Jordan Daniel

I certainly would be remiss if I didn't write a tribute to my husband, Jordan.

Jordan Daniel

(Isn't he so handsome?)

I hardly know where to begin. 

Jordan is a strong man.  He has a commanding sense about him when he's in the room but he never is overbearing or overwhelming - not anywhere close to it.  His quiet presence seems to affect others in a way that I haven't seen often.  He respects others' opinions and he also does not agree with others' opinions at times but he's never one to argue about it.  In fact, he hardly discusses it unless asked or invited.  Jordan marches to the beat of his own drum (no pun intended here, he is a drummer).  He knows what he believes in and what he would like to do and he does it.  He never cares what others will think, say, or do.  He's a man of conviction...the quiet kind, not the brazen and bold kind.

Jordan is a man of integrity.  Jordan follows through with all of his commitments...the whole way, not part of the way.  He is a man of his word.  He does not lie, exaggerate, stretch, omit, or alter the truth in anyway whatsoever.  Sometimes I feel he is honest to a fault but it's never once come back to get him.  He is the man who can carry the sign "Honesty is the best policy."

Jordan is a dedicated man.  Jordan puts 100% into all of his responsibilities:  our marriage, our children, and The Marines.  He wakes up earlier than the Corps makes him so he can stay physically fit, he stays up late on long days to be with the children, he turns off football games to spend time with me, and he'll suffer through John Wayne and LOTR to make me happy...the list continues.  He's a hard worker; rarely taking time for himself.  He is not selfish, not selfish at all.  He's giving of himself for the sake of our family and for his career - I truly respect and admire him for this.

Jordan is a natural born leader.  He understands the importance of "actions speak louder than words."  He rarely tells anyone what they should do but rather shows them how by living it out in his life.  He does not point fingers, condemn, or give advice where it is not needed or wanted.  He continues to do the right things in the right ways day after day...and wouldn't you know, people notice.  He never once has told me how to do something , to start doing something, or to stop doing something.  He only does what he feels an knows is right - I see that and I learn from him (he reminds me a lot of my Dad in this regard).  He's a doer, not a talker.  He has an open mind and a closed mouth.  I love that, too.

Jordan respects the woman that I am.  He understands my strengths and my weaknesses.  He allows me to use my strengths in our marriage without fussing or "putting his hand in the pot."  He also compensates in the areas where I am weak without holding it above my head or making me feel badly about it.  He respects my career, my opinions, my mind, and my heart.

Jordan is a godly man.  The Lord's favor has always shown in Jordan's life.  I truly believe this is because he is man who pursues God.  Though his time is highly limited from his job, he makes time for church, for devotions, and for prayer.  He doesn't waiver or faulter but always does what he knows is true and right, regardless of the consequence.

I know my husband isn't a perfect man, but he's perfect for me.  I respect and admire him more and more each day...and I'm thankful, very thankful. 



Amanda Elaine Elizabeth

And now for Daughter #3, the sauciest of them all.

Amanda Elaine Elizabeth

Age: 2

DOB: 2/9/09

Favorite Color:  orange

Favorite Food:  If you can eat it, it's her favorite. 

Favorite Activity:  talking, talking back, following Mommy around the house, and playing dress up with Brooke

Favorite sport:  riding her scooter and her bike

Interests:  dogs, Uncle Chris, food, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Tinkerbell

How she chose her new name:  Another true story:  When the older children decided to pick new names, Amanda chimed in from the back seat of the van "I be 'MeenahMeenah'."  She was the first to decide her new name.  Now "MeenahMeenah," in Amanda-eese, is translated:  Miss Amanda.  From the first time that our Amanda met my lifelong friend Amanda Wright Stettler she has been obsessed with her.  Since that day in May she has called herself MeenahMeenah and she has called all of her baby dolls "Baby Abby," who is Amanda Wright Stettler's daughter.  Six months later our Amanda can actually say her name correctly but when she refers to Amanda Wright Stettler she still calls her MeenahMeenah.  She also still names all of her baby dolls Baby Abby.  We gave Amanda two middle names only because we couldn't decide on one.  Since Crystal chose two and Amanda Wright Stettler has two middle names, we decided to give our Amanda two.  Elaine is Jordan's mother's middle name and Elizabeth is my mom's middle name.  That's the story of our Amanda Elaine Elizabeth.

Amanda is our saucy child.  She is in time out 4-6 times per day not because she misbehaves but because she talks back or talks too saucy.  Each time she says something she's so funny about it, but unfortunately for her many of the times it's inappropriate.  She's something else.  Let me try to remember a few of her lines over the past few months:

- "Momma, if you don't stop fussin' at me I'm going to pop you in the mouth."

- "Grandpa, get over here right now (she's in my parent's bathroom and my dad is in the kitchen).  Grandpa, I said you get over here right now (he finally comes to her).  I'm pooping in your toilet, hahahaha."

- "Momma if you don't give me that you're going to be a Mean Witch."

- "Get away from me and shut the door, I'm so mad at you right now."

- "Does anybody have any broccoli around here, I'm starvin'."

- "Nobody can touch my dog or I'll shoot you with a shoot gun" (yes, shoot gun, not shot gun)

- As she's dancing in the living room she's shouting:  "Is there anyone more beautiful than myself"
- After I told Amanda she was so smart she replied:  "Jesus made me smart...and pretty too."

She really is a riot.  Thankfully her "timeout" area is a stool in the bathroom so I don't have to take her too far before I burst out laughing.

Amanda has an imagination at two years old that can rival that of any six year old.  Likely a result of her past, Amanda can entertain herself for hours at at time.  I'm not kidding.  Because of her age she mostly parallel plays instead of actually playing with other children (unless the older kids make her play with them!).  She can use one baby doll and pretend so much.  If she doesn't have what she needs, she just pretends.  You have to see it to believe it.  She's incredible.  She has a mind like Walt Disney in that way.  Because she entertains herself so well timeout is a real trick.  If she's left on the stool longer that a minute she'll pretend she has a dog or a baby and then pretend she's playing with it.  We've had to be real crafty with timeouts in order to make them effective.

One downside of Amanda entertaining herself so well is that while we were sorting through and addressing the more serious issues of the older children Amanda often was inadvertantly shoved to the side.  It seemed that the sqeaky wheels got the grease.  The older children required so much more time and attention and Amanda demanded nothing of us.  It wasn't until a few months after we had the children that Jordan and I realized that Amanda never came to us for affection or attention.  She sure loved it when we gave it to her but she never sought us out.  She didn't realize that adults were a source of love, affection, and attention.  We actually had to teach her this.  From that point on we made a conscious effort to give her extra undivided attention.  After only a week she caught on...and ever since then she hasn't left our side.

Amanda enjoys having me to herself while the big kids are at school.  She would really much rather help me fold laundry, fix beds, and make dinner than play with her toys.  Every morning she asks me "What are our chores today?"  She's a fast, attentive learner.  She can match socks, fold towels and rags, sort each of the children's clothes from another, stir pots of food, sort the silverware and dishes, and sweep the floor.  Her favorite thing to do is unload the dishwasher - I hope this lasts until she can actually reach the cupboards :)

Amanda loves her Uncle Chris.  She talks about him all the time and colors an endless supply of pictures for him (many of which I don't even send...shhh!).  When she's with him he's the one who has to bath her and dress her.  You should see his baby pictures.  He and Amanda nearly twins.  When the girls got their ears pierced she demanded that she sit on Uncle Chris's lap.



Amanda adores her Daddy.  She's the child who is most excited when he comes home from the field or from a day at work.  She always remembers to pray for him and she prays specifically for his situation.  This is one of my favorite prayers she said for him (give or take a few words):

"Dear God, Thank you that Daddy is done working in the rain in the field.  Thank you

that he can sleep in his comfy bed at Christmas time with Mommy and that he can eat

breakfast at our house.  Amen"

Amanda has a real heart for caring for others.  She always makes sure everyone has blankets and pillows when they are relaxing...even Brooke.  She gently will pat our backs and stroke our head while saying, "I love you, you are so pretty/handsome."  She always asks "Are you feeling happy?"  Amanda has a tender spirit and truly seems to enjoy seeing to other's needs. 

Conversely, Amanda is fiesty.  She does not like to be bossed around or told what to do.  She enjoys figuring things out for herself and typically has the patience to do so.  This ranges from coloring in the lines to dressing herself to doing a puzzle.  I enjoy seeing independence in this child and the pride that comes from achieving it.

Amanda may be a chef some day.  She LOVES food, all different foods.  She eats spicy foods, every raw vegetable, every cooked vegetable, fruits, meats, you name it, she'll eat it.  She takes eating very seriously.  She has really mastered the table manners we've been trying to teach and now will use both utensils so that she doesn't have to touch her food.  She remembers not to talk with her mouth full and will remind whoever is doing so that it isn't appropriate.  She remembers all the "good" food choices we've been teaching the children and will also holler at anyone who is making a bad food choice.  Embarassing at times, yes.  However, we're proud she's learning.

Amanda especially loves our dog, Brooke.  She calls Brooke "her baby" and always is with Brooke when we're in the house.  There is a mutual love between the two of them.  Amanda puts headbands and bows on the dog, lays on the dog, covers the dog with loads of blankets, sings to the dog, and even feeds the dog her breakfast.  They really are pals and it puts a smile in my heart to see this.

Amanda's just a sweetheart.  Aside from her saucy mouth, she really is a sweet, loving child.  I've really enjoyed having her home with me.  It has allowed me to really get to know her which wasn't so easy with the three big kids home.  She's got a smile and a pair of eyes that can melt your heart in an instant.  That sure has made disciplining her tougher but I can handle her!  She's my snuggler, my baby, my saucy, sweet, Amanda.  I'm really not looking forward to her turning three next month.  My baby is growing.



Brea Scott

Daughter #2

Brea Scott

Age: 4

DOB: 9/4/07

Favorite Color: blue

Favorite Food:  goldfish crackers

Favorite Activity:  coloring, cutting, and puzzles

Favorite sport:  swimming (she's a fish!)

Interests:  her Grandpa, Dora the Explorer, solitary play, preschool

How she chose her new name:  When Brea decided she wanted to choose a new name (again, her choice, not ours) she wanted to be called "Grandpa."  She loves her Grandpa Snyder more than most anything in the world.  It took a looooong time to make her realize that someone's name simply cannot be Grandpa.  We had to explain that Grandpa's name wasn't even Grandpa but that his real name is Scott.  Well, then she wanted to be called "Scott."  Great, now we were stuck.  After another round of explaining she settled on her middle name being Scott.  Jordan and I chose her first name for her which she happily agreed upon because she was already excited about "Scott."  It's short, easy to spell, and somewhat like her original name.  The only catch is she prefers to be called "Brea Scott" and not just "Brea."  Around the house her nicknames are Scott, Scotty, and Little Scott.  She's pleased, we're pleased, and my dad is thrilled.  That's how we got our Brea Scott. 



Grandpa and Brea Scott





Brea is a child that makes my instinctive protectiveness flare.  Brea has a host of special needs that include:  dietary restrictions, behavioral issues, mild MR (mental retardation), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), LLD (Language-Learning Delays), and Developmental Delays (in fine motor, gross motor, and speech).  She sees a specialist for most every part of her body except for her teeth!  We're currently in the process of sorting through what all of this means and the severity of each with her neurologist and therapists.  She attends a specialized preschool where all her needs are met and she receives daily therapy in each domain.  She's a very high-level child in regards to functioning but she clearly has needs that require extra attention.  However, just by meeting her a few times or by watching from afar one may not know she has special needs.  This is where my "Momma Bear" attitude is exposed.  I cannot and will not tolerate anyone commenting on the functioning, behavior, or my parenting of Brea.  She and I have come a long, long way and have a mutual understanding of how her life must go.  Over the past few months (with tremendous amounts of help and support from the neurologist and professionals at her school) we have really nailed down a healthy lifestyle and schedule for Brea where she can thrive and become all that she is able.

Because of her sensory and stimulation issues she easily becomes overwhelmed and overstimulated.  What I am most proud of is Brea's new found ability to self-monitor and self-regulate.  She can now (85% of the time) stifle one of her fits until she's walked herself into her bedroom and closed the door.  She'll then lay on her bed and scream and kick until she is done.  When she's done she comes back out happy.  What we're even more proud of is that she's learning her own breaking point.  Within the last month she will now take herself to her room before she starts having a fit, will close the door, and will read books or do puzzles until she's regulated her body again.  Sometimes she'll stay in her room for 20 minutes, sometimes she'll stay in her room for three hours.  She really has come so far.  I couldn't be prouder of my little nugget.

Brea is an equal opportunity player.  She enjoys girl toys such as barbies and babies but she also loves boy toys such as cars and blocks.  She does not like Disney Princesses but will tolerate Jasmine because she wears blue.  All of her baby dolls and stuffed animals are boys and have boy names...except for Dora.  However, Brea loves to wear hair bows and dresses...as long as they are not pink.

Brea is very sensitive.  Her feelings are so easily hurt but she also is very sensitive of other people's feelings as well.  She always tries to comfort a sad person and she always laughs with a happy person.  She is incredibly intune to my demeanor.  She can read me like a book and her attitude will most always reflect mine.  Brea loves to sit on laps but does not like to be held.  She loves to give kisses and hugs and always tell me she loves me.  At school her teachers tell us that all the other kids always want to be near with Brea because she so nice and caring.  Brea always shares her toys.  She usually will not play with you (as she prefers to play alone) but she will always give what she has.  Caveat:  You must first ask.  If you take her toy without asking she'll likely have a fit.  However, she'll never tell you no if you ask.  She's thoughtful and considerate.  She's just a love.

Brea is a strong-willed child.  When she has an idea in her head she will not rest until she sees it to fruition.  Many times strong-willedness comes across as stubborness...and many times it is.  She LOVES to test me.  Out of all the other children Brea is the child where consistency is the key.  If ANY rule or expectation is changed she will undoubtedly have a fit.  This is more a result of her special needs than of the trauma of her past but nonetheless is a combination of them both.  We cannot waiver even the slightest way in our routine and expectations.  If plans are going to change, Brea must be briefed and prepared well in advance.

Brea loves her Grandpa.  I'm glad I don't live next door to my parents for I fear I would never see my child.  When we visit my parents she will sit on my dad's lap for hours at a time looking at books.  She doesn't even care if he's watching television, she just wants to be near her Grandpa.  I'm not sure what the connection is nor do I really care.  I'm thankful she's finally attaching to family and friends.

Brea continues to amaze us day by day. Our God, in his infinite wisdom, gave our special child so many gifts.  Where she struggles just to dress herself, she can put together a 24 piece puzzle without looking at the picture.  Where she cannot recogize all of her letters, she can recognize all the roads between Pennsylvania and Virginia and will tell me which landmark is on each road.  Where she can't walk ten feet on a wide balance beem without falling, she can jump off the low dive and swim to the ladder.  She truly is a gift with so many gifts.  We are uncertain how Brea's life will develop and unfold but we are certain of this:  She is here for a reason, a special reason.  She will undoubtedly knock the bloody socks off of everyone she meets with her determination and her love.



Crystal Kay Marie

And now for my oldest daughter:

Crystal Kay Marie

Age: 5

DOB: 2/10/06

Favorite Colors:  pink and purple

Favorite Food:  oranges and butter and jelly sandwiches

Favorite Activity:  playing house

Favorite sport:  gymnastics

Interests:  Disney princesses, baby dolls, barbies, and fashion

How she chose her new name:  When she decided she wanted a new name (her choice, not ours) she chose Crystal after my Grandma Snyder and her Great Grandma Snyder, Crystal Joy Snyder.  She chose it because "she loves Great Grandma a lot and because it's a 'snazzy' name."  She then told us she chose "KayKay" as her middle name after my sister (whom they call Aunt KayKay) because she loves her so much too.  We had to do a little persuading and drop it to "Kay."  After a few more minutes of thinking she asked if she could have two middle names since she loves Aunt KayKay but still loves her original middle name, Marie.  Again, we couldn't argue with that so now we have our Crystal Kay Marie.

Crystal is my mystery child.  It takes every neuron in my brain to read this child.  She is a five year old girl who would like to be 25 most days and completely independent.  However, some days she wants to be five months old and completely dependent.  Women!

Crystal is a very social child.  She loves to be around people all the time. The girl can't take a bath without shouting out for me every five minutes or so.  She is not content to play with her toys unless someone else is in the room.  She cannot stand to be alone.  She craves attention; she thrives on attention.  Truth be told this scares me a little bit.  We are working incredibly hard to teach her to seek the right kind of attention at the right times.  We are also trying so hard to teach her to be content with herself.

Crystal is 100% Type A.  She follows all the rules and her room is neat as a pin.  If you open her drawers you'll find everything is arranged just so.  Her dresser is neat and organized.  Her shoes are always in a perfect line.  Her toys are sorted by type in her toy bins.  She wipes out the sink after she brushes her teeth...everytime...without being told.  She rarely needs to be told to do something twice.  She really is an easy child in this regard.  You can always count on her to do her chores thoroughly and then do a few on top of that.  As a mother I appreciate this tremendously.

Crystal must always know what is next in the schedule.  She hates surprises (even good ones) and uncertainty.  It's almost as she needs to mentally sort out how each activity will be for her or how she wants each activity to be.  However, this has developed a control issue within Crystal.  Likely from all the uncertainty in her past, she feels the need to be in control of nearly everything.  This is Crystal's main issue.  There is a HUGE difference in liking to be in control verses needing to be in control.  Crystal can really have a negative attitude when situations, whether they be in play or in our actual schedule, don't go her way or don't go as expected.  The two mantras we always repeat for her are:  1.  Show love not hate and 2. You worry about you.  She is working very hard on this and we have noticed a big difference in her attitude when she tries.  She truly is trying and we see that.  We're very proud of that.  It tells us she understands and is trying to make a change.  God bless her little heart, as adults it's so hard for us to make a personality change.  Can you even imagine how hard it is for a child...especially for a child who has only experienced 9 months of positivity?

Crystal is a Momma's girl.  She loves her Daddy very much but she clearly needs her Momma.  She does not rest when I am away.  In fact, she often will act out whenever I have to leave.  I'm not sure if it's because she's truly sad because I've left or if she's actually mad that I left.   Nonetheless, my times away from the house without her are far and few between and are usually for necessity and not recreation.  Even when we leave the house, she must be the one to hold my hand.  If my hands are full she holds on to my pockets or purse.  If I'm in the living, so is she.  If I'm in the kitchen so is she.  I know she will need to learn that I will always come back but for now if I don't have to leave, I'd rather not.  I want her to be content.

Crystal is a fashionista.  Where Joseph is all boy, Crystal is totally all girl.  She loves to coordinate her clothes, hair ties, socks, shoes, etc.  She saves her money for the newest and coolest fashion accessories.  She dictates to me how her hair needs to be done.  She carefully chooses her body mist for each day.  When she's dressed and ready she poses in front of door and asks "How beautiful am I today, Mom?"  In our new house this girl will need the biggest closet.  Even when she colors, nothing is ever the color it's supposed to be but rather the color she feels it ought to be.  For her, the more color the better and the brighter the better.  Soon, she'll be giving me fashion advice.  She loves to sit at night and do my hair and put on my make-up.  Once she's done, she'll wipe it off and start all over.  She's already counting the years until she's 13 so she can wear make-up too.

Crystal has a memory like a steel trap.  She doesn't forget anything.  This will serve her well in schooling.  Because she had a late start in the education domain she was behind her peers at the start of kindergarten.  In just six months she has already caught up to them and has surpassed them in math.  She is truly a whiz with numbers.  She already understands the concept of addition and subtraction...thanks to the wonderful Disney Princess flashcards and workbooks (thanks, Zia!).  She also memorizes songs, rhymes, stories, etc.  The only caveat is that she only remembers what she is interested in...typical child!

Crystal will go far in life.  She has excellent organizational skills and the foundation of good leadership qualities which once refined will allow her to lead with love and grace.  She also has the desire to do well.  This means so much in life.  Without desire, your skills mean nothing.  She will be something wonderful.  For now, she's my wonderful child.





Joseph Joshua

Last night as I was waiting for the ball to drop I couldn't help but reflect on all the many blessings in my life.  Naturally, my children are at the top of that list.  With that in mind, I've decided to do a sort of tribute for each of them on the blog, starting with the oldest.

Joseph Joshua

Age: 7

DOB: 6/10/04

Favorite Color: green

Favorite Food:  Grammy's spaghetti and tacos

Favorite activity:  building just about anything - legos, transformers, puzzles, blocks, etc

Favorite sport:  swimming and baseball

Interests:  Marvel superheros, Penn State, Phillies, wild animals (from national geographics)

How he chose his new name:  True story - He went into his room so he could think about it.  He wanted ideas so he took in his Bible and a picture album of our family.  Approximately 15 minutes later he came out and told us he wanted to be Joseph Joshua.  He thought Joseph (the son of Jacob) and Joshua (from the battle of Jericho) were "pretty cool guys" from the Bible.  So that's how he became our Joseph Joshua.  Though we had some other ideas of our own we certainly couldn't argue with that rationale.  Thus, Joseph Joshua he is.

Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.  Even as I type his name I must shake my head.  My son is such a wonder.  There truly is something about a mother and her son.  As quickly as I want to wring his little neck is as quickly as I want to squeeze him up tightly.  Joseph is all boy.  He loves to get dirty, he loves to invent "creations" with sticks, stones and mud, and he loves to build spaceships, forts, and boats.  He hates taking showers but will sit in the tub for an hour as long as he has his shaving kit and match box cars.  He hates cleaning his room but will gladly weed the whole one acre yard for a dollar.  He adores Jordan and looks to him for approval.  He loves me and comes to me for comfort.  He can't stand his sisters at times but will always look out for them and look after them.

Joseph can read like a champ.  Currently, he is in his own reading program at school where he is at a fifth grade reading level (he is in first grade).  This is truly a gift of his as he is average in every other subject.  Joseph will read nearly anything he can get his hands on but he especially loves books about predators and prey, nature, inventions, and the Bible.  At only seven years old Joseph will pick up his Bible, read a chapter or two, and then come to us with thoughtful questions, many of which we struggle to answer.  He's memorized many verses (some, because he had to write them out as punishment!) and already has learned so many stories.  Joseph is curious about EVERYTHING.  This child has not one question but rather one hundred questions about everything.  Because of this I'm sure that his gift of reading was chosen especially for him.  This boy is never satisfied with the information we can give him - thank heaven for books!

Joseph clearly struggles from the trauma of his past.  As a parent I must always remain one step ahead of Joseph.  I've come to really learn what will set him off, what will trouble him, or what will excite him.  I've learned to anticipate this and prepare for it.  I have to plan my reactions so I don't overreact or underreact.  Joseph yearns for consistent comfort.  He loves knowing that expections, rules, and routines, aren't going to change.  Sameness is his comfort.  Thus, sameness he will receive.  It is tough to always prepare for what may come next but it surely has been worth it.  He has made so much progress in the past nine months. 

Joseph is a sweet child.  Though he must work through some issues, he often tries to please us.  He always helps out around the house when asked, he loves to do "big kid chores" like vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  He's the child who will randomly come to us, hug us, and tell us he loves us.  Any my Joseph is handsome, boy is he handsome.  I know I'm rather biased, but really, look at the kid.

 

Joseph is adventurous.  He loves to try activities, regardless of what the pain or fear level may be.  He loves to ride scary rides, try stunts on his bike, and attempt flips and turns in karate.  Until May he had never been in a pool in his entire life...infact, he didn't even know how to wear a bathing suit (he had so much trouble understanding you didn't wear underwear!)  By August he was diving off of the high dive at the pool and riding waves in the ocean.  We have such great hopes for this guy.  His brains and will power will undoubtedly take him as far as he chooses to go.  Watch out, world, Joseph Joshua is out for an adventure. 



They Are Ours!

Parental Rights Have Been Terminated!

Although this news is truly sad for the biological parents and will be upsetting on some level to our children now and in the future, we are rejoicing.
I feel as though the heaviest burden has been lifted from my spirit.  I had imagined how I would react and how I would feel and the scene wasn't what I thought.  It looked a little like this:

Amanda and I just pulled in the driveway from a rather large trip to the commissary.  As I walked in the door with both arms full of groceries, Amanda hanging off my leg and Brooke jumping to greet us, the phone rang.  Amanda said "It's my crazy Grammy again" (which it usually is.)  But, I looked at the caller ID and it said Lehigh County.  I always answer their calls, always.

Our caseworker for Lehigh Co. then gave us the wonderful news:  Parental Rights have been terminated.  The children will be ours.  The children are ours, but now the paperwork will match our hearts.

I tried my best not to cry or shout.  Amanda was with me.  The kids are always so sensitive to my moods that I didn't want to worry her with my tears.  Then I started the phone calls. 

Our caseworker in State College is filing our intent to adopt tomorrow.  We are serious and we want everyone else to know.

Here are the various scenarios:
1.  The parents have 30 days to appeal.  They do not appeal within the 30 days and the adoption paperwork begins immediately.  The adoption will be finalized in 2-4 months.
2.  The parents appeal within the 30 days.  The case is reviewed again.  There is NO REASON to believe that the decision will be overturned.  A termination case has never been overturned in the history of Lehigh County. 

*Please pray that the biological parents do NOT appeal this decision.


There are so many things I want to post about this.  They will come in future posts.  I'm high as a kite.  I'm thankful.  I'm humbled.  I'm relieved.  I'm happy.  I'm joyful.  I'm Momma.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17

Don't Stop

Just when you think things are beginning to feel normal again...

...you get whacked in the head with a conviction stick!

We've had the kids just over six months.  It is only now that I can say things feel "normal."  All six of us have fallen into a routine and schedule that suit us all.  We're learning more about what makes each of us tick.  As parents, we're learning even more to anticipate what to expect from our kids.  I'm getting used to a "lived in" but still very clean house and the noise and chaos are something that calms my spirit now instead of something with which I must be patient.  We're really feeling "jelled."

Let Jordan and I both be honest here.  We felt like we've done our part.  We took not one but four children into our family and are providing them with the best life that we are able.  Knowing this, we have ingnored some opportunities to continue to bless others.  We have too regularly used our children as an excuse not to give more of our time or resources.  Now don't get me wrong:  I feel that children are a VERY valid reason not to exhaust your time and resources.  It is a priority of ours to spend quality time with our children and to give them opportunities.  However, that cannot be an excuse not to do more for this world or the people in it.  

Over the past few weeks I have been so strongly convicted that I simply cannot stop doing more.  There are two verses that are very familiar to me that have surfaced recently more times than I can count.

"This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

- 1 John 3:16-18

"Once our eyes have been opened we can't pretend we don't knwo what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

- Proverbs 24:12

These verses are not new to me but as of the last few weeks they've held a completely new meaning.  Friends, we cannot let ourselves become complacent.  Shamefully, Jordan and I have allowed ourselves to fall into this way of thinking.  We cannot be satisified with what we are doing.  There is always a chance to give more, to love more, to invest more, to help more.  This can look so different but can make such an impact.

Hear me now:  USS Ames is NOT done.  We have made a vow to NOT stop helping and giving because we have already done so.  That is not a good enough reason to stop.  It will take some creativity.  It will take some energy.  It will take some sacrifice.  But it will change lives.  Every person reading this has our permission to help keep us accountable.  

p.s.  Still no word on the latest court hearing.  We're still waiting but we're hopeful.  Here are some of the latest pictures of the kids.  Please excuse some of my "didn't have time to rotate" pictures.

Face painting at Quantico Fest 2011

Pumpkin Painting

Bug Catching...although they had the bucket they refused to touch the bugs!

My parents and our nephew Tyler came down for a weekend.  The big kids begged Tyler to carve their pumpkins.

So proud of our Student of the Month!




The Ninja






Tinkerbell

Cinderella (plus about three layers!)



Alice in Wonderland
She has NO CLUE who this is but her favorite color is blue so this costume won!








 

Heading to a Halloween Party down the street







After a busy night of Trick-or-Treating.  And yes, the baby is picking her nose :)