Finally, some pictures!!!

My fist slideshow

Next step

Behind me, playing on the television as background noise is a program called "Our 27 children". It is absolutely amazing. This family has adopted 23 special needs children, along with giving birth to four others. It completely inspires me. I have always always planned to adopt. When I started having babies I let that dream get a little dim. It is now renewed, bright and shining again. I don't think I could handle 27 kids, but I want to make sure that I am open to whatever it is that God has for me. In 20 years, we'll just have to see where I am. I really want to love children - any and all, whatever their family history, medical needs, and however many God puts in my life. I don't think Andy is quite as open in the area of numbers, but he is willing to love any child, however they end up in our family. So, here I am, ready. When I first lost my baby I couldn't even consider another baby. I just needed to mourn for her. Then my friend Naomi lost her baby, and I mourned again. But now I am ready. It seems like it is time to look forward. So, once again, here I am, ready and waiting. If anyone hears a word from God for me, please pass it along. I think my biggest question right now is, "what is the next step?" Do I start that paperwork to get an international adoption? Do I place myself on a list for a baby in the foster system? I want to see a picture, or hear a story and just know. It sounds strange, but I don't want to have to look for my baby. I just want God to lead me to him or her.

On a completely different note... homeschooling is going really well. Since Canaan is only 4, I am trying to make it very laid back. I think he is really enjoying it. He asks me every morning if he can do school. We put the flag up outside, and do a little bit of desk work, then play educational games. It is really cute. Today he practiced writing our phone number. It just feels really great to be teaching again. I have missed it. He really is an easy kid.

Zion, on the other hand, is a little pistol. He keeps me on my toes every minute that he is awake. Yesterday when I put him down for his nap, he reached across his changing table, and pulled about 30 wipes out of the container. He then got ahold of the Desitin, and squirted it in his hair. In his HAIR!! For any of you who don't have babies, Desitin is a diaper rash ointment, and it is super thick, and fairly sticky. It does not do well in hair. Today during coloring time Canaan made a book. Very age appropriate, but creative. Zion colored himself. Also very age appropriate. I had forgotten how busy this age is.

We have almost completely unpacked now. My sisters came down this weekend to see my new house, and helped do a little more decorating. I have done most of it by myself, which is very out of the ordinary, but they helped do some finishing touches in my bedroom. I am beginning to feel settled. Today we planted trees. We put a Maple in the front, and a Chinese Pistache (sp?) in the back. I feel like such a homeowner, planting a tree in our yard. It feels really good.

Andy has now switched the channel to WWE Raw, so I think I better go. I can't stand to sit here and listen to it, and the computer is right next to the tv. That narrows my choices. My next project is going to be figuring out how to put pictures on here, so keep your eyes posted. Until then.... Blessings

An update and a prayer request

I was re-reading my last post before I started this one and it made me laugh. On the way down to help me move into my new house my Mom spilled her coke in her lap, all over her cell phone. Needless to say, it no longer worked. So, she stopped at a rest area to use a pay phone. It told her to insert $3.25. Three Twenty Five, for one phone call. She thought that was ridiculous, so instead she looked around the parking lot, picked a likely looking traveler and asked to borrow their cell phone. She then realized that she did not have my phone number memorized. She just always pushes "Bethany" on her cell phone memory, and had no idea what my actual number was. So, she had to call Dad and ask him to find my number, then, while still using the poor stranger's cell phone, she had to call me and get the rest of the directions to my house. The plan had been that she would call when she got to the exit and I would tell her the rest then. So, here she was, about 40 miles away, and no idea how to actually get to my house, and no phone. It just seems so ironic to me that just a few days after I had written about our dependence on cell phones, my Mom got stuck without one, and truly needed it.
By the way, diet coke does completely fry a cell phone. Hers is still broken....
We are moved in, settling nicely. Mom took Zion back home with her, so I have gotten a lot done. Tomorrow we are headed back to N. GA to get him. It has been so nice, and I have gotten so much done with out him here, but I am missing him like crazy. It has felt so strange to only have one kid. Canaan is so self sufficient too. He entertains himself for hours on end without any input from me. Zion still needs constant attention. I can't imagine how strange life would be without my Zion.

I have a prayer request to post here. I talked to one of my best friends today and found out that her baby died this week. She was 25 weeks pregnant, and this happened with no warning, and at this point and time they still don't know why. She was a huge help to me when I was mourning Anastasia, because she had lost a baby before too, last time at 32 weeks. I know how much it hurt at six weeks, because we had already planned, and gotten excited, and dreamed. I know that at 25 weeks you have had a lot more time to bond, and dream and plan, and it has to be a thousand times harder. Please pray for Naomi and her family. She will still have to labor to deliver the body, and that just stinks. They are planning to induce her on Friday, so please keep her in your prayers. The baby's name is Ruth, and she has five big brothers who are taking it really hard.
I hurt for her. It is so hard not to ask "why", even though I know it is a stupid question. I want to fix it, make it all go away, and I can't. She is so strong, and her faith is holding her up exactly as it should, but I know she is struggling with the why. So please, pray for my friend Naomi.

Moving

I am about to drive up to the cable office and turn in my cable box and internet modem, so I will be unavailable for several days. This shows how addicted to the intenet I am though - I already have an appointment scheduled for the cable man to come out on Sat and turn it on. Today is Tuesday and I am turning it off. I will have it back up and running at my new house in Hahira by Saturday. For some reason I find that highly amusing. I am so spoiled.
Yesterday when we were driving back to NC (after finally getting an all clear on Zion's breathing, and taking him over to GA on Sunday afternoon) I saw a man using a payphone. I don't think I have ever used a payphone. Pretty much my entire adult life I have had a cell phone. In fact, I don't currently have a home phone. Every since January we have been a cell phone only family. It is just such a foreign concept to me to imagine needing to use a pay phone. I am so spoiled!!! I remember when I was a kid my Aunt and Uncle had "car phones", which were the bulky predecessors of cell phones. Those seemed so fancy, out of our reach, and unnecessary. Now I cannot imagine not having a phone with me at all times. In a couple of days we will be moving, and I will follow behind the moving truck. Andy and I will probably talk frequently, deciding where to get off to eat, get gas, etc. I remember when I was a kid we would follow the moving truck (quite often actually, with my parent's moving record) and have to honk, or flash our lights, or try to pass to get Dad's attention. One time we got seperated in Memphis, moving to Colorado and we just had to stop and pray, because we had no idea how to find Dad again. Back then my parents didn't have credit cards either, so Mom was stuck with four kids, no idea where Dad was, and very little money. I am just so glad that I will never have to experience that again. I love my cell phone!!!
Andy is ready to go, so I better scram. I'll be back in touch again after we get to our new house!