Adoption: Piece by Piece

****Please Help Us Finish Our Puzzle ****

UPDATE: We are trying to bring Katerina home from Bulgaria! She is a two year old little girl that is desperately in need of heart surgery. We are trying to get her home quickly in order to give her the best medical care possible! We are so excited  and we ask that you consider helping us by sponsoring a puzzle piece...   

We have reached a HUGE adoption milestone (well to us anyway) ...we have a completed Homestudy !!!!!!!! We are now working on our I-600A ( aka FBI fingerprints and paperwork that goes to our government).

Oh ya, did I mention we were approved for up to two children under the age of 8 and we agreed to a sibling group (if one is available)????

Can you tell we are excited?????????

So here is where we need your help. We are offering an opportunity for each of you to sponsor a puzzle piece where you would be able to have a message and your name written on it for ONLY $10.00 each.

The puzzle will be put together as people sponsor a piece and we will frame the puzzle (once complete) so our child/children can see all of the precious people who helped in bringing them home!!!

Quantity

1 Piece $10.00 USD 2 Pieces $20.00 USD 3 Pieces $30.00 USD 4 Pieces $40.00 USD 5 Pieces $50.00 USD

Message

Adoption Update and Opportunity

We have reached a HUGE adoption milestone (well to us anyway) ...we have a completed Homestudy !!!!!!!! We are now working on our I-600A ( aka FBI fingerprints and paperwork that goes to our government).

Oh ya, did I mention we were approved for up to two children under the age of 8 and we agreed to a sibling group (if one is available)????

Can you tell we are excited?????????

So here is where we need your help. We are offering an opportunity for each of you to sponsor a puzzle piece where you would be able to have a message and your name written on it for ONLY $10.00 each.

The puzzle will be put together as people sponsor a piece and we will frame the puzzle (once complete) so our child/children can see all of the precious people who helped in bringing them home!!!

Quantity

1 Piece $10.00 USD 2 Pieces $20.00 USD 3 Pieces $30.00 USD 4 Pieces $40.00 USD 5 Pieces $50.00 USD

Message

Johnny Appleseed Day

Today is John Chapman's (aka Johnny Appleseed) birthday! We decided that we would do a unit study on this legendary man ....

1st we started our day by sampling different kinds of apples 

There were some they loved and some ...well those got covered in cinnamon and sugar
and eaten as a yummy dessert!

Then we read a few books...

....and began coloring 

....and cutting 

...and pasteing

Then we paused for a yummy dessert

....Baked apples!

Then back to learning

and lapbooking

Then the kids ended their day with Apple Juice and the desire to not see
or smell apples in any form for a long long while :)

First Day of School 2013

Yesterday was our first day of school and we had a wonderful day.....

Enjoying Tom Sawyer

1st Day of Co-op 2013

We have been so incredibly blessed to be a part of an amazing,Christ-centered co-op this year. Today was our first day and we had a blast....I love how we started our morning off with a time of worship and prayer before the kids were dismissed for classes..

And of course, pictures were a must....

Summer Wrap Up 

Our Summer went by way too fast but I will be glad to get back into school mode come Monday! Yes I said Monday and I know what your probably thinking...isn't that a holiday?  Why yes it is but we wanted daddy to be able to join in the 1st day of school madness:) 

I thought I would kick off our school year with some summertime photos...

The kids learned how to make banana ice cream!

Playing in the rain...

..and yes I am THAT mom..

Painting the Summer days away....

Homeschooling Part 2

Curriculum ....Why is that such a scary word?  Well, probably because there are so many choices. So here is a rundown of what we use....


Every kid in our house around the age of 4 starts off using one of my favorite books ..

(this one has been "decorated")

Then they move on to the Handwriting Without Tears. These are fun and cheap books:)

Homeschooling

Lately I have had several people ask about homeschooling and how we do it...So I figured the best thing would be to blog about it.

WHY?

First let me address why we do it.

Let me start by saying that I never daydreamed of marrying young, being barefoot and pregnant and homeschooling my children. My plans were to have a career, have a couple of kids and live the American dream. You know the one where your house looks like a mansion, your car is spotless, the maid comes and cleans the house and you add these perfect little angels in to the mix somewhere and hope and pray that they would turn out ok?

Well, while that was my plan, God had a different plan for my life. While at Bible college I met my husband; who is a pastor ( the other thing I said I would never do...marry a pastor) and he had different ideas of what he wanted for our family. So he began to pray and I began to pray and seek wise counsel... and low and behold my husband got his way. Just Kidding...God had his way in my heart, and as he began to change my heart about my calling in life I began to see my life unfold so much differently than I had planned.

With the birth of our first son, my husband and I truly sensed a call on our life to homeschool and I am so glad we did.

Is it perfect? No, there are days that I feel like pulling my hair out. There are days that we are still schooling at dinnertime. There are days that all we get done is Bible or Math. There are those days when the dishes pile-up, the dryer isn't working and there is glue all over the place. But these are the days I am reminded that this is a calling from God, this is his will for our lives and we must be obedient.

As we enter into our 4th year of homeschooling, one thing remains the same...only through the Lord's grace and strength is educating our children at home even possible  If you were a fly on the wall at our house you would hear me walking around repeating this  " But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me".(2 Corinthians 12:9)

It's Been A While...

It has been a long while since my last blog post....and a lot has happened in the past 6 months or so!
The Lord has blessed us with an incredible new church which of course began with a big move..on Christmas Eve..yes, you read that right! But we wouldn't change it for anything! We love living here and we love our church family! The kids are doing karate at a local church and best of all its FREE! We are getting involved in a wonderful homeschool co-op and have met many other homeschool families.  We are SLOWLY adjusting to a much busier life while learning the importance of taking a day of rest. We are relishing in the goodness of God as we see Micah's healing from autism. We are seeing God at work in our adoption and we are asking God to strengthen our faith as we walk through these doors!

Idol Factory....

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!

When I did a blog in honor of Mother's Day it was funny, but still very sappy... But as for Father's Day.... I think my dad is way too MOCHO for all that. I must say that I am so blessed to have one of the greatest father's in all the world...I mean really; how many gals got to go to Bible college with their dad and future spouse ( and all sit together on the front row)? lol...  I am so blessed that the Lord has given me a father that has taught me so much. I believe that on top of the Lord putting orphan care and adoption as a passion of mine, more than anyone I think the He used my father in so many ways to bring this to fruition. How? Well if you know my dad then you know know a man that would give all that he has to help those in need. Whether it be someone that he has the privilege to preach to or a family member or a complete stranger, he has always had a heart for people and to serve the Lord in this way.

It's not too late...

It's not too late to join blessed beyond a doubt 's 5 Days of Intentional Quiet Time..... I have been truly challenged this week to be more diligent about my time with God and have been so blessed by her words of encouragement ...

 A Rogers' Tradition

Each year for Mother's Day my husband does pictures of the kids for me and each year I treasure their little smiling faces and the changes that have taken place from the previous year..... But this year is different...This year I AM OVERWHELMED with the grace that God has shown in the life of our family. This year instead of 6 eyes gazing into the camera God has given me 8 and instead of 3 little people shouting mommy God has given me 4. This year God has given me a "new" child...a child that now makes eye contact...a child that now says mommy (and about 100 more words) a child that is now able to look me in the eyes and say " I lobe ou, mommy"! 

And all I CAN DO is praise HIM..

In Honor Of Our Mother..

"Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come.' Prov.31:25

When my brothers and I see this verse we all think about our mother. This verse is so much a part of who she is and of the woman that I hope to become.

This is written to you mom from the boys and I....

Strength and dignity are her clothing....

• even when you are chasing the boys with a broom because they wouldn't stop fighting...(and all we did was laugh)
• even when you try soooo very hard to play "Wii Dance" and it just never works out for you...remember you are a Baptist preacher's wife and daughter..lol
• even when you set the clock 7 minutes fast....and your still late
• even when you try way too hard to dance and it never turns out well...oh did I mention that already?
• BUT especially when you showed us the value of sacrificing for your family
• especially when you showed us the value of servant hood and submission as you daily served our father..never realizing the impact that this has had on our marriages
• especially when we see your gift of mercy and grace
• especially when you are always there to listen
• especially when you wear strength and dignity as if it is your most comfortable pair of jeans because it is so much a part of who you are...

...and she laughs at the time to come

We are so thankful to the Lord that this is who you are. You are a woman that can face a problem with strength but more importantly with peace: knowing how big God is....

We are so blessed by you and so thankful that not only are you a beautiful mother but you are also our friend. We love you and we wish we could be there with you...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

"Her children rise up and call her blessed.." Prov.31:28

Windows, Faith, and Adoption

As we drove down the highway with a five foot window strapped to the top of our van, I began to laugh (a nervous laugh of course) and remind myself that today was again one of those days that my life felt like a rerun of I Love Lucy. But, as the the window began to shift and slide and waiver back and forth  my laughter turned into fear. What if.... this falls? What if ....it hits the car behind us? What if....it all falls apart ?  What if... What if.... What if..?

 Then the worries over the window turned into worry over the adoption. What if ....you fail your homestudy? What if...it takes FOREVER to place a child in our home? What if .... your not cut out for this?  As all the doubt about the adoption began to plague my mind I suddenly began to hear all the voices of the people that have criticized us for having more that 2.5 children and yet adding another one...my worry had now turned to sin.