Spring is coming...

Daddy spent hours on Saturday adjusting seat heights, training wheels, and helmets...today he took all the littles for a spin around the block..they had a blast and didn't want to come inside today! I have a feeling that they are all going to be begging to ride bikes at 7am tomorrow morning!


Our crew of 'colonists' just before the dreaded shot was fired!!

Mercy and Jenkins K. with "Mr. Andy" ~One of our faithful, fun-loving babysitters! When I saw Andy toting these 2 around, I had to grab my camera. Our Liberian kiddos have been so warmly embraced by our church family ....this picture reminds me of how well loved they are :)
The results of good nutrition...just look at these muscles!!
Because of the recent cold days that still remind me of winter, the definate onset of spring can seem almost imperceptible . But if I look closely enough, I do see the purple crocuses peeking out from the tired dirt and buds forming on the ends of the lifeless looking blah brown branches...if I listen closely, I can hear the birds active in song as they return and settle in after a winter in the warm sun..it still feels a bit like winter but I know that spring is coming. That's the way my spirit has felt these past few days....I'm still exhausted at the end of our long days, there are still 'plenty,plenty'(to borrow a Liberian phrase!) of 'opportunities for growth' but I am seeing more and more glimpses of God at work in the hearts of our little Liberians and what an encouragement that is! I know spring is coming in the lives of our little Africans!! If I listen and look closely enough, I can see and hear the work of God in their hearts. Though the changes can seem imperceptible at times and the winter winds of rebellion will continue to blow , God is at work . I trust that just as one of our nearby treelined roads will soon be transformed into a beautiful pink parade of blossoming cherry trees, so will the hearts of these precious ones as they are being transformed by the love of a gracious God who sets the lonely apart in families. Likewise, I trust that the ugliness of my own heart will be transformed through the sanctification of life with a house full of children! Faith is budding in my heart...I have seen Him work over these past 3 months in so many ways and I am filled with hope and faith for His future grace to sustain and work the kinks out in all of us! I know storm winds will blow in the days ahead which is why I am writing this down...it is too easy to be tempted to fall into unbelief and discouragement when we have one of 'those ' days or 'those' weeks and I must preach truth to my heart when I sense Him stirring :) "Feelings" are transient and often change with the winds of circumstances but God's promises are true regardless of what appears to be happening....even when it seems imperceptible, He is at work...
You may wonder what is is that is causing me to write this... While there are many tangible examples of God at work, there is also a stirrring in my spirit that I can not attribute to anything other than a supernatural work of grace...
I am reminded of this verse from Isaiah 43~
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

I am so grateful for His work in our midst!!
Thought you might enjoy hearing about some happenings in our home over this past week:

* Homeschooler's Day Out this Wednesday was a dream (compared with last week's fiasco)... still many little issues to resolve but overall, a huge victory!

*The other day we went on a field trip with our coop buddies to a former Revolutionary War barracks... boy am I grateful for the many men and women who literally put their lives on the line to secure the freedoms we now take so for granted! There was a 'colonist' in full Revolutionary War garb including a rifle. After the kids 'swore their allegiance' to join with the other patriots in fighting the war, he took them through the drills which would have been given to colonists signing on...complete with a blast from his rifle. Of course he fired a blank but it was quite loud and sweet Mercy was taken totally by surprise...she jumped into my arms screaming and it took quite a few minutes to console her. Over and over again I needed to reassure her that this was just pretend and there were no bullets in his gun. After she calmed down , I asked her why she was so upset...she told me in Liberia, her Aunty was killed by a gun :( She admitted that did not see this but was told this by her 'true-true Ma' (biological mother). At first I wasn't sure if the sound of the gun brought back memories of the days of unrest in Liberia...I am still not sure she would have seen or heard that as she would have been quite young when the war finally ended but it was another reminder of what our Liberian children have been exposed to . After she settled down we went to a room where a 'nurse' prepared the soldiers for their service in the war. She was rather graphic and believable~ so much so that Mercy thought she was going to be innoculated for small pox right then and there...we quickly left the room and talked more about how this is just pretend . After this field trip ended , we went on an impromptu hour long tour of our state house. All of our children (16 kiddos altogether!!) did so well and demonstrated such self controland all of our mommy hearts were quite full. I was so proud of Mercy for pulling it together after some upsetting moments. A few months ago, she would have been 'off' for the entire day but by God's grace she recovered quite well! I sat there watching Mercy and Jenkins giggling as they sat next to each other in the very room where our senators convene for official business... I was struck with the thought that this time last year we had just received our referrals from AOH and here our little Liberians sat in the most important building in our state...such a different world for them!!

*"Oh, sorry Mommy"...such simple words and yet amazing when they come from the lips of little Odesco. I had reminded him to not wear his muddy boots in the house and this was his spontaneous reply...what struck me is it was so natural...no huge scene, no meltdown, no withdrawal...just a simple, humble reply from a little boy to his mommy!! Progress, indeed :)

* As I leave for errands when Daddy is home, I kiss and hug all the kiddos before walking out the door...Odesco now returns my "I love you" with ,"I love you too!!" Again, nothing earth shattering but huge for our little guy!

* Yesterday, L told me he wanted to show me something. Before I knew what he was doing, he got down on one knee, took my hand and kissed it with a flourish of his opposite hand. Don't know where he saw this but Odesco soon joined in and we were all in stitches at our chivalrous little men ...L announced that on his wedding day, he is going to do this to his bride!!

Thanks for stopping by...my heart is full as I contemplate the new things He is doing...Indeed, spring is coming!!

Love, MamaB

Princess for a day and other tidbits...

The "before" picture ( with stylist #1) after we discussed what 'the plan' was~
Laughing all the way...Mercy kept giggling that the water from the hose tickled and declared over and over again," Oh...it feels sooo goood!"
Under the dryer for a deep conditioning treatment......she saw an older woman at the dryer next to her who had fallen asleep so our spunky little girl figured this is what you're supposed to do when under the dryer....of course this peaceful stance lasted only a moment...pretty soon she was wondering when she could get out of it!
G keeping Mercy company and trying to distract her ~


ta-dah...the finished 'product'

Just look at these intricate braids...reminds me of Hope's handiwork...it will take hours to get these out when the time comes in about 2 weeks- if they make it that long!

L and Odesco making the best use of limited swing space! Notice the bare feet...what a difference a few days makes..now our yard is back to being a slushy,icy swamp!! Spring, where are you????

Making do with 2 big kid swings and 4 kiddos :) Mercy and G actually were the ones to copy this idea from other friends... See text below...

When this boy is ready for a nap, he crashes just about anywhere!! This is in the middle of the noisy gym at HDO last week~

On Friday I needed to take Mercy to the doctor for an issue that was not an issue 3 days before at her appointment! No worries, she's fine, but in the scramble to get out the door for an unexpected appointment, Mercy was not slathered up with coconut oil (or grease as she and Odesco call it) so, she was not her shiny, shiny self. In addition to this, I had begun her hair the night before, left for a meeting with ladies from my caregroup and did not have time to finish it before leaving for this appointment. Instead, I had Mercy wear a purple bandana to cover her twist free, beadless, snapless messy head. The doctors who happened to be in on Friday are AA women. The first doctor took a look at her skin and mentioned how dry it was...then, Mercy removed her bandana (who knows why!-to humble mommy , I suppose :)) and the doctor commented on how dry and damaged her hair was and how I ought to take her to have in professionally blown out and conditioned. She called in the other AA doctor, also a women to confer on the issue that brought us there in the first place, and they both began offering advice on hair products. They even recommended a salon that caters to the ethnic population.
Now, they were both extremely gracious but I admit my pride was definately being revealed as Mercy's hair is rarely undone and her skin rarely 'ungreased'. I didn't even attempt to explain the whys of our situation that day but I did answer their questions about other products I was using etc..a few of which I learned are no good in their opinion. I'll admit that my prideful heart perceived their comments as if they were thinking of me as the ignorant white Mama who has no clue how to care for the needs of her African child. But, in reality, they were quite gracious ...just freely offering their unsolicited opinions :)
They did give me the business card of the salon they recommeded for which I am very grateful. I had been wanting to get Mercy's hair trimmed since I was noticing some ends breaking off during recent hair styling sessions. So, I swallowed my pride and after checking with my hubby who gave me the okay to pursue this, we decided to head to this salon as close to opening time as possible for a trim and maybe even a professional braiding session on Saturday morning.
So, after our winter storm the day before, I headed out the door at 8am with G and Mercy for a morning at the salon. I was surprised at the unplowed/poor road conditions but we took our time and had no problems...besides few other people were crazy enough to be out of bed and on the road :) Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the salon owner and Mercy soon made herself known to many of the stylists at the back of the salon where we were stationed. One male stylist asked her where she was from , recognizing her unique accent. When Mercy said, "Africa" he said for all to hear ," All right, we have a sister from our sister land!" Then he told Mercy that he just knew she had some spiritual songs to sing and she willingly obliged and sang, "God Answers Prayer in the Morning" for him. It was really quite comical!! After the salon owner and a stylist took a look at her hair they told me it really was not dry at all but it is the texture of her hair...phew...I haven't ruined our little girl's hair!! And they even thought the few twists I had started to do on Friday looked pretty decent....that was an encouragement after feeling a bit inept the day before :)
Still, we decided to wash her hair , followed by a deep conditioner, then have her spend time under the dryer for the conditioner to really penetrate.After rinsing the conditioner out, her stylist blew her hair dry in order to cut it (so that all of the kinky curls were relaxed and she could cut it evenly). It stood straight up... pretty wild looking!! After that , we decided to just go ahead and braid it..if I had taken her home after the cut ( and like I said, it was pretty wild looking at this point in the process!), I would have had to start from scratch because I can't twist her hair well when it is dry. So stylist #1 handed us over to stylist #2 who is a braiding wizard...we stayed with Mercy for a while and she was starting to get antsy...slipping out of the chair etc. That's when the male stylist who noticed her antics, suggested I go up front with G and wait as he felt Mercy would do better...I was hesitant at first because I didn't want her to think we were abandoining her. Then I realized she could see us from her chair and knew it was the right move. She sat still for over an hour of braiding and beading but she was a bit miffed at us for not being there...evidently she stared down a few of the other stylists who came by to see her...but at least she remained calm and self controlled :)
While we were at this salon we bumped into Hope's sister ...she overheard our earlier introductions and asked if I knew Hope(she was the wonderful woman who rescued me early on by braiding Mercy's hair for the first several weeks home!) Then, the owner asked how we heard about the salon and I was telling him the name of our pediatrican when a beautiful young woman turns around to say," That's my mom!!"
What a small world! G and I enjoyed watching all stylists work their magic...what creative styles we saw. We were the only white people in the place but the owner assured me they could do G's hair next time we visit....which won't be for many months! At least now we have all the dead ends off and a list of recommended products from the stylists. We were there for about 3 hours and I have to say both girls did quite well . On the way home I treated the girls to a surprise trip into the local Wawa so that Mercy could get a 'shausa'... aka hot dog. This is quite a treat since we almost never buy them and even though we are eating less and less of it( especially when you consider how much she consumed initially!!), meat is still quite the reward for Mercy. G settled on a bag of chips instead and we victoriously made our way home. In the car Mercy decided that Odesco would really like some of her 'shausha' so she only ate the bun in order to share half of it....she really does look out for him! Well, when we arrived home the big van was gone and there was a note on the table informing us the boys and Daddy accepted a sledding date with good friends from church. G and Mercy were a little put out that they missed out on this fun and Mercy decided to go ahead and eat the whole hot dog...can't say I blame her as it was now lunch time...oh well, at least she had the thought to share with Odesco! Definately a full but productive morning and I admit to being a bit relieved of our weekly hairstyling marathon for at least a week or two!

Some other tidbits:
* Mercy and L played a game together for the first time without others involved and they really seemed to enjoy each others company!
* Mercy and Odesco both received great reports from their Children's Ministry teachers in church yesterday..both teachers commented on the dramatic change they have seen since their homecoming...especially in Odesco who used to be very closed off to the rest of the world not engaging others with eye contact or conversation. Evidently yesterday he answered questions about the lesson when asked and was relating well with the other kiddos...even waited patiently for a toy after being told it was not yet his turn. Praising God for these major evidences of His work in their little hearts!
* Having 4 littles and 3 swings on our swingset often presents a problem with taking turns. (read: ample opportunity for conflict resolution!!) Mercy and G and Odesco and L came up with their own solution...see the picture above :)
* Yesterday evening M and the 6 kiddos joined another family in their monthly ministry of delivering bread ( a tangible way to share the love of God !) to seniors in a highrise apartment building. There are a total of 11 floors and this project requires knocking on doors, offering bread and hugs and prayers if requested. I stayed home because I am on the tail end of fighting what the kiddos had. I was concerned that the new kids would not do well but was delighted with the report when my hubby returned home....he said everyone was engaging and helpful...no tantrums or major outbursts and the residents seemed blessed which was the whole point! P even had an opportunity to pray for a few men (with Dad's encouragement!). Thanks L family for including our family in this opportunity to serve :)
* Mercy is teaching C how to do 'cat's cradle' with a rubber band...C is quite impressed with her know how. Earlier she was toting him around on her back! The brute strength of our little Liberians is amazing!
* Mercy likes to pretend she is answering the phone...this is her newest salutation,"Hello, this is Mercy Biggie Mouth B".....don't worry , she does not answer the phone yet and she came up with this interestingly self depricating title all on her own!
*Last night, as Odesco was getting ready for bed, he pulled his elastic waisted pants well up to the middle of his chest...he seriously could rival St. Nick when he does this...he said,"Hello, I am Odesco Biggie Belly B"~again a self made title. These 2 continue giving us reasons to laugh, that's for sure!

Rejoicing in the small steps taken and purposing to remember He is at work when behaviors regress and "opportunities " for sanctification abound!
Love, MamaB

Trophies of grace.....

~Little man L feeling oh so big on his skateboard~
Don't think they had scooters in Liberia!
Our 2 littlest men snuggled on the couch for an impromptu nap!


Mercy and Odesco had their first attempts at scootering in our cul-de-sac during these beautiful spring-like days...this is the only helmet we could find to fit Mercy's head due to all her clicky-clacky beads and snaps! A few minutes after this picture was taken, Mercy came back into the house and resourcefully tied winter scarfs around her knees for protection against inevitable falls off the scooter...pretty creative but she didn't quite understand that the position of the scarfs hanging down would get caught in the wheels and send her flying headlong into the pavement...we convinced her to take them off and to just be careful :)
~Daddy's surprise portrait~
Yesterday (Wednesday) M worked from home to assist me with Mercy and Odesco's much anticipated doctor's appointments . We have not been back for them since the infamous December initial visit!( See entry on December 5th ,2006 for specifics!) I vividly remember leaving the office on that crazy day feeling quite beat up and musing that the kids' behavior certainly gave God much room to show his glory in future visits. I am sure the doctor and nurses were secretly (and maybe even spoke it aloud after we left!!) wondering what in the world we thought we were doing adopting older children from across the world into our family.
Well fast forward to yesterday...we had spent a bit of time preparing Mercy and Odesco for the visit...even discussed appropriate greetings and what was expected during the dreaded 'jukes' (shots)...there was to be no out of control screaming, tantruming, kicking etc. The doctor was totally shocked by these 2 litttle people before him...we were sooo proud of their bravery and behavior. Mercy still managed to make a bit of noise during the shots but , she was under control and really just terrified and I can't say that I blame her...2 shots in each arm :( Odesco , we were surprised to learn has walking pneumonia...this little guy was coughing but never had a fever and really did not act acted sick like the others except for taking a long nap the other day...the doctor believes the pneumonia was a complication from the 'crud' (as he called it!) that the others were getting over. He did not think he was contagious, but just in case, he did order meds which were started yesterday.Just to reassure our friends who were with us today: we did get the all clear to bring him out today :) All this to say that Odesco did not get any shots due to him being ill...he will be catching up later. Both kiddos gained 5.5 pounds and grew at least 1.5 inches each in height!! Odesco's feet have grown considerably as well...I remember the doctor laughing at how big Odesco's sneakers were back in December and now we can barely squeeze them on. Amazing what good nutrition does to a malnourished body!! Both kiddos also cooperated well for simple vision testing and this was after Mercy's 'juke session'! When it was all over, the nurses 'awarded' both children with 'bravery awards' which had Chick-Fil-A coupon attached for a free kids meal for each of them. We had been planning to treat the kids to something since this appointment was right smack in the middle of lunch time...we had all 6 children with us and hit the Chick-Fil-A on the way home. Mercy and Odesco had a blast in their first indoor playground experience(the others had great fun along with them!) and surprisingly transitioned well when we told them it was time to leave :) By the time we returned home, there was only about an hour before Grandmom and Pop-Pop arrived.
Truly, yesterday was an opportunity for God to remind us of how far Mercy and Odesco have come and what a work He has done in their little hearts in just 3 short months! I just completed the kids' 3 month postplacement reports so I this reminder coincided with the mental review I had just completed...
Also,yesterday we were able to delight in the kids' interaction with Grandmom and Pop Pop. Mom and Dad B's prior visit was well, let's just say it was brief and memorable and followed up with some phone call apologies!! Yesterday was a delightful contrast from the Valentine's Day fiasco. No boots,or helmets flying yesterday :) It is actually very comical to remember it now that it is a somewhat distant memory! Thanking God for big steps taken- :)

Almost everytime we have had a great boost like yesterday, it is followed by a very challenging day and today was no exception. I laugh thinking maybe I ought to just prepare my heart on the good days for 'opportunities' to abound when the sun dawns again :) Seriously, I liken it to a reminder from God Himself ...it feels as if He is saying," This is what I am doing ...look at the marvelous work I am accomplishing in these little hearts...be encouraged by this evidence of fruit when it seems as if behaviors are regressing and no progress has been made."
I needed to remind myself of this over and over and over again today as one of our dear children in particular tested the limits endlessly at Homeschooler's Day Out..I would say this little one was rattling the fence of their boundaries testing to see if Mom really would enforce rules while we were out of the house and slowly I trust this child is learning that choices have consequences and that rules apply in and out of the house...

So, there you have it...definate progress made and lots of work yet to do :)!! And of course these days of fence rattling reveal the gunk in my own heart and why I so desperately need a Savior!
~I am reminded today of His steadfast love toward me when I rattle the fence of the boundaries He has lovingly set ...Lord help me to grow in steadfast love!!
Oh ...a cute Odesco moment...after a good 'greasing' with coconut oil he proudly told me, "Mommy- I shiny,shiny...my own self I see in my leg!"....too funny :)
(yes, for those wondering, I do write down what these 2 say word for word...I have post it notes in various places around the house because my brain could never remember all the funny things they say!)
Thanks for stopping by!
Love, Mama B

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!!

The little ones with their basket of bounty for Daddy...oops this time Daddy is the one blinking! Couldn't resist posting though because of the anticipation on their cute little faces as they prepared to bless Daddy with all manner of gifts-pieces of decorated paper, beads strung that might fit his pinky...you get the idea~and all wrapped individually with gobs and gobs of tape :)!! ( Notice all of Mercy's bandaids- she had 4 'jukes' today!(aka: shots)
A day of celebration...for many reasons ( in addition to my wonderful hubby's birthday!!)
I will write about yesterday's adventures later but wanted to get this on here now.
Just wanted to get on here early to say Happy 44th birthday to my hubby!!!
Yesterday afternoon Grandmom and Pop-pop B came for a visit to help us celebrate Daddy's birthday. We had a wonderful time together and the little kiddos were so excited to give Daddy the basket of goodies they have been wrapping for weeks....so that's where all the scotch tape has disappeared to :) C and P were equally excited to give the gifts they had bought with their own money...practical gifts- Daddy's favorites...a new wallet and a pair of ski mittens from LL Bean for next season. Our big surprise was a family picture of me with the kiddos taken by a dear friend and really of professional quality. You'd never know all the chaos that took place to get the few great shots she captured and I was just sooo excited to finally give M a picture for his desk. (I confess getting a portrait done is not one of my favorite things to do...we have not had a professional picture of the kids done in over 2 years! )My witty friend said it was like wrestling squid :)!! Very vivid description of trying to get 12 pairs of eyes to focus and 6 mouths to smile simultaneously while keeping all those appendages under control !! I'll see if my cyberboy can scan one on later today.
Happy birthday , Daddy!!!
We love you !!!

Catching our breath!!

Mercy was sure she found potato greens in our backyard!! It took a bit of convincing to assure her that these were not the leaves of the sweet potato plant but vines growing up the side of the tree...either way, she was in her glory mashing them in a big bucket with a stick making pretend potato green soup!
A loving remembrance of Nana ... a sweet group effort to honor our Nana who passed away in May 2006 -see post below~
L, our mini Karate King...friends commented on his interesting attire and I realized it didn't even phase me because I am so accustomed to his creative costuming. Note the belt to hold the weapon of choice-usually a sword.

Jenkins and Odesco braving the storm during Nature Notebooking class
Odesco and the coveted mango seed!
These 4 decided to wear ties...Odesco and Mercy insisted they were all 'pastors' because pastors wear ties (at least in Liberia they do!!). Then they proceeded to run around the house yelling in their best 'pentecostal' voices..."the Bible says do not steal..do not lie ... (and my favorite) do not eat too much food!! " "Sing Hallelujah...He is alive forevermore!" This is all done at maximum volume complete with hand motions and facial expressions...they have obviously observed a few spirited preachers in their time! Mercy, Odesco, L, Jenkins and G in their first karate class~ Oh boy, what have we done?!?


Well, the past few days have been a blur of activity. On Wednesday, we began our spring semester of Homeschooler's Day Out...a day where many of the homeschooling families in our church meet at another facility so our children can take classes taught by the moms and sometimes outside instructors. It was a full day...9am-3pm and even Mercy and Odesco had their fair share of classes. At the last minute, I enrolled all the littles in Karate since we were already paying for 2 students, I just learned the rest were free! (Boy, did our family make out on that deal!! ) What a riot to see Mercy Odesco, L, G, and friend Jenkins in their own little subsection of the class. Just think, they will have even more tricks to 'play' together...kicks and chops and spins...ought to be interesting and I'm hoping they forget everything they learn except when they are in the class :)!! (-Just kidding )
P and C take Astronomy and Latin together and then P takes a Literature course and C is enrolled in a history class. G has an art class for her age range and also participates with Mercy and Odesco in a science/gym class combo and nature notebooking...a class where the kiddos go outside and observe nature around them and then come inside to draw it in their little sketchbooks. This week they were out in the snow as it was falling! Mercy, Odesco and L also had a class called 3 in 1...a story time followed by a related actvity and then a little physical fitness routine set to music...great fun! 5 of the kiddos will participate in the spring musical...Odesco is too young.I'm hoping I won't have to repeat with Odesco the issues I had with L last year who so badly wanted to be a part of the production that during dress rehearsals he actually wormed his way onto the stage numerous times when I took my eyes off him momentarily!
When we arrived home after our full day of classes , everyone crashed but especially G and L who were already fighting some sort of cold. G fell asleep and did not awaken again until 4am when she began with the croupy cough... Odesco and L also woke up at various times the same night with the lovely seal bark. So yesterday all 6 kiddos and myself trekked over to the pediatrician's -the office only had room in the schedule to see one child and not the other 2 little ones who were sick. I felt like a triage nurse trying to decide who was the sickest-L fit the bill since he has been sick the longest and actually was complaining of an earache...thankfully, when the doc took a glance at G and saw how pitiful she looked, she went ahead and checked her out as well. How kind of the Lord to provide in that way. G is just fighting a virus...no other issues right now! L did have an ear infection so I'm glad we did make the trip in...after setting the appointment, I kept wavering wondering if I should cancel and whether it would be worth the effort. I could not bring anyone into the house to stay with the kids due to the other sick kiddos so I planned to drop off the 3 healthy children at a friends who lives enroute to the doctors . This plan backfired when Mercy caught sight of their huge but harmless dog and raced back out to the car screaming. Odesco was having his own drama in the back seat as he was quite put out when he saw Mercy, P and C getting out of the car and realized that he wasn't going too! So, I told my kind friend who was so willing to serve me that I would just take them all since our 2 little Liberians did not appear to be settling down anytime soon. By God's grace things went rather smoothly in spite of the fact that none of the exam rooms are equipped for 6 children at one time! That was Mercy and Odesco's first visit back to the exam area since their initial checkups in December so I'm hoping that will help them next week when we go back for their checkups and the dreaded shots or 'jukes' as they call them.
Days like yesterday remind me of how God gently leads those with young!!

Before our doctors visit the morning was punctuated by many 'opportunities' to instruct sweet Mercy's heart. In the afternoon I was so blessed to witness the following:
Mercy went into the basement and I figured she was playing with Legos...imagine my delight when she announced that she had spent all that time sorting out the clothes in the dirty laundry basket without ever being asked!
Later, she spent at least an hour peacefully sitting on the couch listening to bible verses on tape and following along with the book..so sweet to hear her singing quietly as she studied the words and pictures on the page. yes those bolded words hold much meaning and if you've ever spent even a few minutes in my house, you understand the added emphasis :)
Again, this is another reminder of God's gentle leading as our morning was just a bit intense and discouraging!!

So, we are recovering and I am so ready for spring...open windows, time outdoors etc. We often tell Mercy and Odesco all the signs of the seasons they have yet to experience...budding trees followed by fragrant blossoms, butterflies, nesting birds, baby bunnies in the backyard... fun summertime pool days and trips to the shore, a visit to Mimi and Pop Pop's summer habitation in Indiana....it will be such fun to watch them experience their new world as all of these experiences unfold before them. Sort of reminds me of all the firsts with our babies except these 2 can tell us with words what they think!

Saturday...
Yes, sometimes it takes a few days to find the time to get a blog update completed. Today I had my wish...a teaser I'm sure, but it was a glorious taste of spring!! The kids were in the yard for hours and had such fun digging in the dirt that they each went through 2 sets of clothes. G has been wanting to make a 'garden' as a memorial to our Nana who died in May (my maternal grandmother). So, all the littles spent quite a bit of time fashioning 2 crosses out of sticks and fastening them together with duct and masking tape...G found a piece of slate and wrote "Nana" with a Sharpie marker...Odesco found some dried hydrangeas that he placed near the cross ...very sweet. We will have to try to do something permanent once spring really has sprung as this seems to be very important to G. Mercy and Odesco never did get to meet Nana but they love to hear stories of how Nana had their pictures on her refrigerator in the Assisted Living where she spent the final months of her life...they love to hear how Nana would tell the Liberian nurses aides and housekeeping staff of her soon to come great grandchildren from their homeland . It was precious to see them working alongside of each other on this little project.
Well, better get this published before a few more days go by and I have more to report!

As always,thanks for checking in~
So grateful for His gentle leading!!!
MamaB

A day to remember...

P in his Goalie shirt with his coach before the final set of 3 games....yes, his coach has green hair and he did try to persuade P to paint his as well to no avail!
P in action!! This was our view from the stage!
~ The big boys after the award ceremonies~
Just chilling in the bleachers before our move to the stage area.
How to make 8 hours fly by....try a plaiting party...
Or eating nutritious (and some not so nutritious) snacks!
Or how about taking a little snooze.....just make yourselves at home, girls!
Daddy's lap is always best!!
For the past 8 weeks, the big boys have been participating in an indoor soccer league called Salao soccer. It has been a fun family time watching both boys play ...often watching a game with C playing, then running errands for 1 hour and returning to watch P play.
Well, today was the ultimate soccer day...tournament Saturday....we were in the gym from 8am until 12pm...came home for 1 hour to replenish the water bottles, the snack stash and to pack something to keep the littles occupied!! Then we remained from 1pm until 5pm....yep 8 hours watching soccer.
These were intense 20 minute games played on a basketball court. What did the littles do to pass the 8 hours? Well, they ate, they drank, they took multiple potty breaks (trodding up and down jam packed bleachers with no center aisle is quite a feat...thank goodness there were many kindhearted spectators who did not mind Mercy and Odesco leaning on them for balance as they tried their best to avoid stepping on coats, knocking over coffeee mugs and other belongings ,while remaining upright!!) They also talked, played with a few friends, cheered, plaited hair, and did I mention they ate?! oh, and occasionally they actually watched the game :) For our 2nd stretch we moved from the bleachers to a stage where the kiddos could stretch out, color, and play quietly.The stage was directly behind the goal and I tried to position the kiddos so that they were protected from stray balls....well, after Mercy awoke from her little nap, she was quietly coloring with her back to the goal. Yes, you can guess what I'm gong to say next...what a shock when she was nailed hard in the back of the head with a ball intended to score -- the bright side is that this ball aimed for the goal did not make it in but bounced off Mercy's bead and snap covered head instead! This was good news because P was the goalie!!! I must say that even in the midst of the noisy, crowded gymnasium, our little girl managed to make her cries heard. Thankfully, she settled down with some cuddling and gentle head rubbing. She seems just fine now~
It was quite the exciting day of games...C's team made it to the finals but finished 2nd...he played defense and kept his head in the game. P's team also made it to the finals ...he played goalie and oh, how nerve wracking it was sitting directly behind him watching those balls headed his way...he did a great job defending his goal but in the end they also came in 2nd. This was after 2 back to back 20 minute games and a very exciting tie breaker where every minute, a player from each team was removed until it was 3 on 3...yikes!!! There was lots of screaming and cheering and the pressure was really on....I am proud of our firstborn for how he kept his cool and handled the eventual loss...graciously...he did his best and seemed to have a really fun time . At the awards ceremony we were all surprised when P was given the Christian Character award for his team. The coach mentioned that after every game P would use his snack tickets given to get a treat for not only himself but also for all his siblings at the makeshift snack bar. It is a blessing to see these evidences of God's grace in his life :)

Well, L is asleep on Daddy's shoulder...he seems to have picked up what Mercy had earlier in the week....he was feeling pretty lousy throughout the day...very mellow, sleepy and complaining that his throat was bothering him. Now he sounds like a barking dog when he coughs...could be an eventful night!!
Thanks for checking in and sharing our adventures :)!!
Blessings, MamaB.
PS spending 8 hours in a public setting gave me ample opportunity to instruct on a variety of issues....for instance how to scratch your belly discreetly without exposing your entire body to those around you, how to belch quietly into a cupped hand and the importance of waiting until you actually get into the bathroom stall before removing pertinent articles of clothing...