Beauty all around us...

Spring is all around us, and I have been inside so much, the other day, I got out to capture some of the beautiful things blooming all around our little farmhouse. Love these tulips! They are blooming in front, by the porch.

On the walkway, grape hyacinths lead the way...so simply, Spring!!!

Out back, across the yard, we have been surrounded by a full week span of beautiful blossoms...hundreds of trees with these beautiful blooms, can you guess what fruit they will produce?

And the quiet beauty of the hens, as they venture out and about, have been providing us with a constant supply of lovely brown and greenish blue eggs.

How blessed we are to have this beauty surrounding us. Spring is here, we are taking it all in. Thanking God for all He so graciously provides.

What am I up to?

We are so busy around here, we are up to our eyeballs in diapers, cloth diapers that is! I have been trying out my new stash of different types of cloth diapers, and getting into a routine with two babies. Sorry I haven't been around much! Like I posted on facebook the other day, this is my life, currently:
feeding, changing, feeding the other baby, changing the other one, laundry, laundry and more laundry! Now, let's add to that homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, working one day a week, taking care of the animals, feeding the animals, getting the garden ready (thankfully DH is really good at that!), yardwork, grocery shopping, appointments, piano lessons, play dates, gymnastics, and don't forget the visits from social workers, visits from court appointed special advocates for the babies, and court hearings!!!

We are all doing well, the babies are thriving, and I hope to update soon on the status of the cases of both of them. More soon!!!

The Baby Conference

This conference looks like something I would love to go to! Too bad I don't live a bit closer to San Antonio, Texas. If you care about adoption, orphans, and, of course, babies, this conference is for you! Hey, you can even have tea with Michelle Duggar, now wouldn't that be fun??

Thoughts from my girl...

L is 3 and has recently started making comments that have me wondering what all she does know, or remember.

The other day as I was in the kitchen fixing up some lunch for her, out of the blue she said "I like having a mommy".

Just this morning she got up and as we were snuggling on the couch she said, " When I in China, I not have a momma." "I was really, really worried about that." "And I cried."

Isn't that precious? I have not explained much to her yet, as I wanted to get her lifebook done before I start to explain it all. She does know she was adopted, and is from China, but I want to have her lifebook done so she can see it all in pictures and detail as we explain it. I hope to have it completed in the next few months.

We always begin our homeschool day with a Bible and devotional reading. This morning we were reading about how God has plans for GOOD for us, and not of evil. Then I asked them what good things they think God has planned for them. L's response was this: "He wants to give a gumball to us!"

M immediately burst out laughing at this one.

I so wish to remember the times when life was that simple. When a gumball was all I needed to make me happy and content for the day.

Was it a chocolate bunny that died on the cross?

I saw that saying on a sign out in front of a church the other day. I thought it was perfect. If there is any holiday that the true meaning has been completely covered up, been misinterpreted, and hidden, it's this one. I went out shopping today and realized how very much Easter is marketed as nothing but bunnies, chicks, candy, and eggs. So sad...and so...empty.

I choose to focus on the the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter. I contemplate all that He did when He died for me, and the miracle of His resurrection. It can be a hard concept to grasp, but it is so important to understand this. I decided to do a quick search of the true meaning of Easter, and there are a lot of quick, simple to read sites that can explain what Easter is all about. And here is a definition I found:

Eas·ter (str) KEY NOUN:
A Christian feast commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus.

I am sure there are many definitions, but this is the first one I saw. I know there is a lot of history on how christians began celebrating Easter, and I hope to study more and more about this, but for now I look at it in a very simple manner. Celebrating Jesus Christ, and the day he rose from the dead after dying for our sins.

Our Easter begins with going to church in the morning. This year I offered to have a brunch at my house afterward. It will be simple, but a time to gather with family, as we celebrate Christ's resurrection. With the girls, we will do resurrection eggs, which is a carton of plastic eggs with a small object inside each one. As they open each egg, and look at the object, we will read a story to them explaining how that object relates to Jesus dying on the cross for us, then rising again, and what it all means. This is something we do each year. We will spend the rest of the day just being together at home, and of course, taking care of precious babies!!!

Wishing you a blessed Easter!