40th Birthday/They Played Together

Yes I did turn 40! Tom my wonderful husband and Kelly my best friend thru a surprise party for me! I really didn't want a party but it was great to see my friends and family.

I forgot to let you all know that YES miracles once again happened. Austin and Trevor actually played soccer at the same time in a game, I tried to get a pic so I could remember it always. It was a great birthday present. Trevor even scored and Austin scored but was called back because someone was off sides. Thank you God for wonderful little gifts of boys.

Birthday Celebrations

Happy 14th Birthday Austin

Here are a few pics that I like of you.

This pic was when you were so afraid of the camera. You loved playing with the bunny. That was the only way we could get you to smile.

Easter 1995 Austin 6 months

Tyler (almost 3 years old), reading a book to Austin (3 months old)

I'm not sure how this got on here, but don't know how to edit it out so random pic of Tyler
This is Tyler while he was on spring break working at a childrens home in Juarez, Mexico. He loved it. He said it was one of the best times of his life.

Here is Austin and Grandma reading birthday cards and getting mula.






Love Ya!

In Limbo

A FEW PICS OF THE WEEK

Here is Tyler getting a Gold Star from the National Thespians Society for all of his work in the school plays.This is where Samson sleeps when Tom is gone hunting, he likes to snuggle with me.

Here is Austin and his bearded hen turkey he shot. Tom said it was a very long shot and he got it all by himself.


This is Ryan, our nieces boyfriend, this was his very first time hunting and guess what, yep he bagged a huge, I mean huge turkey.
It is tied with Tyler for the biggest turkey on our farm.
Way to go Ryan.

Well yesterday I was able to log on to a couple of websites that talk a lot about the adoption in Ukraine. It doesn't sound good from the reports listed. I talked it over with Tom and we are going to commit to praying about it for 2 weeks and see where we stand. Do we decide to continue in the Ukraine region or move to Russia? Do we not adopt? The difference is huge when it comes to the finances of it all. So just keep us in your prayers as we decided where and what God wants from us.

He Played!!!!

I was so happy to see Austin able to play in the game. That is him number 14, he got to play about 5 min, but hey I'll take it. I told him to just keep working hard at practice and maybe the coach will notice his effort.We ended up with a 1-1 tie.

Go Lisle!!!

Happy 18th Anniversary Baby

WOW, Where does the time go? Can't wait to be with you another 18 baby. Love Ya.

Soggy Saturday

Well just like those weather men to call it all wrong. I was expecting to have a beautiful sunny day at the soccer tourny when out of nowhere rain, yes rain. Enough rain to make the fields muddy and the players wet, not to mention the parents. I was glad I had my jacket with. The tourny was a bust for the kids, Trevor and Andrew played well but lost or tied their games. One good thing though Andrew did score a goal. Yeah!!!

Our factilitator for the home study called and told me that we have to be interviewed by a pastor and he is not available for 2 weeks, yikes, I thought that at least we could get this faster, but I guess God has everything in his timing.

Well I'm off to bed, Andrew has an 7:45 game in Rockford so we have to leave by 5:30 am so I'm off to bed. Good night.

Fabulous Friday

When the weather gets warm this is what I start thinking of. That is my best friend Kelly, she looks all great here but don't let the smile fool you, she likes to knock you off of the knee board. Hee, Hee, oh maybe thats me that likes to do that. Can't wait for summer.

The sun is shining and it is going to be a whopping 70 degrees today, YEAH!!!!

Tom, Tyler and I completed the fingerprinting for the DCFS part of the adoption. I am dropping off our paperwork to the agency today so now we can start our interview process of the whole thing.

Tyler is busy getting ready for a dinner theater play that he is working with at the school. He has been really busy.

Austin did not play at all in the soccer game, Trevor played the whole time. He was sad, but glad to be getting out of town for hunting.

Trevor and Andrew have a soccer tourny in Rockford this weekend so I'll be busy running from one field to the next.

I keep researching different adoption avenues to use for the adoption and haven't signed any contracts but we are getting closer.

Have a great weekend.

The Sun is Out

When you live in the midwest you wait and wait for the sun to come out, well guess what folks today is the day. We get to leave those heavy coats and bare our white arms for all to see. What a beautiful day.
Austin and Trevor have another soccer game for school today, I pray that Austin will have a chance to participate. It does get frustrating as a player to be at practice and not allowed to play in the games. Hopefully the coach will come to his senses today.
Tom and I got fingerprinted today for the Home Study part of the process, Tyler will go after school today. Things are getting checked off the list, like Dory says from Finding Nemo, just keep swimmining, just keep swimming, well I just keep signing, just keep signing forms that is.

Here is a pic of some flowers starting to pop thru and open up. I love it when things bloom again.
I couldn't believe my eyes this morning, can you see who it is at the piano, yep that's right Austin and Trevor, WOW miracles do exist. These are the two boys that don't like each other very much. They were playing a song together I couldn't tell you what song chopsticks or something but what joy it brings to a mothers heart.

Couldn't Sleep

In my Easter Picture you couldn't see it but Cooper was in the pic standing at the boys feet. He got cut out of the pic so I thought I would let you see him. Here Austin took this pic for a photography class at school. Cooper is staring at our neighbors yard hoping to get a bone from him. As you can see he gets lots of bones.







Here is Trevor and Austin after their first soccer game for school. This pic makes me mad and sad. This is the reason for my sleepless night. As you can see Trevor is happy, Austin is sad, Trevor played almost the whole entire game as a 6th grader, he did very well and even had an incredible assist for a score. Austin however didn't even get to play at all. Nope not one single minute. May I remind you that he is in the 8th grade, we were winning by a score of 2-0 with 20 minutes left in the game and nope the coach didn't even put him in then. What the heck, I know that Austin is not a strong player but give me a break he can play soccer. Were winning for petes sake and you can't put him in. I find that is just poor coaching. I understand he wouldn't play the whole game but give me a break 10 minutes perhaps just to keep the kids interested. Now Austin wasn't the only one who didn't get to play there were others but they were in the 6th grade. I understand that, they need to be bench warmers. I do have to say that I was very proud of Austin regardless of his no time playing, everytime they had a player come off the field, he was there to shake their hand or congratulate them. He stood by the coach to let him know he was there but didn't bother him. I don't get it. Well it is just me venting but come on, give me a break. Did I mention that it was very cold out. Austin was an ice cube when he came over.

The last picture is another one that Austin took, he took it the other day when it was nice out, I thought it was an awesome picture of the tulips starting to come out of winter hybernation.

The results for Tom was great. The doc said he is a healthy speciman. Tom was still recovering from the turn your head and cough bit, I was able to tease him just a little. We finished with our Autobiography last night and I meet with Pastor Dale this week so all is coming along fine. I contacted our Home Study person and asked if we can start the Home Study with out the boys physicals, I wanted to wait as late as possible for them because they need them for school and didn't want to have to do it twice in one year, especially for the sports physicals required for schools sports. Well I have to get Andrew ready for school so have a great day.

Physical Tuesday

Here a few pics from the week:

Tyler with cousin Lindseys friends from Hope College, Sasha and Amber. Doesn't Tyler look good with the pink basket?

This is Andrew looking for his eggs, he ended up finding the "special" egg. It is a purple wooden egg with $5.00 in it. Way to go buddy.

Here is Austin looking everywhere for his eggs, cousin Jared likes to hide them in all kinds of places.

This is our Easter Day photo. We took the picture after church, don't those boys look great?

I just like this picture of Samson, he just got a bath by Tyer and he is soaking wet and ready to go roll on the floor, but I made him wait to get this pic. So cute and ugly at the same time. Tom says he looks like a drowned rat.

This is Good Friday night when the boys were teaching cousin Matt how to play the Wii. That is Austin and Andrew is rolling on the floor to escape the pic. Just so you know Matt is available, looking for a great girl to call his own.

Yep thats right, Tom goes for his physical today. Does anybody want to say turn your head and cough? Well needless to say Tom did not get a great night sleep last night, I think he was worried what the doc would find. We are praying that all goes well because we will be able to submit the papers for the adoption after today. Tom wanted to make sure he had a clean bill of health.

The boys (Austin and Trevor) have their first soccer game for school today. As always here in the midwest it is cold and raining, oh what fun.

As for me, this is my weekly trip to Sams Club, so it is also physical tuesday for me just lifting all those groceries.

On the adoption front, Tom and I completed almost all of the required paperwork, except for the Auto Biography that they want. We can go to get fingerprinted in Naperville, but they only have office hours during the day. For Tom and I that is fine, but Tyler also needs to get fingerprinted so we have to find a day when he can get off of school and make his way over.

I'll write tomorrow to let you know about the results of Toms Physical.

HE IS RISEN

He is Risen Indeed.

Death could not hold Him,
Satan had no power over Him,
He is alive and He lives in ME!

Happy Resurection Day
God is Good

Relaxing Saturday

Well outdoor soccer season has started for soccer and Trevor had his first game, yikes it was cold out. The only saving grace is that the sun was out. Trevors team won against a very worthy team with a score of 4-2. Unfortunately Trevor did allow the 2 points in, not one of his better games. This is one of the first times for a Saturday that we are all home and just working around the house. Tom fixed the kitchen faucet, Tyler and Austin are cleaning the tractor blades, Andrew was at church hunting for easter eggs with Sara but is now home, and Trevor gets to play with a friend. I ended up taking all the paperwork to the soccer game to work on in the car and I got thru some of it, boy do they ask the same thing over and over and over again. I wonder why they ask me my address and social security number over and over again. Oh well, it will get done soon. Tom goes in for a physical on Tuesday which is required so it will be good to see how healty he really is. He thinks he is fat, har har, he is skinny with skinny legs like Austin.

Last night we went to our Good Friday service with our nephew Matt who is home for a few days from the Army and the boys sure loved having him here. They taught him how to play the Wii. The service was so moving, they showed clips of the Mel Gibson movie and it is always so touching. Remembering what Jesus went thru on the cross to save me from my sin. Hebrews 5:8 ...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Friday April 10, 2009, Good Friday

With this being Good Friday, I remember what a sacrifice God went thru to give to us. He sacrificed His one and only Son so that I may have life. I feel so unworty of that sacrifice that sometimes I sit and ponder if I could have one of my sons sacrificed for someone else. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. This is how I start to rejoice knowing that I will live eternally with God and my sons as they have all accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Thank you God for your undescribable gift.

On the adoption news, Tom and I went to interview a home study company and liked them. They are Evangelical Adoption Agency out of Wheaton, Il and it is the same adotion agency that my parents used to adopt me. I love how small our world is and yet so big. God knows all and is in everything we do. We have decided to adopt internationally from Ukraine. We have not signed any contracts yet, but took the paperwork home to review. WOW is there a lot of stuff. I'll keep you informed of our progress.