Monday, January 31, 2011

Water Works

Boy, Hallmark really knows how to make tear jerkers. I recorded The Lost Valentine last night and watched it today. Cry, cry, cry. I have been blessed with 10+ years with my love. I shouldn't take any of those for granted.

Even the Hallmark commercials get me. Usually I fast forward through commercials but these, these I watch. Watch and cry through.

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This morning after Ethan crawled in bed with us he asked Ben, "Would you give our house to a poor person?" How do you answer that kind of a question. Ethan has such an amazing heart. He truly hurts for those in need. When he sees people hurting he always wants to help and if he can't help he will think about it and want to talk about it for quite awhile. I wish I could get inside his head and know what he is thinking, where his thoughts come from and where they go. I can't wait to see what God has planned for his life.

Friday, January 28, 2011

no change

Some of you have been asking how the house hunting is going. We put an offer on a house and after some back and forth we have an agreement and are now in escrow. Now it is a waiting game. There hasn't been much change in the last week and they said today it will be a few more weeks before we hear more. They have to schedule an appraisal and the underwriting. We did have an inspection done this week and it got a great score. We are happy. I am trying not to get too excited. So many things can still go wrong. But I am looking at new bedding. Trying to figure out how I want to decorate our new bedroom, what colors to use, what feel we want. I have to tell myself to not get too excited, not be too disappointed if it doesn't work out. But it is a real charmer. I fell in love right away. But I do love my house now so I will be just fine if we have to try again on a different house. (gotta keep telling myself this.)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sick Day

When I am sick I like to watch movies that I have seen before. Movies I am comfortable with, have the lines memorized, could miss a few minutes of(if I decide to take a short cat nap) and already know what happened.
Today I am sick and I have the first Harry Potter movie in. I may watch a couple in the series today. I am also munching on a strawberry popsicle tucked under my soft blue blanket with the fire on. Sounds wonderful, except, I feel yucky. But I am on strict orders to get better TODAY so I am doing whatever it takes to be a submissive wife and obey. :)

As a sidetracked note
, I think one of the best things about these movies is the music. The music is whimsical, haunting, enchanting. When I hear it on a commercial to go to the Harry Potter Park in Orlando I feel moved to go buy tickets and go right this minute. It excites me. End of note.

Friday, January 21, 2011

one less child

It probably seems strange that I keep talking about families adopting from Ethiopia. No, we are not adopting! but these stories have captured my heart. Today a particular post caught my attention I wanted to share it with you. It is about the American family meeting the Ethiopian mother and the emotions that go with that. The adoptive mother just has a way with words and I found myself crying for the loss. Please take a moment and read it.
When we Belong

I have read, and now follow, many blogs on adopting from Ethiopia. This country is losing so many children. I am so grateful that Americans are able to adopt these children, give them a future. But I feel saddened that they are losing their beautiful babies. I just hurt for this country. A country with people God created. With people God loves. But a country that cannot care for their people. It hurts my heart.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sad facts we should all be aware of


I have been following a few blogs of families adopting children from Ethiopia. I am not sure why but the whole process fascinates me. Today I found one blog with statistics that just make me want to cry. O, who am I kidding, I did cry. Thought I would share those facts with you.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

on a hunt

This weekend was a bit out of the norm. We don't usually visit Ben's parents in Portland and we don't normally go house hunting .

yep, house hunting. We are looking for a house in Sublimity. Our realtor, Levi Wilson of Ned Baker Real Estate, has shown us a few houses. There are only a few houses to really look at. Not a lot for sale right now. But we have a couple on our possible list and are hoping some more go up for sale. It's fun to go through houses and see what we like or don't like. What we think is important and what we think is bad design. What we would pay for and what we think is not worth it to our family. We aren't in a huge rush so we can try to be patient but once I start something I become obsessed. Patience isn't really something I was born with. And we don't really want to be still looking when interest rates start to climb back up. We want to be locked into a great rate.

I have been trying to go through our stuff to prepare for an eventual move day. Thankfully for me, but not for them, my inlaws are out of town so I used their garbage can this last week. :) Which leads me to the other thing we did this weekend.

Almost every Sunday of my kids existence has been spent at the Wilson's house. But today and last Sunday they have been in Portland. Martha's mother had her lung removed and is still at the hospital. So last night we went up and saw the parents. Colleen could not have visitors because of a risk of virus' but we wanted to spend time with Gordon and Martha. We went out for dinner and saw where they have been staying the last few weeks. The kids were very happy to see them.

So it was a different weekend, but a weekend that might become more normal as the hunt continues. It has been 8ish years since we last looked at houses and so much has changed in what we want in a house. It's fun and I am thankful we have a patient realtor.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

This month I am spending time going through every cabinet, cupboard, nook and cranny and cleaning, organizing, and purging. Really what I am doing is tossing "stuff." Stuff I have kept thinking I will use someday. I want to have a cleaner more organized house. I have already put a few boxes of junk, I mean treasure, away for a garage sale. I also have the BIGGEST bag of garbage and I only went through our game area and two cabinets in the kitchen! I thought I would have a garage sale in the spring but now I am thinking a garage sale in February/March might be better. :) I am going to have to pace myself or I won't have enough room in the garbage can this week.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

new year, new goals

This year I have made a few goals for myself. Not resolutions but goals. There are things I want to get done this year or things I want to work on.
One thing I want to do is not only stick to our budget but stay well under it so I can put the excess away in a savings--for fun things not in our budget.

One way to do this is to be much better about meal planning. I have created my January menu(and therefore grocery list). When I plan meals out and buy the ingredients needed beforehand I am more apt to go to the grocery store less and to not go out to eat when I can't think of something to make. I am also making sure that at least once a week I make something to put away in our freezer. I would like to have enough dinners put away so that we don't use our eating out budget--more for saving.

Another thing I started, and plan on continuing, is reading to my kids at bedtime. We all have been enjoying this time together. I know a lot of families already do this but it was never something my kids wanted. Now that they do I don't want this time to go to waste. I want them to remember when their mom read them classics as children.

I also am doing the Chronological Bible in a year. I am excited to try this. I have read the other Bible's-in-a-year but I have never read it in this way and it has been awhile too. It sounds very interesting to me.

There are a few other goals I have set and a few other plans we have made as a family but those are more personal. All this is to say I am excited about 2011. I think this is going to be a great year. A year of growth.

Now my questions to you. What do you plan to accomplish this year? What books do you suggest I read after the Narnia series to my kids? And what are some of your favorite dinners, I am always looking for new ideas.

Saturday, January 1, 2011


Wishing you a year of love, growth and new adventures. I know I plan on it!