aj quote

the other morning it was just my brown boys and i getting ready to load the van for school.  Layla and Adam had left early for a school tournament and Joelle and Hannah had caught the bus earlier.  jeff was at work.  we were gathering backpacks, zipping coats, etc...
me: "wouldn't it be strange if we only had two kids in our family?  this is what it would be like!!  it feels so different.  like, this is just sooo~" (i'm thinking words like "simple, quiet, easy-peasy, tame, tranquil....you know!)
AJ jumped in and finished the sentence with this baffled kind of expression: "AWKWARD!!"

ok....some might argue the opposite, that "six" looks very awkward, but i'm glad he's comfortable with our number...
:)

four

four years.  this Sunday marked the four-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.  i remember so clearly being gripped by the images being shown on CNN in the days that followed the quake.  i felt compelled to watch it all, to take it in, even the most gruesome and tragic of stories.  i remember sharing with my mom how hard it was to function normally as everything around me seemed to pale in priority when stacked against the horror shown real-time in that country i loved.  i remember the desperate longing to help.  i remember the hopelessness~ played out on my TV screen and felt deep in my being.

in light of the memory of that day, i thought i'd share this link.  a happy ending, and a reminder of the time when frantic adoptive parents awaited the arrival of their Haitian children after the quake.  it is the story of Aaron and Jamie Ivey and the adoption journey of their son.  it's a short five minute story that makes me cry every time, but that's no real surprise.  it takes me back to our journey to Hudson and AJ.  it makes be proud of humanity to see how so many rallied for these kids, and still do, whether there in Haiti or here at home.  many care, many feel compelled to serve and love and give.  it's nice to see.

then, for the really crazy adoption people, (you know who you are, and i love your hearts! :)) another link that i expect only two or three of you will actually want to watch in its entirety. haha...it is 59 minutes long, (but feels so much shorter...really!) an adoption message called Adopted: The Cost of Love by Aaron Ivey, the same father in the link above.  i won't add to it, because it is all there~ like really, all there.  he nails it.  so glad he did.  i know his story and passion and eloquent way of sharing God's truth will surely have a part in "setting the lonely in families". wow.  as a side note, Aaron is a musician and has also written a beautiful adoption song i believe i've linked to before, so i won't do so again, but search him up, there's lots of good stuff from him online. 

what i loved most

Christmas 2013 is in the books!  i welcome a new year and all that it holds.  there are things that are noteworthy from this wonderful holiday season, however.  on the eve (we think) of the return to normal routine (yes, this was to have occurred a couple days ago, however due to extreme weather conditions we've enjoyed an extended break) i shall take a moment to consider the highlights i loved most....
here are a few~
1. new socks and underwear for all.  love that. so exciting.  i don't know why.
2. warm fires and family movies.
3. slower pace, sleeping in, no schedule or deadlines.  i'm dead tomorrow when the grind resumes.  i might not survive.
4. seeing lots of skating on the ice rink.  a New Year's Eve highlight when many kids had a real game of hockey with their dads~ even two dads as goalies. 
5. time with extended family and friends.  loved this so very much. 
6. sugar cookies, croquettes, oliebollen, and endless other delicious dishes and treats...good thing it's back to the gym this week! :)
7. watching Hudson share several playdates with his friend and special Haitian connection.
8. Christmas Eve service~ remembering Christ in Christmas.
9. puzzling with my girls.
10. yummy Ethiopian coffee under my tree.
11. new games.
12. watching my kids buy for eachother and seeing their excitement in doing so.
13. slush punch.
14. watching my kids enjoy new treasures. 
15. many moments of recognizing how crazy blessed we are....

so, with the tree almost at the curb (currently in the middle of the front yard, for some strange reason), the decorations mostly boxed and tucked in storage, and the Christmas baking dwindling quickly, there is so much to feel overwhelming gratitude for...
in closing, a few pics from the last few weeks.  

 

new pajama pants made by one grandma, slippers made by the other...while sitting by a warm fire...that's the life.

 

contrary to how it looks, Jeff did not get to consume all this bacon with his morning coffee.  he wished...although, don't feel too bad for the man, he had more than his share over the past few weeks. 

 

dear Mrs. N. struck again with Christmas gift bags for all six kids.  she is the sweetest to remember them all.  what's not to love about green Jones soda first thing in the morning??  AJ looks like he's already feeling the sugar buzz...

 

good thing the rink allowed the kids to burn those extra calories away.  here, during a flood, when the night is peaceful and quiet, apart from the occasional howl and cry of coyotes~ for real...Jeff is brave.

 

for now, i better get some sleep.  it's back to waking while it's still very dark...sigh....

happy 2014 to all!

this is christmas

here is my new favourite song this Christmas.  thanks B! :) it is Christmas in a nutshell.  it's been on constant replay in my home as i wrap up the last minute preparations.  like too many times to count.  the lyrics are beautiful.  i come away every time thinking "yep, this is Christmas". love it, love it, love it...
hope you love it too...

then this....another "this is Christmas" moment for me.  thanks D! when i first saw this story i was again struck by the things that matter most in life.  not the packages.  not the trappings and glitter of the season.  it's love, it's family, it's lasting Hope.  and it's a happy ending for a change too...enjoy!

also, sending love and prayers to those we know who have recently lost loved ones. it must be so difficult at this time of year.  wishing you peace and comfort during these especially hard days.

i'm taking a blog break and will find my way back here in a few weeks.

merry Christmas, friends and family! i truly love you and count you all as some of my finest blessings!

#3

gotcha day #3 for Alemayehu Jeffrey. 

 

he was so excited about his new t-shirt...and happy to wear it to school and show Ethiopia's flag.

 

and cake is a giant highlight for AJ too.  takes after his mom...somehow...

 

i'm crazy blessed by this boy. he is sweetness and affection and joy and giggles. yesterday marked the anniversary of the day we rolled into AJ's life~ and he into ours~ forever. it is always emotional, always special, and never without loads of gratitude to see the healthy boy who now graces our home with love and laughter. 

i briefly looked back here and here to relive those early moments, and it's amazing how the details take me right back to the same feelings of those beautiful first days. then, last evening we looked through the photo album of his journey.

 

happy 3rd Gotcha Day, AJ!  so so so happy we did....

 

been thinkin'

i have some holiday thoughts whirling around in my brain these days.  it is just 15 days 'til Christmas, after all.  i thought i'd share with you.  click on the links if you are interested...

every Christmas i love these two Christmas classics.  well, not classics in the "classic" sense, but more "80's" classic...sung by bigtime artists with big hair and crazy lifestyles.  even still, the lyrics are thought provoking.  if only we all (including me...so easily side tracked) considered some of the basic truths in these songs 365 days a year...the first, "Do They Know It's Christmastime" was recorded by Band Aid, the British group Bob Geldof put together in 1984.  members of Band Aid included Bono, Phil Collins, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Sting. the single raised about $8 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.  Second, in 1985 the USA For Africa project was inspired by Band Aid.  "We Are The World" was a benefit single for victims of famine in Africa. It raised over $60 million, which was distributed to Ethiopia, Sudan, and other impoverished countries.  i've included an updated version of that song, created after the earthquake struck Haiti. wow, are the artists ever varied and talented~ some people can really sing!!  Wyclef Jean is Haitian, so it's fitting that he closes the song.  anyway, these songs touch me.  maybe in part because of the era they symbolize, but even more because of their relevance today.

finally, thinking about these families, this town, this tragedy.  still so raw, still so broken.  pray for Newtown this weekend...

on a happy note, did you hear about this? seems to be all over the news. call it shameless advertising, call it genius marketing, but whatever you call it, i still find it incredibly sweet and soooo fun. i wish i worked for WestJet and had been part of pulling off this Christmas surprise. pretty brilliant, i'd say...

now, off to work on making supper...

 

random, but blog-worthy

it's been a really busy few weeks.  lots of things underway, not to mention Christmas coming very quickly! so, a few quick pics to capture moments i especially loved.  the first, my "know-it-all" youngest three on the day i got in the van with my new phone.  they (even AJ!!) were firing off phone tips left and right, as if they owned one of their own.  "no, try it this way..." or "push that button, Mom" or "hold it down"....sheesh, when did i get so old??  it felt as if they were my own personal Samsung Technical Support team, all under the age of 10, and as if i was doing rocket science.  crazy, and humbling.  so, needless to say, they are my first picture (and wallpaper on my phone...i think it's called wallpaper...) and i felt they deserved to be considering they helped me close all the little start-up windows and tips just to get the clear screen for a camera shot to be taken.  wow.  it's that bad.

 

Last Friday AJ proudly entered the van with last week's spelling test...never disappoints.  "Mom, i only got one wrong!!!"  precious, precious, precious....how i'll miss this.  click on the picture if you need to enlarge it~ that i do know! :)

 

 

first highschool wrestling tourney of the season.  Joelle, Hannah and Adam competed.  this tournament allows bantam level entries, so Adam was allowed to wrestle kids of similar weight even though being in grade seven.  all three had fun and showed character and growth.  great outing and team building time for St. Clair as well. 

 

i feel the need to add here that in all photos the opposing wrestler is not experiencing any pain or shortage of oxygen.  the "head and arm" move below holds both the head and arm which prevents a choke, and at any moment the wrestler could also tap the mat to alert the referee and end the hold if discomfort exists. there, that's clarification for all the non-wrestlers and it's just important to know about the sport as well! :)

 

 

Layla and i enjoyed a half-school-day last week by baking muffins and cheddar biscuits to add to our soup meal that evening.  we figured we'd live on the wild side and cut out some Christmas tree shapes.  aren't we crazy? they were yummy!

 

during the baking session, Hudson and AJ came into the kitchen and announced that AJ now knew how to tie his shoes.  Hudson has taken it upon himself to teach his brother.  it wasn't exactly fully successful, but the basic steps were there with some direction from the "just about ready to burst as i watch" older brother....so sweet!

 

last, but certainly not least~ worthy of mention is the SEMC team that is serving in El Salvador this week.  a team of fifteen people from our church family partnering with God make an eternal difference.  feel free to follow their blog with me.  you don't even have to know them to catch their excitement for what they are seeing and experiencing there this week.  so good....