Happy 15th Birthday.....

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

It is so hard to believe that P has just turned 15! The greatest joy for us as parents is to see his relationship with the Lord flourish and to watch him growing in humility and wisdom. As we all went around the table sharing what we love about P, the common theme was his humility and consistency in asking forgiveness. He also does a great job playing with his younger siblings and 'entering their world'. He is a diligent worker both in his studies, household chores, and in working for others. Recently we worked as a family at my hubby's 'Global Service Day' with many of his co-workers cleaning up a YMCA close to his office. Several of M's co-workers later commented on P's diligence as he energetically slung mulch for many hours. I am thoroughly enjoying these teenage years. Sure, there are moments, but overall, I stand in awe of what the Lord is doing in spite of us!!
Happy Birthday, P---we love you!!!!!


Miss Mercy was so excited to give P the gift she had purchased with her own money~
Each of the kids gets to choose their favorite meal for their birthday dinner...P chose "chicken pockets" a recipe shared with me by a dear friend when she brought over a meal the week P was born!! It is comical to hear the 3 boys who share may birthdays plot out their choices. L was set on having whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes for dinner but his big brothers convinced him that he really wanted meatloaf and mashed potatoes...it took some convincing but L eventually caved in to his big brothers~ I'm grateful they enjoy my cooking :)

PS: I have no idea why the font is all messed up on this post...I tried numerous times to fix it to no avail ...

The view through my rear view mirror...

Today was one of those crazy non-stop full days. Lots to do, places to be, deadlines to meet. As I was driving to pick the 2 big boys up from a study group at Mama K's, I glanced at the view in my rear view mirror and my heart was so full. 7 little people filled the seats...their loud voices filled the car. There were 4 African children...Mercy, Odesco, Jenkins, and Felicia...it is hard to remember life without them. They are all such 'belongers' now...they were meant to be a part of our families. From the foundations of the earth, even through the horrors of war and hunger,God had planned that they would be joined to our families. He went to great lengths to bring them across the world to us...it truly is a miracle...how kind of the Lord that we 'get' to do this. What a privilege...it has not been easy, but it has been worth it!

I am so grateful when the Lord gives me these moments (this time through my rear view mirror). I need fresh vision every now and then...
Thanking the Lord for His kindness to me,
MamaB~

A Big Day in the B house!!

Yesterday, May 3rd, was a big day in our house...we officially have 2 teenagers under the roof now!! C celebrated his 13th birthday ...it is so hard to believe 13 years have sped by since our 9#14oz baby entered the world!! As you can see from the pictures below, C has experienced a major growth spurt...sometimes from a distance( on the baseball field) I don't even recognize him! He is growing in many ways and we are so grateful for the privilege to parent our 2nd born :) Mercy surprised him by doing his chores yesterday and begged me to take her to the Dollar store so she could purchase gifts(candy!) for each of her brothers celebrating this month. I savor these sweet family moments/ "snapshots of grace!"
C has grown in many ways over this past year but most significant are the changes we are seeing in his spiritual walk. We look forward to watching the Lord at work in our son's life in the days ahead!! We love you,C~

C received his humongous toolbox from Daddy with 3 tools to start his collection. Each birthday he will receive a new tool to add to the set so that when he is ready to be on his own, (sniff, sniff) he will be well equipped in the tool department!

Our 17+ year old refrigerator has died...M and I headed out last night to shop for a new one :) We are still looking... We asked C to measure the height of our old one since we were scoping the internet before we left to shop. C ran in the other room to get his very own handy tape measure to help us out :)

Thanks for stopping by~
P.S. It was also a big day for other reasons...Today, P finished his final module of Biology, C took his last General Science test and also completed his Pre-Algebra Math program...Wednesday is our final Homeschooler's Day Out for the year~our school year is definitely winding down!!