Lynn and Jamie's Christmas Letter

OK, see we do one, too. You're under no obligation to read it, but there will be an oral exam when next we meet. Click here to get the 2-page PDF.

Touching Youtube Holiday Event

This video is so moving, impressive, and truly beautiful. May this bring holiday joy to everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDBSpuPhdE4

God Bless!

Make Christmas Count

My dear sweet friend Jeannett with a heart bigger then anyone can imagine has four kids and blog.  But not just any kids and not just any blog.  One child had heart issues and another child has CP and seizure disorder, all of which is a full time job in itself.  Her blog, Life Rearrange, she uses to do good, lots of good.  To help others in need, to encourage all of us to help even if it is just a little, and all to the glory of God, another full-time job.  She is amazing, and I don't know how she manages to get it all done.  

 

So why a I mention it here? Well she is a talented writer, hilarious and real but mainly because every year at Christmas time she holds a fundraiser for one very special little child. 

 

 A little guy in another country. 

 

 A little guy with Downs Syndrome. 

 

A little guy who will be spending the holidays not in his/her moms arms but in an orphanage.  Alone in their crib, who's cries will go unheard.  This year it's Yana: 



 

 

 

Is she not the cutest thing in world.  The money raised goes into her adoption fund, so that when a family steps up to adopt her their cost will be that much lower.   This means a lot.  This could mean the difference between a family saying yes to Yana or no. 

Adoption is expensive and adopting a child with special needs is just that much more expensive.

We know.  When we said yes to our boys we needed to have $13,000 to our adoption agency with-in months, in all honesty they needed the money right then and there but were willing to work with us.  We wiped out savings, we sold a car and through the generous adoption fund at our Church manage to get the money.

But with a special needs child the financial drain doesn't end there.  Insurance premiums went through the roof, the sheer amount of doctor visits and co-pay after co-pay has nickled and dimed there way to a whole lot.  Oh and a helicopter ride and 3 day stay in the PICU,  yeah financial drain.  We don't know what the future holds for our boys.   Right now it looks like the worst is behind us and we won't be looking at an huge medical expenses but they are still young and the odds are stacked against them so we will see.  This is the truth with any special needs..you don't know.

So I write this as an adopted parent of special needs children, please this Christmas think about donating to Yana's account.  She needs it and her forever family needs it.  They will be eternally grateful for it. 

We are all called to care for the orphan. That can be adoption or it can be helping and supporting those who do adopt.

Will you help support this Christmas? 

If anything please click over to Life Rearranged and read Jeannett's words about Yana and her fundraiser.  And if that is not enough Jeannett is also doing a.m.a.z.i.n.g giveaway. 

Make Christmas Count this year. 

Always a Handful Here

A handful of pure, unadulterated, yummy goodness, that is. Here's the image for Nana and Papa's Christmas card...

 

Sometimes nutty, always sweet...

 

L-R: Sam, David, Hannah, AJ (orange), William (yellow), Serafina, Jonathan, Matteo.

 

Here's our Christmas Letter.

 

 

Parenting in a Fish Bowl

Part of compound living is the feeling of living in a fish bowl or as I see it parenting in a fish bowl.

 

You know that statement that goes something like no one knows what happens behind closed doors.  Well here at the compound we don't have doors that close:

We have revolving ones.

And as much as I love it, and I do love it, I wouldn't change it for the world because those week that Matt is gone all week long on business it means having conversation with an adult and well just seeing someone over four feet.  Priceless.  But it also means that someone is always watching.

And because I am neurotic and want to be perfect..all the time...it makes for an interesting conversation in my head.

Take this week for example, at the beginning of the week I was under the weather and Matt was out of town all I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and watch Christmas movies. All day long with or with out my children their choice.  Forget about dishes, clutter, laundry, they will wait.   But then I realize if I choose this everyone will come in the house and see me being lazy (weather they think that or not my brain goes there).  Plus my parents will come home and ask what I did all day, especially when I offer up toaster waffles for dinner.  And I feel like I have to do something productive.

Then there are the moments that your kids leave you totally dumbfounded and you have no idea how to parent them or you want to implement a new house policy. So you read up on the latest techniques, internet search until your eyes bug out, pin ideas, and come up with a new plan.  You executed said plan and it fails miserably and if you didn't feel like a major fail you then realize that everyone and their brother was watching you and have a suggestion on how to do better next time. Fish bowl

Enter in self imposed need to be perfect, and I can totally stress myself out.  But then I think:  Do fish have these types of debate is their head. "I don't think I am swimming right perhaps that human would prefer if I swam my circles 3/4 of an inch from the top of the water instead of 1 inch.  Do they think my fins look fat when I eat that extra food they put in my water?" 

So I have had to adjust my need to show the world how perfect I am and embrace my life in the fish bowl.  Realize that the world is going to see me parent well and parent horribly not-so-well.  And everyone is going to give me ideas and critic but no one is judging,  just helping.

 And my kids, no mater what will always be loud, crazy and wild, constantly splashing water out of the bowl. 

In the end even though their are lots of opinions that go around, I love our life in the fish bowl because my kids get so many people support them, so many new and different ideas, and so so so much love it is crazy!!! 

And lastly with so many people watching we might just cut down on ER trips.

The Great Pumpkin Roll of 2012

The tradition continues...

All the photos: http://JF2.com/121124/

Funny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw this and died.

 

Seriously died, I was laughing so hard.

 

Do you know how many times we are asked, when out and about with our brood, if we know how babies are made.

 

I seriously want to print out a few of these bad boys and hand them to people!! LOL