Planned Parenthood Aids Pimp's Underage Sex Ring

Out with the old..in with the new!

The new blog design should be premiering sometime this week! I am getting rid of so many things at home, decluttering, cleaning out, and downsizing. It is nice to be doing the same with my blog, which will focus on the most important things in life, as all the rest of the clutter disappears. It will be time for a foster babies update, a peek into our new addition-as we begin painting, and putting flooring in soon, and more about living simply, and more intentional for Christ. I am SO looking forward to it. Stay tuned...I have also partnered with a talented friend who has something very special to share! Come back soon, and be blessed!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

A day late, but with the week like I've had, this is actually pretty good!

This year, our annual Homeschool Night of the Arts landed on this night, so we didn't celebrate. We still might do something special this weekend sometime. In China, it's not just one day of celebrating anyway, it is a long holiday where people take time off work, and spend time with family, and carry out many of the Chinese New Year, or spring festival traditions. I plan to encorporate this into our lives more and more every year.

I am behind on organizing events for the China adoptive families group I started 3 years ago when Lilyann came home. There are 3 new little ones that have come home from China just this year, so I am excited to see our little group growing. I will be planning something in the next few months.

I love the fact that having a chinese daughter adds another holiday to our lives to celebrate. It is such a festive holiday to celebrate too...healthy food, bright colors, lanterns, beautiful flowers and the love of family. Who wouldn't want to celebrate that? 

So much for simplicity...

I used to talk about simplifying my life on this blog a lot. Then homeschooling became homeschooling, plus all the extra homeschooling activities we do outside the home, and a few other activities they are involved in as well. Then we took in two foster babies. Life got crazy. Busy. Hectic.

This week is a good example. On top of our weekly Awana, basketball practice, and homeschool gymnastics, we have out of town guests coming to stay the night, and our annual night of the arts for local homeschoolers, which both girls are participating in. Somewhere between daily homeschooling, and homekeeping duties, I need to fit in grocery shopping, working out, and attend an important court hearing on one of the foster babies. Oh, and don't forget, this thursday is also Chinese New Year which we have been working on finding ways to celebrate every year. It's funny how so many people think that homeschoolers are more isolated and less involved with people and social activities. We actually do more as a homeschooling family with groups, friends, co-ops and more. There is so much to do, that I have to be really careful, or we would be so much more overscheduled than we already are!

Dh and I came up with a plan. Although living simply is a huge desire of mine, I know that in a family of 6 we all of individual needs.  We needed to find ways that we can both rest and rejuvenate, relax and simplify. We needed to do this while also meeting the needs of our children. I will be sharing some of the things we are going to implement in the upcoming posts. I cannot promise that it will work, but I have my fingers crossed.

Coming soon...

A new blog! Well, technically it will still be this blog, but it will be new and improved with a new name, design, and focus.

I am removing and adding things here and there, so at the moment it is a bit of a mess...come back soon to see the final result...

Stay tuned!!!

I have something up my sleeve!

After praying, and reading scripture, and praying some more, I believe I have a direction to go with this blog...I don't have all the details worked out yet, but I have something in the works. I really want to get back to posts about farm life, homeschooling, and updates on the foster babies...I am not sure how it will turn out, I am anxious to see what the final result will be!

Contemplating...

I am really excited about what God is going to do in 2011!

In the midst of thinking about all that God and I can do together, I started thinking about this blog, and it needs a change. So, in thinking about changing, I tried to come up with what the focus of it would be.

There are so many things I am passionate about and so many areas I am trying to build and improve in my life. I could make this blog all about homeschooling, as this is one big passion of mine currently...or it could easily be a blog about foster care, as we have two precious foster baby girls in our home currently. I could add adoption to that, and make it a blog all about adoption, and the role christians play in caring for orphans. Then there's my journey into eating raw, and that could easily become a blog of it's own. And my new hobby, bento making for the girls. I'm sure I could come up with a catchy title for a bento making mom blog. I can't forget the creative side I am always trying to nurture, and I would love this blog to be all about knitting, and quilting, and scrapbooking, and teaching my daughters to sew. Then there's the farm...and the goats, molly the sheep, and the chickens, I can't leave them out. Our little dog Mitten, and my sweet kitten Cooper, who lives in the house with us need a place on the blog as well. Mothering and all that comes with that tops my list of passions and dedicating my blog to that would be great too.

Then, I realize what it really comes down to is this: what really matters is Christ. What really means the most is living for Him. Growing spritually, and living intentionally, and radically, that is what this blog really should be about...and how he uses me in my family, in the community, as a wife, a mother, a missionary, and as I care for orphans whether they are the foster babies we take in or those in orphanages somewhere in the world where He may send me. This is what really counts. Living passionately, intentionally, radically for God. That's what this blog should be about, and everything else will fall into place.

So, I am going to take some time to contemplate, pray and decide what to do with this blog. It may be time to close it down, and focus somewhere else. Or if the Lord leads, I will open a new one, for whatever reason I feel He is leading. I first started blogging before we adopted from China, with a different blog than this. That was fun, and all of us in the china adoption world were able to support each other through blogging. That was great, and there was purpose in it. If I continue to blog at all, I want it to be with a purpose. A purpose I am passionate about, and a purpose the Lord would be most pleased with.

Blessings,