Celebrations

Over the weekend we celebrated Zak's birthday. His fifth birthday, but his first one with us. He has been talking about his birthday cake for months so to say he was a little excited would be an understatement. 

We also celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with cupcakes instead of moon cakes. We hung lanterns in our trees and enjoyed a beautiful September evening with family. The moon festival has an element of thanksgiving in it, I have heard it called the Chinese equivalent of our American Thanksgiving holiday. 

It is one of my favorite Chinese traditions that we have attempted to make our own. I think you would agree ANY reminder to give thanks is a good thing. And while the Chinese technically thank the moon, we chose to thank the Creator of the moon instead. 

He has given us a lot to be thankful for which was abundantly clear as we celebrated a little boy and the amazing gift of family.

We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near.

    People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 75:1

The God who Sees

This month, I have been re-reading stories of God's faithfulness.

His faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

His faithfulness to Hagar, the slave who said, "You are the God who sees me." (Genesis 16:13)

And, the same God who was faithful to the patriarchs of old, has continued to care for His children to this day.

My sweet, elegant Grandma died unexpectedly last week. She was saying her prayers when a brain aneurysm ended her life. She was talking to her God in this world and in an instant was in His presence in the Next.

It has been a week filled with tears, remembering, and overwhelming thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for her life and thanksgiving for the care in which our Faithful God carried her home. He saw her. He loved her. He took care of her.

His goodness has been evident through the stories shared of last words and visits within our family.

The God who was faithful to Abraham was so faithful to my dear Grandma.

I am so sad by her passing. I am going to miss her terribly, but her life and death have been vivid reminders to me of God's faithfulness, love and care. And while there is a gaping hole left by her absence in this world, some day I will see her again and together we will praise forever our faithful God who sees us.

The Discipline of Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is not so much a feeling I feel when I’m feeling thankful...

Instead, it is an intentional act. Or better yet, an intentional thought process. It takes discipline.

The more I practice it, the more I am rewarded with that feeling I feel when I’m feeling thankful. It’s a good feeling. Like Grandpa says, it can make a person feel almost selfish it feels so good.

A thankful person is one who remembers where all good gifts come from. And even if the circumstances of life don’t feel good, a thankful person is one who trusts that God is in control anyway. Even when life is hard, there is always something to give thanks for. The person who finds that something and gives thanks for it, in all circumstances, lives a joy-filled life. I believe that is true.

I want to live that kind of life.

I want my kids to live that kind of life too.

Thus begins my quest to live a more thankful life.

I bought a little notebook the other day that sits on my bedside table. The goal is to record five things I’m thankful for every night before bed, so that I can end each day on a thankful note. I started this little practice two weeks ago. And while I’ve only actually written in it, ahem, three times, I have found my days are interrupted more often with thankful thoughts and the intention to add these little praises to my notebook.

I’m still hoping to get more consistent with the actual recording process. A notebook filled with reasons to be thankful has to be a motivating read when I’m finding it hard to find things to be thankful for, right?

Yep, I think so too.

Today I am giving thanks for fall colors, a working vehicle, the God who hears me, a Starbucks gift card, and Focus on the Family podcasts.

What are you thankful for today?

Our First Gotcha Day!!!

One year ago today, we saw our daughter for the first time. It was a long-awaited, much anticipated moment that we will cherish forever.

And while the reality of the moment did not mirror our imagining of it, the reality was better and deeper than we could have hoped for. It is a moment seared into our hearts. A priceless memory, forever ours.

One year ago today we received a gift. One that we are still unwrapping, one year later. An amazing, smart, funny, cheerful, emotional, cuddly, loving, bright, lights up a room when she walks into it kind of gift. A year ago we only saw glimpses.
Today, she opens her sweet heart to us in a hundred different ways.

Using a Suhnism, the way she's melted into our family is "kinda awesome." She belongs with us and we belong with her.

She's a self-proclaimed princess who likes to boss "just a little bit." But she lets the rest of us be Kings, Queens, Princesses, Princes and Puppies so its okay.

She loves to quote movie lines, or her big brother, sister, dad or Grandpa's lines. She thinks they are all "so funny," and is quick to follow-up with a laugh.

Her speech is amazing. Instead of replying with a simple "yes," she will typically give a "yes, I can do that." She surprises me with new words like "nutritious" when I ask her if she wants a snack. She loves to talk. She loves to connect.

She may not be able to walk independently yet, but when she's in her walker you better look out. She will not hesitate to run you over if you are blocking something she wants.

Yep, our Suhn is one AMAZING kid (If you know her, you know what I mean!).

Today, June 28th, we remember once again our first meeting. We look back over the past year and remember tears and laughter. We remember special moments and milestones. We marvel at how fast the year went and how hard it is to imagine life without her.

And we give THANKS from the bottom of our hearts for the gift of our daughter Suhn.

Happy 1st Gotcha Day baby girl!

We love you so much!!

Remembering

Monday night was a treat.

My mom took Mya and I to visit my Grandma. She is moving soon, downsizing to a smaller house closer to us. She has been cleaning out her closets and drawers getting ready for her move. We went to help. Actually we went to take. She told us what she didn't want and we took it (don't worry Jami and Leslie we left some for you).

It was so much fun. We ate dinner together. Mya asked Grandma about her life when she was little. And then we went room by room through Grandma's house and I was given the gift of remembering the countless hours I spent there as a little girl. The rooms, the smells. Its the only house I've ever known her in.

We looked at puzzles I remember doing. We went through the cedar chest full of dress-up clothes. We looked at books and Archie comics that I read on summer overnights before falling asleep. Books that my mom read when she was little and that Mya will be reading soon. We looked at wedding gifts, given over 60 years ago to celebrate a marriage that would last a lifetime.

Some of what we looked at will be moving into our house. A quilt made by my great-grandma given to my grandparents as a wedding gift. Puzzles. Books. Antique blue vases. The cedar chest (with dress-up clothes still inside).

I'm excited about these gifts and the memories they bring back, but I adore what they stand for even more. A Godly life-long marriage. God-honoring lives. Grandparents who love me and continue to invest in my life and the lives of my children.

The legacy my Grandma passes on to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren is a priceless treasure, one that will influence generations for years and years to come.

When you are blessed by a good thing that has been around for as long as you can remember, it is easy to discount its influence, to forget. Even a priceless treasure.

That is why Monday night was a treat.

It was a chance to remember.

Snowed In and Catching Up

It took a blizzard... here's a blog post. :)

And dare I say it,

I have LOVED being snowed in.

It is becoming a rare occurrence to have a complete day at home, and running around with five littles (or even 4 when Mya is at school) is exhausting.

So today I am giving thanks for snow days, a change of pace, a warm house, electricity, and a strong man who is willing to brave the elements to dig us out.

In other news, for friends and family who live afar, here is what we've been up to...

Suhn started preschool. She goes three mornings a week, gets OT and PT for part of the time and has loved the experience so far.

We celebrated Suhn's third birthday. Her first birthday with us. To see her surrounded by HER family, soaking in the love was awesome.

Ahh, vacation. Driving 19 hours straight through with 5 kids is not for the faint of heart...

But the destination was so worth it!

There you have it, a catch up blog post of sorts, with more to come...

Giving Thanks for Choices

"Boys, before we head home, we're going to thank Jesus for all this food. You know why? Because we have choices about what to eat! Many children won't get even one meal today. We have several kinds of cereals and soups. We have sandwiches and crackers. We even have some cookies and juice. Let's say thank you to Jesus."

-taken from Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson

Why is it so easy for me to focus on what I don't have? I look at my closet of clothes and feel I have nothing to wear. I look in our pantry of food and feel I have nothing to eat. I look at my furnished, roomy home and feel it is lacking. I look at my relationships and feel I/they fall short.

And yet, if I follow the promptings of His Spirit in me, and give thanks for the choice of what to wear and eat, for a warm, roomy home filled with people who love I am reminded of what I have. What He has given me to steward.

He has made me rich indeed.

Gratitude is a daily, minute-by-minute choice. One that leads to contentment and thanksgiving, and turns my focus back to the Gift-Giver. Away from my wants and myself.

It reminds me to give freely because I have been given much.

But oh how I struggle to stay grateful and content.

I love that we celebrate a holiday focused on thanksgiving. I need the reminder in a big way. This week many will be focusing on the gifts that have already been received and giving thanks.

Today I'm giving thanks for choices, what about you?

A Breakfast Date

"Mom" she says as she points to the chair beside her.

She wants me to sit with her as she eats. So I do.

The word "basement" follows breakfast. The place where her brothers are. The next stop on her itinerary for the day.

And so begins another day with Suhn.

Last Thursday an e-mail came from the woman who started Angel House, the foster home in China where Suhn lived for almost two years. In it were a few more details of Suhn's history. Some known to us, some unknown.

Some gifts are hard to unwrap; they hurt.

This was one of those gifts. And yet, despite some of the hard things that happened to my little girl, the evidence that God was with her each step of the way is undeniable. She has an amazing story and we get to be a part of it.

The details have me looking at her in a new light.

She has been through so much in her short life and yet she is quick to smile and laughter is never far behind. She loves her family and her joy is reciprocal. It affects us all. It is miraculous.

And while the tears are quick to come when someone she loves steps out the door, the tears come honestly. She has been left before. It will take time for her to fully believe she is home.

I am so thankful for the precious gift God sent us to China to receive.

As a result, the to-do list went on hold because she asked me to join her for breakfast. I relished the moment while it lasted, marveling at the miracle that brought this little girl to our table.

Interruptions

Confession: I cannot multi-task.

Not even a little.

If I'm talking to you on the phone and try to do something else, my uh-huhs to your stories will turn hollow and by the time I'm done doing what I was trying to do I will have to apologetically ask, "What did you just say?"

I'm an embarrassment to the great multi-tasking female race.

On another note, I like to be productive. I like to make it through a day with something accomplished. Preferably several somethings.

It has been said, maybe by Jill Savage, that motherhood is the ministry of interruption, or maybe it is the ministry of availability. Regardless, this does not bode well for a non-multi-tasking-likes-to-be-productive woman (the same could probably be said of a multi-tasking-likes-to-be-productive woman, although she would probably handle the interruption better).

Kids Interrupt. Often. Everyday. Always.

Don't get me wrong, I want to be available to my kids. I want them to know they are more important than any project I may be working on. But in real life, this does not always show. I get frustrated by the constant interruptions, the refereeing, and the cleaning up of messes that I probably could have prevented if I wasn't so focused on the task at hand.

And this is why motherhood is good for me in the take-your-medicine-even-though-it-might-not-taste-good kind of way. Because when it comes down to it, motherhood gives me daily opportunities to lay down my life for another. To lay down my to-do list and my agenda and serve someone else.

So I guess this means I need to start giving thanks for the interruptions, the refereeing and the cleaning up of messes. Maybe even look at them as opportunities to serve my Creator instead of my self. All the while reminding myself that my first priority as mom is shaping and molding and not planning and accomplishing.

Or I could keep getting frustrated...

The answer is obvious, if only it was that simple to act on in real life.

Instead I have one more area to confess my weakness, pray for help, seek truth and depend on His grace.

A Bed for Suhn

My budget was $50. We had my old twin bed frame, but no mattress.

Is it impossible to find a mattress set for under $50? No, but its not an easy find. So, I decided to pray for a twin mattress set for Suhn.

I ran across several ads, but they were either too expensive or had already sold.

So I kept praying.

Last week I noticed a garage sale ad that listed a twin mattress set. I marked my calendar and showed up at the sale two minutes after it was scheduled to open. The woman was still setting up when I drove by. I only saw a mattress, no box spring, but decided to stop anyway.

"Yes, the mattress comes with a box springs," she said.

When I asked how much, she threw out "$10?".

And then she asked, "Are you Kory's wife?"

It turns out Kory had been her daughter's physical therapist a few years back.

She told me we could have the bed for FREE!

I left praising God.

It was a small request, maybe even a little silly, but God answered!

I'm so thankful He cares about the little things.

Giving Thanks for Hearts at Home

When I attended my first Hearts at Home conference, I never dreamed it would change my life. I thought maybe I would learn something that might help me be a better mom. I even thought I might leave encouraged. And if neither of those things happened, I felt pretty sure that I would have a fun "girlfriend" day with my sister and friends.

The conference met all my expectations, and gave me a small headache to boot (information overload!). It also made me want to come back. Seven years and 3 kids later, I haven't missed one.

Looking back over the years, who I was then and who I am now, Hearts at Home has made an impression. The speakers I listened to and the books I was introduced to have made their mark on me, changing me little by little. Making me a better mom and a better wife.

I have learned practical tidbits like praying over laundry and what colors look best on me. I have been reminded to let God write my story and been warned against comparison. I have taken to heart the reminder that God gave me the kids I have for a reason, he wanted me to be their mom.

These lessons may not seem profound. More of them should probably stand out after seven years of attending. But even if I could not share one lesson after all these years, I can tell you that at the end of every conference, I left feeling affirmed as a woman, loved by God, and motivated, even empowered to be a better mom.

So today, I am giving thanks for an organization called Hearts at Home that God has used powerfully in my life. I'm attempting to unwrap some of the lessons learned, and looking forward to attending again this March and for many years to come!

If you are interested in learning more, their national conference is March 12 and 13th. You can go here to find out more!

Home

This fall has been an unusual one for me in more ways than our local weather. I have been invited to travel more than I am used to. The final destinations have been varied, my purposes in going have been diverse, the people I've traveled with have changed from trip to trip. Its all been good, and I have been thankful for the opportunities.

Yesterday I returned from the last trip in the foreseeable future (at least the last trip in which I leave my kids behind). It ended with a sigh of relief and a prayer of thanksgiving for safe travels.

Relief that I am home again.

And while I acknowledge that my earthly home is fleeting and can change in a heartbeat, today I am giving thanks for the home God has blessed me with. Not just the physicality of it, although I am thankful for that, but mainly for the relationships that make it up and the joy of falling to sleep at night knowing we are once again together under the same roof.

In All Things

They say there is a silver lining to every cloud.


I know, I know that is so cliche, but you gotta admit looking for the silver lining makes the cloud so much more enjoyable.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "Give thanks in all circumstances." Sometimes easier said than done, but giving thanks does help one focus on the good rather than the bad. There is always something to be thankful for isn't there? Even in the direst of circumstances?


My circumstances last week were not dire, but they did give me cause to practice thankfulness in all things. The flu bug hit my little buddy. We had to cancel plans, including a visit to dear friends who (because of distance) we see far too little as it is.

I felt sorry for myself for a little bit, but then gave thanks. Thanks for the extra cuddles I received from my sick baby boy. Thanks because we were forced to slow down and stay home (during an especially busy season). Thanks for recovery and health.

My little buddy is doing much better. Although now that he is feeling better, he has decided to become a little more grouchy and demanding giving me a whole new set of circumstances to be thankful in!

A Lovely View

Sometimes I forget to say thanks for the most basic of things. Like breath and sight, and the ability to move freely... without pain.

Today I am especially thankful for the ability to walk. freely. without pain. A small thing until it is taken away. Last Friday the picture above comprised my view for the first part of the day. The ceiling of my bedroom. Lovely isn't it.

My back decided to stage a protest. The strike was loud and painful and to be honest, I don't really know what caused it. I wasn't sure how to react at first and moved almost seamlessly from laughter to tears to laughter to the confusion of those around me.

My husband stepped up to the challenge and truly saved the day giving me a bright side which included an opportunity to read all of Ted Dekker's Green.


So today I am giving thanks for a small thing, that is really a big thing: pain-free mobility.

I'm also giving thanks for small things like frozen bags of vegetables that soothed my sore back, my new, darling heating pad, which faithfully emitted pain-lessening heat when I needed it most, and the creative writing of Mr. Dekker.

But most of all, I'm giving thanks for my Man who took care of all the things I couldn't, including me!

Letting Go

First Grade... It sounds so much older than Kindergarten.

I thought once I made it through the transition to Kindergarten, the end of summer would become easier.

It hasn't.

It feels just as hard this time around. I want to hold on to the days and find some way to slow them down.

Letting go is a hard, deliberate process.

And yet, once the transition is complete and I have readjusted to our new normal I get excited about the growth I see in my almost-first grader. The sadness at how fast she is growing dissipates a little and an excitement at who she is becoming starts to build.

I think that is probably the way it is supposed to be.

So, today I will attempt to unwrap another summer day with my kids and give thanks for the people they are growing up to be.

For more Tuesdays Unwrapped be sure to visit Chatting at the Sky!

Longing for More

It hit me on the way to the grocery store.

A song started to play; the kind of music that tugs at your soul. A hint at the perfect song.

And then the moment passed. The song moved on; leaving in its wake a faint ache and a longing for more.

It was a reminder that I am an eternal being, created for something more.

A reminder that although songs and moments may hint at eternity; in this life, they always move on.

I am thankful for those reminders because, if I let them, they reawaken longings for my True Home where I will hear the perfect song and the ache that comes with wanting something more will be a thing of the past.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men
Ecclesiastes 3:10

For more moments unwrapped head on over to Chatting at the Sky.

A Foul Wind

A foul wind has been blowing through our house. Less than ideal circumstances have come my way and my reaction has been, well, less than ideal.

Its nothing big, just little things. Little annoying things that have me grumbling around the house like an ogre.

There is a song from my youth that contains the words, "Are you grumbly hateful or humbly grateful, What's your attitude?"

I've definitely been on the grumbly hateful side of the spectrum this week.

Needless to say, I have not been the happiest, most patient momma.

My parents used to have a magnet on their fridge that said, "When momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

I hate how true that is. It is so unfair that my attitude has the power to make the rest of the family unhappy. Sometimes I just want to be in a bad mood, by myself.

What a luxury that would be!

Unfortunately, when I start grumbling around, bad attitudes tend to fly through our house faster than crumbs appear on the kitchen floor during mealtime.

It can be such a burden.

In reality, I know I have a lot to be thankful for. And when I start to focus on those things, I tend to move back to the "humbly grateful" side of the spectrum. The wind changes. The rest of the family tends to follow suite. And all is right with the world again.

That is, until the next foul wind blows through!