all the time. She could and does spend hours in the store at Mall of America.
She loves Legos and is always building or renovating some kind of house.
She loves gerbils and currently has 12, all of whom she knows by name and talks to everyday.
She has become a voracious reader this past year and may actually surpass her sister, the bookworm, in the number of books she has read this year. That's huge considering she hated to read a year ago.
She competed very well in Bible Quizzing this year! She learned 221 verses in the book of John!!!
She has started planning a mission trip to China in the next year or two with Show Hope and is beginning to seek what it is God has for her in China. She is drawn there so strongly.
She is beginning a course in Mandarin Chinese this summer.

Sydney is just cool! She does things her own way in her own time. (like her dad) She doesn't really care what anyone else thinks of her. BUT when she chooses to love, she loves so big that when someone hurts her, it's extremely devastating and hard to get over. (like her mom) It's all or nothing with Sydney. We love her and are so grateful that God knit her together just for our family. We can't wait to see what this year holds for her as she faces some big decisions about school and life. It's time to let her stretch those wings a little and learn how to hear God's still small voice above the noise of this crazy world we live in.

These 2 pictures pretty much sum up Sydney!


80's Hair and fashion for a party. Modest, of course!


Typical dress for school (homeschool). Toe socks are a must for any occasion requiring socks and the snowman "gripper" is on top of her foot because she likes it that way! Notice that a brush has not touched this head today. She's a keeper though!

Happy Birthday

2011-03-31T08:25:00.001-05:00

I wanted to wish our Chinese Crested, Cookie, a Happy 8th Birthday! We love our silly girl!

So cute

This is my favorite picture of her!

A New Adventure

2011-03-25T06:34:00.000-05:00

The Cookie Capers Blog is up and running. It's still under construction but I'm working really hard to get it going! Blessings, Stephanie

Happy 40th Birthday Dale

2011-03-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

Today is Dale's 40th birthday so I wanted to say here how much I love and appreciate him for all he does! He's the best Daddy to our kids and the best husband to me! What more could a girl ask for? We will be celebrating tonight with his favorite meal and one we don't normally eat: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and fried okra with strawberry cheesecake for dessert! YUM!

We are also helping to plan a Totally Awesome 80's party this weekend that will celebrate several friends who are also turning 40 this year! This is going to be so much fun! I'll post pics of this for sure!

Happy Birthday Dale!

The Flat Jacksons Visit MN

2011-03-20T00:54:00.000-05:00

Flat Stanley is a wonderful series of children's books and if you aren't familiar with it, you should check it out at the library or link to the site! Anyway, some little friends of ours from Charleston, SC have been flattened and mailed to us. Our job is to show them around where we live and let them be tourists. We are supposed to write about each place and then mail the Flats, pictures and details of their visit back home. This has been way too much fun! Our teenage kids have thought of all kinds of things to do with Flat Grace and Flat Moli which has sparked some very fun family time for us! That is priceless! It just so happens that these girlies are some of the kids we miss most and it has been almost like having them here! We took them to a lot of our favorite places and took TONS of pictures. We are thinking of just bringing them when we come for a visit in April so they can take a plane trip to end their adventure. We'll see about that. I wanted to share some fun pics of them just to give you a taste of how much fun visitors can have when they come to MN! I can't show them all here since the Flat Jackson's aren't home yet and their real people don't know what they've been up to. Enjoy!

The Flat Jackson's arrive on a cold day (18°) in MN.


The Dotson kids were doing their school like the good children they are! See, here's Bailey working away!

and Sydney...

and Sage. Wait! Is that an itouch on his bed? I wonder if he's really doing school?!

The first thing we did was make them coats! You can't go outside in a MN winter with no coat! We had a heat wave with temps in the 30's a few days before they came so some of the snow had started to finally melt. That didn't last long.

They got to see a real snowstorm that dumped 11" of snow!

No visit to Minnesota would be complete without a trip to the Mall of America!

Nickelodeon Universe is the amusement park in the middle of MOA.

Our favorite store!

Visiting the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. This place is amazing and will probably get it's own post someday!

This is an unique toy store in Kellogg, MN

Hanging out with our friends!

Sillyness

More sillyness

Yes, that is a hot dog on Sage's head and he's still trying to look cool! It's not working!

Who is this guy?

The things we do for our friends!

MUCH LOVE FROM MINNESOTA!

Praying for Eli and Elizabeth

2011-03-15T21:02:00.001-05:00

Most of the folks who read this blog also know that a sweet family from our church in SC is anxiously awaiting test results about their unborn son, Eli, that will determine exactly what is wrong and what can be done for this precious boy. I won't go into their story here on my blog as you can read it straight from them. Please read their story and pray for them if you feel led to do so.

We also have dear friends in NC whose daughter, Elizabeth (one of our daughters best friends from childhood), was hospitalized over the weekend for seizures and possibly in need of a pacemaker. She's 19! They don't really know what is wrong with her but the doctors throw out all these terrifying things that it could be and have them scared to death for their daughter. I'll know more tomorrow and update. We call her 'E' and ask you to pray for her too! We have watched her grow up and we love her LOTS! I'll update as soon as I know.

I post these stories so people can not only pray but watch God work! I don't know what His plan is for Eli or Elizabeth but I KNOW He has a plan. I don't know how to pray so I pray that God will do what is best. I believe with all my heart that God can do whatever He wants and what He does is perfect. I ask for what I want, believe He can do it, expect He will do it but understand He might not do it the way I want. Thanks for praying for these precious families!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21

Upward

2011-01-29T16:04:00.001-06:00

To some people, these pictures won't mean a thing. To those who know us best you understand that moving to MN has been extremely difficult for all of us as we sought God for our purpose here. So many times, we get frustrated with God, like the stubborn children we are, because he won't give us what we really want. But if you truly know HIM, you know deep down that He does have a plan to prosper you, not to harm you. A plan to give you a hope and a future. That He really does work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We started Upward Basketball and Cheerleading here in Red Wing this fall. It is only the 2nd year that Upward has had any activity in this whole state! The other area doing it didn't have much success last year. Dale and a friend went to training fall 2010 and were going to wait until this coming fall (2011) to start. That way, he had time to "sell" it to the people of our area. God clearly spoke to him about not waiting so he didn't. We planned on 100 kids but only got 29. That's 4 teams, 2 younger teams and 2 older teams. They will play each other every week. Disappointment and frustration settled on Dale but I kept telling him that whatever the number, it was God's ministry so the number would be perfect. Turns out 29 kids is about all we could handle our first year since we only have 2 awesome bball coaches, 1 fabulous cheer coach, 3 wonderful asst coaches and 1 really cute coach/ref/commissioner! We hope the concession stand will pay the extra costs of Upward because we are not part of a church that is able to support it much in financially. Since we only have 2 games each week, I'm not sure if we can make enough via concessions to cover all our expenses. God knows so we'll let it all be His and give Him all the glory for what He does with it!

The changes that have taken place in my family since moving here are amazing! I won't go into all the details but let's just say that Upward Basketball is not just a tool for ministering to children and reaching them and their families for Christ. God never does anything on a scale that we can calculate. He multiplies one family's obedience into something glorious that we can't even see until we get to Heaven! Every time you are obedient to God's calling on your life, it impacts every single person who comes into contact with that calling. God is so amazing and I can't wait to see how he does His math with Upward in MN!

Just a few pics of our first game day!

We certainly don't want to leave our precious Cheerleaders out!

Sage's Braces

2011-01-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

Well, the time has come for our baby to get his turn with a "tin grin". Sydney tried to tell him how horrible it would be and Bailey countered all the bad with good. The biggest perk for braces at our house is a milkshake afterward since eating is not the easiest thing to do and it hurts. So far, he has not been as big a baby as the girls were when they got theirs. Of course, we knew to go ahead and give him some pain meds before he got too sore. For his bands, he chose Indianapolis Colts colors, black, silver and blue.

He looks so different!

Miss Responsible

2011-01-10T15:53:00.000-06:00

I tease Bailey about being Miss Responsible because she is such a rule follower and is truly very responsible in life. I think I tease her because I am jealous! I want to be like Bailey when I grow up! She has been working for a few months now and is finding out how to manage her money. She doesn't make that much money but she thinks she does! She has been saving for a laptop and a car. She made the first major purchase a few days ago and is so proud of herself, as she should be. I know when I was 17, I would never have saved enough $ to buy my own anything except gas and food!

This laptop screams Bailey! Flowers on the PC, case,

mouse and it has purple on the keys.

Dale's Accident

2011-01-10T12:35:00.000-06:00

I'll start this post by saying that everytime my husband gets into his tiny, beat up, 23 year old Honda Prelude (or any other car for that matter), I pray that he gets there and back safely. I pray the same for my kids and myself. So as soon as he kisses me goodbye @ 5am every weekday morning, I pray for his safety and his day. I love him!

On Saturday, Dale, Sydney and Sage left @ 7am for a Bible Quiz meet about an hour away. He always calls or texts me when he arrives at his destination and I hadn't heard from him yet that morning. I was starting to get a little worried because he doesnt usually take his little car farther than work and it was really cold that morning. When he finally called he said, "Well, we're in Hudson but not quite to the quiz. I had a wreck. We are all okay and someone picked up the kids so they didnt have to be late for the quiz or stand out here freezing. I gotta go, the cop is here. Call you later. I love you." That's IT! No emotion, no nothing.

Before he called back to tell me what happened and how bad it was, he sent me a picture of the car!

Men, YOU DO NOT SEND A WORRIED WIFE A PIC OF YOUR WRECKED CAR!

That doesn't make her feel better!

He did call back a little later and explained that he was merging into a round about and didnt see a truck coming. The truck hit him in the driver side door, shattering the window ("the shattering window was pretty impressive" said Dale, "It was so awesome when the window exploded!!!" said Sage, "I had a mini heart attack" said Sydney) and pretty much destroying the door. The officer did not give him a ticket because a giant snowbank obstructed his view and there was no way he could have seen the truck in his tiny car.

Is Dale going to get a new car? Nope. He's looking at cars like his that dont run but have good bodies and interior. His car looked pretty rough to start with so a banged in side door is not all that bad. The door is useless so he has to climb in the passenger side to get in and he has a piece of plexi-glass duct taped to the place a window should be. The passenger side door handle is also broken (previous incident involving a frozen handle and a strong man) so in order to get in the passenger side door, he has to leave that window rolled down when he exits the car so he can reach in and open the door and climb through to the drivers side! I guess if there is snow, he can put a piece of plastic on that window so snow wont get in the car while he isnt in it! I am laughing at this man that I love so very much! I hope he breaks down and buys a reliable vehicle but he will probably procrastinate that as long as he possibly can.

I am so thankful that no one was hurt and the car is okay to drive! Here are the pics of the car when he got home.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T08:37:00.002-06:00

This Christmas was the first Christmas since I was born that I have not spent some part of the season with my family. It was hard not to be there but also easier in some ways. We didn't have to run from place to place or worry about hurting someones feelings because we didnt stay as long as they wanted. We were happy that our family and friends got to share in our joy of a little snow for Christmas too! We decided ordered pizza Christmas Eve (thanks to a great sis who sent us a gift card) and for Christmas Day, we had friends over for food, fun and fellowship. Here are a few pics from our Christmas!

Christmas Eve brought sibling gifts, gifts from grandparents and PJ's from Mom and Dad.

Notice that the boy has on a green hoodie just like his gift. That green hoodie is his security blanket and he wears it EVERYDAY! MawMaw got him a new one so he could always have one clean!

Sydney's American Girls really racked up this year. This is matching outfits for Bitty Twins but 5 of her dolls got clothes via Sydney for Christmas! I'm glad she doesn't think she's too old just yet!

The boy got one of these for his birthday and has been really killing the girls so HE got them each one for Christmas!

Wipeout for Wii was one of their "together" gifts

Christmas morning.

Waiting for the OK to come downstairs on Christmas morning

STOCKINGS!!!

Sydney also got Ivy to complete her Asian AG collection.

A purity ring was #1 on Bailey's list. Notice the plum Carhardt coat she is wearing too!

Sage loves his Colts but he's becoming a Vikings fan too!

Legos, Legos, Legos...he had all the Kingdom sets by the end of this Christmas!

Bailey's Christmas loot

Sydney's Christmas loot

Sage's Christmas loot

A racetrack for Dale!

The story behind this racetrack is very sweet. When Dale was little, he got a racetrack that his cousin broke on Christmas Day. He never really got to play with it and never got another one. When he told this story to Sage, Sage was furious and became obsessed with finding his daddy a racetrack for Christmas! We searched for almost a month to find the perfect one. Dale was thrilled and very touched by his son's thoughtfulness! I think I even saw a tear. We saved Daddy's gift for very last because....


...It was the BEST gift!

Life is hard but God is good!

2010-12-29T14:17:00.001-06:00

Boy has life been kicking my butt lately! I have had the longest 18 months of my life since coming to MN. It's definitely been a stretching, growing roller-coaster ride! My latest hiccup was an opportunity to take a trip to Honduras with Operation Christmas Child. I LOVE OCC so this opportunity did not get much prayer at first. I mean, who needs to pray about that!? Of course it was from God. Well...no, actually, I was wrong. I have decided not to go. See the problem with people like me is that we shoot first and ask questions later! We make 'fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants" decisions then have to do a lot of backtracking and usually some apologizing when God gets our attention! From this experience, God has taught me some really important things.

First, He reminds me that my husband is my first ministry. When our kids are small, we tend to focus all our energy on them and neglect our man. When our kids are older, we realize we don't even know this man we are married to. Yes, we get along and love each other but somehow WE got lost in the raising of kids and living life. I was created to be Dale's helpmeet and HIS ministry should be my #1 priority! This is a work in progress! I want to be the wife Dale needs and focus more on making sure he has all he needs to be what God has called him to. I want him to know EVERYDAY that he is priceless to me and that I love him more than ever!

Secondly, my children need me. It's easy to lose sight of that when your kids are almost grown. It seems they don't need you as much but they really need you more! There is so much to talk about, so much to do and so much teaching that must be crammed into a few short years! I decided that there will be plenty of opportunities to go on mission trips when my kids are grown. We are looking down the road to an empty nest now which is fun and scary at the same time. There are precious few years left with our kids and I don't want to look around and wonder where the years went. I want to be in the middle of their lives playing with them, praying for them and watching what God is doing in them! I don't want to miss a single thing! I love them so much.

As you read this, you may be surrounded by little ones and wonder how you are going to survive today. You may be thinking you hate your husband and don't know if you can live with him one more month. Let me promise you that God knows what He's doing and every moment with your husband and kids is a gift. Don't get so caught up in day to day life that you lose sight of the goals.

Love your husband madly and thank God everyday for him, even on the days you want to kill him. Marriage is work! Do the work, it's worth it! Confess to God what you are struggling with and keep being obedient to what God's Word says about marriage. Pray that God will change YOUR heart not your husbands ways! Try doing things for him just because you appreciate him. Let him know he's more than a paycheck to you!
Love your kids but don't smother them. Let them become who God made them to be. Very few rules/regulations but clearly defined boundaries allow them the freedom to be themselves and know what is expected of them without the drudgery of legalism. Without being a pessimist, treat everyday as if it were the last one you have with your children. Make all the memories you can everyday!
Love yourself! You are a child of the Most High God who loves you and wants you to have an abundant life with Him. What could be better than knowing that! He loves you so it's ok to love yourself! Go have coffee with a girlfriend, get a massage or take a drive and pray! It's good for you!

An Amazing Opportunity...

2010-12-18T12:56:00.000-06:00

If you know me, you know I love Operation Christmas Child and that I am very active year round in that ministry. I have been invited to be part of a shoebox distribution trip in the country of Honduras in February 2011. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity as OCC puts great effort into distributions being about local leaders in each country building relationships with the people of that area. It is not at all about coming in like Santa Claus with a bunch of gifts for needy children then leaving them. That means that most distributions are handled by a national leadership team made up of local pastors, missionaries and lay people in the receiving country. These teams work hard to reach into the farthest corners of their countries to find those who are without hope and share the hope of Christ in many ways but my favorite is through OCC shoebox gifts. We like to call them Gospel Opportunities!

With OCC being a predominately volunteer ministry (only 81 paid staff and thousands of volunteers), I am responsible for the approx $1800 cost of the trip. I am inviting anyone who feels led, to donate funds to help me on this incredible journey. I have the information about how and where to send donations and can get that to anyone who emails me.

Whether or not you feel led to give financially, would you consider partnering with me in prayer for this trip? Prayer releases God's power and makes all the difference in the outcome of any situation! I have experienced it time and again! If you want to be part of the prayer team, let me know that as well so I can email updates and requests. I still can't believe I get to be there when desperate children and families receive hope through such a simple gift! Thanks friends! Email is: swdotson72@gmail.com

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Happy 13th Birthday Sage!

2010-11-07T12:16:00.002-06:00

Sage is a teenager! What happened to my chubby little boy? He's now a tall, lanky teen who trips over his own big feet! We now have 3, count them, 3 teens at home! We are blessed for sure!

Sage had a wonderful birthday made even better by the arrival of Grandma and Grandpa! We spent his birthday in Duluth, MN showing the parents around our beautiful state. Sage was so excited since Grandma came last fall for Bailey's birthday and in April for Sydney's. It was his turn and he loved having them here even though it seems like all we did was drive. For his birthday, he got money, a bag of skittles, Mountain Dew sleep pants and...

YES! We bought the boy a real drum set!

The child almost fainted (for real) in my arms! That was worth staying up half the night assembling them! I wish we had been videoing him! We quickly realized that having them in the sunroom was going to be way too loud so we moved them to his room!

We are so proud of the young man Sage is becoming. He is caring and compassionate and hates to see others suffering. He loves babies and little kids. At church, they always know where to find the tiniest members who wander off from chattering parents! OR he might just come right up and ask if he can hold the baby. It is so sweet to find him sitting on a sofa or chair rocking a baby or playing with a tiny child who thinks he must be the greatest person on earth! We love Sage so much and are blessed to call him our son.

This year Sage...

Has grown exponentially! He is now 5' 9" tall and growing fast.
He survived and thrived through his first real winter in Minnesota.
He has made some great new friends.
He got to go to Look Up Lodge (for the 1st time) this summer with some great old friends who he misses terribly!
He is FINALLY old enough to go to the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center this year! He had a great time and can't wait to go back next fall!
He is scheduled to get braces in the spring! Poor guy!

Happy Birthday Sage! We love you!