What's New With Our Family

It’s been quite a while since I last posted on the blog and thought I’d share a bit of what’s been going on in our lives.
With each of our adoptions our family has become more and more open with our birthfamilies. This is a path that we strongly feel has been God led. With each child, I've sensed the Lord calling us to move past our fears and draw our children's birthparents closer and closer to the core of our family. Each time we've obeyed, we've been blessed beyond anything we could have imagined. Our children have responded to this openness with complete excitement and joy. Never once have I felt a tug a war or threatened over my place as my children's mom. With each relationship the Lord has shown us what it truly means to have a completely OPEN adoption.
With that said, now let me share what's new with our family.
Reiko is Levi’s birth mother and she’s come back into our lives. We couldn’t be more thrilled. Our relationship with her is right back where we left off and it is like she was never gone. She still calls us mom and dad and it touches our hearts for her to do so. We do feel like parents to her and love that she’s not afraid to show her need for family and love for us. Here’s more exciting news… She’s newly married and now the mommy to our first ever adopted by heart, grandson. We love this new role and are amazed at all the Lord is walking us through.
After Heidern (spelled correctly but pronounced Heiden with a silent “R”) was born Reiko handed him to me and said something to the reference of me being grandma. When she said it... It felt so right. Just looking at him melted my heart and I knew this little boy was going to be very special.

Richard and I talked and really hashed out ...What are we doing?! Is this right for our family and are we going to cause confusion with Levi? We don't just play family ...we are a family. Both of us prayed about it and we really came to the same conclusion. For our family, this was the Lord. God was showing us something quite different than we'd ever experienced before. That is, the concept of adopting not the baby, but the mom and her baby both.
Our children are responding well to Reiko and her new little family being so close to us. They love that Reiko calls me mom and love the idea that Heidern is our new grandbaby. Levi just enjoys her being around as much as the other kids do their birthparents. We’ve always said it was very important that our children were raised in truth and so we will continue to raise Levi to know that Reiko is his birthmother but that we also have accepted the roll as grandparents to Heidern who is his biological half brother. It truly is a blessing that Levi will have such a relationship with both his birth mother and half brother as he grows. This is the first time Levi got to hold Heidern

Levi kissing him to show him how much he loves him

We’ve come to the understanding that our family will always be different and will grow differently than most people will understand or relate to. We build and hold our family with completely different dynamics than anything most people will probably ever know. We have different boundaries and a completely different path that the Lord has called us to and working out in our lives.
In one conversation with my sister I said... When your daughter gets married and you, as the mother, walk down the aisle to light the candles with the groom’s mother. You will not share that place with anyone. But that is not true with our family... we are different. When I walk down the aisle at my daughter’s weddings I will walk, hand in hand, with her birthmother and we will share that place together. This is what is right for us and this is what is right for our children. We are bound together through love and through the child that they placed within my arms. And...as much as I love my children ...I love their birthparents. That will never change and the longer I know them... the more I will love them.
This truly is my heart and roll the Lord has established within me. Here are some pictures from our visit with Reiko and Heidern the other day. Three very special men in my life..Levi, Hidern and Richard (Daddy to Levi and Grandpa to Heidern)

Reiko doing what she does best...EATING! LOL I'm a feeder so I love that one of the first things she does when she comes over is look to see what leftovers we have. She's eating leftover Mexican food...YUMMM!

Levi snagging a bite from her plate. LOL

I had just gotten out of the shower and couldn't wait to get my snuggle bug into my arms. Oh..He just feels so good!

Me holding both my son and grandson...Levi was giving daddy a funny face. LOL

Thank you Jesus for the path that You have chosen for me. It is far better than anything I could have dreamed for myself. You are an amazing God !

Merry Christmas~ 2008

Merry Christmas...

Trying to get a two year old to smile and sit still is completely impossible...It's just not going to happen!!! Soooooo...

Of all the pics taken, we've decided to have fun with it and go with the one of us cracking up.
Here are some of the other pictures taken that we just fell in love with.

This is the our kids with their cousin Michaela

Here is the ultimate of them all.

We love it because Levi actually does have his sisters wrapped around his little finger. LOL

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas break.

The kids get out of school today and will be home for 2 weeks. Yay! Lots of popcorn, hot cocoa, card playing, sledding and watching old movies together. We will be traveling to see family during the next few weeks to celebrate the holidays.

Although things have been tight, God has been good to our family and we are looking forward to next year and all that He has in store for us.

What a wonderful God we serve!

Sending love to each of you and praying that your families are blessed.

The Warings

Isn't She Beautiful...

Wanted to share some of the wonderful pictures my sister took of Michelle (Bailey's birth mother) and her family, the other night. Isn't she just beautiful in these pictures?

These were taken right after our family finished taking theirs.

This is David, Michelle, and Kathryn

The two of them...

They do not have but one, family picture when Kathryn was much younger. I don't think they have any of just the two of them.

I love this one of Michelle


Kathryn looks so pretty here. She is a year younger then Bailey.

Now, after they finished having their family photo's taken, I hugged Michelle and said ..." Merry Christmas" And called Bailey over to her and Kathryn. You can see by the photo that Michelle was almost in tears from joy. I have to admit, I was tearing up myself.

She's never had a photo taken of the two daughters she's birthed.

Bailey, Michelle, Kathryn

Then, we took one of Bailey and Kathryn.

How precious! It turned out so sweet and I know it's touched Michelle to see these half sisters together like this.

Bailey and Kathryn

Both of us were still rather emotional after the photo shoot and we decided to have one taken of the two of us together. I love this lady so much. Without her in my life I would have never been a mother and the heart ache and tears that consumed me, would have never been healed. This woman means the world to me and I could never thank her for all she's given me.

We started our journey in fear of each other and look how much God has molded us together in love.

What a difference the Lord has made in both of our lives.

I will frame and cherish this picture for the rest of my life.

God is so good!

Both of Bailey's Mothers

Thank you Jesus for setting my life upon a course I could never have imagined to be so blessed.

I trust You with my family and my cherished dreams of being a mother.

You...

have been so good to me!

My Baby Girl is now 10

Saturday we celebrated Addison's 10th birthday. This year she wanted to have a skating party with her family, birth family (Travis, Julie, TJ & Tyler) and a few close friends. I borrowed a camera and nabbed some very priceless pictures. For some reason, today...Julie allowed me to take pictures.

She even smiled. LOL :))

(Julie hates her picture taken so it's a real treat to be able to blog these ones.)

This first one is the cake Julie made for Addison. Addi, wanted a florescent one with black. Julie makes the most beautiful cakes and this one was the BOMB! We loved it!

Oh..the camera I borrowed has no screen and no view finder. You just point it and shoot. So I wasn't sure what I was actually getting until I got home and downloaded them.

That's why some of the pictures are off center.

Addi, her friends Jaiana, and Jake

The kids had glow sticks too...What fun!

Blowing out the candles

Levi, was feeling much better today and got through the whole party without being sick. Yay!

This is his "You are annoying me with that camera look." Hahaha...

He also looks so much like his birth mother, Reiko in this pictures.

What a silly and beautiful boy!

So... Yep, you guessed it...

For the love of my daughter, I'm strapping on the skates and going for it.

Me doing the "YMCA"

And the "Hokey-Poky"

Poor Tyler (Julie and Travis' daughter) was benched for the entire party due to a hurt knee. She's such a trooper though and hardly let on that it was COMPLETELY breaking her heart to not get to skate.

(I'm so sorry Tyler...We love you so much!)

She did however get to play Air Hockey with Bailey. I'm not sure who won. (Sorry the eyes are scary...bum camera)

Addi and her friends

Natasha, Jaiana's mom came and was such a blessing.
Thank you Natasha soooo very much.

This is TJ. (Julie and Travis' son) He's so funny and every time I see him, he's grown another 4 inches. I think I can use this picture as black mail one day when he's too busy to fix my computer or something. He's one of those super smart teens that can do anything on a computer that we adults can't.

What a goof-ball!


And...
Had to throw this one in of my VERY handsome hubby that is an incredible Daddy to our children!

This year has been a very difficult financial year but God has been so good to us in that even this party, He's paid for. It was such a relief that although works been slow for hubby, it did not effect the joy of our 10 year old and her dream skating party. Again...God You are soooo incredibly good!

Happy Birthday Addison!

You are such a blessing in our lives

and we are so proud of you...

MOM

Our Story In Print...God Is Good!

Today for the November Adoption Awareness Month, our story came out in a local family magazine. This magazine is a Christian magazine that goes all over the Kansas City, Kansas area in churches and businesses.

I took some pictures of it rather than typing it out. When it arrived, Michelle (Bailey's birth mother) and I read it together. It was a touching moment... and we both loved it.

God is good!

I wonder how many hearts God will touch through the telling of our story?

"Homemade Pizza" I'm in the cooking mood.

Someone tried the Pizza Soup and loved it, so I thought I'd pass on another family favorite with many of the same ingredients. "Homemade Pizza"

Here is how I make my pizza's. They are a hit in my family also.

Homemade Pizza

First I use the cheap little boxes of "Jiffy" pizza crust mix. I make two large pizza's so I use 4 boxes. (We like left overs and usually have guests) If you have a smaller family you could use 2. I've shown a picture of the box so you know what to look for if you decide to try this.

Ingredients:

4 boxes of Jiffy pizza crust mixes
Powdered garlic... (it's also yummy to use some fresh also)
Hamburger
Italian seasoning
Oregano seasoning
I jar of spaghetti sauce
2 tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 onion
Mushrooms
1bag of mozzarella cheese
1bag of Mexican Style four cheese (finely shredded)

*********
Okay, I start by browning in a skillet a small amount of hamburger and drain off the grease. Then I heavily season with the Italian seasoning. (set this aside for later)

Pre-heat oven to 425*

Then, in a bowl I mix my pizza crust (follow the directions on box) It's very simple. All you do is add water stir and let sit for 5 minutes in a warm place. Then, after 5 minutes you are supposed to knead it on a floured board...But, this is where I stray a bit. Instead of kneading on a floured board, I spray my hands with "Pam" cooking spray and I also spray the ball of dough. Then, I sprinkle the counter with tons of powered garlic and I knead the dough on top of the garlic blending it within the dough. I use a lot of garlic and it's even good at this point if you have it to press some fresh garlic into the dough. Respray the dough and roller with pam often if needed. I then roll it out onto the pizza stone or pan. If you are using a pan rather then a stone, spray the pan first.
After the dough is spread out, put it in the oven for 2-3 minutes then take it out and begin adding your toppings.

(The crust is semi cooked)

I place toppings in the following order upon the crust:
I first spread the crust with my spaghetti sauce. Then, I season with more Italian seasoning and some oregano seasoning. Add your hamburger, onions (if you like them), zucchini, (about 1/2 inch thick slices..maybe just a bit smaller),sliced mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, Mexican cheese, sprinkle again with some Italian seasoning and oregano seasoning, and lastly top with (thinly sliced) tomatoes.

Then I place into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top and crust is golden brown.

It's so pretty to have the tomato's on top over the different colored cheeses. I know that putting the zucchini on pizza sounds odd but, believe it or not, everyone is surprised and loves it. This pizza is very thick and very filling. Most people can only eat a few slices and are stuffed.

It's VERY good! I hope you try it.

Pizza Soup...Yumm!

Last night I made Pizza Soup and the kids ate it up! Here's the recipe in case you want to try it. It sure is good on a cold rainy day... Just like we had yesterday.

I make it with...

1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
(In a skillet) Cook a small amount of hamburger meat (drain off grease) and heavily season with oregano & Italian Seasoning. (Add it to your soup)
Throw in some frozen mixed veggies, a bit of frozen chopped spinach, yellow zucchini, and a few cut-up slices of pepperoni or summer sausage, and a 1/2 of a sm. can of sliced olives.

Add as much water to it as you desire
Salt to taste
Boil it all together and it's done!

One of the cool things about making this soup is that you only use a small amount of your ingredients (Veggies, olives, summer sausage, zucchini, spinich) and I freeze the left over ingredients and then have more to make on another day.

Also...
I serve it with a long skinny loaf of freshly heated, French Baggett bread. Yummmm!