Rachel Finishes Phonics Book

Rachel has been working very hard on her school work. Last week she finished her first phonics book and was so thrilled. Way to go, Rachel!

Icy Sunset

Ice storms make everything look so lovely. This picture doesn't do the scene justice, but you can see the icy glow on all the trees. It was breath taking. I love God's creation.

Icy Snow Storm

A day after the foggy lake picture, we had a ice/snow storm come through. It started out with quite a bit of freezing rain that coated everything with a thick layer of ice; then it turned over to snow leaving a nice white blanket behind. It is nice to have everything looking white and "clean" again.

I took these pictures using a technique that I read about on Kristine's blog.

I liked how these came out, but learned a few things. One, I need a much bigger piece of paper and two, it would probably help to wait until after the storm as my piece of paper got flecked with snow, which melted and left water streaks.

Foggy Lake

During one of our recent warm spells, the lake looked more like spring thaw than January. The fog hung low over the hills and you can see the brown water from lots of rain and run off under the ice.

Providence

I am using a book called For the Love of God, Volume I by D.A. Carson to read the Bible in a year. It is a reading program, but also has daily thoughts by Mr. Carson on the passages. It isn't a commentary, but a short writing that draws the passages being read together in a common theme (at least two of the passages).

I am behind, last night I read the scriptures for January 26th. I am so glad I was behind. The passages of scripture and reading by Mr. Carson were a balm to my aching head and heart during this week of Super Tuesday Primaries and a political landscape that seems riddled with landmines.

The passages were Genesis 27; Matthew 26; Esther 3 and Acts 26

Genesis 27 finds Esau and Jacob vying for Isaac's blessing, Jacob swindling the blessing from Esau and Rebekah being disloyal to her husband by playing favorites with her children. In Mr. Carson's words "Genesis 27 is in many ways a pathetic, grubby account."

Matthew 26 finds Jesus celebrating Passover with his disciplies, agonizing in the Garden and being betrayed.

The book of Esther finds us in a world where a genecide is being planned for an entire people.

In Acts 26 we find Paul pleading his case in a Roman court.

If you read these passages in the entirety of the books, you can see God working out his plan, but the people in each case are inbroiled in political and social upheaval and conflict. Does this all sound familiar to our day?

The final paragraph of Mr. Carson's reading sums it up so much better than I can.

"Providence is mysterious. It must never be used to justify wrong actions or to mitigate sin: Isaac and his family are more than a little sleazy, Judas is a deceitful wretch, Haman is vile, and the Roman court trying Paul is more than a little corrupt. Yet God sovereignly rules, behind the scenes, bringing glory out of gore and honor out of shame."

Aren't you glad God is in control? No matter how dismal things may seem, God has a plan, His plan and he is working it all out for His glory.

Pay It Forward Giveaway

I read about Pay It Forward: Arts & Crafts Edition from Cynthia over at Life Is Good. I think she read about it from Lisa at The Berry Patch. I'm not sure where it originated, but it sure sounds like a lot of fun.

So....I was one of the first commentors on Cynthia's blog.

This is a very simple giveaway/challenge and will certainly be a blessing for me and hopefully also for the recipients.

The rules are:

-Anyone with a blog can join.
-The first three people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me.
-Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you for your mailing address.
-I will send your gift within 365 days (sometime during 2008).
-In return, you have to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

If you want to play, just be one of the first 3 people to comment to the post, and then go post the challenge on your own blog. Then sometime this year, a fun, handmade gift from me will appear in your mailbox.

I have a few ideas, but nothing definite yet! I like to do lots of different things from crochet and cross-stitch to scrapbooking and general arts and crafts stuff. It will be fun deciding what to make.

Enjoy!

Dan's Imagination

Dan has a tremendous imagination. We discovered this little scene as we turned out lights to go to bed lastnight. Little Darth vader surrounded by dinos and sharks.

What do you suppose Dan was thinking? How would a light saber match up against a Velociraptor or great white? Only Dan knows how this scene played out.

Adoption Get Together

Our adoption agency, Wide Horizons For Children, holds events throughout the year for their families, those that have already adopted, those still waiting to bring their children home and those somewhere along the process.

We enjoy these gatherings for several reasons. The first being that it is great for our kids to meet and spend time with other adoptees, especially children from their birth countries. How refreshing for them to see faces that look similar. Secondly, we are seasoned veterans in the adoption world and also as parents, so we always enjoy the opportunity to minister to other families. Lastly it is always nice to keep in touch with our social worker. She has been so wonderful through the adoptions of our last four children.

This gathering was at a chuch in a nearby town. There was lots of great food and so many beautiful children and families. We were able to visit with a young couple and their new little boy recently brought home from Korea. This was their first child and they had lots of questions and I hope we were able to ease some of their concerns. We always get asked about homeschooling and were able to share our homeschooling experience with another mom with three boys, two of whom are from Ethiopia.

Bessie enjoyed the opportunity to hold some little babies.

This little girl was so cute and wanted to get everyone's autograph. She went around the whole room asking all the adults and older kids to sign her paper.

Hannah and Dan loved the playroom

Rachel was much quieter and enjoyed some time by herself drawing and coloring

It was a wonderful afternoon.

Daddy's Helper

Dan loves to work with Brian and Brian usually enjoys it also. Dan is extremely good with his hands. Sometimes this is good and sometimes not so good as can take things apart very easily.

When we went to the furniture store last week, we bought a new booster type chair for Dan. He was so excited to not have to sit in the highchair anymore. He helped Brian put it together. He was able to put the Allen wrench into the end of each screw and tighten them down. He was so proud of himself.

Tigger

My latest cross-stitch block.