What do you do?

What do you do when:

You find out your best friend (whom you have known for longer than your husband) is moving far away from you…..

And your insanely conservative husband decides that big changes may be in store for your family…..

Your to-do list is overwhelming you….

Your long lost friend “insomnia” has returned….

And you find out the person who needs to sign your adoption paperwork has just RETIRED….

Throw in a few bad hair days, and PMS and…..

I will tell you what you do.

You crank up the praise music as L.O.U.D. as it will go, and you make seven layer birthday bars with your son.

Because how can anything be wrong when you have Oreos, and marshmallows, and sprinkles…..

It can’t.

And I will prove it to you.

Mmmmmmm……..butter.

And smashed up Oreos…..

Colorful sprinkles……

And sweetened condensed milk…..

Result in this…..

Yum……

You can’t be sad when that is on your plate, staring back at you.

And if you’d like the recipe, all the credit goes to this amazing college girl…..the domestic rebel.….who has more energy in her pinky finger than I have had in my entire body during my forty one years on this earth.    I found her blog during one of my nights of insomnia.  See….good always can come out of bad.  Enjoy!

P.S.  I used cookie dough bites, instead of cupcake bites for this recipe, because that is all I could find in the candy section of Walmart!

Faith

You all know how much I enjoy cooking Indian food…so I decided to dedicate a page (or two) in V’s photo book about some of the things I’ve been learning how to cook.  I hope when she sees all these pictures it will give her peace to know that her mom will be able to make some of the foods she is familiar with, and likes.

But….this actual post isn’t going to have to do with food at all….instead it is about faith in an awesome God.

As we all know….the adoption process is so long, and so difficult.  But, as I have been thinking about it this week, I have come to some conclusions (for myself at least)…..

 

There is NOTHING in my life that has showed me who the Lord is, more than this process.  The fact that I am completely and utterly not in control, makes me learn to trust in Him at such a high level.  Much higher than I have ever had to trust Him before.

 

I have to dive into His Word…and I have to sit there….seeing over and over and over again how loving, how compassionate, how kind, how wonderful He is…and it sets my mind at rest, when I want to doubt.  Doubt this process….doubt Him….   All I have to do is be reminded of His Passion once more, and I know that He knows how very messy, how very painful, how very costly,  how very long redemption is.  But I look at Him, and also know  another secret…..that there is joy in it also.  “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross….”

 

So, this adoption has built my faith muscle like no other.

There has been numerous things this week that have tried to knock my faith to the ground….news…more news, and even a bit more news….none what I would like it to be.  But when I was praying to the Lord I couldn’t stop thanking Him for this process.  Crazy I know.  (And lest you think I am superhuman, I definitely had my breakdown moment of sobbing once this week).  Still….I thanked Him, because I can honestly say I know Him better because of this craziness.  I really, really, really do.  So, when I was tempted this week to pray my desperation prayer, the one where I say, “Please, Lord, if this adoption isn’t going to go through, please end it soon.”  I stopped myself mid sentence….and said, “No….Lord, because if it wasn’t for the limbo I wouldn’t know You like I do.  So, thank you….thank you for the limbo…because knowing You is so worth it.  No matter what happens in the end, this process is SO worth it, for it is a joy to know You more.”

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  (James 1:2-4)

 

And just as a clarification….I still have faith that all will be well in our adoption…the Lord is also teaching me how to have a kingdom perspective faith…..because the bottom line is, He is the God who raises the dead to life, and He is the God who speaks into existence, things that did not formerly exist. (Romans 4:17)  Hallelujah!

but I still wanted to share, that no matter what…… HE IS JUST SO WORTH IT.

 

Ohio Trip (post #1)

So….my blog is pretty much dead in the water….but I am sure once things get moving with the adoption I will get the gumption back to write more….

But I have to post about my most INCREDIBLE trip ever.

The only problem is, wading through all the pictures is taking me f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

So, I figured I’d do a few posts about the trip.

The guys and I started the trip in Greeley, CO at noon on Friday!

We drove straight through, until we hit Lexington, Kentucky, at 9:30 a.m. the next day.

We were tired, but soooo excited, because we were at Renae’s house!!!!!

We hopped into Renae’s van and started the drive to Cincinnati, Ohio!

 

Oh was that skyline a beautiful site!!!!  It meant we were ALMOST THERE!!!!

We headed straight to Kristen’s house.

  And look at who was so happy to see us!!!!

SIMON!!!!!!

We had some serious hunger going on, so we headed out for some pizza.

Lauren and Munni were pretty enthralled with the Leap Pad!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Munni, dancing to Bollywood videos!!!!

And the rest of the pictures are an ode to how insanely cute the two of them are!!!!!

Even though I have almost no pictures of the adults….or very few….I can say that this trip was probably the most fun I have had in I don’t know when.

There were at least 7 different moms I met over the course of the trip who were in the process, or just finished the adoption process in India…and words can’t express how phenomenal it was.

We all connected at such a high level.  We have been “internet” and “phone” friends for so long, and when we finally met it was like we had known each other forever.

It was so easy to talk.

And talk we did.

We stayed up every single night until about 3 in the morning.

EVERY.  SINGLE.  NIGHT.

For a week.

It was crazy fun.

Doing things I just never do.

Like eating dinner at 9 or 10 at night.

(We eat dinner at 4:30 usually)

And getting my nose pierced.

I loved every second of it….and can’t wait until do it again.

(Next post will have many more pictures of our adventures in Ohio….stay tuned.)

 

 

 

A Day in the Life of Grant Rogers

The boys and I were able to do something SO FUN today.

We met Colista’s husband, Grant!!!!

It was pretty awesome.

He showed us the plane he flies…..(while Colista is at home sighing)

Yup, that is snow. 

And after the flight we of course had to go to……

And let me tell you it was definitely a two dozen type of donut day!!!!

This picture is ALL FOR YOU COLISTA!!!! 

Like I said, it was so fun to actually get to meet a fellow adoptive parent in person!!!!  My first one. 

And it couldn’t have been a nicer guy.

We had such a wonderful time….

And, to top it all off, I think I’m going to get a cell phone out of the deal.

Cause the weather was pretty bad in Denver, making the traffic pretty bad on the way home….and I had no way to get a hold of poor Mike.

So….I think he’s planning on looking at cell phone plans for me first thing tomorrow morning. 

Ha….Krispy Kreme, Grant, a plane, and a cell phone all in one day.

Couldn’t be better!!!

You Will Thank Me for This

I made this oatmeal last night, and it is already GONE.

The picture is seriously at a funky angle…but I promise you the recipe is the real deal.

Absolutely incredible.

I did use a 9×13 pan, because I do not even know what a 10 by 7 pan looks like…nor do I own one….

therefore my cooking time was about 5 minutes less than what they said…

I think I cooked it for 25-30 minutes.

I also used cinnamon instead of Chinese 5 spice.

Other than that, I followed the recipe to a T.

In other news…..I joined a gym today.

Notice I said, “joined.”

I haven’t actually worked out at “said gym”, but tomorrow I will start.

I really joined more for the sauna….but then I saw it was a co-ed sauna, and I’m not sure I’m really into that.

But my friend Amber and I are going to work out together, so it should be SUPER fun.

I am also trying to eat better, therefore the picture of my lunch today.

We’ll see how long that “eating good” thing lasts…..because I ate good all day today and I’m still tired.

I know….it probably takes a long time to see the effect…but those who know me, know I am VERY impatient….so if I don’t see some massive energy coming my way soon, it is definitely back to brownies for breakfast.

Not that I really eat brownies for breakfast all that often…..but I may have twice last week.

Because they are really yummy first thing in the morning….

And….

Speaking of exercise, those are Mike’s feet after a round of Jiu Jitsu.

Gross huh?

My feet will NOT look like that after I work out at the gym.

They might look like prunes, from being in the whirlpool….but no cuts, for sure!

 

And lastly…..I have been praying up a storm today.

Hope that those meetings in “I” are going wonderful, and we all get our kiddos home super quick!

Okay, I may have laughed to myself at that last line……but a girl can dream right?

 

Getting There

There’s big brother, taping the walls, so he can paint the trim.

I love the fact that he has painted so much of V’s room.

The two of them have been at it all day.

It’s close to being finished.

Mike’s finishing the ceiling as I type, and Caleb is taking a break from the closet, but I think we’ll crank the rest out by tomorrow.  (we….ha ha…like I’m doing any of it.)

Then, it’s on to our room, because as soon as we (see how I snuck that “we” in again) finish our room, we can get carpet!!!!

Yay.

And then I can finally put her bed up.

I bought the cutest polka dot sheets for her last night.

I can’t wait until she’s sleeping under them!

 

 

Black and White Thursday

I’ve been obsessed with black and white photos lately.

You’ll probably recognize these pic’s, because most of you have seen the color versions of them.

I really love my dog.

A lot.

Probably more than a normally sane person would.

Mike and the boys frequently wish they were the dog.

This is Elijah at the orthodontist today.

He humored me by allowing me to take about 100 pic’s of him there.

But he’s squirmy…and it’s hard to get sharp pictures of squirmy kids.

I wish you could hear me when I take pictures of my kids, it sounds something like this:

PLEASE stand still, c’mon it will only take a second.

OPEN YOUR EYES.  (hence the reason I always get shots of Elijah bug eyed)

Just one more, really.

Ahhh…he melts my heart.

Even when I find out that he has ruined every single one of my wrapping paper rolls by using them as swords.

Yes.

Every single one.

The ones I went out at 5 a.m. in the morning to buy, the day after Christmas.

The ones that match all the new ornaments I bought for the Christmas tree.

Yup.

Those ones.

Destroyed.

He really is lucky he’s so darn cute.

And this one is just growing up too fast.

He is taller than me now.

That is just crazy!!!

***********************************************************

In other news….I really need to start on my picture book for V.

I think I’ll put those last 2 pictures in it of the boys….but I’ll do the color ones. 

I’ll leave out the one of Ruthie and Elijah kissing…..

I am also reading the BEST BEST BEST book right now, which I highly recommend.

It is called, “The Effects of Praise.“

I know…I’m always recommending books….but seriously…..it’s so worth it.

I am still fighting off sloth like you wouldn’t believe.

It is so bad I even started looking up police departments in warm climates, because I am laying the blame for my laziness solely at winter’s feet.

Therefore, I have been begging Mike to apply for San Diego.

It isn’t working.

Poor guy….I don’t think he wants to go round 3 with the police academy.

Twice is enough.

Darn.

Oh….and Happy Valentine’s Day, ya’ll.

Today is a special day for me…..

My birthday is November…..so if you do the math….well, you can figure out what Valentine’s Day is…..  (hee hee hee)

I posted that on my Dad’s FB wall today…..

I’m a pill.

Remember to pray for the meeting in Ind*a!!!!!!!

It is February 19th and 20th.

Seriously hoping for some March and April movement on NOC’s.

Lazy

My poor neglected blog.

It has been almost a month.

Which means that in 6 days we will officially be in our fourth month for waiting on our NOC.

But, I have been doing really, really, really good.

I have been totally at peace with the wait.

I have a high degree of peace that we will be bringing V home this year, and that is good enough for me.

Although, I will admit I have been EXTREMELY tired and lazy this winter.

Hence, the lack of blogging….lack of reading blogs….lack of picture taking…..lack of doing a whole heck of a lot of things.

But today we received a coupon in the mail for a candy store, and I decided it was time to get out of the house and get some candy!!!

 

There is something about the bright colors of candy that make even a cold winter day happier and brighter.

 

 

 

And then on our way home we saw our friends….but of course I just got a picture of their dog….

Beautiful Bella.

Anyway, just wanted to write a quick post saying I’m still alive…..just very unmotivated.

 

3 Months Down

So, Saturday was our 3 month mark for waiting for NOC.

Our agency told one of my friend’s today that the longest they’ve ever heard of waiting for an NOC is a year.

My poor friend is working on 7 months right now.

My 3 month wait is NOTHING in comparison.

But…since NOC’s have come to a screeching halt, I’m not sure what our wait will end up looking like.

Our agency is thinking that they may be on hold until after the February meeting.

So…in the meantime, I have been going to town on my service plan.

I watched a FIVE HOUR DVD this weekend all on adopting older children.

It was actually a really great DVD.

Long.

But super good information.

They did a whole segment on the brain.

I decided that the adoption process has affected my frontal lobe, because since we have started this process I have definitely become less organized, more emotional, procrastinate like crazy, and have a shorter attention span.

But seriously, one of the BEST things I heard on the DVD was that in the adoption process you have very little control, BUT our expectations are under our control.  Expectations can lead your emotions around by the nose, therefore we must recognize and work on our false expectations.  And of course I know one of my false expectations was how long this process was going to take. 

But enough about our process…..

Look what else I have been doing.

Yup.

V’s quilt.

It is almost finished.

Yipppeeee.

I have also been nursing sick kiddos.

Caleb has been sick.

And Elijah is now sick.

(You’ll be glad I didn’t take pictures of his sickness.)

And I am thinking Adam may possibly be getting sick now, too.

Crazy, huh?

Thank goodness I’ve been taking my B-complex vitamin so faithfully…..I am positive it is what is giving me all this energy!!!!!

P.S.  Caleb has had a haircut since these pictures were taken.

Chai Tea and a Movie

Don’t you wish we could all sit down together with a cup of Chai and watch a movie?

Someday.

But until then….I have to tell you about the MOST fabulous tea I found at Whole Foods.

It’s expensive.

It’s Whole Foods after all.

But so worth it.

It is very finally ground tea leaves, and you have to boil them, and then let them simmer for 3 minutes.

Then add the milk, and boil it again, and simmer another three minutes.

The directions say to add only 2/3 cup of milk to the 2 cups of tea, but I add WAY more milk than that….

I found it to be way too bitter for me if I didn’t add more milk.

You also need a strainer to strain the tea leaves…I have one that a friend gave me a long time ago, but I think that if you use a few layers of cheese cloth that would work just perfectly.

There were tons of bags of it at the store….I bought the decaf one, because I’m kicking the caffeine habit.

And now on to movies.

I have watched a fair amount of Indi*an movies…and like them quite a bit.

I watch them on Netflix, but I noticed that some of my favorites are now gone from there… 

I’m linking the movies to their reviews, because I don’t have time nor do I remember all of them well enough to write out my own review.

My Name is Khan – This one used to be on Netflix, but I couldn’t find it the last time I looked.  It was excellent.  A tear jerker…but excellent.

Like Stars on Earth – This is by far my favorite movie.  I even did a whole post about it a while back.  This one is not on Netflix.  Leslie actually mailed it to me, and I watched it that way.  Although, she bought the movie while in Ind*a, so I had to convert my computer to an Ind*an setting to watch it.

Chak de India – This was a great movie, about a girl’s field hockey team.  I loved it because I played field hockey when I lived in Maine…but I never really have seen it outside of the East coast.

Barfi – Elijah and I watched this in bed the other night…he stayed up SO late.  It was a love story, but not the typical, everything works out perfectly in the end.

3 Idiots – I resisted watching this one for a very long time.  Even though it has my favorite actor in it…Aamir Khan, it made me nervous, because it was rated PG-13, and I couldn’t stand the name of it.  So…I just kept thinking it was going to be horrible.  I was so wrong.  It is at the top of my list of favorites now.  A few scenes were hard to watch…but it had such an incredible message.  I had to actually rent this one on Amazon streaming, because I couldn’t find it on Netflix.  (Thanks Mummy J for telling me it really was worth the watch…..)

Paa – A great story about the love between a mother and son.

Jab We Met – This is just a typical kind of fluffy movie, but it was clean and fun to watch.

Veer-Zaara – Another romance…but pretty atypical.

Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Dhobi Ghat

Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara

Well, that is enough to get you started.

I have two types of favorites….one is the movies that have a point behind them…that are trying to make some moral statement about society, etc.  There are a few of them in the bunch I listed….and therefore I can get past a few scenes I wouldn’t normally like to watch.

The other favorite I have is the total fluff pieces.  BUT…if I’m going to watch a fluff one, it has to be completely clean.  I do not like the ones where they are dressing and dancing in a more Americanized fashion…I like the old-fashioned Ind*an movies.

The movies are LOOOOOONGGGGG.  I frequently have to watch them in a few different sittings.  But I like that.  I also like the subtitles…it’s like watching a movie and reading a book at the same time.    But I watch them on my laptop, in bed, so I can have it close to my face!

So, if you have any other suggestions let me know…I’m always wanting to hear of good movies!