Rollin Down the River 2009

We have been so busy since the end of the school year I've hardly had time to sleep, much less get on and upload pictures from all of our activities! I'll attempt to catch up our story line now that I have a moment where it's ok to push off the impending deadlines of work and do something a little more fun for a moment. . .

Our 2nd Annual trip to Lake LBJ/Colorado River was huge success! Unfortunately The Woods Gang could not join us this year, but Brooklyn brought along her BFF Lauren Lee, and a good time was still had by all!
The biggest surprise of the year was Bill's "present" to Mom on her birthday, um. . ., of a JET SKI! It added a whole nother element of fun! Several were able to go out on the boat while others rode the wake on the jet ski. Jason took off with the girls in tow, and returned a long while later where he proceeded to jump off and swim to the dock, and they took off without him. Freaked this momma out! I couldn't believe he had taught them how to drive it! They did amazing though and I remained relatively calm until two other teenagers crashed less than 100 yards off of our dock, after which, I was nervous for them every moment they were out, but I survived and they were amazing. They went after the biggest wakes available, crossing them perpendicular to get the most air! Lauren was the master at sharp donut turns and then zooming out from them. They only managed to lose one another off the back end of it a couple of times!. It was crazy to watch them stop in the middle of the river and perform this acrobatic driver switch maneuver! I was shocked they could switch places without tipping the thing over! I never had as much luck trying to pull it into the dock. I tipped over every time I slowed down the speed! :)
Nathan's hair was absolutely hilarious this year! Every time we would go out on the boat or jet ski his hair would be wind blown so high he looked like a mad scientist with his dark goggles on. I couldn't help but take a picture of his adorableness!
Nathan was a little more timid than usual on this trip, until we got him out with daddy on the jet ski and on the tube with Hobby. Hobby was driving so fast and whipping him around so hard I thought he would hate it, but he was laughing so hard and having a ball. That is, until the last turn, I thought the boat was going over we took it so sharp, and he shot off across the water so fast I knew it was going to end badly! Sure enough he was dumped hard core into the water, and when we finally got back to him, the tears were enough for him to call it a day. The adults didn't stick to driving the kids around, we had an awesome time of our own! Jason and Bill went out skiing which was a lot of fun for them. Hobby was impressive on the slalom.

We had seen a kid going by on a tube and he was literally surfing it with no rope or anything to hold on to. Jason of course will try anything and so he tried, but as you can see, it was impossible for him to get up!

It was also on this trip out that Bill whipped Jason around on the tube so hard he acquired a 12 inch by 8 inch bruise on his inner thigh upon impact. I thought I had hit hard when I could have sworn I lost my right you know what and cracked a rib! When I came to the surface I realized the only thing missing was my swimsuit, and I had to work quickly to cover up before the boat circled around to get me! :)Even Mimi got in on the action. She loved the jet ski too, and was a willing participant in all of Corban's diving contests. He laughed hard at her holding her nose all the time though!

Diving was Corban's obsession this trip. He could care less about the boat or the jet ski, he only wanted to jump in the water, from wherever he could, and the higher the better!

We had fun making up different positions to jump in, and even came up with games like having to sing part of a song during the long fall from the top roof! Bill and Jason tried repeatedly to master the football catch on the way off the roof, and Corban just had to show them up!

I managed to stay out of all the pictures this year, which wasn't exactly the plan, but worked out ok for me regardless! Thank God there wasn't a camera going off when we drove down and docked near the rocks. We swam into the submerged rocks and tried to climb up them. OMG! They were so covered in algae they were slippery as all get out! Mom and I must have looked like beached whales! We could only get about a quarter of the way up and we were stuck. We couldn't stop laughing which made it even more impossible to climb. Finally our men came to our rescue and pulled us up so we could get out of the freezing water! We had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard.

It was a Fabulous trip and we are extremely grateful to Mimi and Hobby for taking us and letting us enjoy their toys!

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. By which we call, "Abba, Father!"

Romans 8:12

So I've been doing amazingly well with the ups and downs of this adoption. I have not allowed myself to be consumed with anxiety or obsession. I have allowed peace and understanding to reign in every area of this adventure, that is until Sunday night.
We had our Home Study and our Social Worker's job is to question the ever living out of us concerning the possible negative issues our children will arrive with and to grill us about our ability to handle those needs. I never once wavered in my belief that God is in control but satan began whispering in my ear all sorts of retarded lies. I won't say I believed them, because I never lost focus on what God has told me, that my children, all 5 of them, will be emotionally and physically healthy and fully attached to me and Jason and to each other, but the weariness of the road it could take to achieve that began to overwhelm me. That coupled with my first sense of their rejection by others, and I opened the door for the spirit of fear.
I attended a powerful prayer meeting on Monday night in which God confirmed for me I hear Him, and I can trust what He's said to me, because He always fulfills His promises. Towards the end of the evening, the room is opened up and people begin to simply share what they hear the Holy Spirit telling them about anyone in the room, and I began to ask God to confirm for me through a stranger in the room that I was gifted with what I needed to bring these children home and be the parent they needed so that I could put away my fears. And wouldn't you know it, GOD delivered, answered, and provided! The only African in the room, a man so beautifully dark even the whites of his eyes were hard to define, raised his hand and pointed at me. He said, "When I look at you, I see Doctor." His accent was so strong, it made his statement even more definitive. In that instant I knew God was confirming that I was the Dr my children would need, I will be able to minister to their needs, and heal their deficiencies. Not by my might, but because the Holy Spirit lives in me, and by His power, and by the blood of the Son we can all be perfectly healed, not just in heaven, but in this life.
I've begun to allow God to show me glimpses of them in my prayer time with Him, an image I've frequently shaken out of my vision before, out of just sheer overwhelmedness! :) But, in the last few days I've just allowed the Spirit to take me there, and it's nothing short of skydiving, the sensation of seeing things unseen. They are beautiful and my heart is filling with them already. I'm beginning to yearn for them in a new way. To have a sudden fear response, similar to the one I have when I jerk around to look in the back seat because I think I've left a child behind at a resteraunt. I've often had dreams that my children have been left alone at home, or somewhere frightening, and no matter how hard I run, it seems I'm unable to get to them, and that sense of angst to get to them is beginning to develop in relation to these two precious ones I've never even met.
It's the healthy side of being ready to go. I will not question God's timing, I know it's perfect, I will not fear when ups and downs arise as they always do in international adoptions, but I will continue to grow in my eagerness to get to them, to bring them, home, to hold them, and to begin the rest of their lives as Crazy Roots.

Graduates!

On Tuesday Corban Graduated from Kindergarten. These are the four neighborhood kindergarteners all proud together! Corban loves having his playmates so close.

Today, Wednesday, was the last day of school and Brooklyn's graduation from 4th Grade. It's hard to believe she's finished with elementary school. Enjoy her Graduation portrait and her picture with Emmy, her neighborhood best friend since they were 4 years old.

For my friend Debra

As I was praying over you just now, this image came in my inbox. It was taken this past week with the attorney my mother works for while they were in Yosemite.

Here is what I feel impressed to share with you from the Holy Spirit.

Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of the Lord speaking. Ezekiel 1:28

Although you are standing in the storm, and the lightning is flashing around you, do not lose your focus. Just as the photographer of this shot waits through the rain, set in position to see the rainbow, so you to must remain poised, alert, and waiting to see the rainbow, the appearance of the glory of the Lord. And just like this photo, you know you have heard the Lord speak to you about your double portion, do not stop watching when His glory first appears, but His glory too will be displayed in double portion according to His will and desire for you to enjoy peace and abundance.

This photo belongs to Gary Hart of California.

Click here to read his commentary on it.

Happy 2 Months Carson!

Aunt Gina loves taking pictures of this little man!

Mimi's Birthday

We went down to Midlothian on Saturday to celebrate Mimi's birthday. The kids were dying for some cousin time, and the pool was calling their names. Jason and I had our first appointment with our Social Worker that morning for the adoption, and so the kids went on ahead of us, but we caught up in time for lunch and cake! The Crazy Gang conquered the day with fun and laughter!