Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,
Happy Birthday! I love you. You are the best dad ever! Daddy, you are a good singer. I know you love Jesus because you sing about Him. I love it when you tickle me at night.
Love, Areyna


Dear Daddy,
I love you so much. And I want to give you a lot of hugs and kisses and wrestle a lot. Today I want to get some candy for me and I will share it with you. I love you ‘cause you are a good daddy. You are a good daddy because you love me and you give me bites of your cereal when I’m hungry. I just love you so much and I just want to give you lots of presents every day. Happy birthday
–Zeke

Daddy,
Car…go…eat…bubby…car…eat…hungry…car…shoes…eat…thirsty…daddy….love you…car…bubby…awww done…thirsty…car…beep beep…eat…nite nite
-Micaiah

Can I Get An "AMEN" From The Men!

Remember this post from last spring?
Well, apparently it was a big hit with the fellas!

While reading through Proverbs I came across some very repetitious passages.
I figured it would be worth sharing,
since there appears to be a pattern here:)

Of course, it won't apply to any of us,
seeing as it was written thousands of years ago,
but it must be worth noting if it is mentioned so, um, delicately.

Poor Solomon, who wrote much of this book.
He had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

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

"A foolish son is his father's ruin,

and a wife's nagging is

an endless dripping."

Proverbs 19:13

"Better to live on the corner of the roof

than to share a house with a nagging wife."

Proverbs 21:9

"Better to live in a wilderness 

than with a nagging 

and hot-tempered wife."

Proverbs 21:19

"Better to live on the corner of a roof

than to share a house with a nagging wife."

Proverbs 25:24

"An endless dripping on a rainy day

and a nagging wife are alike."

Proverbs 27:15

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

Now, you women need to read this very carefully.
Search deep within your hearts
and repent from your nagging ways!

I don't have time to meditate on this right now, though.

I've got to go remind Josh that the ice tray

needs to be filled back up if it's empty,
it's time to mow the grass again,

empty boxes need to be thrown away,
I still need help putting the diaper sprayer on the toilet...

OR
maybe I'll keep my mouth shut today,
pray for him as he seeks the Lord's will and direction for our family,
do what I can to serve him
and try to smile while I fill up the empty ice trays...again:)

Words Of The Week

You have probably been staring at these words on our wall for a month.  That's how long we've been on them.  Needless to say, our Luganda language lessons had been put on hold due to...life:)

So, for those of you learning along with us, let's get these 3 words learned so we can move on to the next batch!

I Told Him Not To Let Go

I spoke at a MOPS group this morning.

The kids got balloons on the way out the door.

I told them,

"Hold on to your balloons.

Don't let go of them.

If you lose it and it blows away

You don't get another one."

Micaiah took this literally...

...and wouldn't let go of his balloon,

even to eat lunch:)

From Chaos To Control: Closets

Closets are another area in the house that can really get out of control.  I think a big part of it is because nobody else really sees it.  Most closets have doors and most women keep them closed...for apparent reason, ha!

Here is what I did to clean up our bathroom linen closet.  I had to keep in mind placement of medicines and things like that for safety issues.

1 - I pulled everything off of the top shelf and worked my way down.

2 - I made separate piles for adult medicine, children's medicine, first aid, things that don't belong, and other toiletries.

3 - I emptied the baskets and sorted everything in its appropriate pile

4 - The top shelf is my extra house decorations so I just straightened those up

5 - I then went through all the medicines, throwing away any expired ones or empty boxes (that would be Josh's doing, ha!), and put them in the "adult medicine" or "children's medicine" baskets

6 - I cleared out a basket for all of our shampoo, conditioner and face wash.  Another basket for Oral Hygiene, another little basket for samples (I use these on the road), and straightened the bottom shelf.

7 - I put all the things that don't belong in this closet AWAY!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The easiest way for me to clean a huge disorganized mess is to totally take everything out and start over.  Make piles so you know how much you have to work with in each category, get rid of excess junk and put everything else away that doesn't belong!

Not Me Monday

Cai was having some...uh...issues.

The pediatrician sent us home with 3 tubes to fill with...uh...poop.

They instructed me to store it in the...uh...refrigerator when filled up

until we could drop off the...uh...specimens.

I thouroughly enjoyed this whole process.

Yup!

I would never stare in dread every time Cai would make the...uh...face of doom

thinking that this was the diaper that I'd have to due the...uh...task.

Nope, not me.

I would not find myself answering the simple question of, "Hey babe, where is the butter?"

with...

"Next to the poop."

Nope, those words would NEVER come out of this momma's mouth!

Nope, not me!

I would then not try to block the whole...uh...incident out of my mind and keep forgetting

about the poop, forcing me to write "drop off poop" on my to-do list for the day.

Nope, not me!

And since "drop off poop" was not on my daily to-do list, you'd never hear me

...repeatedly...

telling the kids that we would do ______________ A.F.T.E.R. dropping off the poop.

Nope, not me.

Fun Facts For Friday

1 - Passport Appointments - I wish I had pictures of all the reactions we got from the on-lookers while we corralled our small herd around the post office yesterday.  Their faces gave every thought away.  Thoughts like, "Why did you bring ALL your kids to the post office?", "Really, you are just going to let one of your sons roll around on the floor while the other one wrestles on top of him?", "Are those jammies and froggy boots on that kid?", "Boy, I'm glad that's not me!", "Remind me to make sure they are not on my 8-hour airplane trips to Uganda!"

I thought it was especially nice that the post office gave us forms to fill out at home so the process would go more smoothly with all three of the kids while at the appointment.  It would have been even more nicer if they would have given us updated ones!  THAT would have indeed helped the process go a lot smoother:)

Oh well, at least they are filed and mailed and now we wait.

2 - Wait - Yes, this is the stage we are in with our adoption now.  We are waiting.  Waiting for passports, waiting for INS approval, waiting to send our Completed Dossier to Uganda.  Just waiting.  I usually hate this word, but right now, I don't mind it so much.  It is giving me a chance to level out my life a little bit. 

3 - Balance - What do I mean by "level out my life?"  I've been working on balancing the adoption process with my current life at home.  I've been working on being present and patient with the children I have with me right now.  I'd been feeling convicted lately.  This adoption process is very important, but that doesn't mean that I can neglect the 3 children that are already with me.  That doesn't mean that this process will define my entire life right now.  I'm working on it.  Sometimes I'm just a slow learner.  My kids have been so patient and understanding:)

4 - Music - Areyna began real piano lessons this Wednesday.  She has a WONDERFUL teacher!  I asked if she wanted me to sit in with her or in the foyer?  She said, "out there" and I was fine with that...but I have to admit to continually peaking in on her as she made sweet music with her delicate hands.  I'm a pretty proud momma!

5 - Presents - Zeke is our gift giver.  We have never questioned what his main love language is!  He LOVES wrapping presents for other people, and makes sure to tell us that he does not want anything in return.  He simply loves to wrap up little trinkets and toys in coloring-book-page wrapping paper.  Josh wrote a really sweet post about one such gift...so sweet:)

6 - We'll be at New Sandy Creek in Henderson this Sunday.  We're leading worship for their Youth Sunday.  Man am I glad I'm not in charge of getting those kids to sign up to teach the older Sunday School Classes this time, ha!  This is the church Josh served at for 4 years.  We love this church.  The people are family to us and it will be so nice to see them again.

7 - Micaiah is 28.2 pounds.  Just thought that was noteworthy.  He is such a "healthy" 1 1/2 year old!  Oh, he is all about the drums now.  He loves to sit next to them during rehearsal and just stare.  He has already picked up on the 4-count to bring the band in!

Well, I gotta go chase some butterflies!

Have a GREAT weekend friends.

Resurrection Songs: "Set You An Example"

Here is the latest singable installment of Josh Via's "Resurrection Songs"

Enjoy...Download...Share!

These creative boys are in the studio today tracking Song 6 for next week as we speak:)

Heart On A String

Today, well actually last night while we were sleeping, the Orphanage where our little girl lives, received some very special visitors.

Our little Shabila got to see her Poppy and Uncle!  What a reassuring feeling it was to be able to see her in their arms...safe...happy...content...

I don't know what all the rules are for showing pictures and videos of the little girl we are adopting are, but I figure, the videos have already circulated so I'm just going to do it.  If I am instructed to take them down I will, but for now, here she is:)

Be still my heart...


***Sorry friends, I was instructed to take the videos down.  You'll just have to come visit us and we'll pop some popcorn and sip some tea and watch them over and over again, ha!***