Family Dinners

Dinner is my favorite time of each day. 

 

So tonight I took really crummy pictures of my fam around the dinner table.

 

 

I have to fight for these meals.  Family dinners are becoming a thing of the past in many families.  Krissy is invited to one study group or another almost every night during dinner time.  My standard answer is that I will feed anyone and everyone, but she needs to be at my table at 6:00.  Funny thing is when she does have friends join us, they love it.  The home cooked food, the family banter, the time to sit and relax - feels good.

 

Life is full!  However, dinner with this crew is something worth fighting for in my book!

 

It is one of the things that makes my heart smile every . single . time!

 

(We are set to close on our permanent financing tomorrow at 2.  We have still not settled with the insurance company.  Praying it is all finished tomorrow.  Chad has only slept 8 hours since he got up Tuesday morning, but with the help of several of his employees, our house is nearly completely complete!)

Construction Update: Finishing?

So. . .

At long last, we may be finishing this crazy house.

We are praying that we will reach a settlement with the insurance company this week in regards to the flood repairs on our home.  It is a big one (for us any way) so please pray that there is justice for all.

We are scheduled to close on our permanent financing on Friday.  Chad has much to do between now and the inspection on Thursday.  In fact, he does not plan to sleep between now and then.  Please pray that things go smoothly.

It would truly be a miracle to have both of these MAJOR (First World) Issues off my shoulders this week.  Please join me in praying for miracles.

Jamison is 15

 Our tall son turned 15 today.

 

So much has changed since his last birthday.  He is now taller than me, as well as WAY stronger and faster.  His confidence has grown exponentially in the last year as well..

 

I am beyond proud of Jamison Chad.

 

I am also beyond thankful for him.  He went "try hard" all summer building our house.  He never complained (at least until the flood.)  He is the kind of kid that always thanks me for supper and doing his laundry.

 

He has the best sense of humor.  He is "stealthy" and always up to one prank or another.  He makes me laugh every single day, sometimes because he is trying - and other times because he states the truth so calmly in the midst of the drama his siblings create.

 

He is not afraid of hard work, and when he sets a goal, you better just step out of the way because he will figure out how to achieve it.  He may be calm, rational, and very patient - but he has a big wide competitive streak that rounds out his personality quite well.

 

He is kind.  Always.

 

And those dimples.

Yeah!  They still get him out of trouble with his momma all too often.

 

He is also the greatest big brother, ever.

 

Every one of his siblings would agree with that.

 

(That picture cracks me up.  Joshua took forever blowing out his candles last week, so he decided to help his big bro out tonight.  It was just so funny!)

 

Happy Birthday, Jamison.

Sorry your gift is late.

It will be worth the wait. . . at least I think you will like it!

 

I am so thankful God chose me to be your mom.

So very thankful!

Our Little Cowboy is 5!

It was a sweet, lazy, low-key birthday.

 

Daddy made pizza for supper and Grammy, Grandma Donna, and Grandpa Scott joined us.

 

Joshua had a really, really good time.

 

Enjoy some super cute photos of our birthday boy courtesy of Grammy!

 After all that work blowing out the candles, he was too busy playing with new toys to eat his brownie!

I'm off to tuck in a very sweet and equally tired cowboy.

 

It has been a positively precious day.

Birthday Blues

I didn't really expect it this year. (although I should have)

He has been so solid for so long.

He has been so excited for his birthday.

But, today was hard.  He was super needy.  Climbed in our bed before 2am. Controlled conversations.  Wanted to be carried.  Insisted on lots and lots of cuddles and reassurance.

And that is OK.  I wish it were different.  I wish his birthday was filled with only happy memories.

But it is not.

His "birthday" was one of the most difficult days of his life, and his heart remembers.

It probably always will.

As it should.

So tomorrow, he will skip school.  He has no interest in sharing the day with curious classmates.  Mom is "suppose to" come to school.  Share photos of every year of his life.  And he wants NO part of that.  Talking about Ethiopia to his classmates is "too special."  It is "only for my family."

And that is OK.

We love him, his past, Ethiopia, and his family there.  He knows that.  He does too.  He simply does not want to share that preciousness with his teachers and playmates that have no clue how rich and private and special his past is to him.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate.  It may be a celebration of snuggles and it may be a rip-roaring party - that will be up to him.  But no matter what we will celebrate.  Because his past, present, and future are way too special to ignore.

Thank you Jesus for saving our son.  On so many levels. Thank you that You did not create him with a spirit of fear - but with a spirit of Sonship.  Thank you for the miracle of healing and the preciousness of remembering.  Help us to weave the two gifts together with grace, gratitude, and love.

Inspired Shopping

The fact that I am writing a post about shopping is really, really funny!  I DO NOT like to shop.  I did not head out on Black Friday, and I probably never will.  However there is one kind of shopping I am passionate about.  I am passionate about making purchases in which the funds will benefit real people.  I love to be able to tell people the story behind their gift.  I have purchased gifts from adoptive families raising funds, from a little girl trying to earn money to travel on a mission trip, from Katie Davis' widows in Uganda, and from our local boy scouts, to name a few. . . In my experience knowing that a gift also benefitted the seller makes the gift that much more special to the person receiving it.

My new favorite place to buy gifts is The Story Company.  The Story Company markets quality, hand-made items for artisans in many struggling situations.  The items are beautiful as are the stories behind the product.



I have recently purchased some of the baskets highlighted in the video above.  They are beautiful.  And everytime I touch them I think of the atrisans that spent hours crafting them a world away.  They make my heart happy, and my home beautiful.

One thing that to me sets The Story Company one notch ahead of many of the other organizations that I have ordered products from in the past is in their presentation.

Each item comes wrapped like this.

Who does not want to receive a beautifully wrapped package in the mail?

Each package includes some bit of information about the artisan that created the product.

These stories make the item feel so personal.

 

I also love that if I ship an item directly to someone the presentation is special AND the reason I chose the gift (the story behind it) is easy to discover.

 

 This is one of the baskets from the video above.

It is so soft and beautiful.

I can not imagine weaving it from grass!

 This is a close up of a  basket woven from banana leaves.

 

I planned to give it as a gift, but I am loving it so much that time will tell. . .

 This is a super cute little Christmas ornament.

It is hand carved from wood.

It is so smooth and super light weight.

 

I am going to give them as teacher and neighbor gifts.

 This is a scarf hand stamped by a woman in India.

 

She chose the verse that she stamps on each scarf in Hindi because it celebrates all God has helped her overcome.  What woman would not love to wear her story?  And be reminded each time she touches it of how God redeems and loves?

 

 This purse is really cool.

 

It is made from coffee sacks.

It has a lot of fun features and zipper compartments.

Sierra and Krissy are begging for it.

 



And the story of the women behind the product is even more beautiful then the purse itself.

Does that not make you smile?

So, this Christmas join me in buying gifts that will bring hope and joy to both the maker and the receiver!

If you choose to make purchases throught Ths Story Comapny, please use coupon code Jemo.  When you do the kids at the site in Ethiopia that my church partner's with will receive some of the proceeds.  Which means, you get a fabulous product.  "My" kids in Jemo will receive some very much needed funds.  AND the artisans who made your gift are able to support their families!

That sure beats any Black Friday deal I have seen!

Check out The Story Company today!  Believe it or not, I did not buy all their products.  There are many more to choose from!  Happy shopping!  Be inspired!

PS - If you have links to great products that benefit real people, please pass them my way.  I am not done shopping yet!  And I am really hoping to not go near a store!

First Thanksgiving at Fox Meadow

Today we hosted our first holiday in the new house.

 

It was nice to do something here other than WORK.

 This is Chad's sweet Grandma.

 

She and I have a deal.

 

I host.  She does most of the cooking.

We both enjoy that arrangement!

 

So does everyone else.  She cooks WAY better than I do!

 Here is proof that I do cook once in a while!

Mashed potatoes are my Thanksgiving specialty.

 We had a small group this year, only 15.

 

My favorite part of this picture is the camper parked right outside the window!

 

We are all very thankful we were NOT inside of it!

 My treasures!

 

They have changed so much since last Thanksgiving.

One year ago Krissy was still our tallest child. 

I am thankful for my true love.

 

I have laughed all day because this morning as we lay in bed whispering before all the kids woke up Chad said to me, "I love you.  You know we really drive each other crazy sometimes, but I still really love you."  My first response was, "Thanks. . . I guess!"  But as I think about it, that is what 18 years of marriage is all about.  We love each other, period.  We do not always agree, and we sometimes drive each other crazy.  But no matter what, we choose to love.  At first his comment may not have felt romantic; however, that kind of real, honest, forever love IS the most romantic thing I could ask for.  (Although a few roses would not be bad either.  Ha!)