Some call it Spring Break, Some call it a Snow Day

Call it whatever you want, it means I have a house full of kids and 5 inches of wet, heavy white stuff all around me.  I was determined to carry on with my day, but it all fell apart as I was running in to shower after the gym and before Bible study.  Too many people with too many questions and I already am prone to forget what I am doing if I am not repeating it to myself constantly.  So instead I threw on some shorts, drove over to Morgan's house and took pictures of us sitting in the snow.  Why?  Sometimes you just have to keep a sense of humor and roll with it.  I am confident that someday spring will in fact arrive and these cold, wet, unpredictable days will become unpredictable for entirely new reasons.

It is early afternoon and I have gone from quiet, dark, coffee in hand, Bible on my lap, to spinning in the cold, dark, music filled room, to a living room full of teens cutting out pictures of vegetable and googling "what is a legume?" while others sat by knitting clothes for a school project.  It's a strange and wonderful world that I live in.  Then I get intermittent texts from friends such as:

  And my children's friends dropping by with Mochas, just because.  God brings blessing in strange and mysterious ways, and I am very thankful.

This is not really what I pictured my life looking like when I was 20 something and idealistic.  I can't imagine what my 60 something life will look like.  This 40 something gig is always on the brink of disaster, and certainly never boring.  So far my kids are doing really great things.  Madie will graduate from college in May!  How did that happen?  Not only graduate, but graduate with honors.  I was just happy to get to wear a cap and gown, but she is hitting it out of the park.  Unfortunately I won't be there to witness this incredible event.  Too many people here need supervision, especially in mid-May, not to mention bad financial planning means $600 tickets are not an option.  The grandparents will be there to fill in and cheer and take pictures and glow in her presence.  Maybe by the time Brook graduates next year I will be able to get away.  I so clearly remember thinking what if they never get potty trained, or learn to read?  They did!  It is awesome!  Even Soren who struggles reading out loud, asked for Temple Grandin's new book for his birthday.  Mind Blown!

My kids may still compare me to Malcom in the Middle's mom, but I know they mean it as a compliment.  If they don't I will ignore the implications.  I love each and every one of them.  They are amazing people because they have an amazing savior.  Their mom is questionable, but doing the best she can.  I'm hoping I'll be an awesome grandma someday, someday way far away from now.  I'll keep working on chasing after God, loving my kiddos and rolling with the day God gives me.  Clearly Bible study went well without me, our 4H meeting will be great because Karsten loves it, and we have awesome leaders, the snow will just keep coming and we will do our best to make the most of whatever comes.  This isn't the life I imagined, and it is so much better!

I am thankful for:
1.  Morgan's photography skills and lack of other things to do.
2.  Snow days, even in March.
3.  Grant's mocha making skills and free time.
4.  Karsten's full life spilling over everything in my house.
5.  The incredible lack of major car accidents in our lives, especially with four teen drivers.
6.  Exercise which truly keeps me sane, is that an addiction?
7.  The Word of God which also keeps me sane, and is ok if it is an addiction.
8. 4H, which keeps my kids busy and active in their communities.
9. Spring break, to remind me how great all the other breaks are.
10.  Swimming which keeps Helen sane.
11. Great books for all seasons.
12.  KG, who never ceases to make me smile.  Every.single.day.
13.  Rick who manages to live with us all, and keep us from going bankrupt in so many ways.
14.  Laughter

Roommates

The girls received their roommate assignments for this coming fall.  We were all excited and did a little Facebook stalking (one more reason why Facebook is questionable).  We weren't quite sure what to think, but started praying very specifically about how they might all get along.

This morning Mads has been texting her roomie.  She was downstairs and started screaming.  I thought there was an animal in the basement and bolted out of my room.  She came running up the stairs screaming, "mom, mom!"  She discovered that her roommate is from Texas and is also on the track team.  Mads is so not like me.  I started to focus on slowing down my breathing and gave her a hug.

I am so glad for my girls to be going off on this adventure.  New places, new friends, new perspectives, a time for growth.  There are times, mostly at night, that I wonder why on earth I'm sending my babies so far away.  I'm doing it because I think this is part of God's story for them.  He has made this possible, and they are ready to fly.  I want to see them catch some serious air and trust God for big things.  I'm trying to remember that all big jumps were achieved after many falls.  They will get some bruises along the way to being all that God has for them.  God gives the young a much greater tolerance for bruises than he does us old people.  Or maybe I'm just a weenie.

I am very thankful for my children.  I am thankful for the opportunity for them to go away for college.  I am thankful for friends around the country who are willing to give them a taste of home.  I am thankful for a big God who loves them so much more than I do.

A Nail In The Hand

It's been another eventful week.  Rick was in Nevada for a good portion of it, so I did my best to keep everyone fed, bathed, loved and educated.  I ended every day bone tired, and knowing there would be more to do the next day.  It is good to go to bed bone tired, you sleep really well, unless someone wakes you up to see if they can snuggle you.

Last night, thankfully, no one tried to wake me up.  Apparently after I went to bed, the kids came home from their slurpy run to the sound of the frog symphony in our pond.  Karsten has been a bit annoyed with this nightly serenade, so he decided to throw some old boards into the pond to shut them up.  Apparently the third time was not the charm, and the board had a nail in it which pierced his hand as it sailed off into the night.  He came running into the house to his two older sisters who tried to figure out how to handle the situation.  Brook apparently was lobbying for a trip to the ER, Madie was not so sure.  They woke Rick up and all decided to wait until the morning to decide.  The PA who saw them this morning said it definitely needed stitches, and sewed him up.

I posted the cliff note version of this on Facebook, and a friend pointed out the irony of a nail in the hand on Good Friday.  It is sort of poignant.  God has done some very interesting things in Karsten's life over the years.  I have learned to trust him to his heavenly father and know that he has a plan.  I had told Karsten not to throw things in the pond, I hadn't envisioned boards when I gave that command.  The frogs are back this evening taunting him with their song.  They have won this round, but I am confident that he will back in the fight.  A couple weeks of laying low will probably do him good.

The older girls had their first two track meets.  One was a surprise event on Tuesday.  They have done respectably, but not what they had hoped.  The season is early, and given that we have no field equipment to practice our jumps, I think they have done well.  I'll miss track season.  It is fun to see the girls work hard and master some difficult skills.

We have been discovering more and more school options.  I have to say that I am really excited about the opportunities we have for next year.  We found a program that offers dual credit for our high schoolers with some very interesting classes.  It incorporates some of the ideas that we heard about at PLU in their international honors program, but they can do it in high school.  We will start the application process and see what happens.  We found an ESL program for Martha.  When Rick called them to see if it would be appropriate for her, we discovered that the lady who teaches the class knew about us.  She was one of the founders of the school we had considered teaching at in Indonesia.  I have been astounded again and again by God's faithfulness and blessing in all the twists and turns we have taken in our life.

A dear friend emailed and offered to let Madie come stay with them for a while and get a change of scenery.  It was completely unexpected, but would be such a blessing to Madie and to us, and hopefully to them.  I was feeling a little bit discouraged by how things were working out for Madie.  We are still very hopeful that she will be able to take a volunteer trip this summer.  We are trying to figure out how to do some fundraising to take care of the travel expenses.  There are some questions we need to answer before we are ready to send her to Europe by herself, but I really feel like this would be a great way for her to grow in maturity and faith.  She just needs to come up with the airfare, and they will take care of the rest.  God has been so good to us, and I have felt so good about the options he has presented that we have not expected in any way.

This Easter weekend has already been beautiful.  The weather is warm.  The flowers are springing up everywhere.  Yesterday while I walked with Eden the smell of dinners being cooked outside reminded me of Ethiopia.  It was such a sweet memory, and a longing to go back.  It reminded me of all the people we have met from Ethiopia, who have adopted from Ethiopia, who are serving in Ethiopia now, it made me so very grateful for our Ethiopian children and all that they have brought into our lives.  We are planning to celebrate Easter with some very dear friends who have hosted us for Easter for many years.  I was thinking about our Easter celebrations of the past.  We have been getting together since our children were all very young.  Many of them are now married and have small children of their own.  It has been a wild ride, and I am so looking forward to our annual get together.  Friends eating, hiding eggs, getting spring sunburns, and laughing as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and life everlasting.  It truly is better than Christmas.

I am thankful for...

Friends that have become family

Gifts paid forward

Surprises

New friends met, and relationships growing

Doctors to stitch up hands

Frogs to inspire boys to do dumb things

Husbands that come home

Eternal life

Not so Simple

We were sitting around the table eating dinner before we went to the Ash Wednesday Service.  We were discussing the community hubbub about the observation of Lent, when my oldest daughter said, "the older I get the more I realize that Christianity is not so simple."  My husband laughed at the fact that she thought she was "older."  I heard angels singing in my ears.

Christianity is not so simple, and she is gaining wisdom.  Two of her teachers were debating a topic this week, I can't remember what it was, but I know Madie was conflicted about it.  She respects both teachers and knows that they are committed Christians.  I think she is unsettled because she is realizing there are very few "right" answers.  Wisdom means you need to know Jesus.  You need to follow him even when people you respect might not hold the same opinion.  You can both be faithful followers of Jesus and do things differently.  She is beginning to understand that we can't settle into a comfortable legalism and be faithful to our savior.  I think right now she finds that unsettling, but I hope that she comes to see it as glory.

The glory of it is that God is so much bigger than we are.  He hasn't created a bunch of robots that can do everything right.  He has created the world in such a way that we can follow him in many different ways.  We need the richness of variety.  We grow by experiencing new things, new ideas, new situations, new ways of seeing who God is.  We grow when we suffer.  When there is a conflict of ideas, we turn to God and ask for wisdom, and he gives it.  We listen to different pastors who have different flocks, so they emphasize different attributes of God.  It is all part of growing up, and getting older, and realizing that you don't know everything.

The older I get the more I realize that there is so much more of God to know.  I think I have wrapped my mind around one concept and he gives me a situation that changes my perspective so that I have to turn to him again.  All the checklists I thought I could make to measure my children, or my friends, or my pastors, or my parents just don't fit most situations.  When a younger mom asks me how to discipline her child, I find myself thinking that I can't answer her well since I don't know her child.  There is always a tendency when we have a lot of experience with a subject to put things in general categories, which God also does, but within those categories there are a myriad of variables which all require special knowledge.  I hesitate to make any blanket statements anymore about any situation, but especially things like discipline, adoption, dating, marriage, discipleship, they are just not simple in any way.  My standard answer these days is prayer.  You can go a very long way by being in God's Word every day, and being faithful to take everything to him in prayer.  It's so simple, but powerful.  It doesn't mean that you will have the quick, easy answer every time, in fact it means you will often have to tell the person you will get back to them, or you will have to come back and tell them you were probably wrong about what you told them off the cuff.  It's OK, that's the honest and best answer.

Today I am just so very thankful that Madie gets this.  She doesn't think she knows everything, and she is very willing to listen to conflicting arguments.  She would love to have someone just tell her what is right, but she knows that that kind of thinking leads us to worship a person instead of God.  She is learning to think for herself.  She is learning to study what she believes and why.  She knows when she sees or hears something stupid, and really tries to be able to articulate why she thinks that.  I don't know where she will be next year, but I know it will be where God wants her to be.  I am not worried about her losing her faith, or being led astray.  She has a good head on her shoulders, and best of all she has a humble faith.  She may not charge out front with the sword leading any battles, but she will ask hard questions. She will wrestle with answers that sort of sound right, but don't sit well with her.  I know her God and I know that if he is big enough to find me in college, he is big enough to keep watch over her.  After all, he is her father.

Today I am thankful for...

Moms who make Valentine's Day cookies for the kids, and in our case Grandmoms

Teachers who ask hard questions and let the students wrestle with them

Varieties of opinions and cheerful debate

Sunny days in the winter

Lent, a season to reflect on the sacrifice that God made to rescue us

Good gifts: wine, chocolate, coffee, pizza, cheese, music, laughter, books, polar fleece, hot water

Days that get longer every spring

Beautiful sunrises each and every morning

Protocol

Our little Christian high school does not have a prom.  We do have a protocol evening.  The kids spend several classes learning how to behave at a formal dinner.  They learn how to have a good conversation, and how to socialize with grace.  They then get all dressed up for an evening out.  They are assigned escorts from the class, and the escorts are changed once during the evening.  They look forward to this event, much like I did prom, back in the day.

Madie had made her dress this year.  It looked lovely.  I had a friend make jewelry to match, which I really loved.  The evening went well.  The weather was amazing, which was quite a blessing for this spring.  Madie's escorts were good friends that she really enjoys being around.  I wished I could have been there, but Rick had received a staff award earlier in the day, so he was busy.  The younger children had their final music class, and we had Jr. High track.  It was a full day, and I was sorry to have missed it.  I sent Madie with my phone so she could send me pictures, but she didn't find it in her book bag.  The waiting was killing me.

I love these little occasions to be an adult for the evening.  One of the guys got all dressed up and then was playing basketball while he was waiting.  I had to chuckle.  There were some pretty goofy pictures from the evening that left us all relieved that they are still our kiddos.  It is just shocking how they go from toothless first graders to handsome men and women in ten years.  I love this crazy journey of childhood.

#462-474

Good friends who've got your back, literally.

Shiny jewelry.

Fancy dinners.

Good friends hanging out.

Proud parents snapping photos like the paparazzi.

Awards given for a job well done, for years on end.

Nesradine singing in the bathroom, making many men smile for the rest of the day.

Supervisors that support employees year in and year out, becoming good friends.

Watching children grow.

Treasures discovered on the playground, and the children that share them.

Singing happy birthday to classmates.

Making new friends.

Can You Guess What the Story Is?

The sun is setting and an icy breeze is running down the alley, making my bare body cold.  The smell of mold, bad food and peoples dump is overpowering, but in spite of all this there is the sweet smell of freshly cut leather just waiting to be made into a beautiful masterpiece.  I walk down the labyrinth like streets following the smell until I come to a small shop. There are no lights on, no one is inside, and it has the look and feel of a funeral home. The closing sign in the window tells me everything I need to know about the man who works here, and I know I can help him.

A small rock hits me on the back of the head, I turn and see one of my comrade’s, who also smelled the leather and wants to work. The old clock in the village square chimes 12 times giving us our q to go in, we easily open the wood door and immediately see the leather all cut out and waiting for us. My friend grabs the thread I grab the needle and we work our magic. Every stitch I make is like a soothing word, the feeling of the leather in my hands and seeing my work come together is unlike any other. I set down my finished work of art, and wait outside the shop to see what happens.

 A medium height, skinny man, with disheveled gray hair and a worn coat sleepily walks into the shop. I go up and peer through the window, and I can’t help but laugh a little with joy. He doesn’t say a word, he just stares and scratches his head. I hear footsteps coming up the street, so I jump to a corner so as not to be seen. A thick, but tall man walks past the shop, stops looks and walks in. I wait a few minutes and he walks out with a grin on his face as he wears my masterpiece. Pleased with myself, and my work, my comrade and I leave to find someone else to help. But throughout the day I can still smell the leather and I can feel it in my hands and I can’t help but go back. At midnight I run back to the shop, but this time there is enough leather for 4 shoes. I give a little shout of joy and set to my work.

The sun is starting to wake the world and I am reluctantly finishing, but as I put the last loving touches onto the shoes I notice a pile of small clothes that look as if they were custom made just for me. As I put them on I realize I don’t have to hide any more, I can travel the world and feel free for the first time in my life. I feel somewhat bad leaving the shoemaker, but he will be fine without me.

Madison, 500 word story

Standing Between Two Worlds

The sleepy sun painted the sky, as it was swallowed by the darkness of the forbidden island, and the mysteries within. ~ Madison Schumaker

Each foot step echos all around,
The edge is drawing near.
Both left and right a mass of blue,
The ocean's all I hear.

In front of me is endless water.
Behind me is the shore.
The moon is shining to my right,
To the left the sun's no more.

I turn and face the gleaming moon,
That rocks the world to sleep,
It's light reflects off of the sea,
The waters, oh, so deep.

I turn again and face the sun,
That's left behind the sky,
So full of pink and yellow light,
It makes me heave a sigh.

I feel like I'm between two worlds,
Divided by this dock
And to both sides of me is light,
One's dark and one is not.

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Poetry, simple words arranged in stunning beauty.

Playgrounds full of children, teeming with life.

Healthy lungs, I take them for granted too often. 

Grandmas that love to cook.  My breakfast chef is out of town, but our sub is awesome!

Kids that love to eat, even though I may go broke trying to keep their tummies full.  It is so rewarding to see them happily shoveling in the grub.

Neighbor children that know better than to wait for me to answer the door.  A warning knock is helpful, but the butler quit long ago.

Growth spurts, times when we think we have utterly failed, only to find that God has given us fresh insight into who He is, and how he has made the world.  They are often painful, but the fruit is worth the pain.

Sleep.  It's ability to put everything into perspective, and recharge the body.

A Very Long Day

I knew this day would be challenging, but oh man, did I underestimate it.  The phone was still ringing at 11:00 last night.  I am not a night person, so I was trying to think of something to be thankful for in the midst of it.  When it rang again at 5:30 this morning, I started to question why I have a phone.  It was my Mom asking when Madie was leaving for Hawaii.  I told her not until tomorrow afternoon, why?  She then proceeded to fill me in the late breaking news that Hawaii was being hit with a tsunami.  Huh.  My Dad kindly waited until 7:30 to call and let me know.  That was when I decided to wake Madie up and give her the good news.

Shortly after that Martha headed to Spokane with friends.  I had to track down Madie's wallet that she left in her Dad's car.  I dropped her off for the first leg of her trip, after many discussions about the sovereignty of God and why she can trust Him with all things.  I dropped off two more kids at friends houses and took Brooke to get her hair cut.  I spent most of the rest of the day driving people around town and mediating fights at home.  Somewhere in the afternoon Kiki bit Soren.  It was pretty ugly, so I put him in his cage in the garage.  He has been getting a shorter and shorter temper with the younger kids.  I don't have a high tolerance for dogs that bite children, so I called the hubby and asked for advice.  We are pretty sure the dog is going to have to find a new home.  I know this is going to rock Martha's world for a time, but I'm not coming up with any workable plans.  When I broke the news to Martha she locked herself in her room and cried.  She's still there.

I'm about worn out for the day.  This is only day one of my spring break, yippee.  In the midst of the howling and craziness, there is much to be thankful for.

#59-71

The dog bite did not require stitches.

Madison was safe in bed instead of parked in a car outside the evacuation zone in Hawaii.

The civil defense system in Hawaii seems to be very effective, and the island can tolerate a significant tsunami without loss of life.

The earthquake in Japan did not hit a major population area.

Although Martha is not very happy with me right now, she didn't run away, or threaten to kill herself.

Rick is home and not traveling this week.

So many friends that love to have my children in their homes.

The sunshine and warm weather today, that felt very springy.

Parents that really care about my children.

God has freed me from feeling anxious about the many things that could harm my family each day.  I know that we are all safe in Him, come what may.

I love my job, even on the long days.  Pouring my life out for these people is the most rewarding thing I could possibly do.  Some days I stink it up, but God has to teach them about forgivness somehow, right?

Peace in my heart, in the midst of the chaos.

Questionable Parenting Move

Presidents of the United States had a concert in our little college town last night.  This is a rock band, in case you weren't aware of that, not a bunch of political figures from our past.  It's okay, I didn't know that until yesterday.  On the way home from school we heard the concert advertised on the radio, and Madison commented that some of her friends were going.  Later that evening one of them called and asked if Madison could go with them.  She wasn't home, but I knew she would want to go.  I know what music concerts in college towns look like, but she has no experience in this area.  I decided that I trusted the girls she was going with, I knew she was still in her sweats from working out, and even though it was a school night it would be a pretty safe way for her to get a taste of the music scene.

I knew that there would be things going on there that I would not necessarily want her around, but I trust her good judgement.  I figured the group she was going with was large enough and wise enough to get out of a bad situation should one arise.  And frankly, I didn't think she would love it, but how would she know if I never let her see it.  My hope was she would see the debauchery and would know what to expect in the future, should she be invited to another concert.

When she got home the first thing she asked me was if she smelled like pot.  I laughed.  She obviously was not going to try to hide any of the unsavory sights or smells from me.  I know that I can trust Madison to be completely honest with me.  She has a long history of telling me everything, good, bad and ugly.  She thought the music was OK.  She hadn't heard of the band either until that week.  The drunken college students didn't impress her.  The guy smoking pot, was sitting in the middle of the crowd, acting like he was being sneaky.  It was a good experience for her to see the reality of the "fun things" that are available for her to do.  It is one of those bittersweet moments.  Bitter because it was unpleasant in many ways for her.  Sweet because she decided that for herself.  I didn't have to tell her why it wasn't as much fun as she thought it might be.  It is scary as a parent to let your older kids see the world for themselves.  They might like it.  They might go in a direction that you don't want them to.  I have to trust that I have laid a good enough foundation for my kids to stand on.  God is good, and Madison has been a gem.  I'm glad I gave her the opportunity to do some big kid things and see what is out there waiting for her.  I'm hoping she sees how much better Hawaii is going to be.

Sweet 16

My sweet Madie turns 16 today.  I can't say enough good things about her.  A friend commented to me that she is a good kid.  She really is.  I was terrified when she was born.  My Mom and I did not do well during my teenage years, and I didn't want to repeat that era.  I was convinced that teenage girls and their mothers would always be at odds.  I was wrong.  Madie's only faults are probably the ones that she has picked up from me.  I find her espousing my opinions, and thinking, "ew, maybe I should not have said that so forcefully."

She is one of my "go to" kids.  If I need something done, and done well I can count on her to do it.  She has been driving for a few months now, which has taken a load off my shoulders.  She gives her sibling rides, she gets herself where she needs to be, and she has never asked for gas money.  For her birthday we asked her what she wanted to do.  She asked if Rick and I would take her out for a nice dinner.  How can you say no to that?  There have been many times when I have been shocked that she will stay home with us instead of going out with her friends.  She truly loves to be with her family, and that means the world to me.  (Although we are a ton of fun!)  We have actually asked her to go to her friend's houses on days when she has been doing more than her fair share at home.  Sometimes I can't figure out how she got to be such a wonderful person.  As I told my friend, she is so much better than I deserve.

I don't know what God has in Madie's future.  She has talked about doing mission work overseas, she has talked about marrying a pro football player and being a trophy wife, she has talked about doing physical therapy, she is still a kid, with all of her options open.  I just pray that she continues to be a wise, compassionate, funny, young lady.  God has blessed me with a precious gift in Mads, and I am so grateful for her.  She is one of my best friends, and I am glad that I get to spend so much time with her.  Happy Birthday Mads, you are tough act to follow.

Run Update-Final Week

I had asked Mads to write an update about her run, but she has been so busy I decided to write for her.  She is in her final week before the race.  If she were only training for the half marathon this would be an easy week for her, but since she is just starting cross country she still has some heavy running to do.  I am hoping that she will be okay for the race.  Her hip has been bothering her some, so please pray that it doesn't get worse.

We got a note from one of the volunteers at AHOPE and Lola.  She has just returned from Ethiopia.  She was able to provide the refrigerator that they were needing.  Mads was a little disappointed, because the other need they had was shoes.  We attended an Ethiopian dinner last week to support some friends.  They had taken several suitcases full of shoes to Ethiopia when they went to visit their daughter.  Josh told the story of the children and how excited they were about getting shoes.  After he finished his talk, Mads leaned over to me and said that she felt a whole lot better about running to provide shoes for the kids at Lola.  Things that we take for granted, are very meaningful for children with no shoes.

We have had several people in town mention that they still want to donate.  We are still taking donations, so if you have been waiting until the last minute, you are about there.  You can make your donation to From HIV to Home, and let them know it is for Madison's run.  We are so thankful for all of you who have donated, and who have shared about Madison's run on your blogs.  It is very encouraging to Mads to have people sharing what she is doing.  We will post pictures of the big day next week.

Run Update

I wanted to give a quick update on Madison's run.  She is in her last week of increasing mileage before she starts to run some shorter distances.  It is hot, for Idaho, so it is tricky to find times to run.  She was sick for a couple of days, so she has had to tweak her schedule slightly.  She ran 11 miles this morning with Michele.  She told me she didn't think she could run two more, but Michele rolled her eyes and told her she could.  I know she can, she is tougher than she thinks.

Thank you to all of you who have sent in money.  We are up to $515 which is about $100 shy of getting a refrigerator for Lola.  We would really like to make that happen, and I know we will by race day.  Our goal is still $3000, which seems unattainable, but all things are possible with God.  Mads will make that last two miles, and Lord willing we will be able to raise another $2500.

I sent a note to Jubilee's friend at Lola to tell him how things are going.  I wanted to share with you some of what he wrote back.  God has used this man, who was also an orphan, to reach out to other orphans and show them that we are all adopted in Christ.

"It is the lord who give you even a second to live on this earth for a purpose. So I am trying my best to serve the kids around the area. There are so many fatherless boys and girls. Their fathers are died or left them with their mothers after they know that the mother and the children are HIV positive. The mothers are sick and they have nothing to feed them at Home. Tell to Jubilee that we are serving this kids. Now we have seven children three in the day care centre and four in the Orphanage. Jubilee you are lucky to be in such a wonderful family. So you have to pray for the kids to get a wonderful family like you."

Thank you for supporting Madison and all of the children still in Ethiopia waiting for families.  It takes just a little time to let them know that there are people out there that care about them.

Running Update

"Hey everyone, it's Madie. I am half way through my training, which means race day is only a month from now. I have raised $220, and I am very grateful to the people who donated and are supporting me in this run. Thank you!

I am running this race because I want to help kids in Ethiopia who don't have lots of the things they need to live. I have not been to Ethiopia, but I have two adopted siblings that I love very much, and it makes me sad to know that there are many sweet children just like them who don't have homes or family to love them.  While doing my 10 mile run the other day I kept telling myself the goal is to finish without stopping. And then I realized that we often set goals for ourselves, and we think about our future. But these kids don't really worry about what college they are going to or what they want to be when they grow up, they think of how they are going to get through this day.  Someday I hope to go to Ethiopia and actually give some of my time to these kids and help them in their schooling, so that they can set goals for themselves and become doctors or therapists or what ever they choose. My goal for this race is to raise money to help these kids so that they can have a brighter future. ~ Thanks, Madie"

If you would like to donate to Madie's run you may use the chip in link, or send a check to From HIV to Home, PO Box 19212, Denver, CO 80219, and let them know it is for Madison's run.  (If you are my mom or dad, hurry up and make a donation already, Mads is starting to think you don't care :) )

Editor's Note: I took the chip in link off, because I realized it was making collecting donations more difficult not less difficult.  I will make sure those of you who donated get receipts and that your money is added into the final count.  You can still donate through Network for Good, or just send in a check, or catch me in town with cash.  Thanks for the call Dad!

Madison's Run update

Madison has raised $150 so far for her half marathon.  She has been faithful in sticking to her running schedule.  It has been harder than she thought it would be, but I know that the hard work will pay off in many ways.  We were advised to make sure and do the long runs, even if we miss some shorter runs during the week.  I rode my bike with her last Saturday while she ran.  I wish I could run with her, but with all of the little people at home, she is my right hand, and we can't both be out and about.  I am proud of her for sticking with this, because I know sometimes she would rather be doing other things.

We have asked Jubilee what she would like to do to help her friends the most.  She really wants to be able to help Abebe get a refrigerator for his orphanage.  Abebe was a social worker at AHOPE when Jubilee was there, and he is very dear to her.  He was an orphan as well, and is now helping other orphans to be successful in their lives.  She also wants to help the kids at big AHOPE get families.  One of the desires of my heart is to adopt older boys once our little children are older and less vulnerable.  Who knows if that will ever happen, but I keep hoping.  If we get enough money it would be wonderful to start a grant for a family that would like to bring one of these precious children home.  Older children often have lower fees for adoption, but there are other costs, such as health care, counseling, tutoring for school, that make bringing them home more challenging financially.

I know that it would be very encouraging for the girls, as well as those of us involved in the fundraising end.  Believe me I know that money does not flow like it did a few years ago, but these kids are worth much more than few dollars that we give.  It is such an encouragement for them to know that people in the US care about them, and are praying on their behalf.  Making the donation online is very easy, but if you are more comfortable sending a check you may also do that, their address is: PO Box 19212, Denver, CO 80219.

Where Has the Time Gone?

I've been wanting to put this picture up for a while.  It's hard to believe that my hubby had hair once, and that Mads was so cute.  Give those little ones lots of hugs, before long they will be your best friends.  We used all natural products on Rick's hair and look what happened.  Just kidding, it was on its way out even back then.

The Results

Rick gained some perspective today.  I called him to see how the girls were doing.

  He told me that Mads had won the 400m, she was first out of three.  BK looked slow and lethargic in the 1500m and he told me "she was lucky she finished."  He called back later to tell me that she actually had run a 6:07, 1500m, but the girl that won ran 5.0.  It all depends on the competition.

They both qualified for regionals in all of their events.  They didn't get any PR's, but they did very well.  BK's relay team got first, which was great.  They also learned some rules they hadn't been aware of and got to see some really amazing athletes.  I think they were pleased with the day over all.  They realized that they have a lot of work to do if they want to be elite.  Maybe being elite isn't what they want, and that is just fine, as long as they are seeking God's glory in it all.

Editorial Note:  USATF runs 1500m not 1600m.  Idaho runs a 1600 in high school track.  Bk's PR is 6:04 in the 1600, so she was a bit on the slow side at this meet.  Thanks for pointing out my error.

She's a Keeper

Rick is out of town, again.  I am behind, as always.  Mads is doing more than her fair share of the work around here, and I just wanted to say how truly grateful I am for all of her help.  She put 80 braids on Jubilee's head tonight.  I would have done 8, maybe.  She is keeping things running, if it weren't for her we would be one big disaster.

She gives me hope that one day all of these little people running around my house will be as grand as she is.  I remember the days when I thought they would never grow up, now I am dreading the thought that someday she will going out on her own.  For now, I am so very happy to have her here and so are all of her siblings.  She is definitely a keeper.

King's Invitational

We just got home from the track meet at Kings High School in Edmonds.  Mads did really well for her first meet of this size.  She placed in the top 8 in all her events except for the 100 meter dash, which she placed 13th in.  She cleared 4'8" in the high jump.  You can't really see her on the podium, but she is standing on the far right between the last girl and the one on the next step up.  She is really short for a high jumper, but she still did well.  The girl that won cleared 5'8" which is very good for high school girls, she was fun to watch.  I liked the picture of Mads on her head in the pit.  I of course forgot my camera, but grandma came to the rescue with her "gadget" the phone that does everything, except zoom in for pictures.

This is Mads finishing her 400m race.  She was in the second heat, but ended up finishing 7th.

The day was perfect, overcast and not too warm.  We drove over on Friday and spent the evening at the aquarium and at the pier.  We slept in the gym, which is a real treat, it almost made me miss Ethiopia.  Gram Pam came down and cheered Mads on with me.  We had pizza for dinner, and then a long drive home today.  I'm hoping I can talk Rick into driving our next trip to Seattle.  Our AD kept reminding me I get to do this 3 more times with Mads, and then BK, and then Bronster, and then...I guess I will be getting a whole lot more organized for future events.  I will be taking the Aerobed for sure.  The team was a lot of fun.  It is always a pleasure to spend time with these kids.  They are energetic, talented, bright and well behaved, most of the time.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to watch them compete.

Ignorance Was Bliss

After our little Mango episode we thought it would be good to see what else Mads might be allergic to. After 96 skin pokes in two hours we discovered that she is sensitive to just about everything. She is allergic to several trees and grasses, as well as barley, beef, chicken, coconut, corn, milk, garlic, kidney beans, lettuce, malt, rye, soybeans, tomato, wheat and potato. Rice anyone?

They suggested she eliminate all of these foods from her diet for two weeks and see how she feels. I have a feeling she will feel hungry. I took her down to the C0-op to find something bread like to eat. I paid $6 for spelt bread and somehow missed that it contains wheat. She liked the brown rice tortillas I found, thank goodness. This must be pay back for me making fun of my mom when she did her allergy diet and was eating salmon, rice and broccoli everyday. We got home from the doctor's office around 4, and of course everyone at home thought they were starving. I quickly realized that these foods constitute most of my cooking repertoire.

It's a good thing we are headed to beach grandma's for the next few days. She will know what to eat, since she has the same sensitivities. It will be a whole new era in cooking for me. The kids are alarmed, but I am sure they will survive. Who knows we may see eczema clear up, stuffy noses disappear, and we might be happier, or else we will be grumpy, hungry, and broke. Either way, at least now we know. It sure was nice when food allergies weren't a problem, ignorance was bliss.