grandkids birthdays

April has both Andrew and Laurens birthday.  It's our only birthdays for the month.  Andrew turned 11 and Lauren turned 6.  Nana sure does love her grand babies.

Spring!

I love spring.   I'm not sure it's my favorite time of year, but it's a close second if it's not.  Fall and spring tie for first place.  All my flowers are blooming, kids play outside until dark, kids at soccer fields, and glorious weather.  Our spring break is this next week, ugh! and joy!  It's so much easier when the kids are out of school, no stress.  But the kids get so bored.  We live in a world of entertainment.  Society tells us we can't just sit and reflect, we have to be busy.  I'm sure one of the first things the kids will do when they go back to school is write about what they did over spring break.  They think it's unacceptable to say OH we slept in, stayed up late, watch movies, and played outside.  Nope, they want to say we went to the beach or the lake house or on some dramatic trip.  Oh well,  guess they'll be disappointed.  I'll be happy to say we slept in, stayed up late, watched movies, and enjoyed the sunshine.  AND, we didn't have to do baths every night, no homework, no worries about what someone is going to wear and, no teenage arguing over borrowing clothes.  Now that's a break!    

Black Cloud

Well it's been so long since I posted I'm sure I've lost some of my readers.  It seems like we were under a black cloud for a while.  BUT Thank you Jesus it's been lifted.  The junk we went through finally ended.  All came out right as it should have (blessing # 1).  It was just the devil I'm sure but it's hard to keep on going as if nothing has happened.  We have been blessed, blessed, this month.   My son in law just completed his on the job training.  He has a bachelors in criminology and waited a year and a half for a job.  He finished in the top 5 of his class and got the shift and hours he wanted.  Way to go Josh!  Blessing #2.  Marvin and Doreese both got jobs. Good jobs. Blessing #3.  We got enough back on taxes to pay off some debt, and we did. Blessing #4.  Krishawanda, who had moved to another state with her boyfriend, (BAD situation) came back home. Blessing #5.  We are truly blessed daily, these were just big time prayers answered. 

Everyone is healthy and doing well.  We did have a few injuries this month, Hannah fell in the back yard and broke her arm.  The same arm and same place she fell and broke in 2010 when we were skating.  It is healing very well, and she gets her cast off in a couple more weeks.  John was playing football at school and broke his finger.  They didn't even call me, just sent him home on the bus as usual.  He had to have surgery to put in a screw.  He is doing great! So much better than I would have done I'm sure.

Everyone is looking forward to Easter.  We have a big dinner here as usual.  Lots of fun and family.  And SONSHINE.



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UGA

Woo Hoo!!!!  My daughter Jennifer (middle)  who lives in Tennessee and attends school at Vanderbilt,  has just been offered a job at UGA.  This is HUGE!  She will graduate with her PhD in December.  The job actually starts in August BUT they are willing to hold the position for her until December.  Thank you Jesus.  We are all so blessed!  I will love having her close and the job is her dream job.  Who would have thought there would be a professor in my family??  NOONE.  I was sure not the one in high school voted most likely to succeed.  Nope.  But God is just that way.  I gave him my life when I was 12 years old.  He works miracles all the time.  Sometime we don't know they are miracles, but time always tells.  Tabitha is on the right and Staisha on the left.  Tabitha graduated UGA with a degree in Social work.  Staisha is still working on hers, with 2 years under her belt at West Ga.  I am so proud of all my children. Destinee just started college and has overcome some major issues.   Some of them are slow at making the right decisions, but they will come around.  Again I'm giving God the Glory, he has made all things fall into place in my life.  Thank you Lord. Again, and Again. 

Feel the Love

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Hope everyone had a great Valentines day!  I know my kids did.  Candy, Candy, Candy!

Introducing Rebacca

In late December, 2010 a young woman called me.  She explained how she knew me and that by marriage she was distantly related to Keith.  She went on to say that another relative told her that I adopted children.  She then told me she had an almost 1 year old little girl, whom she had been made place in relative care.  The placement wasn't working out and she wanted to know if we would be interested in a placement with this baby.  Now this isn't new, several times I've been blessed with children literally being  given to me.  Of course we went through all the legal paperwork, and was granted guardianship of Rebecca in March.  I thought it would be short term based on what the mother said, but have since learned it's more likely to be permanent as she has had another child in another county and has had that child taken and is in process of having her rights terminated.  AND yes, I did ask for the new baby, but was told NO!  We have too many children.  If it had been up to this particular agency, I wouldn't have Rebecca.  So, she is now 2, and a hand full.  She is very smart, I don't see any delays there.  However she is on the go, climbing, running, jumping, throwing, and any other  physical activity you can imagine.  She has brought a lot of joy to us.  She's physically healthy and rarely sick.  She is talking up a storm and is so funny.  She  and my grandson are only 3 months apart.  They tie for who is the most spoiled.  So I'm 49 and a mother to a 2 year old.  I'm cringing at the thought when someone mistakes me for her grandmother.  Thank goodness for hair color LOL.  Life is funny and so unpredictable.  We were considering taking an older sibling group.  The children who they choose for us just wasn't appropriate for our family.  I can't take children who start fires, sexually act out,  and smoke.  I know that sounds so sad.  It should never get that far.  But it does and there just isn't enough homes able to take all the trouble youth in today's foster care system.  Not to mention all the damage done by drug addicted mothers, alcoholics, and mental illness.

There are times when I ask the Lord, if he's sure I'm on the right path.  It's in my heart to parent and adopt, but society makes it so hard to raise God fearing, respectable adults. Some of the stuff the government is coming up with makes me cringe.  If I had stopped after my last birth child I wouldn't even be aware of some of the stuff being taught to our kids.  Or some of the stuff society demands of them.  Their heads are pumped full of what they NEED, and what is rightfully theirs.  Not just love, food, shelter, clean clothes, education and bible based teaching.  NOPE,  they need, organized sports, cell phones, drivers licence at 16, later curfews, clothes with some name on them, violent games, and any TV they so choose.  Yes, these are some of the issues I've actually had to defend our family from.  Other mothers just don't see things as I do.  I know I'm older, but I think it's society's fault.  More things are acceptable, actually expected. OK I'm gonna stop now.  This is a post about Rebacca. The last picture is of her first day with us.  

life goes on

Well I'm still worrying.  I don't know why.  I know who's in control.  I know who's in charge of the storm.  As Joel *steen said: Let the storm take you where God wants you to go.  So I give it all to Him.

This month Rebeca turns 2, Isaiah turns 11 and Marvin turns 18.  When Marvin was acting out and I about went crazy, 18 looked way off.  I'm glad to say he's doing fabulous and I'm proud to say I'm his mom.  The light was dim at the end of the tunnel, but finally it shown bright.

We've not done much this month.  We've stayed home and played with everything they got for Christmas.  The boys have stayed outside as much as possible, as they got new bikes, pogo sticks, skates, scooters and a trampoline.  They love being outside and I love for them to be.  When they are burning off all that energy they sleep really good.  Go to sleep really fast too!  The teens did go to Winter Jam, a huge Christian concert.  They also went on a teen retreat for adopted teens.  Daivon, Anthony and John have wrestling, that keeps them busy.  Daivon hopes to place for state. (He will) Kieanna is playing soccer and Selena is running track. That's all the high school kids.  Keeping them busy is my plan as it helps keep them out of trouble. Not that any one of them have been in trouble, but I think that's why, I don't give them any time to do so.  They are a great bunch of kids.  All  of them are actually.  Austin is my hardest, as his diagnosis is FAS, MID, and ADHD.  That's a mix.  He is 9 and is beginning to have some issues.  John has CP, but it is managed very well and the school system has always been great with him.  Cora also has a MID diagnosis, but she is such a sweet spirit that it doesn't take much to correct her.  Isaiah and Faith both have ADHD but both do well on meds for school.  Isaiah does have some issues he's in counseling  for right now, but hopefully he will come through it as many of the others have.

I plan on introducing Rebecca in a post soon.  I never introduced her on my blog.  I didn't know if it would be permanent but she's been here so long I thought I might as well introduce her.