The top four things I talk about on here …..

There are about four things that I talk about here on this blog. I seem to only know how to talk about four things so I guess that’s what goes on here.

1. Haiti/Adoption

2. Aaron/Kids

3. Cooking

4. Running

I thought I would give you an update on all of the above!

1. Haiti/Adoption: This past weekend we had Mr. Zach from REAL HOPE FOR HAITI in town. We had a little open house for him at our house on Saturday night and he spoke to a small group at our church on Sunday. It was a fun time for people who had been to RHFH from the Stone to come and meet Zach and encourage him. We sold shirts and prayed and hopefully opened up more hearts to missions in Haiti.

*If you want a Haiti shirt and live in Austin email me and I can get one for you, otherwise you can get them at Aaron’s merch store.

We got to spend time praying over Zach for him, Haiti & his ministry

Adoption stuff is still going. My poor Amos is still in MOI. Still waiting on birth/death decrees to be done correctly and have the correct spelling on them. We are praying and praying and praying for this little man to know our love and God’s love during his time apart from us. Story is close. All the papers that US CIS has requested are in and we’re hoping that this week our papers are sent over to the Consulate and a Visa appt is granted! GOOD NEWS …. I’m heading to Haiti on Oct 12 to visit my kids. I’ll be there Monday through Friday and wouldn’t it just be fantastic if I could bring our sweet Story home then?

March 2009: The last time I was with my kids. Too long ago.

2. Aaron/Kids: Well we’re all doing well here. Aaron’s in El Salvador this week with Compassion International. He leads such a tough life!! He’s there with other indie artist experiencing all that Compassion does for the people there. Hopefully they will learn how to be better advocates for Compassion while they are on the road! Aaron does such a great job with this, so I’ll know he’ll be a blessing to these artist that are just getting involved with Compassion. The guys will start a home in a few weeks, so if you are close to any of these cities email me (jamie@aaronivey.com) and I’ll connect you with the host home: Athens, TX

OK City, OK

Kansas City, MO

Bentonville, AR

Richmond, VA

Charlotte, NC

Atlanta, GA

The kids are doing great. I am loving being a football mom and hope that all three of my boys fall in love with this sport. It is so much fun! Cayden is still loving school. He can count to 100 by 5’s and knows all his five senses. Deacon is loving pre-school and wishes he could go to school all five days like Cayden does! They are both getting so big and cracking us up all the time.

Cayden wants to be a police man when he grows up and this is his “police face”!

3. I am still cutting out tons of recipes that I want to try in the kitchen. The funny thing about me is that I don’t cook very well. I leave stuff out if we don’t have it, I don’t value spices in meals, and I just sometimes forget stuff is on the stove or in the oven! Crock pot meals work so well for me!!! Last night we tried a new soup and I really liked it. The boys enjoyed it lots too! As much as Cayden liked that soup, he loved the soup we had last week from Vanilla Orchid even better. It was a veggie chili and he loved it. I sent some with him for lunch today!

4. Running. Ugh. Running. Ugh. I so desire to call myself a runner. I just don’t feel as though I deserve that title! I run, but I’m so inconsistent with it. I’ll run 3x’s a week for 3 weeks then not run for 2 weeks then try to get back out there again right where I left off.

I am going to do the 3M half in Austin. I have the 12 week training plan already on my calendar. When I do that I usually stick to it. I need to register so that makes me train even harder! I’m also planning on doing the Capital 10K here in Austin in April. Wanna join us?

I’m flying to Orlando in January for the Disney races. I waited too long to register and the only thing open still is the FULL marathon. Yes, 26 miles. I can not train for that in 15 weeks. Yes there are only 15 weeks until January! UGH! So, I think I’ll register for the FULL and make it my goal to run HALF and somehow make it to the end with the last 13 miles. Crazy, right?

Lately two people have written posts on running, so I wanted to share. Go to Traci’s blog to see her thoughts and then head over to JoAanna’s blog to see her thoughts on running.

If you are training for any races, let me know!

So there you go. I’ll leave you with a few pictures just because I feel like it:

August did not like the pool!

Deacon and Daddy on the first day of Preschool!

Deacon and Mommy on first day of school!

The boys first football game at Reagan High School.

Last week we had family day and the boys went swimming! I sat in the quiet and read a book. Oh it was nice!

lentil soup with greens

Tonight I’m cooking up some soup!  I’ll feed half to the boys and I and freeze the other half for another rainy day!

We’re having a new recipe tonight.  I love to try out new recipes!  I got this one out of my good ole Parenting magazine!

LEMONY LENTIL SOUP WITH GREENS

Prep time:  15 min

Total time:  55 min

Serves;  6

2 tsp canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and choppped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

16oz green or brown lentils

12 cups broth (we use veggie)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

8 cups chopped kale leaves (about 6 oz)

3 TBsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1.  Heat the oil in a 6 quart pot over medium-high heat.  Cook  the onions until softened and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes

2.  Add the carrot, celery, and garlic.  Cover and stir occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the lentils, broth, basil, thyme, and salt, and bring to a boil.

4.  Reduce the heat to low, then add the kale (you can leave out if you want, but kale is super good for you and your kids might surprise you and love it!  mine do!); cook until the lentils are tender, 30-35 minutes.  Add additional broth if necessary.

5.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest, and serve.

dreaming good thoughts.

I had a dream last night that we were done with the USCIS part and heading over to the adoption until of the Consulate.  It was a fun dream b/c everyone was jumping up and down and congratulating us.  The people working in the office were yelling at us and it was a fun time.

Last night I talked to our lady again and she reassures me it should be soon.  She also told me that I could email the USCIS to make sure they had my right email address.  When I filed my I600 last Sept I had a different email, so this had started to concern me.  What if our approval email was just floating in cyber space somewhere.

So I emailed them and gave them my new email address and told them we were anxiously awaiting our approval and thank you for doing a good job!!

Yes I did.

So …. today is Friday.  Last work day of the week.  I hear they only work 1/2 day today too.  So, if by lunch I haven’t heard anything, I’ll let it go.  Be okay.  Be happy.  Look forward to Monday!

so close

I feel like we’re getting close with Story.  Closer than we’ve ever been before.  I do know that the paper they’ve been requesting was turned in TODAY.  That is great news!  The next thing that will happen is I should get an email from them (USCIS) telling me we’re APPROVED.  oh my goodness you will know when that happens!!!

Then they’ll send our papers to the Consulate and they’ll give us a Visa appt.  I talked to our lady last night and she said lately they’ve been assigning them within a few days.  SO … see we’re closer than ever.  Our lady said she’s heading back up there tomorrow so she’ll see why our I600 hasn’t been approved.  Hopefully they don’t need anything else.

I am overjoyed with the news of how close we are, BUT always in the back of my mind is my sweet boy Amos.  Always.  Our happiness when Story comes home will be laced with sadness that our boy is not ready yet.  Please pray for him and his heart.  If Story comes home before him he will have a hard time, and this morning I begged God to protect his heart and mind during that time.  I prayed for discernment for the adults in his life. To speak love over him and for God to show them exactly how to handle the situation.

So … we’re getting close.

*Taken one year ago (9/30/08) while visiting kids.  We were still in IBESR.

Zach from Real Hope for Haiti in Austin THIS WEEKEND

If you read my blog often enough you have heard me talk about REAL HOPE FOR HAITI many times before. They are an organization in Cazale, Haiti that does amazing things every day for the people in their village and many villages around them. They have a clinic that operates about four days a week (really they are always doing something there!!!)  seeing hundreds of patients a day, some that have walked through the night to get there. They also have a rescue center that operates to literally save kids lives. They take in kids and get them well, then send them home with their parents. They educate parents and pray that they never see those kids again.

This weekend Zach from RHFH will be in Austin! We are so excited about his journey here and about the impact that his story might have on our lives. We love these people and all they do and I know many of you too have fallen in love with what RHFH does as well.

We want to invite you out to hear him speak, love on him, and just encourage him in all that he does. He’ll be at our house on Sat from 5-8 for a come and go visit time, and then speaking at our church, The Austin Stone Community Church on Sunday morning in between the two AM services at 10:30.

Please find a way to come to one of these. You will be blessed! Email me for any other questions or to RSVP to the Sat night thing at my house!

Read more about Zach’s visit HERE.

dreading baby dedication

I am the person that usually loves baby dedication days at church. I will always cry tears of joy for the dear parents that are up there telling the whole world that they dedicate to raising their child in the ways of the Lord. I love to hear all the babies screaming while they are being prayed over. It’s just precious. The thought of the church telling these parents that we have your back in parenting is awesome. Promising to guide them and provide resources for them to do a great job of parenting is amazing! Parents shouting to the world that we commit to teaching our kids to love God with all their heart, mind and soul. That is amazing.

Recently I have begun to despise baby dedication day. Hate it. Dread it. Not gonna do it.

The last baby dedication I attended at our church I had Fedna with me during the service. I sat there as these parents dedicated their children to the Lord and I prayed fervently for this little girl in my lap. I prayed for her parents. Begging God to draw them to a local church in the area they live in Haiti. I begged God to call her name and press his love upon her heart and soul. I begged God to bring adults into her families life that could tell them about the precious love of Jesus and all that he has to offer them.

I read today in the church bulletin that there are two more baby dedications coming up this year. My heart sank and tears threatened to overtake my eyes. I fought them back. I wasn’t going to go there just over reading about the dedication. One thing I know is that I can’t sit through another baby dedication without my babies here. I.CAN.NOT.DO.IT
I am starting to get a glimpse into the hearts and souls of women all over the world that are struggling with infertility. The feelings of longing for something so badly that it is all you think of, that is becoming my reality. The desire to have something so badly that you are outright mad and jealous at others around you for getting the thing that you want so badly. I think God can handle my anger. I think he knows my heart on the issue. Although there are many times that I am outright mad at God for not bringing my babies home a long time ago, there are 100 more times of complete peace about this whole situation. I could not be on this journey without Jesus in my life. Even on the hardest days I know that I have a God that loves me more than I can ever understand and has a plan for me even if it’s not what I think is best. To quote the scripture that the kids had a few weeks ago, “God’s ways are perfect.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I LOVE people having babies. I LOVE people dedicating babies. I LOVE people bringing babies home through adoption. I rejoice with each one. I have several friends who are pregnant and I am overjoyed for them. I don’t want to pregnant, I just want my kids home like they are going to have theirs eventually.

A few weeks ago my friend Emily sent me something that I have read and looked over many times since then. Here is an excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon devotional that she sent me:

The trials which come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people’s faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been lit unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction doth this sharp service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it causeth them to grow rich towards God.

As much as I dread baby dedications, I take comfort in the fact that through this God is making me stronger. I hold steady to the fact that his plan is perfect. I have said to Aaron many a times through this process that I don’t want to get to the end of this dreadful journey and have our kids home and look back and realize that I missed out on what God was doing in my life. I don’t want to go through this for nothing. I want growth to come out of this trial. I am praying that on this journey that God has me on that it will cause me to grow rich towards God.

*Picture taken by Troy Livesay at RHFH this past week.

crockpot lasagna

We had crockpot lasagna earlier this week and the boys and I have been enjoying it ever since!  It was so yummy and made enough for us to keep eating!

I don’t remember where I got this recipe, but it was on someone’s blog!  That’s where I get most of my yummy recipes!

1 diced onion

couple of gloves of garlic

oregano, basil

2 large cans crushed tomatoes

1 lb of ground something (all you meat eaters can do whatever you want … we did Boca meatless crumbles!)

3-4 cups shredded mozzarella

2 15 oz cottage cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles (we use whole wheat)

Brown 1 lb of something with onions, garlic, oregano, basil and throw in some salt and pepper of course  Toss in the crushed tomatoes.  You layer everything in the crock pot:  broken up dry noodles, meat mixture, cottage cheese, mozzarella.  I do about three layers, so just divide up everything you have by three and get to layering.  3-5 hours on low.

It was so yummy!  I cooked mine about 2.3-3 hours on high. 

so yummy!  Let me know if you make it and how it turns out!

playing center.

Cayden is having so much fun playing flag football this year.  His first game is this Saturday and we’re all super excited!  He is learning so much and actually doing a great job!

Tonight after practice he said “I wonder why I have to play center so much?”.  I shrugged my shoulders thinking I know that sucks, wouldn’t you want to play running back the whole time and get some action in the game.  He then looked at me with the biggest grin on his face and said, “well the coach must think I’m pretty good at it.”

I smiled so big and was so proud of him!

Here he is at the first scrimmage game playing QB – I mean he is #8 this year!

Every Child’s Right Shirts

My friend Salem is selling some cool shirts for an adoption fundraiser. They are adopting from Uganda! I met Salem through the MAT and she is awesome!

Head on over and buy a shirt for you and one for someone else! Spread the word!

Is Adoption for everyone?

We are often asked if we think everyone should adopt.  Deep down I want to scream YES there are so many children that need homes, why wouldn’t you adopt.  Adoption has become a part of our life.  We have one child through birth, one through domestic private adoption and two on their way from international adoption.

Some people say, well we haven’t been called so we are happy for you, but it’s not for us.  UM …. okay.  I seem to lean towards the other side of the spectrum on this one.  You have a home.  You are a mom and a dad.  You have the means to raise another child (which if you live in America, yes you do!).  You love God.  UM …. maybe you should listen a little harder to God!  I know that’s harsh and not everyone is going to adopt a child, but I would love to see more people in the church doing this.  Okay enough of that.

Shaun Groves just posted a blog asking if adoption was part of God’s plan for every believer.  Interesting.  Contrary to my last paragraph, I’m still not certain what my opinion is on this.  I mean yes I wish everyone would adopt orphans, but to say that it is God’s will for everyone; I’m not sure on my opinion of this just yet.  Tell me your thoughts.