Thankful Thursday

Every morning on the way to school to drop the kids off, I say a prayer for the kids outloud. I always start out with thanking God for such a beautiful day.
Although we'd love to wake up to a beautiful blue sky with the warm sun shining bright every day, there are many days (especially in the winter months) where those pretty blue skys are covered by grey dark clouds. So today I'm thankful for those beautiful blue skys that are always present, just hiding some days behind the grey clouds. I pray that my children grow, learn, and trust in Jesus. And even though there may be a cloud (obstacle) that they may be facing, that no matter what, they know that the bright blue sky is always on the other side.

Anita

Thankful Thursday

Maybe next week I'll actually post my Thankful Thursday post on Thursday. I am so thankful for so many things. But for today, I am thankful for being able to hear the words "mom", "mommy", "hey mom", "mum", etc. Nine years ago, 2000, Mike and I had just signed on with our second adoption agency. We were getting nowhere with the first agency and were about to give up. One day at work, I met a mom who had adopted a little girl from the Martial Islands. I had told her about our challenges with our first agency and she gave me the name of her agent and told me to call her immediatley. I did and we signed on with that agency within a week. Once our paperwork was submitted to China, the wait began. Even as our paperwork sat in China, we ran into more obstacles. China needed us to have a medical test completed before giving approval. I remember driving down our street one morning in the fall of '00. I prayed to God that if it wasn't in His plan for us to have a child, that I was o.k. with that. But please let us get some news soon. And if it was His plan for us to adopt a child, that it would happen soon (that was pretty much the verbage). Our medical tests came back fine (I'm such a worrier, I should have put that in God's hands too). That paperwork was sent on to China and within just a few weeks we received the referral of our precious 11 month old daughter Emmi. Once we received her picture, I showed it to Mike. He was in the backyard. I'll never forget that moment nor those moments with Maggie and Jacob. So I am so thankful for all three of our children and that it was God's hand that brought us all together as a family. I thought for Thursday that I would count how many times I heard the word "mom" and all it's variations. I woke up Thursday morning and was ready. Once the kids got out of bed, Maggie started talking and had already said mom seven times within 2 or 3 minutes. I immediately new that this was not going to work. I needed my little gadget, the step counter. If I could only find it. I can't count in my head and listen and talk to the kids at the same time. What was I thinking? I guess I hear it soo much that I tend to tune it out. And of course there are times that I wish I could change my "mom" name to something else because I do hear it so much. But in fact, I love the numerous times my "mom" name is called. I once yearned to have that name, and now I have it. I'm so thankful and prey that I hear my "mom" name for many, many years to come. I thank God for being my Miracle Moving God.

Anita
aka "mom"

FCC Easter egg hunt

It was a beautiful day for an Easter egg hunt! Our local FCC (families with children from China) gets together for holidays, however, I'm usually working. But today worked out great. I didn't have to work and the weather was awesome. We met at our local park for some fun. Before the egg hunt, the kids loved climbing on the huge boulders (6 or 7 in all). In fact, I think Maggie was more excited about climbing on the boulders instead of looking for eggs. So I have more pictures of the kids on the rocks than during the egg hunt. Once we started looking for eggs, I couldn't keep up with the kids. It's so funny because the wee little ones (2 to 4) reach so precisely to pick up their eggs and their parents get that awesome candid cute shot. It's hard to believe how fast they grow. I couldn't get a good picture of Jacob finding an egg. And the girls, they were here, there, and everywhere. I did see Emmi taking her time not to get in the way of the wee little ones. I remember taking Emmi and Maggie to an Easter egg hunt a few years ago and they were the little ones. The big kids were running circles around the little kids. It seemed so unfair for the little ones.
After all the eggs were found, the kids all sat down to open each egg and find the treasure tucked inside. A quick rest before eating the cute cup cakes and egg shaped popcorn balls. One of the moms brought cup cakes that looked like little Easter baskets. The icing was green with green coconunt and decorated with jelly beans (oh and it tasted as good as it looked too). It was such a great time to fellowship with friends and see our children play together!
Four years ago, the same egg hunt I mentioned above, I knew we had a son, Jacob. We were on our way to the FCC Easter egg hunt in Nashville and I knew then that we would begin the journey to bring him home. Jacob's file was to be returned to China in a matter of days and when I looked at his file again, I knew he was ours. God truly works in wonderous ways as He had it all planned!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7,8

Snacks!

Now for those eggs!

Em, Mag, and Jacob!

The kids just love these rocks. Let's

pose again!

Em, Mag, and Jacob

Posing before the Easter egg hunt.

Thankful, but it's not Thursday!

I love the Thankful Thursday posts that a blogger friend of mine posts each week. In fact, I hope to start my very own Thankful Thursday posts today, although today is Friday. It's hard to sometimes find the time to post, however, I know it's up to me to make that a priority and just do it. I love reading my bloggy friends blog as it gives me so much inspiration. So here we go:

1. I'm so thankful for my marvelous God. Oh how I love Him. He is always there for me.
2. I'm so thankful for my 3 kiddos. They bring me so much joy and oh how they are growing - way to fast!!! Slow down!
3. I'm so thankful for my hubby of 24 years. Is that right? 24 years? Oh, I think it is. Where did the time go?
4. I'm thankful for adoption.
5. I'm thankful for my kid's interest in art. I have a big, and I mean big, project in store for them. I'll post a picture once it's done. I need a big piece of artwork over our sofa and came across a blank canvas that was going to be thrown away. Oh yea, the kids will love that. I can't wait to see their finished work!
6. I'm soo thankful for my mom, my friend. We talk twice a day. It's funny, 20 years ago I might have called her twice a week. Thanks mom for all you do!
7. I'm thankful for my in-laws. After 24 years, we still continue to grow as a family.

I could go on and on and on. I found this scripture on a bloggy friends blog. I know she won't mind if I post it. Sometimes I forget to put my worries in God's hands and I try to handle them on my own. I know He will always come through for us in His time. I just have to "be still" and "be patient".

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Phil. 4: 6,7