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November 20, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

My best friend from grade school whose kids are out this week for Thanksgiving convinced me that we needed to be out too…and when you are the principle of your homeschool…you can do that;). SO…we had them over and I whipped up some fun Thanksgiving gear. They had a blast playing in the backyard and celebrating Thanksgiving break together…

Right now–Parker and his bud are having a marathon playdate. It started yesterday…the slumbered here last night…they played today…and now they are slumbering at the Coury house. Eventually they are going to crash but they’ve had a blast together…

Kelly and I lived together for our entire college career and THEN 4 or 5 more years after college AND we met in grade school…so it’s so fun to see our kids playing together. They are more like cousins than friends and have such fun together!

Do you think Rich’s family will think we’re crazy if we show up to Thanksgiving dinner like this??? Because…we are totally gearing up and bringing the tent too:) It’s always more fun at the kids table you know–hence…why momma ALWAYS sits there too!

Hope y’all have a GREAT Thanksgiving week!

SO much to be thankful for!

Andrea

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November 18, 2012

the weekend before Thanksgiving…

This is what my living room has been transformed to…Navajo territory…

I made these tents several Christmases ago–and BEST HOME-MADE GIFT EVER…3 years later they still play with them ALL THE TIME. They love to take them outside in the spring, summer and fall…and when it’s chilly…my living room turns into the coolest tent territory:) They set them up in their rooms and read books together in them. Long ago I promise a tutorial on how momma whipped these up–maybe this year is the year to do a tutorial because we need a few more tents for our tribe.

Sweet love to our only Indian princess…

And as you can see–she adores him right back!


I whipped these fun Indian headbands out this afternoon. Momma just can’t stand to see them running around playing and not contribute to the action. I ran to Hobby Lobby, and tomorrow I’m working on making Laney a pilgrim dress and my little men Indian garb…and of course Laney an Indian princess dress too. Have to make some extras for any friends we might have over to play (thank you for inspiring me Carrie!)

CHEESE!

In other family news–I gave Frank a trim today after he woke up with bed head that had us all in hysterics! I asked him if he thought it was time for a little trim–so off we went…upstairs for a trim. Grab your tissue…sniff, sniff…he looks like a big boy!

Rico Suave and I juuuuuust got home from a date! I highly recommend seeing the movie Lincoln! Although it is rated PG-13, it may even be okay for younger ones who can handle war scenes. Don’t you love when you are in a movie audience that claps at the end??!!! Made me tear up! Lincoln knew what was worth fighting for and abolished slavery…and it was worthy of the cheer at the end.

Tomorrow is SUNDAY! Looking forward to the Sabbath and resting in Him!!! Blessings to you all this weekend!

Andrea

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Stephanie - November 18, 2012 - 7:39 am

Would LOVE a tutorial on the tents! So cute!

natalie cooper - November 18, 2012 - 2:07 pm

i know you’re a home schooling mom so you would want to know, but the navajo did not live in teepees. they lived in dwellings called hogans. (http://navajopeople.org/navajo-hogans.htm)

i only know this because moseby’s birth mother is full-blooded (plains) cree so we’ve been getting lots of books/doing research so i can show him about that culture one day. and the cree DID live in buffalo hide teepees.

happy thanksgiving!

Lauren Casper - November 19, 2012 - 12:37 pm

so sweet!!! Please write that tutorial soon because Mareto would LOVE a tent like that in his room!! I’m thinking it may be his Christmas gift this year! 😉

bobi bobbitt - November 20, 2012 - 11:25 am

I would really like to make one of these tepees for Fisher for Christmas too! Can’t wait to see the tutorial!!!

November 12, 2012

Traded Dreams…

My dear mom friend and author of the blog and book “Traded Dreams” is featuring an adoption story each week this month in honor of National Adoption Month…

Such an honor writing a guest post for her blog this week! Thank you Lauren for asking me to share our story…it’s a LONG one…but when it comes to the story He has written for us–there’s just not one part I could leave out! Go check it out with a cup of tea at: LAUREN’S TRADED DREAMS BLOG HERE.

Be sure to check out her blog every Friday this month for other guest posts from adoption families!

Blessings…and y’all have a great week!

Andrea

Posted in Inspirational,Learning
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Jeanne - November 13, 2012 - 7:34 am

It was a great one! I only found your blog about a year ago, so it was nice to get the back story!!

Merle from Germany - November 13, 2012 - 4:11 pm

Andrea, your story was exactly what I needed to read about today. I learned so much through it! Thanks for sharing!!

November 11, 2012

Waiting for you… {a letter to my littlest love}

Dearest Baby Z,

Today–momma was nesting. I kept telling my heart over and over, “Mama Young, today is Sunday…you must rest.” But my heart–it wouldn’t listen. You see sweet one–mama is nesting. What is nesting you ask sweet baby? Well, if you research it–you will learn that nesting is a momma’s instinct that she has–a God-given instinct to clean and do various chores around her home to prepare for the baby she is carrying before he arrives. They even say it is the body’s natural way of letting the momma know her baby is coming soon. Only–you are already here…though you are much too far from me–you are around the world…and this instinct to prepare for you I’m afraid is gonna last until you are finally home–in our arms. Every little one belongs in the arms of a momma–and my longing for you is making me nest…clean, organize and even paint the walls of our kitchen…as we wait and long for you.

The whole fact that I’m naturally nesting–is such a miracle–God supernaturally making me into your momma and you my son. As I was cleaning your sister’s room today and organizing Lego’s in Frank’s room–I thought of you…I think of you a million times a day. While it’s natural to nest–it is NOT natural for a little one to not be with their momma and knowing you are across the world right now from me is almost too much for this momma’s heart to bear. Right now, I’m trusting God to take care of you…for the Holy Spirit to whisper to the special mommas how special you are…that they will be compassionate when you cry and pick you up and rock you. I want you to know that I’d give anything in the whole wide world to be there for you right now–to be the one rocking you…singing to you…loving you. I’ll get to experience every birthday, every baseball game, every graduation from kindergarden to college…but it breaks momma’s heart to not be there right now…putting you to bed at night and telling you how loved you are. I never want you to wonder how loved you truly are–we would come yesterday to bring you home if they’d let us–but we’ve got more hoops to jump through…more red tape to tear off…but the minute they say we’re good to travel we will be on the first flight around the world to bring you home forever. For the next 9 months or so, I’ll watch you grow up through pictures–and with each new update my heart will rejoice but I’ll also LONG to be the one behind the camera instead of across the world. I want you to know how we longed for you…how we dreamed of you…how we had to do crazy things like scrub grout with a toothbrush;) to keep from going crazy and calling our agency a million times to ask for an update or could they pretty please do something to speed the next step of the process up…because our sweet boy…and our hearts…are waiting.

YOU are already such a treasure to our family–and you are a dream come true for us! I’ve dreamed of you as long as I can remember–and when I saw your picture for the first time I just knew you were the one the Lord has always had for us…since He first placed that dream in my heart long before I was ever a mommy at all. Things won’t always make sense–but He is always bigger and His plans for our lives are always greater. I am so honored to get to be your mommy…and I just want you to always know how I longed to have you here while you were across the world. You are worth the wait my sweet boy. Trusting the Lord to care for you and for His hand of protection to be on you…praying you sleep peacefully tonight my love. Mama loves you so!

Love,

Mama

Posted in Adoption Preparation,Letters to Baby Z
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Kim - November 12, 2012 - 11:48 pm

Didn’t know I needed a good cry till I read this post. Oh sweet friend … my heart is bursting with joy for you. Count on my prayers during your wait for baby Z and beyond! Love & Blessings, Kim

November 10, 2012

a sweet night at our house…

I have no words as my heart is overwhelmed tonight with such thanksgiving and joy at all the Lord has done and all He continues to do! Tetiana and her parents came over tonight for dinner–and it was such fun being with their most precious family! And…it was so fun to see the kids all together (minus Parker as he is spending the night away at a KungFu birthday party:)

MELT my heart…God is GOOD!

We are doing our VERY best to call her Tonya–her preferred name. She is thriving in her family…thriving in school..and oh my glory–we used ENGLISH over dinner tonight! Y’all just wouldn’t believe it! God is just so good. As we trust and follow Him, He is going to do more than we could ever dream possible!

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch–and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Trust and follow when you hear His voice…

He will equip you when He calls you…you can trust Him!!!

Life is too precious and short–with too much opportunity–to do anything else but walk in His path. Excited to watch the rest of T and her family’s story unfold…excited for all that is ahead! Blessings to you all this weekend as you trust Him in big ways!

LOVE this family…

xoxo,

andrea

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