"Blessed is the man whose quiver is full" Ps. 127
How God Created a Miracle in Our Family...
Most people look at our family and either say "you're crazy" or "what a blessing". It is that statement alone that sets people apart in how they view what happens in life. We were childless for 6 years before God blessed us with our third foster child, Isaiah, whom we adopted. Our tiny, three pound, adorable baby boy quickly became the love of our lives.
8 months after Isaiah was born, my father-in-law gave a woman a ride. That 4 block ride changed our lives forever when she told him she was pregnant and giving up her baby for adoption. Oh yeah...and she was due in 8 days! Well, just 5 days later, we had Makenna Shea!
3 months later, after Dirk and I had just prayed to have another baby when Makenna was about 1, that same birth mother called asking us to take her next baby. Isabella was born 1 week shy of Makenna's first birthday!
The funny part of the story is when we found out that I, the one who could never get pregnant, was pregnant! Ian was born 7 weeks after Isabella! God had given us 4 children all under the age of 1 1/2!!! We were thrilled! Such a work of God's hands it was.
This year we added to our clan when we were surprisingly pregnant again (so much for not being able to get pregnant). We now have 5 under 4! And I now wonder how mom's manage with all those kids so spread apart in age. It may be hard sometimes, but we love our life!
So today has been amazing!!! it was naptime and my 5 year old (6 in 3 days) usually just rests on his bed a while then plays til i come get him. today was different. he had been playing quietly when he comes out of him room and says, "mommy come here."
, "mommy, i just saw God. i was on my bed, i looked up and he was just looking at me and smiled...so i hugged Him". then he says, "mommy, when can i get baptized?' i told him that he could get baptized any time he wanted to as long as you know why you are getting baptized. he said, " iknow why mommy, becuase Jesus came to earth to die on a cross to take away all my sins...and i want my sins taken away...and i will go to heaven then too...and if i don't have jesus in my life it will always be yucky!"
WOW!!! that is really all i can say. we will be spending some time talking to him in the very near future. I can't wait until he is ready! although...it sounds like he is pretty close!!! Please be praying for my sweet baby boy! I can't wait to see where his life leads!
Sometimes our children are sent as rescuers from heaven! mine was today. i am having a terrible day. i got news that has kinda rocked my world a little today and i have had a hard time dealing with it most of the day. I have been crying a lot, and trying to hide it from the kids. but my mood has come through. came through so much that I was really thinking myself a horrid mom in the midst of all this. It is hard to be emotionally spent and still care effectively for 5 chilren (at least and do so happily). But God sent me my rescuer....again! Mat 7:9 says, "Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" I asked the Lord for comfort this day and this is what he sent me....Kenna approaches me and says, "mommy, there is never a better mommy than you! you can even do things my daddy can't do. like make all my clothes clean, play with me, laugh and snuggle with me, clean our dishes and make us dinner. i love you mommy!" The Lord sent me exactly what i asked for in the form of my daughter...my rescuer today! Thank you Jesus!
The year of 2009 has been interesting! As I prepare for the new year, I find myself reflecting on what has passed as much as what is to come. This will always be the year the Lord taught me to practice being an “esther” and waiting on Him in all things. I learned that God will not leave me hanging. He will always follow through. And in that I was able to see my family come together and my son’s life greatly enhanced all due to the Lord teaching me to wait on Him and not do things in my own timing or rely on my husband. It is a lesson I pray I never forget!
This will always be the year I was reunited with my dearest friend, Carmen! She brings special something to my life that no other friend has ever been able to bring me in my lifetime. I am so thankful God showed us favor and brought restoration and forgiveness our way.
This is the year that Makenna blossomed into an amazing, creative, empathetic, sweet-hearted, God loving child. To hear her pray humbles me daily!
This year I keep attempting to grow in my homeschooling and find our home’s niche. I think that may be what is in store for us in 2010!
But most of all this is the year the Lord returned my husband’s heart home. Dirk has spent the last few years really working himself to the bone. He suffered personally in a tremendous way. In waiting on the Lord, He chose to turn Dirk’s heart back to the basics of life…we are sooo grateful! He now stays home until 1pm everyday, does breakfast, bible reading, reading lessons and homeschool with me. It makes our day so smooth and easy with errands, appts, etc come up. he will start teaching and a home group this year too. I am so thankful for this man God has given me. He’s the kind that makes submitting to easy because of how he loves me!
Bring on 2010!!!
It snowed for Christmas this year...how fun is that? so, after the 20 minutes of bundling up, hats, boots, gloves, scarves, layered socks, snow pants...the whole shabang, we went out...for a few minutes! we had our first snowball fight, snow angels on the trampoline, sledding on what proved to be not a good hill, and attempted a snowman with snow that was nothing but powder. 
In true bella form..she ate it...a lot of it!
this was Elias after the enduring the torture of being bundled...ecstatic to explore the world of snow...
this was Elias hating every moment of the snow....and yes, he has pink pants on! he's gonna really regret hand-me-downs one day! On our trip to Tupelo last month, we were reunited with some old friends there. they now have 2 children, Anders (6) and John Michael (8). They were in much need of some rest and reuniting themselves so we decided thier kids were spending a week with us. i mean, what's two more kids after you have 5 anyway, right? so...the fun began. first, they woke up to snow....more snow than they had ever seen in thier lives, as John Michael said. by 8:45 am they were all already bundled up and out in it having the time of their lives. the trampoline just proved too enticing to avoid...i loved seeing them play on it. the week went great! we even added another one to the mix one day just to make things interesting. 8 is fun i must say. i will say that 7 kids is really really loud. due to the fact that i added 2 more boys...it was astronomically loud!! there is something about boys! but overall...the kids and i are all better for it. i hope this was a time their parents were able to enjoy as much as we did. now if i can just get Isaiah to stop talking with a southern accent!!!
Can't you hear it??? just imagine all the noise at my house last week!! 8 children!!!
So the 8 kids decided to make a band. there was no actual singing...because when asked why they weren't singing teh visiting Xavier said, "because people in rock bands only scream because thier music is too loud"!
Christmas was fun this year. the kids are getting older and are getting to understand it more. i can only pray we raise children that truly understand the meaning of why we actually celebrate such a season. of course they still love getting presents, but i do see glimpses here and there of thier maturing minds really contemplating the reason for the celebrations of the season.
can you tell what they all got for Christmas???
This kid cracks us up! he is always playing little jokes just waiting for someone to look at him. here is one of them. you turn around and he has pink glasses on and knows it is funny! he is so funny. you will just look over and he has a pot on his head and he is just waiting for you to look at him then he busts up laughing. he adds so much joy to our house. it really is fun having a little one with others that are older just because we can all find him so funny. when 4 were under 2, no one but me laughed....i like it this way!
Elias is special! truly special. I mean, not only was he a huge surprise in our lives,but this child is amazing! he just brightens up your day each time he walks in a room. His daddy is so enthralled with him too. He has the power to bring all the siblings together as the all love on him constantly. Elias and all his siblings are blessed because they have a father who adores them and adores his God! Dirk is a model I love for my children to follow. He shows them unconditional love, odebience to the Word, and a very hearty work ethic for his family. He is one who takes correction to heart ever wanting to be better in his walk with the Lord, and his place as a husband and father. I have much to learn from him. the bible says in Deuteronomy 6:2 "so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life."
Dirk does his best to instill this in his children. i am a blessed wife!
Psa 127:3"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him."
The change in weather, water, etc in Mississippi made Ian's face really dry. so Dirk says, "go put some moisturizer on your forehead, Ian". he comes in my room looking just like this. i found this profoundly funny and a perfect example of children's ability to be completely literal! i love kids.
Dirk and I were blessed this year to return to our first place of ministry...Tupelo, Mississippi! we had not been back for 10 years. we took all our children (lucky Josh and Carmen!) and we really had a blast. i was really needing this time away and to get to spend it with my best friend was precious to me. Dirk is always really wonderful about letting me go and spend time away from the kids and him when i need to. but not only does he "let" me, he does so makign sure i don't feel guilty at all about it. actually one one outing with Carmen, we came home only to have my wonderful husband tell us to leave, that we were home just too early for a girl's night out! he really does love me as Christ loves the church! i am so blessed. 
Josh's mom, Janice, was so thoughtful as to stay with all 6 kids so that we could all go out and enjoy an evening together as couples. it was a relaxing, joyous time had by all! great food, great company, and a wonderful sitter for the kids. visiting with Janice was good for my soul! i truly enjoyed getting to see her again and remembering why i loved her so! the kids (especially Isaiah) really loved her. she is a natural! 
If any of you know bella, you know that if you hold her, she is your friend for life. well...Josh made that mistake the first day we were there. and on his shoulders she stayed almost incessantly! but seriously could you resist a face like that? occasionally she did give Josh a break to go pee...but that was about it!
My best friend Carmie!!! She does my heart good!
Halloween is my least favorite day of the whole year! usually i am good throwing together "costumes" from the dress up trunk at our house. but this year, i actually started planning in September! big deal for me! now, i still don't go way out, make my own or anything time consuming like that! however, each child was actually dressed up this year. Elias technically wasn't, but he looked so cute in his cable knit sweater we decided he was actually a scottish boy. we had lots of fun in the freezing cold going to a church festival. rode horses, had carmel apples, played games and then did a little trick or treating on our own. good times had by all...
