7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol 1)

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Music moves us. I bought four new cds this week. and I haven't bought music in a LOOOONNNNGGG time. Amy Grant's and Ginny Owens are my favs. But the kids have truly enjoyed the shine off of the cd from Vacation Bible School this year. The second we are in the car, Olivia says..."VBS Music, mom?"... they raise their voice, hands, clap, stomp their feet.... It just sets the mood...and the mellower song, "Ancient Words, ever true, changing me, and changing you"...brings me to tears..... Thank you Jesus for music that honors you and lifts our souls!





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Vacation Bible School has been awesome. Cornerstone, a local church that we don't attend, but we heard about their VBS, has done an awesome job of hosting the High Seas Expedition. Nick, my oldest, has been a volunteer leader assistant, and the other three have attended.... This is Olivia's first experience of being away from me (other than the 1 hour Sunday school she has done twice now.) Some days she has had rough patches, but over all, she has loved it. Mary Beth just feeds on all the fun and energy and music and water play....and even my skeptic at the beginning of the week, Taddy, comes home with smiles, stories to share and raises his toys arms in singing the music. :) And the message, God's word changing our lives, is so totally true and awesome. I can say it is the one thing that turned my life around. Thank you Lord, for the hearts that plan and serve. I have also enjoyed the 3 hours "off" each morning (ok, laundry, birthday party prep, but also reading/relaxing time.) Today is the grand finale, with a waterslide.... What a blessing.





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How does my garden grow? Our sunflowers are going bonkers. So are the big bushy things (pumpkins? watermelon? cantalope?) that Papa planted. The green beans, tomatos and corn were just planted too late and are little shorties...but it is still a pleasure.



Wildflower seeds that Taddy and I planted a couple weeks back are starting to sprout too. I do enjoy the pace and sound and coolness of watering every evening. Last night I found two little frog brothers that live at the end of our porch, where some of the water collects. I gave them a little extra...being it was 106 (!) yesterday...at least that was my car tempature reading, as we were driving around. I love the birds and green and trees.....turkeys in the yard or a heron some mornings....and visits from a deer. (So far the deer has not braved the twine and flapping strips of material that encircle our garden.) So our "garden of eatin" may not have much "eatin" but is fun to water and watch.



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Wild Kitty. I do not know what we are going to do. I have had many kitties in my lifetime: Thumper, Yoda, Pretty Momma, Rudy-toot, Gumby, Chub-Chub....but none...I mean absolute none have been as wild as little Amore...who we just call "kitty" or as Olivia calls her "crazeee Kitty". At first I thought it was just her kittenness...she was found abandoned under our neighbor's house and we took her in at about 5 weeks old. But now, about 6 weeks later, she is bigger, still a "tween" looking cat, and just as crazee if not more so. I am constantly putting her off my lap or laptop, or counters and table....she plays and swats at EVERYTHING.... (vases of flowers are her specialty....which now have to be filled with rocks at the bottom after repeated water-crashes)...and poor Bella, she and kitty will play well for awhile, then Bella will just have enough...so we have to put kitty away in the back room (sewing/laundry rooms) and later I find yarn, fabric and socks all over! Crazee kitty...I just wonder how we will survive, when she is full grown??!!!



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Ruth....the Ruth Bible study I am doing (from Beth's blog) by Kelly Minter, has been such a blessing. I love how slow Kelly is going through the verses..and just touches so many things that touch my life and heart. I must have lines on every page underlined. The word of God is so refreshing, words of hope that help me cope. .... Thank you Lord.



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All things school. I cannot believe we are at mid-July....a month and 1/2 (minus a tad) of summer left before school starts. It has been such a blessing (and rough too) to have this time off with the kids. I ordered school books earlier this week. ($900!! OUCH!)....and am waiting to get uniforms (all the kids have grown of course- and the sweet ladies at our church are blessing us with an adoption shower and I suggested school uniforms as gifts). I have been concerned, worried, anxious - PRAYING about Olivia and school. She will be going into the 4th grade due to her age, but is really not at a 4th grade level. she is very very smart though.




And this is where an ENORMOUS blessing from God has come in the form of Miss Kwon. She is tutoring Olivia in ESL this summer. Three days a week we go to the library or the park, for two hours...and Miss Kwon works with Olivia on English, Math, Reading....I hear them laugh and they are very engaged. Olivia always shows me what they did that day. She is an eager learner. Miss Kwon is even meeting with the school principal and Olivia's teacher this week, to help lay out a plan for when school starts. I know she cannot even imagine what a blessing she is to me and my family! I pray a quadruple blessing back to her.





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And here we are to my 7th, not so quick, "Quick Takes"...children, adoption, attachment, oh my! lol. (ok, really not lions, and tigers and bears...but still pretty adventurous). I have had such a journey in the 5 weeks we have been home...and God is so faithful in bringing us along....providing wisdom...my learning curve is BIG. Hope and insight from Dr. Karyn Purvis, ideas from Lisa and Linny, inspiration from Ann....have all been such blessings. (Sidenote, I have to tell you, I had to pull crazee kitty off my laptop at least five times typing that sentence alone!)...Friends on facebook have been supportive and encouraging. It has just been very HARD...and I feel like I am just now BARELY getting my feet underneath me from falling flat on my behind. I am learning to simplify, reign in, do less (or at least trying to...) be calmer and focus on my children's needs. A real calling that takes sacrifice that my fleshy soul was NOT wanting to give. ...God does bring us to situations that make us need Him intensely. So it is all good--hard, stretching, limiting, --but good. (Crazy kitty just knocked who knows what off the kitchen counter with a loud clatter! She is now running through the house chasing Bella. Anyone want a kitty?) I am excited for the journey we are on with God, as I see each of my children struggle, rejoice, grow, growl and learn.... what a life!

So those are my 7 quick takes...no so quick.... I pray for a good weekend and a closeness to God.

Blessings....

Sandee