Are.You.Ready.To.....WRESTLE!

Jon Milledge certainly is!

The other guy got a point here because JM locked his hands...who knew that was a rule?? Not me!

Look at my baby's arm muscles...crazy!

A takedown...whatever that means!?

And....HE WINS!!!

Apparently Jon Milledge and Anderson decided this year that I wasn't spending enough time in my car, so they have both taken on new activities. Of course they haven't given up the old ones either. Jon Milledge is now on the middle school wrestling team and playing drums in the band. Anderson has decided that basketball would be great fun! They are both still playing baseball and Anderson played football in the fall. As much as it might sound like I am complaining...I really love every minute of it! If we were ever at home for more than bedtime...well...I might actually have a clean house! :)

Who Started Christmas?

Who Started Christmas?

Author unknown

A woman was Christmas shopping with her two children.

After many hours of walking down row after row of toys and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the store elevator with her two children in hand.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened revealing a crowd in the car.
She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids and all her bags of stuff in with her .

As the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot."

From the back of the car, a quiet calm voice responded, "Don't worry, we've already crucified Him."

The rest of the trip down was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all would, just think how much better this world would be.

Jesus is the reason for the season. Wise men still seek Him.

37

I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish he didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa

Thanksgiving Guest

Meet Linnaeus, Jon Milledge's class leopard gecko and our Thanksgiving guest. Jon Milledge called me from school and asked if he could bring Linnaeus home for Thanksgiving. I said, "Who is Linnaeus and why doesn't he have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving?". ;) Mrs. McCullough, the science teacher, allows kids to take turns "hosting" the class lizards over each school break. So, my thinking was it would be better to have Linnaeus as a house guest for the next five days rather than the 2 1/2 week break at Christmas! Wasn't I smart? Now, if we can remember to feed him, keep the cat away from him and hopefully not kill him on our watch....which would so be something that would happen to me! Wish me(and Linnaeus) luck!

Three Years Waiting......

The day that we had hoped would never come, has come. Three years ago today our life history in the form of a dossier was logged into the China Center of Adoption Affairs system in Beijing, China. We had such happy hearts and dreams that day. Now three years later, our adoption feels like a very distant dream that is only that....a dream. We have seen so many children come home to their forever families over the last three years and long for that to be us but for whatever reason it hasn't been meant to be. We can only hope and pray that our day is coming but most days now we have resigned ourselves to the fact that we don't think it ever will. We continue to be sad, frustrated and mad but also hopeful that there is a little Ruthie waiting somewhere for us to be her family.
You can read my thoughts after one year and two years....amazing how much your heart can take and harden in a matter of three years. Oh how I want this season of my life to be over and have my daughter home.

Boys...

Raising Boys
Author: Roberta I. Teague

I scrub the wall of fingerprints,
Pick up the mounds of clothes.
I sweep the dirt that shoes track in-
Wish I could use a hose!
Meals are served from dawn to dark,
Dirty dishes crowd the sink.
Just when they’re washed and put away-
Everyone wants a drink!
The washer pulls the dirty grime
From pants worn thin and patched.
They look so very neat and clean-
Yuck, look what the pockets hatched!
Broken bones and bloody knees,
I should have been a nurse.
I take it all in shaky stride-
Just grateful it’s not worse!
Screams and shouts and arguments
Test the keeping of my cool.
They left the neighbor’s faucet on-
See their new front yard pool!
A soothing bath is ecstasy,
A reward at the end of my rope.
Raising boys isn’t really bad-
But first I must wash the soap!
A rose can say I Love You,
Orchids can enthrall;
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,
Oh my, that says it all!

Seriously??

Seriously, is it even possible that we have been waiting for 35 months? Unfortunately, it is not only possible but it has happened. As of today, we have waited 35 months for our Ruthie to come home. Surely we are on the downhill run of this ride now. I mean.....seriously!!!

Double Digits!

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY, ANDERSON!!

We love you!

34 Months...

The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen. Ralph Marston

We are being realistic in that we know that even after 34 months, we still have a long way to go. But we also have faith and remain hopeful for the day when we will see Ruthie for the first time. Oh what a day that will be!

Anderson's Baptism 8.23.09

Last night I witnessed a very sweet, special service with my church family. I am always very moved(by that, I mean I am usually a blubbering fool!) when anyone is baptized, especially children. But, when it is your own child and your husband is the one baptizing him, it is extra special and moving(meaning LOTS of blubbering!). Anderson, very matter of factly, about a year ago asked us when we were going to let him be baptized. We explained to him that it wasn't up to us, that there were steps he had to take before he could be baptized and that it was between him and God. He asked what those steps were and we explained to him about what you need to believe and about asking Jesus to come in to your heart and be the Lord and Savior of your life. Milledge got out the Bible and went over scripture with him etc. He looked at us and said..."Is that all? I did that about 6 months ago!". He has been to talk to our pastor who said that "Anderson understands salvation more than most adults". I thank God that both of my boys have made the very important decision to follow Christ at early ages! Needless to say, I was and am a very proud wife and mother!

Milledge talking about Anderson and the importance of baptism

Milledge talking through his tears

Milledge was asking Anderson if he was ready to live for Christ daily

Happy boy and proud Daddy!

Our family

Milledge and Anderson

Ugghhh!

Well...I missed the opportunity to acknowledge our 33 Month LIDiversary due to the birthday party. I thought about forgetting it altogether because that's sort of the adoption mood that I'm in right now but since Ruthie might read my blog one day, I didn't want to miss a month! :) So here we are, 33 1/2 months later with no baby, no answers and very little hope left. I just wish I understood why? Why did we feel called to adopt if it was going to take 3-5 years? Why did the China program slow down after we signed up?(probably started before that but it sure feels like we were the cause of it!) Why didn't we sign up with an agency that had a waiting child list? Why does God think it would be a good idea for me and Milledge to have a baby at 40 years old when that so wasn't our plan? Why me? Why us? Why my family? Actually, my question should be why not me? Why shouldn't God be using this valley or trial to strengthen me and my family? Sometimes I think as children of God we get to a very stagnet place in our walk with Christ where we think we are...I don't know...."too saved" to be touched by trials, therefore we end up in the whole "why me?" state of mind. Instead we should be saying "Why not me God, here I am, send me!".
So, here I am in the valley called international adoption and doing the only thing that I can....looking up.

13th Birthday Bash!

Temporary Loss of Sanity....

Ok...please say a little prayer for me today. My friend, Jamie, and I are having a HUGE 13th birthday party for our boys tonight. By HUGE I mean about 95 kids are invited, we are having a DJ and hopefully lots of fun. I am not sure what we were thinking when we started planning this but oh well...it's too late now! It is also sort of a Back to School Bash since our kids started on Wednesday. So far we have only had about 5 tell us they weren't coming. :) We have lots of chaperones and lots of food so surely everything will be alright for 3 hours??? Surely! Jon Milledge's class is a very social but close knit group of great kids so I'm actually excited and can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll let you know...pics to follow...after I recover!! ;)

Pray NOW!

Please pray for baby Stellan right now! I have been following this family for over a year now, as I'm sure some of you have, and Stellan has had a rough few days. He needs a miracle....soon. Pray for wisdom for his doctors, healing for him and peace for his parents.

Fun at Lake Chatuge!

My boys were invited by some great friends of ours to spend the last week at Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, GA. They had a blast and came home with lots of fun stories and wonderful memories. Thanks Colin, Jamie, Jameson and Cole for a great week!

32

People have to learn sometimes not
only how much the heart, but how
much the head, can bear.
~Maria Mitchell ~

After 32 months of waiting to see our daughters sweet face, I think I have learned that my heart and head can obviously endure a great deal. How much more can I take? Only God knows.

Baseball and a Birthday!

This past weekend we were here....

doing this...

While there, this cute guy.....

celebrated this huge birthday....
...which could be scary for some people but he is really a great kid so there is no fear here!

Happy, Happy Birthday

Jon Milledge!

31 Months

We didn't forget our 31 Month LIDiversary on June 8th, we were just busy....

....here

(the yellow house was ours for the week!)...

doing ALOT of this....


and quite a bit of this!!!

Could he be any sweeter?

My Anderson is probably the sweetest child I have ever met. He is very kind and tenderhearted....always putting others before himself. He is selfless when most children his age tend to be more selfish. He is that child who will really take the smallest cookie so that someone else can have the bigger one. He also worries over things that he has heard or seen...often asking weeks later about someone or some situation that he has been praying for without us even knowing. I can say all these things about him because he is just like his daddy, not me! :)

On Wednesday's, I go to work at 7am and Milledge has morning duty. As I was leaving this morning, I asked Milledge if he would make me some ham roll ups for my lunch(because I was running late, of course!) and bring them by my office after he dropped the boys off at school. About 7:45 this morning, I looked up from my desk and I saw the sweetest little face grinning at me and holding my lunch bag. After he left, this is what I found in the bag.....

...the best ham and cheese roll ups I've ever eaten, a rice krispie treat and a bag of chips too! On top of my lunch I found this.....

OH how he melts my heart!!! He is so precious to me!

If you can't read the note, it says....

I.heart.U

We left you a little surprise in here(the rice krispie treat)

Have a great day

P.S. I did my best on the ham rolls(yes he did!)

Really....do you think he could be any sweeter?

Memorial Day

May we never forget or take for granted the freedom we have due to the sacrifices of others.

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~Joseph Campbell

Caution! {My} Men at Work!

What was I doing while my men were working so hard in our yard? Taking pictures to put on my blog, of course! I love that Milledge has taught our boys how to work hard and to have some responsibilites. Also, I enjoy watching them want to be so much like their daddy and striving so hard to please him....it is precious to me!

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys." ~Harmon Killebrew

30 Months Down, How Many More??

Who would've ever thought that after 30 months of waiting we would feel no closer to Ruthie than when we began this process? Certainly not me. This is hard....very, very hard.

There are times when God asks nothing of His children except silence, patience and tears.
C. S. Robinson

Honor's Night

My sweet Anderson had his Honor's Night tonight at the elementary school. I am one proud Mama right now! He received a medal for having all A's throughout the year. He received the Math award which means he maintained a 97 or above all year in Math. And he received the Physical Education award which means he was a good sport, had a good attitude, had good social skills and was willing to participate in all activities.
Yay Anderson! We are so proud of you and love you bunches! Next stop...4th grade!

Anderson and his third grade teacher, Mrs. Watkins. He adores her!

Receiving the math award...

Receiving the PE award with two of his best buddies...Carter to the left in the blue shirt and Jacob to the right in the brown shirt.