Category Archives: Day in the Life Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to Richard… Happy birthday to YOU!Happy birthday to my love!!! Hope you have an AMAZING day!!! Your FIRST birthday as a daddy of 4! Here Rico is with baby #4…who he adores–and insists on getting up with almost EVERY night!!! Here’s to another year of […] (about Sparkles…our goldfish) me: (realizing the murky water REALLY needed to be clean) “What are we going to do with that thing? Rich: “We could clean it. OR we could flush him down the toilet.” me: “Oh Rich! That’s awful. He would die!!! I mean…he would die–he would—wouldn’t he?” Rich: “Oh—no! He wouldn’t. He’d go […] UM, a little disturbing but funny. We recently flushed a fish that wasn’t quite dead, yet. It was dying though. Now my 2 year old tells everyone that our fish went to be with God by going down the toliet. Oh this makes me giggle! I’m right there with you! We had a thriving tank with 3 little fish in it for a while and then, one by one, they started to die. Only 1 (nameless) fish remained and the filter broke. That was 3-4 months ago and this thing just keeps on living! No one notices him, my husband feeds him and tops off the water when needed and the little fish just keeps on swimming! Even after a week of vacation and no food? He’s a robofish! I’ve wanted to put that tank away for a while now…perhaps you’ve inspired us!? Oh this post just makes me laugh! We could have had that conversation word for word in our house. We’ve been thorough a few fish now. Life’s too busy and we really aren’t pet people. I tried to keep from smiling when I said to my husband the other day that I wanted to get a bird, just to see the reaction he’d give. Smiles. We’ve gone the fish route for my son too and I must say that watching them die a slow, ugly death isn’t good for the little ones either. =) Too funny! Love it. We had a newt once. Yep… and I had three boys under four. I so wish I could remember his name. Perhaps a newt could be your next pet. 🙂 Call me before you make that purchase. I’ll talk you down. Adventure of a lifetime – definately! =) love it!!!! Definitely with Nemo”:) haha that was too cute! :0) Nope. He’s dead. Either stuck in your septic system or in the towns sewer and waste treatment. For future reference the ‘humane’ way to euthanize a fish is to put him in a bowl of water and freeze it. A dear friend gave our son Nathan a goldfish for his 6th birthday! She laughed and we groaned. We thought “Buddy” (as he was affectionately named) would die within weeks but alas after almost 2 years – he lives on! Many, many times when I look at the cloudy bowl that needs to be cleaned (again!) I am tempted to flush away but my little boys would notice all too soon and be very sad. Hope your kiddos don’t notice the fishy is gone! You crack me up. We were lucky as my husband had access to fish drugs that you can just put in the water to kill it. Our daughter just though it died naturally. Ha, ha!! Too cute! We have no pets…there is no way I could take care of a little animal right now! I am sure Sparkles is just fine! 🙂 So funny! We have two fish aquariums right now, one in each of two of our boys’ bedrooms! Reminds me of one of our last fish… I went to clean out the tank so I poured the water into the toilet… except Mr. Fishy ( actually I think his name was Nemo, as most of our fish are named Nemo! ) fell into the water too! I tried to “fish” him out and he swam down the drain, so i just decided to flush him! (: And here I am TRYING my hardest to keep my kid’s fish alive and they all die. It is now tradition to just go buy new fish every birthday. Wish I had your fish luck! TOO FUNNY!  Oh…my favorite season!!! I can hardly stand it!!! SO…on my last trip to Walmart–I snatched up 4 long sleeved t-shirts in Fall colors (just $3.50 each!) + a packet of “Heat-n-bond”. Seriously–if you have never played with “heat-n-bond” you have to pick a packet of it up on your next trip to Walmart (and Hobby […] im still up…oh, too cute…my nausia won’t let me sleep 🙂 but it didn’t stop me from going to teh pumpkin patch today….i’ll post pics of that tomorrow 🙂 love me some pumpkins…and i need you to live next door for the zig zag thing on the shirts, kj Too cute!! =) Gotta love Walmart shirts 😉 wow! you are good to get all of your kiddos smiling at one time, beautiful pictures as always!! 🙂 SERIOUSLY…look at that belly!!! He and Frankie-baby wear the same shirt b/c of that round thing! I’m lovin’ your daughter’s boots! Where did you find them? I love me some heat and bond!! I call the zigzag over an applique “poor woman’s embroidery.” Ha! Your pictures are gorgeous. Love the fall colored leaves on the ground (not something we get here in AZ) Girl, give us your secrets…how do you do all that you do? I guess God has truly blessed you with great time management and a lot of energy! 🙂 I can barely get mine all dressed and out the door…much less whip up some cute matching appliqued pumpkin shirts! So cute!!! I am just amazed…Oh, and CG loves her boots! 🙂 Adding Heat and Bond to my Walmart list right now! So cute!!!  I’m always amazed at how our God provides…how He always works out the details… really…you won’t believe how HE has been the one planning the adoption momma retreat (Created to Care Women’s Retreat)…call me crazy–but I truly believe that He is the one who called the 200 women to join us…each one He has orchestrated […] I am so excited about the Created to Care Retreat! I keep asking February to hurry up!!! And your pictures are adorable, I love that Parker is holding Isaac’s popsicle, what a precious big brother! Aw, what a happy post. Made me all warm and fuzzy. Is the song really on here? I’d love to hear. 🙂 Excited about the retreat. Asher—it should be! Turn the volume up on your computer and see if you still can’t hear it…it is working on both of my computers…so it should be working:) Yeah, did last time and it wasn’t working-but came back a few hours later and now its working! 🙂 too cute…love the shirts, kj Love the song! Hearing how God is orchestrating all the details gets me even more pumped up to come! Jenny […] is trying to teach me…that the broken need healing…and each of us matter deeply to Him (remember the little bird outside OfficeMax?) OR do you remember the bird that was waiting for us out side the pulmonologist that […] […] a bird cage, nursing him back to health and then letting him go when he was healed. IT was AMAZING. You can read about it and see the pictures here ]. Thanks to Princess Tiger (our last rescue bird) we had everything we needed. But…it […]  FIRST–I’ve been totally MIA due to retreat craziness!!! We thought we’d have this really fun retreat for 50 mommies…and it’s turned to almost 200…so after a few last minute folks slide in to keep it under 200…we’ll start a waitlist. We want to keep the number lower (although 200 is big!) so we can really […] I totally just DID laugh! :)) I laughed and had a flashback to 6th grade i am in LOVE with your bird. the name is precious! how cool that you turned down the fast and furious movie. i would have trouble turning down fame in any form. lylas, I’ve had a couple of little wild birds. One was found in a parking garage at a mall, with no feathers yet. I thought he would die, but put him on tissues or something in my car so he wouldn’t get squished or die on the concrete. Just in case, we bought formula at the pet store in the mall, and…weeks later, we had a happy, healthy sparrow on our hands. As he got bigger, we took him outside for feedings and free time, and he gradually started to fly a bit. Then would fly off for a while, then he eventually decided he was independent enough to stay out on his own. Same thing with a little robin our family rescued once (and he stuck around that summer to sing & let us know he was ok, after he moved out to the trees). Hope all goes well! Okay, Andrea, your life is officially way more exciting than mine. And you officially have way more integrity than me regarding putting ITY in that movie! That was some great laughs Andrea, thank you for sharing your crazy with us! You absolutely MUST find the Andy Griffith episode where Opie … (well you’ll just have to find that part out for yourself) and he raises the 3 orphaned baby birds, naming them Winkin, Blinkin and Nod. If memory serves, after Opie is pursueded that the birds need to be set free and the deed is done, he says something like, “Paw, that cage seems mighty empty.” and Andy responds with something like, “Yep! But don’t the trees seem mighty full?” BTW,I’m no bird expert but my money is on Princess Tiger being a male. 😉 yes, laughed at lylas…but you HAD to have auditioned for the part, right?? where are you going for these movie auditions..or do you send in a pic?? I want LL in movies…Imean, come on..i could give the $ away to people adopting 🙂 too funny…cute post, kj YES! I sent in a picture—didn’t audition…but I just chickened out when we actually got picked!!! Am I the only one who doesn’t know what “lylas” means? Maybe I’m not from the right generation (I’m 43). Please someone fill me in on the inside joke! LOVE your blog. I stalk your blog regularly, I admit it (I live in Marietta and like to see the places and events that you talk about that I recognize, that’s kinda fun! – not to mention your AMAZING photos)…but I HAD to de-lurk today to ask this question. I realize that you have many, many readers here, not to mention an international presence through Wiphan, etc…but my goodness…what a presence you must have if a casting director was aware of your precious ITY! Perhaps his story is more far-reaching than you knew? (I’m sure there might be a far more boring, mundane explanation…perhaps Frank’s previous acting experience, etc…but I’m choosing to believe otherwise!) What a lovely family you have! I always enjoy your uplifitng words and encouraging spirit! Blessings, Your life is insane Andrea. I love the you somehow fine the time to organize a retreat for 200 women…yet still have the patience in your heart to let your kids love on a baby bird. Truly amazing. I’m feeling inspired…as I always do after I read your blog. 🙂 I’m sad I won’t be able to do the retreat this year but hopefully there will be another one next year and I would LOVE to attend! What an awesome idea .. I tried to make it work:( LYLAS made me smile… and so did this great post!!! I cannot believe there will be 200 women at the retreat, how awesome!!! Now February just get here faster!!!! On my way to my OBGYN tomorrow for a letter requested from AGCI to accompany our application!!! Hope to have it all in to AGCI next week!!!!! AAHHHHH!!!! This is really starting to happen!!!! I am both scared and completely excited!!!! (: So wish I could attend the retreat that I keep hearing so much about. We’ll be probably traveling again in January to bring our daughter home! Amazing the need for such a weekend!!! I’d love to help plan one up around the Ohio area, except that would mean that I wouldn’t get to meet all of you next year! We’ll see when that time rolls around. Praying that all the plans come together as I know God has his hand on this weekend!!!!!! We are back from Fall Break in Borneo and I am obviously way behind the latest news in blog world. I think it is a good thing that I missed the original conference post and that it filled up quickly. Cause I would have been really upset about missing the chance to hang out with you! Ya know … cause I LYLAS and all! |
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by admin
Today is Cade’s b-day too. A great day 🙂
Love the PS and your heart.
Hugs,
Amy
I believe that our ideas of finances and “running the numbers” do NOT count. Jesus fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
And He is still multiplying food today
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=7523
We can not use our finite brains to solve these problems. Just because something makes sense to us does not mean that it is God’s perfect will. In fact, I’d go so far as to say He goes against those things that seem to make sense.
1 Cor. 1:27 “…but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong…”
Love your fire Andrea…truly amazing. I also love that you so eloquently capture issues that we are all thinking about. I just finished reading Radical and I am in the middle of Adopted for Life…and I am probably feeling more convicted than I ever have been about adoption. Interesting, because I’ve had this discussion many times with other adoptive moms – about how to respond to this issue, etc. Really, it boils down to the story of God’s adopted of us…there are so many parallels. And…families are always better than institutions…little souls cannot be loved, cherished and shepherded in institutions. Can’t wait to hear more from you on this topic…
Amen, amen. I did not realize this issue was even out there, it is hard for me to believe some even feel that way. A wonderful answer to a sensitive subject, an answer based on Scripture, which is never wrong or outdated.
Preach it girlfriend! I’m 100% on board with you!
We have so much “family” that is against our adoption. After hearing negative for the past year I need to be reminded that I need to just Love them. God is not just calling me to just Love the orphans but the anti-adoption people also. I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say! Thank you for your words! I always appreciate them! Blessings~
YES!! Keep sharing, Andrea! Love your heart, your voice, your knowledge and truth. Hugs to a beautiful day to celebrate your best friend.
Amen. I think you may have just written one of your talks for the conference (assuming you will be presenting 🙂
Oh my goodness, my brother said those exact words to me recently when I asked him if he’d consider being the guardian for our adoption. He told me, “It is great that you feel sorry for those people, but deep in my heart I feel that you would be doing yourself and that child a disserve by taking him away from his culture and country. In the long run, I don’t think either of you would be happy.” Really? Are you kidding me? It would be better for a child to grow up alone in an institution without the love of a family?
Breaks my heart that this person I grew up with, in the same home, going to church, feels this way.
Blessings,
Suzanne
Amen, Andrea! I have been thinking about this a lot lately too. Thank you for putting my muddled thoughts into encouraging words… again!
love it!!! Cannot wait to give you a huge hug! Love your heart, my friend
Love this post! I agree 100%… and I think you are right on, it really is about what the WORD says not what we think is most acceptable. Besides the fact that it is pretty clear in Scripture that God is all about adoption, have these people ever simply asked a child in the instituion…”would you rather stay in your own country, have your needs met, but no one to call mom and dad, and no one to call you “son/daughter”??? or would you rather move to another place and have a Daddy and a Mommy… a family and a place to call home. I wonder what those children would say… I bet I know.
Seems to me your heart has changed. Somehow when you are the adoptive mother…God works in a way to allow you to see first hand the healing that takes place in a family. I believe that ADOPTION is GOD’s idea and HIS heart. I am grateful to be part of HIS family because of it.
Oh Andrea. All day long I have been singing these lyrics, “EMPTY my hands, FILL UP my heart, CAPTURE my mind with You.” (10th Avenue North, Empty My Hands). That’s where I want to be on this and ALL issues…
AMEN!!! Sweet Sister!!!! Love your words!!!!
i loved reading this tonight andrea b/c i just heard about my grandmother in law not understanding why we want to adopt internationally from Uganda for our second child instead of domestic again and the things she said…well urked me…so it was great to read your post! love ya!
Amen!! Looking forward to reading more!!!
amen , sister friend….wow….if i could write that well…i’d never stop…amazing and so TRUTHFUL…I dare someone to say that LL deserved to live in an orphanage the rest of her life…Shame on them…and well…i REALLY don’t DARE them…i just want scary, mean people like that, that have been deceived, to stay away!! 🙂 Don’t even come near my blog…cause we love children at my spot…all children!! 🙂 great post, kj
I agree. ‘Culture’ does not trump the Gospel.
I’m anxious for your rant. :o) I’ve felt this undercurrent for the last several years, and it needs to be addressed. It’s being fueled and pushed by UNICEF, and I see it popping up here and there in the blogosphere even more frequently.
There’s a fine line between adoption & rescue that needs to be tread softly–in my opinion. I think we should be very careful not to project or intend to be RESCUERS, as our motivation to adopt. We’re mommies, first and foremost–we adopt because we want to grow our families. That we happen to be following a mandate of “pure religion and undefiled” is important, but I see so much trouble in the future for our children if “rescue” is our focus. I hope I’m not making a complete mish-mash of what is in my heart.
I’ve been reading spatterings of growing resistance toward evangelical families adopting, by those who seem to really resent the Church’s rather open push toward adoption. I think we must be very careful to not give them fodder. To be circumspect. To be well-read on post-institutional issues. To keep it real. But on the other hand, we must not be cowed into accepting their worldview, simply because it’s more strident. I’ll be praying for you as you formulate your storm. We NEED to see it addressed and hit head-on. <3