Silly Seating

This is one of the many reasons I LOVE my job!

Ladybug, my 4th grader, hangs out with me in my office for ½ hour before school starts. One day, she had brought two of her Build-a-Bears into the office. She placed them in this position and, 10 minutes later, I walked her to her classroom (ANOTHER reason I love my job!)

I didn’t realize she had placed them there and when I returned from our daily morning trip to her classroom, there they were…sitting like a king and queen. The best part is that they would have REMAINED there much of the day if I hadn’t moved them after an hour!

If one of the older girls has free time or needs something...it's SO nice that they appear in my office! Yesterday, in fact, Peanut was in such a positive mood and it was refreshing to chat with her a little. (Right now, she's sitting out of gym because of her back issue, so she usually appears every day around 1:15!)

home 10 months

(This photo was taken at Thanksgiving while exploring the fire trucks...and has nothing to do with my post....he's just so cute! I had to share it!)

We've recently received our "Time for your 1 year report" email! Little Man has been here almost a year??? How time has flown!

Tonight at dinner:
Me: Hey, Little Man, you have been here a long time. It will be one year soon.
LM: And then where am I going?
(TALK ABOUT MY HEART JUST BREAKING!)
Me: Nowhere bud, you're stuck with me. You can't get away.

We've told him over and OVER that he's going to be with us until he is a big, BIG man...probably the tallest person in our family...

Then something like this comes up and he so innocently asks where he's going to live next.

Sigh.

We'll get there.

I thought we already WERE there. We just continue to reassure him and remind him. Usually we get "Already I know that." as a reply. Don't care. I'll keep reassuring him that he's MINE, MINE, MINE until, uuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, .... yeah, forever.

Talking about Christmas Gifts

LM: Can I have church shoes for Christmas?
Me: SURE.
LM grins and hugs my legs (and must have been thinking “That was easy”.)
LM: Can I have a motorcycle?
Me: No.
LM: Awwwwwww

Bell Ringing Craziness!

One of our family's annual traditions is to donate some time standing beside a red kettle and ringing the bell for Salvation Army. What a blessing to give the gift of TIME to a worthy organization. (They usually have to PAY someone to stay at their station...so we were also giving MONEY in a round-about way!)


BELOW IS A VIDEO OF OUR ATTEMPT AT HAVING FUN, STAYING WARM AND HELPING THE TIME GO MORE QUICKLY!

Password Issue!

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento

When asked why such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters and include at least one capital.

THAT WAS LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY! A FRIEND HAD THIS ON FACEBOOK AND I ADMIT TO STEALING IT FROM HER! :)

HAVE A GREAT DAY FULL OF FUN AND LAUGHTER!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, STACEY

I promised...Ruby Bridges.

Ruby Bridges! A true hero! If you have an opportunity to watch the Disney movie, DO IT!

The above painting by Norman Rockwell depicts Ruby on her way to school...protected by federal agents! She was the ONLY little girl who went to school when classes were officially DESEGREGATED!

From Wikipedia:The problem we all live with — by Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), depicting an incident in the American Civil Rights struggle of the early 1960s, when Ruby Bridges entered kindergarten on the first day of court-ordered desegregation of New Orleans, Louisiana, public schools (November 14, 1960). Originally published in Look magazine.

The book The Story of Ruby Bridges is a great way to talk about the topic of equality.

I must say that our little 9 year old Ladybug STILL won't watch the Ruby Bridges movie becuase she gets SOOOOO sad. They idiotic way that whites treated Ruby and how AMAZINGLY loving and Godly Ruby responded just tears Ladybug up!

It IS a Disney movie but it really happened!


"Our Ruby taught us all a lot. She became someone
who helped change our country. She was part of history,
just like generals and presidents are part of history.
They're leaders, and so was Ruby. She led us away from
hate, and she led us nearer to knowing each other,
the white folks and the black folks."

~ Ruby's Mother

THANK YOU BRIDGES FAMILY, AND RUBY ESPECIALLY, FOR HELPING PAVE THE WAY FOR OUR SON TO SIT NEXT TO HIS LITTLE CHINESE FRIENDS AND MANY CAUCASIAN FRIENDS AT SCHOOL EACH DAY! THEY DRINK FROM THE SAME FOUNTAIN, USE THE SAME RESTROOM.

ONE REASON HE WILL HAVE NO IDEA OF SEGREGATION IS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE RUBY BRIDGES AND ROSA PARKS!

THANK THE LORD!

Anniversary of Rosa Parks' Arrest

"I did not get on the bus to get arrested; I got on the bus to go home."

On the evening of December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American, was arrested for disobeying an Alabama law requiring black passengers to relinquish seats to white passengers when the bus was full. Blacks also were required to sit at the back of the bus. Her arrest sparked a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision banning segregation on public transportation.

Since black people constituted seventy percent of the transit system's riders, most busses carried few passengers that day.

Have you watched the video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech? As a pastor, my husband often comments that certain things that come out of his own mouth during a sermon are not in his notes. They come to him “spur of the moment” – whether inspired or not, they are unplanned.

We were AMAZED when we watched “I Have a Dream” one January at home and Dr. King’s famous portion:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

THESE WORDS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE IN HIS NOTES! WHEN WE WATCHED THE VIDEO, WE WERE STRUCK BY HIS APPARENT LEADING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!

"I did not get on the bus to get arrested; I got on the bus to go home." See what one person can do!??? THANK YOU ROSA PARKS FOR HELPING TO MAKE AMERICA WHAT IT IS TODAY -- FOR OUR SON! YOU PAVED THE WAY!

(Another GREAT hero for blacks, Ruby Bridges.....I'll tell you all about HER someday!)

jokes from Ladybug

HERE ARE A FEW "FUNNIES":

What did the nut say to the nutcracker? You crack me up!

What do polar bears eat? Brrrrritos

AND MOM'S PERSONAL FAVORITE:
Where did Dairy Queen and Burger King live after they got married? White Castle

When Will You Come?

Jan Beazely is the founder of All God's Children International, our adoption agency. Since this month is National Adoption Month, they passed along a poem she wrote many years ago and I almost couldn't read it at work...started to get all choked up. So, I decided to post it here, so YOU could get all choked up during National Adoption Month...right along with me!

WHEN WILL YOU COME
Jan Beazely

My heart hopes for a home,
A family to call my own.
I need your love…
When will you come?

I lie alone and I'm cold,
There is no one to hold.
I need your touch…
When will you come?

The days turn to weeks,
In silence I plead.
I only speak with my eyes…
When will you come?

As I lie in my bed, I am living yet dead.
I pray for hope to arrive,
Please hear my cries…
When will you come?

First Snow

 

The Little Ones got all bundled up to enjoy our first flurry. They created a "clubhouse" and had a fun-filled hour...just the two of 'em. They even tried to have a snowball fight! (Quite unsuccessfully!)

A Field Trip on Thanksgiving!

 

We had an unexpected AMAZING experience yesterday! Our family had reserved a facility attached to our local firehouse. We got to explore the fire trucks and medic vehicle! We didn't get to slide down the poll...it's a one floor firehouse! The firefighter were OUTSTANDING! The kids got to get in all the trucks, flash the lights, wear the headsets...

Little Man may decide to be a fire fighter some day rather than a race car driver!

From Our House To Yours!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Little Man is thankful for his friends at school.
Ladybug is thankful for a good family.
Susaroo said she's thankful for Little Man, our house,and for all things that we "want" and God has blessed us with (even though He doesn't have to.)
Husband of Mine is thankful for his four kiddos and a healthier wife!
Peanut is thankful that she has a job and SHE GETS TO GET HER TEMPS TODAY!

And then there's the Mama...

Where to start? What a blessed life we have! Following the principles of God's Word in our household enables us to have a safe environment. Living lives of honor enable us to trust each other in all things. I am most thankful that the foundation of our family is CHRIST and His Word. WE ARE BLESSED!