Tangle Feet

My attempt at being artsy ended looking pretty funny. There's such a wide age span that they're hard to photograph as a group. So anyway baby and little kid feet are adorable. Jake's feet, well, not so much.
Look at the chub on Shane's ham hock. Makes me want to smooch him. :)

This little one needs your help

I recieve email newsletters from a number of organizations that aid international (though primarily Chinese) orphans. This baby's story has touched my heart because he is currently living in the orphanage that Ella lived in until we brought her home in 05. I've pasted the email below. Please prayerfully consider making a contribution to his surgery fund. If you're unable to contribute financially, please pray for him. (I won't post his photo here, but if you would like to see him, send me an email and I'll send it to you.)

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Dear Nanping Families,

There's a baby at the Nanping orphanage who is in urgent need of surgery, and I hope you'll consider making a donation to help sponsor his medical care. Even a small amount will help.

This 4-month-old little boy was born with anal atresia, a very serious condition in which the large intestine does not have an opening. He had emergency surgery as soon as his condition was diagnosed, but he needs two additional surgeries that are expected to cost about $2,500. The orphanage does not have money to pay for this, and FujianKids has been asked to sponsor his medical care. So far, we've raised $700.

Information about how you can contribute is included at the end of this message. Donations are tax deductible. Without help from donors, this child will not be able to receive the surgery he so badly needs.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks so much for considering this request. A photo of this sweet little boy is attached.

Sincerely,
Marsha Richins
FujianKids

Contribution details:
To contribute by check: Make your check payable to Altrusa International Foundation and mail it to
FujianKids
508 S. Glenwood Ave.
Columbia, MO 65203
By paypal: Send your contribution to donate@fujiankids.org and specify "Hao Hai surgery"
Online: Visit http://fujiankids.org/store1/products.php?cat=14 and contribute to the Medical Fund; specify "Hao Hai surgery" in the comment section during the checkout procedure.

Content?

I love spring for the most part. What I don't like is that when I see flowers blooming, birds flying, and the deer running, I start feeling restless. I don't like to be cold so we spend a lot of time indoors in the winter. Spring comes, and I'm ready to burst with energy.

I want to landscape my yard, ride my bike, clean every room in the house(and completely re-organize them), take car trips, you name it. This tempts me to some serious frustration. We have to finish homeschool and we're way behind because of some very tough classes this year. Shane is still quite challenging during the day and he still doesn't sleep very well at night. Oh, and I still have to cook dinner and do the laundry - my least favorite tasks. Of course there's the issue of time. As a mom with young kids, I can only do so much during my alloted 24 hours each day. sigh...What's a girl to do??

So I stumbled across this gem by E.B. Pusey:
"If we wished to gain contentment, we might try such rules as these:
1) Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even the weather;
2) Never picture thyself to thyself under any circumstances in which thou art not;
3) Never compare thine own lot with that of another;
4) Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than thou dost thyself;
5) Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. `The Lord will provide.'"

I don't recall the exact verse, but Psalm 16 tells me that 'the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places' and 'surely I have a delightful inheiritance.' This is where I am for this season of my life, and I need to enjoy it and be grateful for all that God has for me right here, right now.

Just stuff

They say so many funny things in the course of the day. I'm going to try to post the gems if for no other reason than to help me remember them.

We were sitting at the kitchen table coloring, cutting and pasting when Hank looked very serious.
"Momma, I'm going to ride the schoolbus because I'm getting big."
"Really sweetie? Don't you want to go to homeschool like Jakie?"
He looked at me like I was a bit thick. "Momma, you're coming with me, doncha know!"

Hank has also decided to marry me. It works out I suppose. Ella has declared, "When I get big, I marry Daddy." It's very sweet, but we may have problems if Shane also wants to marry me. :)

May 16
Hank and I are now going to go to college together, and we'll live in the same room. We have to finish our chores and then we can go. Jake can't go to college because he hasn't finished his chores yet. Poor Jake.

May 18
Ella and Hank have recently shown a desire to pray at each meal (usually it's momma or daddy). Ella usually tries to mimic whatever Hank says which is funny enough.
Tonight Hank said, "Thank you, Jesus. Help us care for our food and not have any awky (yucky) food. Help us have good food - chips, soda and french fries. Help us be good."
So Ella followed, "Thank you Jesus. Help us have good food but not fries. Amen."

May 31
Ella and Hank have been squabbling quite a bit lately. Since he's twice her size, I really emphasize that as a boy, he needs to care for and love his sister. I reminded him that she is a gift from God to him. Fastforward to yesterday on the way home from Carol's. Ella was in rare form pushing all of his buttons. He turned in his carseat and said very seriously, "Ella, I am a gift and you should be nice to me." And then turned to look out the windown until she fell asleep.

At DeeDee's on May 29
I trimmed Ella's bangs after church Sunday and that night we headed to DeeDee's house. Tuesday, the boys stayed with Carol and I took Ella to an all day dr's appt. We returned to find that Carol had pinned Hank down and trimmed his very long bangs. Ella commented on his new doo and was jealous because she wanted a haircut, too. Hank, not wanting to share the spotlight (or his DeeDee for that matter) crossed his arms and said, "DeeDee can't do it. Mommy already trimmed your BRAINS. hmph!"

July 9
We were swinging today and Hank said, "I love to swing, Momma. I can see the top of the whole world!" Such a happy guy. :)

That's the way God made me

One of my little people is exceptionally, um, gassy. Cute as a bug, yes, but smelly like a stink bug. We were at the breakfast table, and I was encouraging my little dear to have some self control while we were eating.

I got the most serious look"But Momma, that's the way God made me." I had to stifle my laughter while reminding my pip that God is faithful to help us have self control so we may be a blessing to those around us. It really is a good thing they're all so cute. :)

Thank you, Charlotte...Not!

Hank is a lover not a fighter, and most animals and creatures are his friends. Since adding Charlotte's Web to our DVD library, spiders are now "good guys." They capture flies and drink their blood, you know. Flies are the bad guys so this is a good thing.

This morning we were cleaning the kitchen and Jake called me over to look at the Biggest Spider On The Planet. This sucker was massive - and fast. Gives me chills just typing it.

Being the brave mommy I am (not), I blasted it with wasp killer and then bleach cleaner - and yes it ran really fast.

It's now in a baggy waiting for daddy to get home and ID it. Hank thinks it is taking a nap so it has energy to build a big web. I'll let daddy break the news to him...

Close your eyes if you don't want to see it...