Grace On Rainbow

Friday, November 19, 2010

It was only a matter of time. . .

So I knew that it was only a matter of time before one of the kiddos ended up with a real emergency (other than an ear infection or strep) . . . well wouldn't you know who it would be.

The boys were suppose to be going camping with the scout troop, but instead Bob spent his evening at Urgent Care with Sis-aroo. I was in the bedroom folding clothes - the kids were running around the house playing hide and seek - and I heard Noah ask Avery if she was alright and then Avery start to cry a little bit. The next thing I know Noah is SCREAMING and running into the bedroom that Avery is hurt bad. I run out and find Avery sitting on the bench in the dinning room holding her foot and blood is dripping from her foot and splattering on the floor. Noah is completely freaked out - Avery is crying (which is sooooo not her) and the boys are getting upset. I send Noah outside to get Bob who is trying to pack for the camp out - I try to look at her foot to see how bad it is, but by this time it was stinging and hurting pretty bad. I could tell that it was cut pretty deep from the amount of blood, but couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from. We wrapped her foot up - Bob loaded her in the car - and off they went.

I called a million times (at least I'm sure it felt like that to my poor husband) - I am such a mom, they didn't even get to Urgent Care before I called to see if they had seen her yet. By this time she was her normal Avery self - chattering in the back seat. They finally got in to see the doctor and I got a phone call from Avery.
"Hello......Hi Mom. Guess what I'm getting? A manicure."
"Do you mean a pedicure? Who is doing that?"
"The nurse."
"Know what else? I got wrapped up in warm blankets right out of the dryer."
"How are you doing?"
"I'm good Mom. Is Noah there?"
"Yes, but let me talk to your Dad".

So according to Daddy - they gave her 4 numbing shots, which she didn't even cry one tear over - Bob said she sat there and held his hand and breathed through her nose and out through her mouth like the perfect patient. The doctor came back in and now she has 6 stitches in her foot. We have to take her back next week to get them out, so hopefully getting them out will be as easy as getting them in.


This is the picture Bob took when she was getting her "pedicure".

Okay - I have officially had a full day and am going to try and relax a bit before putting two little munchkins to bed and before my girl gets home with her wonderful Daddy.

Lisa

A Mother's Fear . . .

As a mom it is going to be difficult to let my children go into this world, not because I don't think they are prepared, but because I know what this world is and the evil in it. I think most moms fear this for their children. Yet, we as Christians are called to once again step out on faith and trust God for the leading and guidance of our children. However, if I am to be completely honest with you, I do wait for this day with a great deal of anticipation and anxiety. Every birthday that passes, I am reminded that I am one year closer to releasing my precious children into their future of sorrow, joys, heartache, and laughter.

I have a picture of every holiday having them safe and sound at home with everyone gathered together enjoying old memories and making new ones. I see grandbabies bouncing and playing and the joy of our love filling the house. I see them traveling to grandma's house to bake cookies and eat lots of unhealthy stuff (you know like their grandmas do now). That is why it was so hard for me to hear the words of my son a week ago . . .

Noah: "Mom, can I tell you something?"
Me: "Sure." (I have come to realize that anything can follow this question.)
Noah: "Mom, I think that God is calling me to the southern part of Africa."
(He literally said the southern part . . . when did he grow up on me?)
Me: (tears beginning to form . . . silent prayer) - hmmm okay God how do I teach my son to trust your leading if I am not willing to do it myself. "Well, He just might be."
Noah: "I think that He wants me to go and be a missionary there and Mom this is the hardest part . . . "
Me: (tears still there) .. . . how could anything be harder than those words for me to hear. "What's that?"
Noah: "I think He is telling me that I am going to have a wife and she is going to come with me."
Me: (smiling with tears) "That wont be the hard part buddy."

* * * Fast Forward two days - sitting at the drive-up window at the bank * * *

Noah: "Mom, I need to tell you something."
Me: ohhhh nooooo - not again. (another silent prayer)
Me: "What's that buddy?" Looking back I see tears pouring down my son's cheeks.
Me: "What's the matter Noah?"
Noah: "I can't tell you right now." (a few moments pass)
Noah: "Mom, I just feel like God is saying to go to Africa now, like He wants me to drop everything and just go."
Me: (starting to cry) "Well honey, God knows that you can't go right now."
Noah: "But I feel like that is what He is telling me to do; that there are people there that need me now."
Me: "Noah, God isn't going to send you to Africa or anywhere else until He has prepared you to go and right now you are still too young. Maybe there is something else you can do to help."
Noah: "Like what?"
Me: "Well I'm not sure right now, but there are lots of things that you can do right here to help. We will have to look for something we can do to help from here."

God, you know every spec of dust upon this earth that You alone have created with your very hands and heart. Father, help me to trust You in the leading and guidance of my son. Help me Father that I will look to your design and plan for my son and not my own selfish desires. Father, open my eyes to the eternal importance of the life you have breathed into Noah and realize that no matter how great my love is for him, that yours is vastly deeper. I pray even now that you will prepare not only his heart but my heart so that I will encourage and lead him to walk in your will alone.

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:10

Where does she get it from. . . .

She has to be one of the silliest girls I know. . . but the question is . . . . Where does she get it from?

For years I have blamed Bob and for the most part I still do, but I have to admit there may be a slight, albeit, a very slight, more like a fraction of a sliver of a chance, that she maybe - just maybe got a little bit of it from me. . .








Have a wonderful afternoon everyone - Lisa

Playing Catch-up . . . Noah's Birthday Party

Okay so I am just over 4 months late on getting these up here, but I really do have a good reason . . . . lets see . . . . well we did get 3 more kids two days after the party - Does that count? Okay not for the grandparents I know. . . but late or not here you go.

This year Noah wanted a Lego Party - so what could a mama do, but to grant that one small wish - only it ended up being quite an undertaking (all due to my own doing of course). So I will block out the 12 hours it took to make the cake - or the 3 days it took designing, printing, and making all the goodies - or the trembling hands as I prayed to God that Bob did not hit a bump to hard as I held on for dear life to the cake as we transported it across town. I will forget all of that for this one thing . . .

My son had a GREAT 10th Birthday and lets face it - you only get to the 2 digits once in your life.



So here is the cake, what you can't see is the real Legos holding up the back as it began to pull away from the cake due to the 5 pounds of modeling chocolate. I made each of the bricks by hand by cutting out rectangles and then placing 8 small dots on top and "smooshing" them down a bit.



Here is a picture of the marshmallow Lego heads - I wish I would have remembered to take a picture, but I decorated one to look like each person in the family. I must say that Bob's was the best with the goatee and glasses.


Here is the goody table. Each of the kids got a mini Lego car to build and then we built a race track so they could race them. One of the first games was to guess how many Legos were in the jar. Now I don't even remember, but I think there were like 350 or something like that . . . and yes I really did count all of them.




This has to be one of my favorite pictures. Xavi always cracks me up with his enthusiasm and his smile. Here you can see the badges that I made for each of the kids as well. They all were "Official Lego Builders".


I found the composition books at Wal-Mart for 25 cents a piece and they matched perfect with the Lego colors.


Here is a picture of the mini water bottles I did. It's not a really good pictures, but at least you can get the idea. On the back I put this "nutritional label".











This is what our daughter looks like when she doesn't get her way. . . . I think I would have picked a better place to pout than over the trash can, but I guess it fits her attitude.


Okay this is a much better picture . . . well not so much the picture, but better attitude in the picture.




All sisters need to help. . . right.


Oh the joy of being a boy with Legos.


I'm not sure what he was pointing at, but it was just too good not to include. LOVE the expression on his face.


I found Lego t-shirts at Wal-Mart (Avery is wearing the original shirt), but of course they wouldn't fit all of us, so I decided to cut out the front image and sew them on to larger t-shirts for the rest of us and then I took the Lego logo block at the bottom and sewed it onto our sleeve.

So there you have it - a lego party for my sweet 10 year old "not so little" boy.

Have a wonderful day everyone - Lisa

Friday, September 3, 2010

Happy Birthday My Love


I truly am a blessed woman to call this man my Husband. . . and I love hearing it and saying it every time. Today is Bob's 40th birthday and all joking aside I wish that it wasn't . . . We met when he (well actually we both were) still in our 20's and I cannot believe that time has gone by soooo fast. It makes me realize just how temporal our earthy bodies are and to be honest there is a part of me that cannot image this man not being right next to me, holding my hand, believing in me, and encouraging me through every challenge in life. Yet, I do take great comfort in knowing that we will always be together, although not as husband and wife, but as fellow believers with Christ in His glorious kingdom.

So for now I will cherish each day that God has planned for us to be together and rejoice in the knowledge that this amazing man of God . . .
this loving and patient husband . . .
this incredible father. . . .
this giving and sacrificing friend . . . is my beloved.

With all my heart, sweetheart, I wish you a very HAPPY Birthday ! !

Love - LJ

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

My Heart is Full . . .

It is quiet here in the house tonight - something that has become quite the rarity of late. For those of you who have not heard, our home enlarged by 3 amazing and very rambunctious boys. Yes, for years now Noah has been asking and praying for a "brother". Well 3 weeks ago God answered that prayer (in a way) and blessed our home with 3 little guys. When we started the foster/adoption process we did not know where it would lead - we just knew that it was what God had placed on our hearts to do. So by faith we trusted Him and once again began the process with classes, training, paperwork, home studies, finger prints, and lots of prayer.

Well we now know a little more of God's plan and what He wanted for our family, but to be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure I was ready for it. I mean how do you prepare yourself for a phone call that says "We possibly have 3 little guys coming into care this weekend and need to know if you will take them." Hmmmm - emergency phone call to Bob, stomach in knots, palms sweating, and then peace of knowing that this is what we had spent the last 2 months preparing for. Yes we will take them - and then they were here and I was scared to death. I mean I was COMPLETELY terrified of these little guys. I know my poor husband thought I had lost it - but for some reason I was just overwhelmed with emotions. I was scared that we had made a wrong decision - I was afraid that I would fail these little guys and make their life even more uncertain - I was terrified that I would forget how to be a Mom to my own 2 amazing children - I had taken my eyes from God and placed them on self and what I was capable of doing and what I wanted rather than what God was capable of doing and what He wanted. So after feeling overwhelmed and putting in a transfer for the little guys after only 2 days - God began to change my heart like only He can and something AMAZING happened - I actually felt peace and joy about what God had brought into our lives. Now don't get me wrong, it has still been a struggle - but I can honestly say that I am so thankful for God's plan rather than my plan.

People have been so amazing to step up and give of their time. We have had so many people stop by and just sit with the boys or with us. Not to mention the meals people prepared, the clothes and baby supplies people have bought. Once again God just opened His arms and said "These are my people and I will use them to bless you and your family" - and that is exactly what they did. So I want to say "THANK YOU ! ! " to all of you who have prayed and have given of your time to shower these little guys with so much Love.

Some of you have been asking if there is anything that we need and honestly God has provided in unbelievable ways.

- I got the kids' rooms switched over. Avery had the larger room so we needed to put her in Noah's room and give the 4 boys that room.
- God provided bunk beds with a detachable ladder so Noah could have the top bunk and the 2 year old could have the bottom.
- We also were able to find dressers that would fit in the room since we have 4 boys in one room every inch of space counters (literally) and so we found a narrow taller dresser which fit between the wall and one of the cribs and a tall larger chest of drawers which fit between the bunk beds and wall.
- Our other issue was a vehicle. Our car only fit 6 and since we now have 7 people in our family the math just didn't add up . . . so Bob drove to St. Louis the last 2 Saturdays and was able to purchase us a used Expedition that will hold 8 and has a working air conditioner (YEAH!!!)

So life is beginning to return to order after once again having the house in disarray
- Sterilite containers are lining the closets
- Diapers and wipes are stock piled in the boys' closet (yes we go through A LOT of diapers in a day - size 4 - size 3 - size 1 and don't forget the overnight diapers since they are boys and they seem to pee out of every other diaper at night)
- Clothes are organized and put away (put drawers do not have labels because Bob said I wasn't allowed to label their drawers . . . how completely wrong is that I ask you - doesn't he know that labels and Sterilite containers make me happy)
- Avery's room is coming together
- I can now see our laundry room floor
- and our home is once again feeling like a home rather than a disaster zone.

So that is our life right now - I know some of you have asked to see a picture, but unfortunately we are not allowed to publish pictures of the boys on-line, so you will just have to take my word for it that they are adorable little guys that will melt your heart. Please continue to pray for these little guys and their mom and dad. It is a sober realization when you stop and think just how hard it must be for these little guys to be taken from everything they have ever known and dropped into a place and with people you know nothing about or have never even seen before in your life. They have done remarkably well, but it is going to be a long road for these little guys. So thank you again for everything you have done.

In Christ's service - Lisa

Friday, July 9, 2010

Amazing Scary Hair

Bob was off yesterday so we could complete our CPR/First Aid Training - so we decided to take the kids to the Discovery Center. This has to be one of the funniest things there. Avery's hair was perfect for it.

Have a great morning everyone -Lisa

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Simplify . . . A Month Long Endeavor

This year has been overwhelming to say the least. We have been busier than I have ever remembered before. There have been so many changes and decision we made and are making that sometimes I forget to just stop and listen for the voice of God.

This past Spring we were in the house hunting mood, more so than ever before. We search and looked and looked and searched (we have to be the oldest clients our poor Realtor has ever had). She is amazing and has worked with us faithfully for 5 years - yes I said 5 years. We went through a stage were we were ready to build our dream house - we looked at land, met with a builder, looked at blue prints, got estimates . . . and then decided that we really didn't want the stress of building with everything else going on in our lives . . . so we started looking again. . . and looking . . . and looking. We found a house, not exactly what we wanted, but for the most part it fit the bill (over 5000 square feet, a bonus room above the 3 car garage, a full finished basement, a formal dining room, large kitchen, deck, 3 acres) - we got our preapproval, checked taxes, called the Realtor to make an offer . . . and prayed. The Realtor called back to let us know that 3 other offers had been made on the house - so we had a decision to make (pray . . . pray . . . pray) and that is when God began to work in our hearts once again. Could we afford the house . . . sure we could make the monthly payments for the next 15 years - was the house what we wanted . . . we thought so, but there was still something there that was holding us back. We called the Realtor and let her know that we would not be making an offer - why? - because in our hearts we knew that God was telling us that this was not the plan He had for us. You see we have been working on being debt free - completely debt free - no mortgage. . . nothing. This house would not allow us to be debt free - we knew it and God knew it. So I prayed for contentment with the house that He had provided us with. I knew we needed to change some things to simplify and to reorganize - so that is what I began doing and a month later I am thankful for His wondrous grace and mercy.



If you know anything about both Bob and I - you know that clutter and disorganization does not lead to a "harmonious" life for either one of us. We just do not do well when things are all out-of-sorts.


Yet here we are enduring through the organizing, shuffling, and purging of stuff.


No area was safe - if it was flat it was piled high.




But I KNEW that the end result would be worth it . . . or that is what I was praying.


And three weeks later - with much tears and sweat things started to come together.


and I began remembering why I was doing this.



I truly thought that my poor husband was just about ready to disown me after this round of revamping, but like the wonderful husband he is - he was patient and encouaged me to stay on track and get one project done at a time (which seems like an impossibility for me) but it was more than just cleaning - it was more than just organizing - it was more than just purging - I yearned for a simpler life. We had lost our focus lately and I wanted to prove to myself and in truth to God that I was TRULY happy living in our HOME! . . . and guess what. . . I truly am.

Do I think that we will stay in this house forever - no I don't believe that, but I do know now that instead of looking for our "dream home" - I need to search for the home that God has called us to.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
Philipians 4:10-14

Simplify . . . Craft/School Room

Here is our front living room . . . it is a room that I liked, but it just didn't get much use. We hardly ever sat in here just because our back living room is our "comfy" room. Even when we have people over - we sit in the back room. So I decided to make it more user friendly for our family. I listed the furniture on Craigslist - even through it was almost 10 years old, it was in perfect condition because we didn't use it. Next came organizing it into my craft/sewing room and the kids school room. We have these great desks for the kids that my mom and dad found at a sale, but they were in the dining room and since we lost 2 of the windows when we added on the back room, everything just seemed so "dim". I really wanted to open up the front room and have the kids' desks in here where there is lots of sunshine and light.



So I brought the other white cabinet back in from the laundry room and decided to have one be for all my "sewing" things . . . I measured and found Rubbermaid containers that fit perfectly into the space. I didn't just want to stack my fabric because the cabinets are so deep that I would have to take all the fabric out from the front just to get to the back - this way all I have to do it pull the bin of fabric out that I want and then put it back in without having to rearrange all the other fabric.


I made the other white cabinet all my "crafty" supplies. I want to start scrapbooking again and this way I have everything in one area and I don't have to hunt through bins to find what I am looking for.

Next I wanted to find something for our shoes. I didn't want to just have them laying out all over the floor - so I found this storage shelf at Hobby Lobby and it worked perfect for our shoes.




The next thing was a sewing table - this is just a 6 foot folding table, which I am not that crazy about, but for now it is working. I sewed a table skirt in 4 different sections so that I could slide my chair in and reach my foot pedal. I also like the fact that underneath the table I have my scrap bin of fabric, a bin for my yarn, and the large roll of batting that I got from my Mom - so even though I don't like the table itself, I love the storage that it gives me.


I have also had this quilt rack that my brother-in-law made me a few years ago out of a cherry tree we cut down in our front yard. I never really had a good place to put it so it has just sat in our back closet. Then as I was looking for what to do with the space above the table I remembered that I had it and it worked great and it really added so much to that wall. The words above the rack say "Everyday holds a possibility of a Miracle" - which I love especially since the kids are now in this room with me.


Of course I had to redo the piano bench to match the table skirt and then buy new rugs for the piano and my cutting area (burgundy just didn't go too well anymore).


If you know anything about my house - you know that it is 99.9999% decorated in Hobby Lobby things. I just LOVE Hobby Lobby (sometimes a little too much). But they have the cutest things and with the sales that they run, I cannot find things any cheaper even at Wal-Mart. This is the top of one of my white cabinets. I found the metal bird cages at HB for 50% off and the sign for 50% off. The candles were just white candles from Wal-Mart that I tied some black ribbon around and added some bows.


We don't ever use the fireplace anymore, but I still love the look that it brings to the room. A few years ago I found the metal "Pennsylvania Ave" sign and thought it was quite fitting for this Pennsylvania native.

This is my cutting/ironing station. It is actually the two white cabinets I had at the end of my sewing table from before butted up back to back. The only problem was now there was a gap down the middle so I want to Wal-Mart found some caulking strip that you would use in the bathroom and cut a piece for both sides - gap gone - problem solved. I also hung the 3M pull-away hooks on both sides. This side holds my medium cutting mat and the other side holds all of my rulers.



I now LOVE our much more simpler craft/sewing/school room.

Have a wonderful day everyone - Lisa

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Simplify - Bedroom Face Lift

Well with the kiddos gone to Aunt Kris and Uncle Bill's house and Bob gone for the week for work I decided that I wanted to tackle our bedroom. It's not that I didn't like it - I was just in the mood for something more modern - a little more simple - and a little less frilly. I hadn't started spring cleaning yet because I knew that once I got started I wanted to do a lot more than just wash everything down.

Here is how I had the room decorated before. I still love this quilt set that I bought in Branson a few years ago so I put in my hope chest to pull out when I get back in the mood for a more "frilly" look.


This however has never been a point of "love" for me - I actually have learned to despise glass doors - from "trying" to clean them to praying that no one will slip and fall through them. So what does one do when they have had enough of glass shower doors . . . you take them out of course. Now mind you I did "Google" this first so I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. I believe my dear husband will very soon be revoking my "Google" rights as it has led to more than one home improvement project for me.

Ahh . . . much better


Now the next thing I did not "love" in our tiny bathroom was the "oak" storage cabinet behind the toilet. With our bathroom being so small, I really needed to keep the storage space so I wondered if I could paint it . . . off to "Google" again and of course you can - I have found out that you can paint almost anything.


So out with the cabinet and on with primer and paint.


But wait why stop there - I also did not like the vanity and medicine cabinet . . . so out with them as well and on with primer and paint. So after a week of priming, painting, scrapping, scrubbing, bleaching and Google-ing here is our Simplified bathroom


I ended up painting the cabinets black and then sanding the edges to distress them. I found this beautiful shower curtain at Wal-Mart (sorry the picture is a little blurry) and it worked perfect with the room.


Next I redecorated the dressers . . .


my poor husband thinks there has been a greenery explosion in our house . . .


I found this great metal art at Gordman's and then put vinyl letters over the top
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength". . . one of my goals was to have writing (either scripture or words of encouragement in every room of our house) - I think I am almost there.


And finally here is a look at the room now - Bedspread was from Target. Pillows, curtains, and rug were from Wal-Mart. I can honestly say that I LOVE our new simplified bedroom.

Have a wonderful day everyone - Lisa