Freezer Club

My trunk with my bags of food, ready to be exchanged!

So it is a little bit of mass confusion, did you get my meal, did I get your meal?
Food all over the church parking lot!
Enjoying a cake break, I had to get the chocolate cake out of my house, so breakfast for friends!
My freezer stocked and ready for dinner!

This is the 3rd time we have exchanged meals and I am just loving this! I read the idea in a book, called up a few friends and now I get lots of different meals that I did not have to cook! We had 11 of us this month who exchanged. We typically have 10, but I am thinking more is even better. So each person makes the SAME meal 10 times. For example, this month I made pulled pork sandwiches with a side of cheesy corn. I made up 10 freezer baggies full of pulled pork. 10 Freezer baggies full of corn. Gave everyone a small container of Carolina Red Sauce, a bag of buns and the directions on how to thaw it,cook it etc. Some examples of what has been made

• Pizza Casserole
• Pork Tenderloin with Twice Baked potatoes
• Various stews/soups/goulash
• Italian beef
• Variety of Pastas
• Meatballs with noodle casserole
• Enchiladas
• Chicken of every variety.
• Steak Roll Ups

Everything has been really delicious and the best part, I did not make it! Yes, it is alot of work for one day (or 3 depending on who you are and how long you procrastinate!) hehe! But, it is much easier to make ONE recipe 10 times than to make 10 DIFFERENT recipes 10 times. Some tips if you start a club.

• We freeze the meals before exchanging them.
• Freezer baggies work great, just be sure to lay them flat in your freezer so they freeze flat for easier stacking.
• We ask everyone to make enough to feed a large family. Small families just get leftovers!
• We ask all to sign up for what they will bring, so we make sure to have a variety of dishes.
• We do not omit anything for picky eaters. The rule is, if you are picky, don't sign up. No one is allowed to ask you to leave things out!

Let me know if you have questions or need recipes. I am hoping to stockpile a bunch of food before China!

BackPack BackPack

Our agency just emailed and our I-171 has FINALLY landed in their hands! So we will be DTC this week and they think we will have a LID of next week sometime. That means the official countdown can begin! I will be putting up a timer for that soon.

Don't you just love this cute ladybug backpack? My sweet friend Brenda had it made for Mavery and we will be taking it to China with us. Can't you just see her carrying it around with her like a big girl! Sage is enjoying it and I am thinking we are going to need to get her a matching before Mavery is home.

I also got myself a new backpack to take to China. Mark was so tired of me complaining about ours last time in China. I am not a fan of backpacks, one big huge hole everything falls into. So here you have it, an ORGANIZED backpack! See all the compartments? A place for everything! No more hunting for kleenex or hand gel or gum or whatever else I might need during a 500 hour flight with my arms full of Mavery. Now, if I can only remember which compartment holds what!

Nesting 201 Makenna's Room and Matching Socks

Makennas room has been driving me CRAZY! That girl, could care less about clutter. She is my creative child, and I do think creative minds tend to just be clutter bugs. My mother is the most creative cluttery person I know! And her clutter is so organized! We always say it is organized chaos! ;-) So, I guess Makenna takes after her Grammy. Makenna has all the barbies in her room along with polly pockets, which means a million tiny pieces everywhere. So we spent a day trying to divide and organize it all. She still does not see the point, but I sure enjoy walking in and not stepping on a barbie brush or shoe!

Here are the before......... Surely you can see that we needed help in here!

And here is the after. I feel so much better, even if she does not! All barbies in the trunk.

Polly Pockets in the trunk at the end of the bed. Thought you might enjoy seeing some of the cute things Grammy made for her room. Fun letters over her closet.
Artwork. The crown picture we bought, the pug Grammy made. Isn't that cute?
And then, there is the laundry. I despise laundry. I really do. Though I have to admit, it is getting better. I have now taught certain children how to start a load, and 2 of them are able to divide into piles. Plus one is very able to put all of her own away. Socks and undies were the worst. So, I found this idea. Each of us have our own laundry bag. All socks and undies go into your own bag. You throw the whole bag into the wash, then we are each responsible for our bags. Of course not all socks make it into the bag, so I started baggies for those stray socks that we find. Each person has a baggie. If you have one stray sock is found, check your baggie, you might find a match. It is working out really well overall and laundry is taking up not nearly as much of my life as it was! Again, these might be ideas everyone out there already knows about, but I just figured it out!

So there you have it, more nesting. Tomorrow is our exchange with my freezer club, I will post details on that. It is a fabulous idea that we are just loving and I would encourage you to get a group of friends and try it out!

Mavery is OK

Many have asked if the earthquake in China affected Mavery at all. As far as we know, no. She is near Shanghai, so if we hear that on the news, we get worried.

The earthquake hit near where my cousins daughter was born, and I have many friends with children from that area also. (all home here now) I read in one town 1 out of every 10 residents was killed. It is just horrible. Today our agency talked about a high school that collapsed, and all the students killed. These parents did not lose one of their children, they lost their ONE child. so we need to join together, and we need to pray. It is scary, SO, so scary. I just want to get in there and bring my daughter home. It seems it is one disaster after another. Please pray for all those who have lost lives, and the destruction that is there now. And please continue to pray for Ms Mavery, that God would hold her safely in His arms and that this mama could just continue to have peace about her.

Hip Happy Mothers Day!

Trying to figure out what my thoughts are today, and what do I want to blog about, here on Mothers Day. Do I..

• Talk about my mother and the amazing mom she is? how she raised 2 children who love the Lord and how thankful I am for the heritage she has given to me and her grandchildren? Or Marks' mom(who was not here yet when we were taking pictures) and how blessed we are to have 2 grandmas that love Jesus and love their grandchildren? Along with the fact that they both live near us and are willing to take on 4 grandkids and did not even pause when we told them they had another waiting in China so they get to watch spicy girl for over 2 weeks (along w/ her 3 siblings) while we go and bring home their new granddaughter?

• Blog about how amazed I am that I get to be a mom to many! I always wanted a bunch of babies and God has surely given me that! Maybe I should mention that my kids brought in breakfast in bed this morning, and though Dad quickly took them out because they were fighting over who exactly did what job, it was very sweet. Maybe I should say that I asked so nicely that Sage would not pee pee on my floor at all today, but she could care less that it is mothers day and why go on a potty today, she did that yesterday. Sigh...

• I could not surely post with out mentioning that while it is a happy day, I am still a little sad knowing one of my babies is not here. And so while my arms are full, they also ache just a little bit wondering how Mavery is doing.

• Or, maybe I should talk about how mothers day is no longer just about me or my mom. It now includes 2 mothers that I will never meet this side of heaven. (and please Lord, let us meet there) 2 mothers who gave birth to 2 of my daughters. 2 mothers who I envy, just a little bit, for the things they got of my babies. They felt life kicking inside, they saw the brand newness of Sage & Mavery. Oh how I love that first newborn cry and the amazing moments that followed. But though they were given that short time with them, I have been given forever with my girls, our girls. And so I think of them today with thankfulness for making a choice to give these girls life.

So, since I have nothing to say, ;-) I guess I will just say, Happy Mothers Day to all! I hope your day has been full of not to much whining, very few potty accidents on the floor and many hugs and kisses!

Random Things

Such an angel, Ms Malaine!

Showing off their matching sandles. Sage is so proud of her fli flops!
Smiley girl!
First year playing tball!

Sweet Sage
Beautiful
Spicey Girl!
Model Makenna, I need to post a picture of her now permed hair!
She is loving playing ball this year! (first year to play in 5 years!)

And the boy, who never wants his picture done!

• How is Potty Training Going you might wonder? Actually, pretty well. I was getting frustrated, but decided I was going to stick it out. My girl might be spicy, but I am going to win this battle! I would say she is 95% there. Which is good right? She is not quite 2 1/2, much younger than some were in this house! it has now been about a week, so I am happy. Tonight was huge. We were at costco and she asked to go FOUR times. Which is so annoying. but she went every single time. And she ASKED.
• We have 2 playing ball, one "playing" karate and one who wants to play so badly, but for some reason they don't smile on 2 years olds running the field during game time, or entering into the "karate room". One dad who thinks it is more fun to coach than to sit the sidelines w/ a certain someone who wants to run on the fields. So, in a way, I am playing to. Running to keep up with all of this! What in the world do you all do who have lots of kids in lots of things? Is it wrong to pray for rain every game night? ;-)
• The children have passed 4th grade and 1st grade. YEEHAW! I have to say, there were days I thought I myself was going to pass them somewhere. And it involved the words boarding and school in it. ;-) But we made it. We think we dotted our i's and crossed our t's. Remember, Illinois, annoying adoption rules, but AWESOME home school laws. We are now about to move on to 5th grade, 2nd grade and Ms Malaine will be in kindergarten! I need to do a post on all this crazy home school stuff & what we are using. We are going to start school this month. No rest for the weary! We plan to home school year round, and take breaks as needed. Believe me, they are needed. And we want to have a good chunk of time off when we head to China.
• Paperwork should head to China this week! The kids are just thrilled to eat at McDonald's again. We have been fasting from Fast Food almost since we started the paper chase. So they asked if we get to celebrate there this week! I could use a drive through for point number two, that is for sure.
• Just wait till I post my nesting project that I worked on all day. Makenna's room. It was about the worst room in the house. I did take before and after of that.
• I got one page done in my life book. It is a start. A slow start though!
• Last MOPS meeting was yesterday till September. My last mops meeting as a steering member. I am not sure I will know what to do after 8 years of being on steering. Going to it and just sitting? Not being able to boss anyone around, it is so not in my nature! ;-)
• People have asked me if I have LOST WEIGHT! So, at least something on my to do list is working. Been trying to exercise and make better food choices. Now, can I get it off and keep it off till china?

Ok, there you have it. Our life right now. But notice, I did not complain once about paperwork? Isn't that a happy post?

Mark speaks

Sunday Mark was asked to give a testimony in church. I told him I was going to post it and he said, "why, so you can tell everyone how I was wrong and you were right?" No, I am not going to tell anyone that, they already know that! HA, just kidding! Everyone thought he was quite the comedian, I say the comedy was at MY expense! I asked Jonathan(our pastor) when I get to get up and talk about MY misery during our "figuring things out time?" He said, not till he got to get up and tell HIS misery during our figure it all out time! hehe! I told Mark I wanted to post so that when God calls me back for the next one, he can come back and be reminded to just listen to me. ;-)

All joking aside, his testimony is truly a reminder, that these children we have been blessed with, they are not about us at all. Sometimes, when our house is crazy & loud & out of control, (as it usually is) we look at each other and say, remember what it was like, just the 2 of us? And we are reminded that someday, it will be that quiet again.(i think, i don't know, when you have 5 kids, do they actually ALL move out!?) And we are also reminded that we lost one, and we were given FIVE gifts in return! And we are simply thankful.

And I am thankful for a God who speaks BIG. Who answered my husbands doubt through money the first time, and through a heart change the 2nd time. I am thankful for a husband who will actually listen to God's heart, even when he does not want to.

The above picture is one of my very favorites. A daddy getting to know his daughter on the first day they met. A daddy who was not so sure 20 months earlier, knew without a doubt, he was exactly where he was supposed to be. A daddy who minutes before this picture, was on his knees thanking God for his children, all of them.

I can't wait to see him once again, meet his newest baby girl!

Here you go, if only you could have heard it in person!

Pastor Jonathon asked me to speak to you about our decision to adopt. The story begins in late 2005, when my wife Shannon saw a show on TV about the Lost Girls of China. She began praying about adopting and asked me about it. Of course being a guy my initial reaction was no way! I am a Risk Manager and this was too “risky”. How are we going to pay for college? How are we going to have enough time? Do you know how much it costs to adopt? Shannon was completely convinced that this was God’s will. She kept praying and giving subtle hints like “accidentally” leaving the Bible on my pillow turned to James 1:27, which says: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”

I kept saying no for months and was completely miserable. (Most of the misery was God’s doing but Shannon helped!). Finally I told Shannon that if God wanted us to adopt then he would have to send the money. About a month later I got the biggest bonus in my life from work. Apparently God decided to take me up on my offer. So in August of 2006 we traveled to China to pick up Sage, our daughter, who is now 2 years old. What is so shameful in looking back is that I was just using money as an excuse. I wanted to do what I wanted to do.

Well, Shannon decided immediately after we came home that we were going to adopt again. I agreed to “think” about it sometime down the road. I told her I would only consider it if the child did not have a home. I didn’t want to wait three years for a baby who was going to get a home anyway. Well, Shannon found a 2 year old in China that had a heart condition and was on a waiting list. She just knew this was our baby. We both prayed for a month straight pleading with God because we both were getting different answers. I did not feel led at all.

Finally, I went to Jonathan and said my wife was not submitting! I needed him to talk to her and he agreed to meet with us. So we met, and prayed and cried together. Jonathan said I think Mark needs to go wrestle with God for an entire night and come back. He needs to make sure it is absolutely no. This was not the speech I had intended to hear from Jonathan. I took his advice and went away for a night completely alone with God. I came home and the entire family was waiting (she had turned the kids against me too). Well what was the decision? There was a family that was currently reviewing Mavery’s file. I told them I felt led that if that family gave the file back then we would adopt her. Surprise, Surprise they gave the file back.

I did not want to adopt and now I cannot imagine what life would be without my adopted children. I truly believe there are so many things God wants to bless us with but we just don’t let him. Thank You.

What Now?

The dossier, or our life on paper. Everything is here but that I-171! This pile now sits at our agency, just waiting to be sent on to China.

This was the envelope with our I-171. We knew as soon as we saw the return label what it was.
Notice we are allowed to bring TWO children home? Mark wants to know what I have not yet told him! haha!Authenticated from the Chinese Consulate.
Sealed by the Fabulous state of Illinois! ;-)
I have been doing a little shopping over the last few months. I am worried the ladybugs will be to summery by the time we get there though. ;-(
Matching of course.

These are my favorites, is that not the cutest ever? Tutu's, love it!Polka dots and ladybugs, fun pj's.

What actually happens now that we have an I-171 in our possession? Last week we sent it on Tuesday to be state certified and authenticated. It will go straight from there to our agency. They will finish up our dossier, and then it will go to China. We were bummed today to find out that it will not go from Chicago to our agency now till NEXT Tuesday the 13th. We were expecting it to go to china this week. Days may not seem like a big deal, but in the end it can cost you a month's time(or more). Typically you can send your stuff to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, and they have a 24 hour turn around service you can pay extra for. SURPRISE, they have suspended that as of 4/15.
I am frustrated. I feel as if we have hit one bump after another with this paperwork. Not one thing has gone MY way, since I laid eyes on Mavery in November. And while my head knows, that God works ALL things for good. He IS in control and He knows when it is the right time to go. My heart is having a harder time submitting to that. So today I remember all the things that God has done..

• He changed Marks heart. Mark said no for 6 weeks. And it was not just a no, it was a you are out of your mind and there is NO WAY this is our daughter no.
• He has blessed us again and again with our fundraising.
• We have been able to get pictures of Mavery. Many get nothing from referral to Gotcha Day.
• She is in a good place, and people have seen her firsthand.
• He delivered our I171 in 7 weeks. It could have taken 8-12, like we were told.
• He has allowed me the privilege to adopt. How many say they would like to, but don't?
• He has given me more new adoption friends through this journey.
• He loves me and forgives me even in these times when I question WHY I have to wait.

So, while we secretly had hoped all along to travel in July, we are good with September, which is when we are "guessing". And we will be OK with October, which is what is possible with this extra few days of waiting again. We have 2 October birthdays we sure hate to miss, but we will worry about that when the time comes.

One would think I would have learned my lesson through the wait for Sage. Submit, trust, be still. I really WANT to do all that and be all that. But I am who I am. And probably 5 more adoptions would not change that!

I should add that I had emailed the USCIS last week on Monday. Right before we got our paper. And no, I did not send my blog letter or anything like that! They wrote me back today and she was very kind. So, if you need to speak to them, I have a new friend there! hehe!

By the way, this is my 300th post, who knew I had so much to say!

May Issue, get your copy!

We picked this up on Friday at Borders. If you have a heart for China, you should definitely get yourself a copy. Just the first few photographs took my breath away. How is it a place can get so deep into your skin, that simple pictures can bring back the smells, the sounds and how it felt to walk the streets? I can't wait to return, for more reasons than one!

Prayer Please

I just wanted to ask you to pray for some very dear friends of mine. Both families were in the process to adopt from Vietnam. Had just turned in their paperwork. And now they have been told that Vietnam is closing, so there will probably be no babies from Vietnam. So what do you do? You have spent the last 6 months paper chasing for your daughter. And as you know, once you start paper chasing, it is not just A baby you are working towards, it is YOUR baby. Your daughter. The baby you have fallen in love with and dreamed of. From the day God planted adoption in my heart, Sage was real to me. I had no idea who she was, and little did I know at that point she was just beginning to grow in another mommy's tummy. But she was already in my every waking thought. So what do you do when the door is closed? What do they say, when one door closes another one opens? But how do you figure out which door is THE door? And wouldn't it just be so nice if God could just send an email and say, "YOUR BABY WAITS IN ***"? I know we sure could have used one of those emails 6 months ago when we first laid eyes on Mavery. But we did not get one, we had to wait, and be still and listen. And now look, she is more than half way home!!
So, if you think of it, please pray for my friends. That they would be able to listen & hear WHERE their children are. Because I believe with all my heart, they are out there waiting somewhere. NOT that I am sending the email saying I am God or anything! ;-)
Adoption is not for the faint of heart, that is for sure. But oh so worth it when the wait is over, we hold our children and we see why the path on our journey was so long. As I hold Sage & work towards Mavery, I know I would walk to the ends of the earth to bring them home.

Nesting 101

Recipes before
Recipes After

Hallway Closet
Sawyer & Malaines room

I am nesting, there is no doubt! I feel as if I got the I-171 and then have all this energy and I HAVE to get stuff done! I really wish I had taken before and after shots of the things I have accomplished in the last few days. Sadly, nothing Mavery related so far. And I have not gone as far as to get suitcases out or anything like that. (though I do have a china pile growing in my closet!) I am pretty excited though about what I did get done. The recipe cabinet has been on my to do list for, YEARS. I have about a thousand cookbooks and then I had this huge box of loose recipes that I have saved since we were married. Just stacked in this box, and of course I never use them because it is a big mess. I am sure some of you are way more organized than I am and have this recipe thing figured out, but it took me awhile. So I went to walmart and bought a photo album and divider tabs. Divided my Huge stack of recipes into categories, even making myself a tab for holiday recipes and fun kid ideas. Put each recipe onto a page in its section, and there you have it! Maybe it will motivate me to cook more.
Next on the list was our hall closet. It is the catch all closet along with holding toys, games, pictures, etc.. I want it to hold school supplies and scrapbook items. So I banished ALL toys, (well most toys) to the basement, and only ONE toy is allowed out per kid at a time. I now have room to put the scrapbook supplies AND school things in this closet.
Last was Sawyer and Malaines room. Last week, I could not walk in their room. One of them, is neater than the other. But neither of them care if it is messy. So again, banished most toys out of there, and we actually have empty shelves!

Next on the list

• Sage's lifebook.
• Paint the hallway
• Lose 15 pounds
• Learn a little mandarin
• End & then begin the next school year.
• Lose 15 pounds.
• braces? for makenna
• learn how to use our camera well.
• Figure out how to organize 100 barbies and that many polly pockets?
• Did i mention lose 15 pounds? ;-)

Hopefully I can keep this energy up, keep checking off my list(which is much longer than this) and move on to Mavery. Why is it when we have new babies coming, we get this way? As if the baby can't come home if the closets are a mess? I don't know, but I am thankful because it sure makes me smile to walk into a neat closet! I do know the weight part is sure going MUCH slower than the organization part!

Potty Training A Spicy Girl

Sage has been showing "signs" of being ready to potty train for awhile. But I just put her off, because, well, sometimes diapers really ARE easier. But then she STOPPED showing signs of being ready, and I got in panic mode thinking I REALLY would like to have her potty trained by the time we go to China. So I took advice from one of my mommy friends who had her BOY trained right at 2 years old in 3 days and decided we are doing this. I am not buying any more diapers. Done. We need that $! So for 3 days we have been pretty well running around the house w/ nothing on, which is her favorite way to be anyways! And I have to say, she is doing GREAT! The first day we had a few accidents, yesterday just one and today she ran to the potty with out being asked if she needed to go! So we will see how the rest of the weekend goes. She is pretty funny, of course. She refuses to use a potty chair or even a ring on the big seat. She refuses to let you help her onto the potty or off of the potty. It is quite the act watching this tiny 2 year old hop up on that big ole toilet! And then balace herself on it.
It IS actually a little sad though. I will NEVER have another baby wearing diapers? Hmmm, maybe #6 should be a baby... JUST KIDDING MARK!

** I will update on the I171, the rest of the process, when we hope we are going to china(september?), etc... We are still over the moon w/ excitment that it is HERE and our paperwork is almost THERE! It should go to china next week! Right now I am crazy nesting and potty training and dreaming of MAVERY!

Mavery is Half Way to THREE!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com