Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas!  It's certainly been a busy holiday season around our house!  Amid all the chaos I try to find time to update my Gratefulness Journal which I started a few months back.  I'm up to #573 even though I don't write in it daily, which is what I wanted to do, I do add a bunch of things each time I sit down with it.  

Cookie Baking!

Jordan, Wayne, and Anna

 #570- I'm thankful that Sierra and Anna help me with all the holiday baking!  It was a blessing to be able to hide in my room and wrap presents while the girls were doing the annual baking.  They were a huge help to me.

Christmas Eve morning football anyone?

 What's with teenagers who have to be doing something somewhere all the time with their friends?  A bunch of the kids from church like to get together often to play football.  And of course Christmas Eve morning sounded like a good time to play!  #571- I'm thankful for a husband who will shuttle Sierra, Andrii, and Anna off to play football, while I stay home and get my Christmas broccoli casserole made.

Christmas Eve 

Around the island l to r:  Wayne Jr. (seated), me, Sierra, Curtis, Keith (my nephew), Nicholl -JC's fiancee (seated), and Kerri (seated).  

 Our Christmas Eve is celebrated with my husband's family, and we take turns with hosting the celebration.  This year it was Wayne's brother John and his wife Liz's turn to host.  In spite of the incredible heart break that our family has been walking through with the loss of John and Liz's son, my nephew JC, back in September, they decided to go ahead and  host the gathering.  After appetizers and a ham dinner we gathered together for my mother-in-law to read the Christmas story in Luke.  Then she shared some words and my father-in-law (our beloved patriarch) shared some words.  My son Curtis was asked by Liz to read the poem "Christmas In Heaven."  Then my father-in-law closed in a prayer of thanksgiving.  It was a tearful time, but we made it through even though a V.I.P was missing.

John, Vienna, and Wayne

 This pic cracks me up because Vienna hopped right in my husband's lap.  I think she thought he was John - like she didn't realize the difference!

Christmas Morning Stocking Opening!

 Slava & Jordan strolled out about 7:15am to check out the tree.  Anna joined them shortly thereafter.  After waking up Daddy (Mommy was up first!)  we let the little kids open their stockings while waiting for the big kids to roll out of bed.  By about 8:00am we were all gathered in the living room where we all prayed and then sang, "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  Then present-opening commenced!

Christmas Morning Breakfast!

 It's been our tradition to have Christmas Quiche for breakfast.  It makes the morning easier since I make it the night before.  The home-made cinnamon rolls are a newer tradition we've done about 5 years now.  The inspiration for them came when we were in Ukraine 6 years ago for our 1st adoption.  We spent Christmas morning there at the home of dear missionary friends, Joey and Laura Stoltzfus.  Laura made these delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast that morning, and now I make them for Christmas morning too.  Actually, this year, Sierra made them.  They're pretty easy since we make them the night before, and I just have to put them in the oven for 20 minutes when we get up.  Yummy!  Notice the new stove.  #520 - I'm thankful my oven broke a week before Christmas (in the midst of baking cookies) instead of breaking on Christmas morning!

Missy got a microwave for Christmas!

 Missy joined us for Christmas Eve and then had to work 11pm to 7am.  She came from work after picking up her boyfriend, and made it in time to open presents with us.  Then she went to take a nap in Sierra's room.

Officer Flach

 Jordan wants to be a police man.  He asked for a police baton for Christmas.  We got him the baton, the uniform, hand cuffs, and a badge.  He loved it!

Wayne Jr., Kerri, and Andrii!

 #572 - I am so blessed to have ALL of my children under one roof for Christmas Day!  Wayne & Kerri arrived around 2pm after spending the morning with her family.  Her parents and sister joined us for Christmas dinner as well.

Jordan, Sierra, and Slava

 Christmas night ended with Sierra hosting a sleep-over in her room with the little boys.  And to all a good night!

Oops, this pic is out of sequence, sorry.

My parents arrived by noon to exchange gifts and have dinner with us too.  #573 - celebrating Christmas with both of my parents.  My cousin, Vess, and Jean & Earl Smith Missy's God-Parents) also joined us for dinner - that made a total of 20 people around our dinner table.  It was a busy, blessing filled day of family, friends, food, and fellowship.  God is good!

Christmas Preparations

December and all the busyness that comes with it is upon us.  Our days are filled with homeschooling, appointments, and holiday preparations.  This past week Slava began Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at the local elementary school.  I bring him one morning for a 30 minute OT appointment and one afternoon for a 30 minute PT appointment.  So far he really likes it and I don't mind sitting in the school office for just a half hour.  The school has been very open to helping us help Slava even though we are homeschoolers.  I'd prayed for favor in this area and the Lord certainly has provided.  We spent last weekend at our camp in the Adirondacks for some much needed time off from work for Wayne.  The only down side was that many of us had bad colds.  On Sunday after church we got our Christmas tree.  

Which tree?

 Wayne isn't into cutting down the tree, so we've made it a tradition to pick one out, throw it into the truck, and then go out to lunch.  Works for me!

This one is just right!

Some good lookin' kids here!

 I love seeing Curtis and Sierra together.

They have a great brother/sister relationship.

Out to eat at Applebee's.

 Once home we set up the tree and began decorating it.  Each of our kids has their own box of personal ornaments.  Each year I get them a special ornament for Christmas.  They will get to take them with them when they get married or move out.  They will always be able to have their childhood ornaments. Wayne Jr. took his ornaments and his stocking, however his stocking came back home.  I guess nobody fills a stocking like his Mom!

Slava & Jordan as elves!

 Who needs an "elf on a shelf" when you have a Jordan & a Slava bouncing off the walls!  These guys bring us so much joy, laughter, and exhaustion!

Our living room all decked out!

This week in the midst of baking cookies my oven quit.  Though it was frustrating, I'm very grateful that it didn't happen on Christmas day with a turkey in the oven.  A new one is being delivered this week, then holiday cookie baking will commence.  In all the baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, and running I am very aware and very grateful that I've already received the greatest gifts:  salvation, family,  and much love.

Gratefulness

With gratefulness I update this blog.  My intention is to update it weekly, but I guess I have so many things to be thankful for that there just isn't time to actually post as often as I'd like to. 

Slava & Sierra 

 Where did November go?  It was a very busy month for our family.  We celebrated the wedding of a dear friend, Thanksgiving, Sierra's 16th birthday, and National Adoption Month!  I cannot believe my baby girl is 16!  We celebrated with a lovely sweet 16 party where her brothers were the DJs and family & the entire youth group showed up to party!  And she got her permit, so watch out, she's driving!

Slava & Jordan at the Adoption Rally

 November was National Adoption Awareness Month.  I took the kids to Albany for a rally organized by Albany County  Dept. for Children, Youth and Families.  We had a good time.  But it was the 2nd time in one week that I attended an event where, as a Christian, I was in the minority in the adoption community.  It is very disappointing to realize that the Church...the very people the Lord mandated to care for orphans in James 1:27, is actually asleep on this issue.  My pastor's wife and I attended an adoption fair in the Capital District area and realized that people were looking at us as a "couple" interested in adopting.  When we explained that we had an orphan ministry through our church we got some strange looks.  While the Church sleeps the enemy has invaded our territory and is stealing our children!  Yes, children need homes, but God designed the family to be a place where children are brought up learning about Him.  This is the Christian community's responsibility!

Thanksgiving Day

 We had a lovely day for Thanksgiving.  Wayne Jr. & Kerri and Missy came, along with Kerri's family and Missy's God Parents, Jean and Earl.  My parents came for dinner and Wayne's parents and brother & sister-in-law came for dessert.  It was a full day.  Around the table we all shared what we're grateful for.  I couldn't help but tearfully express my thankfulness for all of my children present around the table, for I am painfully aware there was a table with a very important person missing.  Our hearts still ache by the loss of our nephew, JC.

Orphan Ministry banner!

 Some exciting things took place in November in our ministry.  Mary and I spoke at a local church and we held a foster care focused event called "Faultless - The American Orphan".  It wasn't attended as well as I'd hoped, but the Lord reminds us to not despise small beginnings.  Our family was also the feature on The Sound of Life's morning Cup of Joe show.  They came to our house and did a live broadcast to celebrate Adoption Month.  All of the kids participated.  It was very exciting and a great way to share God's heart for the orphan.  Another radio station approached me with the idea of Justice For Orphans hosting our own 30 minute, weekly radio show.  This too would be a great way to rally the Church for the cause of the fatherless, but it also comes with a price tag.  We're praying about whether it's something we should do.  If it is then I know the Lord will provide the $300 per month we'd need to do it.

My end of the kitchen table!

 Life is so busy with homeschooling, raising kids, keeping our home, running 3 teenagers around, and orphan ministry that unfortunately this is typically what the kitchen table looks like.  My desk is in the background and it's overflowing too.  I try to sit down to pay bills and do paperwork, but I always get called away to do something.  I'm thinking I need an assistant or a secretary or another me!

Wayne Jr. & Jordan face-timing each other!

Wayne Jr. and Kerri came over the other night for dinner.  It's always a blessing to have them over.  The little kids love it when their big brother comes to visit.

I'm sure there are tons of things I've forgotten to post.  November was a blur.  Now it's December and Christmas shopping and decorating is added to an already overflowing to-do list.  Next week Slava will begin Occupational & Physical Therapy at the local elementary school.  We had him evaluated, and thankfully the Lord showed us favor with the school district.  I knew going in that even though we are home schoolers, we still are entitled to special education help if it's deemed necessary.  The school did not make it difficult at all.  They really want to work with us.  Slava's been labeled "Other Health Impaired" because fetal alcohol, sensory processing, and ADHD make it a bit challenging for him to learn.  He can learn and is learning, but it's a challenge.  I will take him to the school Monday afternoons for an hour and Thursday mornings for an hour.  In February he has an appointment with a developmental pediatrician.  This is the doctor who will officially diagnose the things we already know he has.  This little boy is a lot of work, but he is so precious and we are thankful the Lord placed him in our family.  What a privilege it is to be his mom!  When he strolls into my room in the morning he usually announces, "I love you."  The other morning I beat him to it and said it first.  He then said, "I love you back....And I love you front."  I guess he was paying attention when I was teaching him opposites!

We are working on a website for Justice For Orphans.  Once it's complete I will post the address here on the blog.  You can check us out now on facebook - just look for Justice For Orphans!  Make sure you "like" us!

Until next time, may your blessings over flow!