30 Thoughts on Adoption~

I have continued my 30 Thoughts on Adoption~

 @ A Beautiful Symphony.

Please visit and read.

Kids and Hobbies~

I wrote a new post for A Beautiful Symphony today after a weekend of sewing with EK.
I made boutique bottoms for the bitty three to wear for the consulate appointment
and she made an adorable bird~

Kids and Hobbies~

How do kids decide what they are interested in and drawn to? How much responsibility do we take in the decision or allow the child to decide the path?

I think as parents we take the role of leading our children to a myriad of interests and watch to see which bloom or bomb. Most times our job will be to help them try again or say it’s okay to try something new.

In our family we have watched lots of interests bloom then fall by the wayside while others developed into lifelong pursuits.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Number on the Front Game~

New blog post up @ A Beautiful Symphony today~

We are a pretty scheduled family. Having routines and predictable days give our children stability.

I think the 'time game' began with EK and SJ when they had asked me for hundredth time what was next. Our days were predictable especially if we were home, so I pulled them over to the clock and asked, "What's the first number you see?" They answered the question, and I matched it with something we were doing at that time. Thus began the "Number on the Front Game". Some people refer to things done everyday at the same time, a 'Peg', breakfast, lunch, and dinner being the most obvious ones.

Eat at breakfast at 8 on the front. (8:00am)

Start school at 9 on the front.

Eat lunch at 12 on the front. You get the picture.

I truly believe this silly time game made our children more aware of schedules and routines. EK and SJ now tell time very well, and the younger four are still playing the game. Such an easy way to make learning something abstract, a little more fun.

Continue reading HERE.http://abeautifulsymphony.com/kid-freetime/

Celebrating Birthdays Post

We celebrated a birthday this weekend for a special 11 year old.

We don’t know our children’s real birth date. They weren’t left with a note. All their birthdays were guesses according to their appearance when found. We don’t get to pull out photos and scrapbooks full of stories about the day they were born. We can’t tell about their first word, when they rolled over, or when they sat up. We don’t even know what their birth family named them. Their past is a mystery, and it is very important to make the present genuine.

Just another way our children aren’t like most children celebrating birthdays.

So much emotion bubbles up when birthdays roll around. While in China birthdays were never acknowledged unless a child had been chosen and their family made arrangements for a cake to be delivered. We were able to do that for 3 of our children, and we have photos of it. Honestly we did it only for the photos. Our children didn’t need a party. They really didn’t even know what was going on. Still, maybe it gave all the children something fun in the midst of a usually dull daily life.

Our new 11 year old touched US soil and became a US citizen on her very first birthday. We had people over to celebrate even though we were in the pit of jet lag. We lit a big fancy rotating candle from China that played music singing happy birthday while our precious one slept through the whole thing. Again, it wasn’t about her, it was me wanting photos of a special day in my mind… she didn’t know the difference OR need it. I guess in hindsight I was trying to make up for what was lost.

To Read More go to A Beautiful Symphony.

Leading Your Child To Christ: A Beautiful Symphony

I have a new post up @ A Beautiful Symphony.

Last Sunday our 8 year old walked down the aisle at our church and made her profession of faith. It was such a big deal for many reasons. She has believed for over a year now but couldn’t gather the courage to make it public.

One day we were talking about Christ being baptized by John the Baptist, and she started asking questions. I knew she was thinking about her next step. She decided she was brave enough to talk to our pastor and from there her courage grew.

Our family had decided we would join the church as well, so we stepped out on one side of the church while she and her older sister stepped out on the other. We all walked forward glancing toward each other through the pew aisles. She walked with the confidence Christ was with her, and her family coming along side her for support.

In our family there is nothing more important than our children knowing Jesus and the assurance, we will all be in heaven together. Scott and I pray over our children every single day. Half of our children have made this essential decision in their lives and we have the other half to go.

Leading our children to Christ is such a parallel path of adoption. When each of our children chose Christ, they were adopted into the family of God. None of us are born a believer or assume the right to be a child of God. God gives us the gift of choice. WE have to make a choice to follow and believe or not.

• Luke 2:52  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

It is not by chance someone chooses Christ. Sharing a few ways our family has found lead the way.

Go HERE to continue reading.

Older Child Adoption Series

I am sharing an Older Child Adoption Series this week at A Beautiful Symphony~

A new story each day from an adoptive friend.

Big Family vs Orphanage

Question: Do you think a big family is really better than an orphanage?

I cringe at the thought of an orphanage but am forced to face the reality of them every day. Six of our children were kept alive in one.

It was their only hope until we chose God’s call in James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

God describes orphans with two words: Distressed and lonely.

Psalm 68:6 “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

I’ve witnessed with my own eyes the distress and loneliness. I walked through an orphanage holding my child while others sat on the floor reaching for me, crying to me “Mama”, seeing others being chosen instead of them. I remember walking away with a broken heart vowing to advocate for them so they might be chosen too. How can we ignore them?

Distressed and Lonely?

• Abandoned for unknown reasons
• Scared and wanting their mama/baba
• Hungry because there are so many to feed
• Cold because there is no heat
• Sick, diseased, or serious special need

I could go on and on, but I know you get the message.

Go HERE to continue reading.

New Post on A Beautiful Symphony~

How Much Did They Cost?

SO How Much Did They Cost?

What an uncomfortable place to be in with children looking on, and they ARE watching you.

I pull my children close to me and say any of the following:

“They are worth more than anything money could buy.

We can’t imagine life without them.

They bless us every single day.

God CHOSE them for us, and they are the best thing that ever happened to our family.

You just reminded me I have a lot to be thankful for.”

In the case of the persistent waiter or lady in the Target line, and you want to keep the conversation going, you could ask if they are wanting to adopt… Their eyes will pop out of their heads! I’m laughing out loud right now.

There is really no way to appease a highly offensive person in a way that protects the privacy of our children. Adoption puts us in the limelight and makes people think they can ask us anything.

Continue reading HERE.

It’s YOUR Mission {Not Their’s}

New Blog post up at A Beautiful Symphony: It’s YOUR Mission {Not Their’s}~

Think about all the children in the world living as orphans. Will they ever know the love of Jesus if we don’t go? I’ve said it before and I will say again, “There is no way we will get to heaven and stand before Jesus to hear Him say, “WHY in the world did you adopt all those children?”.” I believe He is going to grab us, hug us, and whisper Thank You for loving the least, bringing them home, and telling them about me!!! THAT is Gospel! 

Click HERE to keep reading...

A Beautiful Symphony Posts~

I am working on a series called The Metamorphosis of the Adopted Child~

Part 1 HERE

Part 2 HERE

Part 3 HERE

I will continue it on Monday!

Reading Success~ Growing Whole Hearts/School

We have two avid readers in our house so far, and the smaller ones are not far behind.

We took a break from the library mainly because our new dog chewed 4 of our books unbeknownst to us, and when they went through the check in process we were charged $60. WHAT???

 Now instead of checking out more books than we can keep up with, we have pawned it down to 1 per child and 1 listening set as well.

Much more doable and easier to store on our shelf~

With 6 children needing one on one time with reading, I need all the help I can get.

Ways to Increase Reading Success (even when you can't sit with them):

1. Library Books~

 Allow your child to choose ANY book he/she likes, and they are way more likely to pick it up and 'read'. Imagine Payne's surprise when he picked up his book this week, The Carrot Seed, and I casually mentioned he could probably read most of the words inside, then read most every word on his own to which he exclaimed, "I can read REAL books!" And that spurred Will to find it too, and he read it~

2. Limit Television~

My kids have very limited television time. It is not something we use to kill time. My favorite request is 'find something to do', and they are very good at it! The photos above were taken after school or through the afternoon when they choose reading as they're 'something' to do.

3. Reading (Listening) in Many Different Ways~

You can see above we have DVD players, CD players, and tape players they can use for listening to stories. Remember me saying if they can work an iPhone, they can work household appliances? Same goes for the players I listed. We have lots of books on tape from when I taught school, and we love Audible and Librivox. Having the choices in baskets out where they can see is important too!

4. Allow Books anytime especially at Rest Time and Bedtime~

We have three book shelves full of books under their desks and one in each of the bedrooms. It is always okay to pick a stack of books for rest time, AND never a complaint for bedtime if they are allowed to take a stack to read while they wait for their tuck in. Works like a charm!!!!!

5. Read in Front of Them~

Scott and I make it a habit to read aloud to them after baths each night as well as being seen reading around them. I really prefer real books but if I do read digitally, I read on a Kindle and not iPad... just sets a better example as real reading and not surfing the web. :)

BONUS:

We are finding since the kids have begun memorizing scripture for Awana, they are realizing the wonder of reading. It is finally clicking that every word spoken can be written and therefore read. This has especially been true for the boys, and we couldn't be happier for them!

Valentine's Weekend~

Scott and I have been celebrating Valentine's Day for 32 years.

The left is our first when I was a freshman in college with braces and a perm

and the right was Saturday evening after I had lost the fight with a migraine all day long~

 I finally was able to get up and shower in hopes for our date... it was touch and go
but ended up having a wonderful time with my Valentine!!!
The bigs certainly had plenty of sweetness as well~

Today Scott made us heart pancakes with spinkles

and we loved going to church then back home for lunch together~

I wrote about Valentine's Day :Love and Joy @ A Beautiful Symphony

Sure hoping your Valentine's Day was sweet and full of love!!!

Laundry Post~

Read HERE @ A Beautiful Sumphony

Chinese New Year~ {How We Celebrate}

Monday was Chinese New Year and we were excited to celebrate! There were celebrations in our area over the weekend, but we have found enjoying this holiday at home is right for us. After all, that's what their Chinese families are doing in China!

It just made sense to incorporate this special day into our school routine.

I pulled out all the things we have collected from our many trips to China. First thing was for everyone to choose a Chinese silk for photos~

The kids are always so kind and willing to let me get portraits of them in their silks (don't know how much longer it will last~

One of my favorite photo sessions of the year~

It was really fun to pull out each special item, remember who it was chosen for, and discuss its Chinese heritage~

Everyone had a turn playing the Chinese horn and playing paddle ball~

Probably the most interesting item was the abacus so we watched a video to show us how it works. We also studied the intricate silk stitches on our tapestries~

There were fan dances and puppet shows~

Lantern making, mandarin character writing, and decorating~

The day ended with Chinese take out and sweet friends waiting to travel to Korea for their little boy~

My Thoughts on Chinese New Year~

When EK was younger, we took her to everything we could Chinese related to be with other children adopted from China. It was considered good practice to immerse our adopted children in their Chinese culture and heritage. She didn't really get that much out of it... maybe over stimulation, but it was good for Scott and I to be other families like us. We LOVE all our fellow adoptive family friends!!! Plus living out in the country makes for a very long drive to most events.

When SJ came home, we continued to attend a few outside celebrations but with each passing year and new children home, it was just too much. Too many to cocoon from strangers, manage feeding them, and visit with all the families (which is what we wanted to do). It became very evident our celebrations needed to be near or at home.

SO over the last few years, we have either gone out or ordered Chinese take out with family/friends. It's fun to focus on our own children and where they lived in China. Reading lifebooks and watching their videos is fun for them too.

Making this holiday personal has been such a blessing. Yesterday as we discussed 'their' China, they were SO proud of their heritage and culture. The number one reason in celebrating Chinese New Year is building self worth through knowledge of their culture. Being proud to be Chinese will go far in life when they are adults.

In my heart as a mom, it allows me another opportunity to show respect and love toward the family and country that gave our children life. We also spend time praying for China, their seven birth families, and all the children still there waiting for their forever family.

And lastly, it gave us a way to celebrate sweet CallaAnne who is enjoying this great celebration with a precious foster family.

Our prayer for all that is Chinese~

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."'    ~ Numbers 6:24-26

The How of Adoption~

You can imagine the stares and questions we get when we walk into a place with all our littles. And the head shaking that ensues when we share about CallaAnne! I know! I used to be the same way when we were a family of three girls and bigger families were near. The same questions popped into my head that I will share below and little did I know God had MUCH bigger plans for our family than we would ever imagine.

Giving God control of your thoughts changes your life and gives you blessings you NEVER saw coming!!!

People ask us all the time HOW in the world are we able to handle this adoption life God has given us and at times its hard to put into words. My husband Scott chose this topic today and hope together we are able to give hope to anyone called… you just have to say yes.

Go HERE to continue reading my blog post at A Beautiful Symphony.

Sanctuary~ Home

I wrote a post of 4 Steps to Creating Sanctuary {Home} at
A Beautiful Symphony~

Sanctuary is such a beautiful word if you pause and really ponder it.

{A refuge and place of safety.}

A term most recognized when referring to a church, synagogue, or nature reserve.

I would like to give voice to another kind of sanctuary~ Home.

{The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.}

Sanctuary and Home aren’t synonymous without preparation and intention. SO many things vie for our time and attention and choosing well certainly sets the tone for Sanctuary OR Storms. Rhythm, procedures, and routine contribute greatly to the climate of our homes too.

Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Finish reading HERE.

Why I Homeschool~

Yesterday as we all enjoyed our last day of Christmas break,
EK and SJ were dreading school (the bookwork part of it)
so I casually suggested about 8pm last night they could go ahead
and get it done so they wouldn't have to do it tomorrow~

They took the bait and in about 30 minutes it was all done and they went to bed super happy!

Today when we began school, they were free to journal while we did history, geography, and science.
They also had plenty of time to read to their hearts' content!

If you would like to read Why I Homeschool, I wrote a post today at
A Beautiful Symphony.
So thankful for the call to teach my kids every day!

Adoption Series: The Faces of our Children {Match}

Nothing about adoption is easy! Except maybe the relief of finding your child and knowing her face but then a whole new uneasiness begins. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.

Our adoptions have begun with a myriad of ways, ALL with one commonness, God’s Hand on each one. He has revealed each face to me except EK and her referral came to us as we watched her face appear on our computer screen on January 27, 2006. A day forever etched on my heart. With EK, we chose our adoption agency first (CCAI) and worked through paperwork plus home study before being matched.

The six matches since then have been somewhat different due to a special need diagnosis. Most children adopted from China these have a need identified and families decid if it is one they canhandle for lack of a better word. SJ and WP came to us with heart defects, EC cerebral palsy (which she didn’t have), PC with spina bifida, HM hydrocephalus, and CA will come with heart defect as well.

I hesitate to say this next statement because most people can’t relate unless they’ve been through the adoption and matching process but here it goes.

To read the rest. Click HERE~ A Beautiful Symphony

A Beautiful Symphony

I began blogging in 2005 (10 years ago) when we began our adoption journey to EK and at that moment this format became my scrapbook of memories, photos, and stories. I long been a Creative Memories consultant and scrapbooker so it was deep in my bones. How amazing that blogging would allow me to get my stories with photos written with nothing in hand but a computer. The process of creating photo books would be a process from fancy digital books to now printing blog books.

Printing the blog books each year makes us so happy and they are definitely the most popular of all our reading. I plan to continue writing for my family at Everything Beautiful and printing just like I have in the past. So for now you can find me in both places!!!

I am beginning a new adventure here in Wordpress with a new blog~

Live TODAY!

As I began planning and creating this new blog I knew I wanted the word Beautiful because its just my word and Symphony came to mind not really because of what you might be thinking when you hear the word.

When I think of a Symphony I think of God and how creation began with His voice speaking everything into being. Symphony is taking in a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Don't you think heaven is rejoicing when earth gets just a taste of His magnificence? God as the Conductor waving his baton orchestrating everything under the sun and how He blends such beauty makes my heart sing.

Just stop a moment and take in how beautiful He is and if He blesses us with such beauty... just think what He can do with our lives if we give them to Him.

A symphony consists of four movements all working together to compose the complete composition. My plan is to share four movements in my life: Family, Home, Adoption, and School and how each one blend together in harmony...and even when they don’t. Some posts will be new and some will come straight from Everything Beautiful. So exciting to think of the possibilities.

Symphony is creating a Home where everyone is cherished and safe.

Symphony is making Family priority by enjoying family traditions, eating dinner around the table, reading stories together at night, etc.

Symphony is a family blending together with children born of my body as well as my heart through Adoption.

Symphony is Schooling together whether at home, at the grocery store, or on a trip together. It happens anywhere if we're making it priority.

A family of nine children, one married with a son, gives way to lots of topics I could share. Keeping a home running including meals and chores will be a biggie. Adoption is huge on my heart during November Adoption Month and I love writing how our family has been blessed through this amazing choice. {Even sharing the hard places will make its way into the mix.} That leaves school and I hope to feature some of my favorite things that make learning successful here at home.

 I would even love to feature some of you in each category especially adoption. You will see a share button right under my profile photo. Click and share away. I will be the only one reading it and we can chat via email.

Sharing your story of how adoption has changed your family can make such a difference in more children coming home to their forever family. You know as well as me a myriad of other topics can stem from just that one. 

Thank you for following me and chiming in when the notion strikes you. Would even love suggestions of things you would like me to share. All in all we have the choice to make a positive difference in this world and I hope to share my take on it right here!!! 

My prayer is this blog would draw us closer together in God's plan for our Families, Homes, Adoptions, and Schools. Let's make A Beautiful Symphony to God in everything we say and do.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 5:16)