The Land of Make Believe

We visited the Renaissance Faire on Saturday. A friend gave us a bunch of free tickets:) It was a much needed escape for the family. My hubby LOVES all things fantasy. We even had our wedding(no not the first Vegas one) outside a Renaissance festival. He brought costumes for everyone. Not dressing up is not even an option.

My beautiful maiden.

Lukas professing is undying love for me. What a good knight.

What a lovely princess.

Does this one even need a caption?

Contemplating what to see first.

They really are having fun. They just haven't informed their faces yet:)

The toddlers having fun winning treasure.

My Tears are Falling

This is straight from her blog. I am in tears thinking about this precious family. She is due any day with their 5th child and is in the hospital with her two year old who is fighting for his life. Please pray for them. Please send some encouragement her way.


Our precious 2 year old Josiah has been hospitalized. I've been there since yesterday. We ask for prayer. He hurt himself on a trampoline but seemed fine. We started noticing bruises from where he must have gotten pinned in between the springs. Over the next few days he started getting more and more unexplained bruises
all over his body despite being carefully monitored. He then started getting nose bleeds vomiting and a fever.

I started checking online and asking around online thinking he must be anemic or something and took him in. We thought it would be a quick check up, maybe that they'd give us some iron pills or something for him and be sent home. They did blood tests and are convinced he has either a blood disorder or cancer, ( leukemia)
This has nothing to do with the trampoline incident and we are grateful to God that it happened or we wouldn't have taken him in. Only the Lord knows how long this would have gone undiagnosed.

They have done so many tests and it is so awful to see my poor little baby get poked, prodded, and not allowed to nurse or eat. It is so heartbreaking and torturous to hear him screaming as they can't find his veins. I consider
myself a very strong person but this has had me breaking down in tears. I'd give anything for it to be me instead.

I have been crying out that the Lord would have mercy on this precious child. He is low on platelets, hemoglobin, and blood. They have given him platelets and blood. He had a bone marrow biopsy scheduled today but his blood doesn't look well enough to proceed and they don't want to risk him bleeding alot when he already has low blood. So it will hopefully be done tomorrow. I pray it's early as he doesn't understand why he cant eat, drink or nurse. I won't dare eat or drink in front of him so I haven't been eating either..

This has been so hard to leave the other kids to take care of him . I didn't understand God's decision to not allow us to buy the house we wanted in Riverside or Huatzin losing his job, but now I see his perfect timing. 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but
then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. I don't know what I'd do if Huatzin had to work right now during this whole ordeal.

I am home only for a quick time to ask for prayer, shower, and get back to my baby. PLEASE lift Josiah and our family in prayer. I was overwhelmed last night when I started having heavy contractions before they even began the transfusions. I am praying God will be merciful and not let the baby come just yet. I
CANNOT leave my two year old. I am all that he wants. I am ok with the thought of having a baby alone while Huatzin stays with him, though that isn't at all ideal, but would prefer this whole thing be taken care of before baby arrives. I am
praying it's ITP (Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) which he has the symptoms of, but isn't as bad as leukemia. I don't want to face having to decide to go the natural route for cancer treatment vs.. chemo. I forgot my bible at a friends house so I so appreciate all of you that texted over bible verses. It was so encouraging and helpful. Thanks for all the love and support. We share a room with another family ( with a daughter with Leukemia ;-( I try to sleep as they wake him up every hour or so... It is hard as he is hooked up and wants to get down. I also have to wait to find a nurse to watch him while I go to the bathroom which is awful. It is uncomfortable, but I know there is a purpose for it all.
One good thing about it, if it is leukemia, I am due any day and would be able to use the cord blood. Great timing but I'd REALLY prefer not to travel down that road! Alida & Rodriguez Family.

Family in Need of Prayer

I wanted to share this post from one of my blog friends.

I know a lot of you are amazing prayer warriors out there. Your prayers have sustained and lifted my family on more than one occasion. Would you please cover this precious family in prayer.

Friday, May 29, 2009

PRAYER PLEASE

I am asking you to please lift up sweet, sweet Josiah today. He is the son of a precious friend. He is 2yrs. old and is very sick. Check out his mom's blog.... "They did blood tests and are convinced he has either a blood disorder or cancer, ( leukemia)"

Pray for:

~Healing

~Wisdom & guidance for the doctor's

~Peace for Alida & Huatzin

~For their other 4 kiddos at home

~Mama is due any day to deliver their 5th baby.

Posted by *Overflowing* at 9:24 AM

Standing on the Invisible Line.

I really struggle with this invisible fine line that exists in my comfort/protection level of disclosing in depth personal information or situations I am having with my children. On one hand blogging can be extremely therapeutic and the amazing support/prayer I get from all of you out there is nothing short of a God send in my life. Then on the other hand I feel this obligation to protect my children and their "history". How would I feel if 20 years later I discovered an online journal my mother shared with the world about the personal struggles I faced because of my history.

I get so much from reading blogs that are honest, open and candid. So I know and have personally benefited from those of you who have chosen to share in that capacity.

Then I read on other blogs their stance on not sharing the struggles they have or their children have. I respect that too and it makes perfect sense. Why would you not want to protect your children in that way.

So here I am standing on this invisible line. Wanting to share all the challenges we are facing right now and then on the other hand wanting to give my kids some sort of anonymity.

And want to hear the funny part. I'm putting together a book of amazingly honest, real and candid adoption stories. So talk about hypocrisy. I know I'm a mess.

I find myself standing on this line alot in so many issues.
AARGHHH-Someone push me off.
But please only in a loving way. Okay?

Another "Date"

I have another "date" with the dentist this afternoon. I'm actually more excited than nervous this time. I have been in a pretty consistent state of pain since my last "date" with him last month. Unfortunately vicodin and antibiotics have been my constant companions- Which make me feel totally uninspired, mildly sick and slightly grouchy. I sound fun to be around, huh?

Hopefully after today I will only have a few more dates left. I'm ready to end this relationship:)

Too Busy

As you can probably tell I've been working on a new blog design. I think it's WAY too busy. Back to the 'ol drawing board I guess. On a positive note- I'm getting a lot more comforatble on editing code

The Way He Looks At Me.

There is a new way Diezel looks at me now. It's the look I've been waiting over a year to see. When he stares at me-his eyes sparkle. He looks at me with love and trust. Kind of like I hung the moon.

Help Me to Remember

Oh Lord. Help me to remember. Help me not forget. All that you have shown me.

Below post is from Brandi's blog.
-Thanks for always being there to remind me.-

Did you know that the UN describes an orphan as any child who has lost one or both parents, especially if the living parent is unable to adequately care for the child?

When we think of the word, ORPHAN and VULNERABLE, we think of a child who has no parents. We certainly don't think of helping a child who has a loving mother. . . Until we learn a bit more about widows.

Widows own nothing. Strike that, women own nothing. Not really. . .whatever they can own, can be removed at any given moment.

We heard stories from precious women. . .

Women who spoke of the hardest day of their lives. The day their husband or father died and his entire clan came in to steal from them, before the bodies were even laid to rest.

The clan just came in to the family hut and took everything. . including the tin roof.

This is what it's like being the child of a widow.

This is why the children of widows are still considered orphans. They often have NOTHING. They are shunned and often blamed for their husbands death. This leaves their children not only without a daddy, but without a provider. . of food, school fees and protection.

Heartbreaking? yes. But God is doing a work.

Remember James 1:27, "pure and undefiled religion is this, to take care of widows and orphans in their time of distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Often, we jump on the orphan bandwagon, but we often forget the whole widow part.

This is where the TESO Widows come in. . .listen to Beatrice's story.

Beatrice is the woman who leads the Teso Widows. Yes, she leads 20,000 widows in the Teso Region of Uganda. They now have it divided into districts and even sub-districts because there are so many widows! Each of these precious women carry around a register of all the orphans in their area. Literally a lined piece of paper filled with children's names, ages and villages. The children who have lost one or both of their parents. Children who weigh on these widows hearts. Can you imagine having a burden to do something for the orphans and for the other widows and having NO resources with which to help?

This is where WE come in! We get to partner with these wonderful women!

THIS IS A CARE POINT!!!! We (Children's HopeChest and YOU) partner with the widows in an area and we get to provide much needed resources so that they can minister to the precious children of their district! So, THEY can feed the children (the widows will VOLUNTEER to cook and serve the meals 6 days a week). Then, the care points can expand over time and as churches get more and more involved in THEIR carepoint. They can provide medical care, school fees, a community garden, clean water, classes, teaching a trade and most importantly JESUS to this community!

Talk about running to the aid of a WIDOW AND ORPHAN!!!! Does this excite you? These precious women who have lost everything. . .we get to help them keep their children! These precious children who have lost so much. . .we get to help them EAT!

Your church can make a difference by sponsoring a care point! Your STATE can make a difference by gathering all of the churches together to sponsor all of the care points in an entire district. There is something stirring here and it's an act of God. Remember that old Experiencing God principle of "join God where He's at work"? Well, He's at work in the TESO region of Uganda. Get on board!

Posted by Brandi at 8:46 PM

Hanging on to Innocence

I wonder how much longer my teenage son will think like this.
Here's the conversation Adam had in the car with him.

They were driving and saw a bunch of bikini clad girls advertising for a car wash(apparently they were working it)

Jace: Dad, they would get a lot more business if they were dressed like super heroes. And they should have the Incredible Hulk holding a sign that say's "Be a real hero-Go green".

Yeah, he's hanging on to his innocence and I'm loving it and secretly laughing my butt off.

First Water Play of the Season

The Journey of the Yoyo.

I found these pics on my memory card today.
My guess is Faith.

Created a Monster

Hindsight

It probably wasn't the best idea to let this kid

Whose dad is this man

And
Whose mom is this woman


Watch This movie

We have now created a Napoleon Dynamite quoting monster.

This Little Boy of Mine.

I was looking back at old posts-I'm trying to reorganize the 'ole blog and I noticed I never really talk about Diezel except for his past medical issues. I started to think why that is.....He is a joy. He has such a sweet spirit. Yeah, he has his moments (don't they all:) It seems though no matter what he does or does not do- He fits perfectly in our family. He's quite content doing his own thing. He's funny. He rejects unwanted affection and runs away when I reach for a hug, but he's quick to laugh with all his heart when I snatch him up in spite of it. He has stolen my heart. He knows how to work his little eyes to make me swoon. Yeah, he spits. Wants water all the time. Has no control over his bowels. Fights intensely for toys. Cries for whatever object someone else has, but his heart, his deep down self is amazingly beautiful. I look at him and can't help but to smile. I look at him and I see a winner. A fighter. A champion. An over comer. Diezel has fought for his life more than once and every time God plants a vision in my heart of the man this little boy will become.

The Master Sorter

This is a fun activity Lukas loves to work on. Sorting puff balls using a clothes pin. Helps with hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, sorting, sequencing. All for $3.00. We bought everything at the dollar store.

Working hard.

He was so proud of himself.

He then went on to help sort his sisters' interlocking cubes for their math lesson.

Can't Resist

Who does she remind you of?

She's ..,

Xia Minelli

Different

It never ceases to amaze me how different all my children are.

For fun I went around and took a photo of each kid seconds apart.

1 was drawing.
1 was helping build our new swing set.
1 was watching a video.
1 was throwing rocks on their head.
1 was creating the mother of all messes.
1 was editing their own video game.

Which kid was doing what?

The Chain of Good Mail!

How fun.
It continues.
Good mail.
It started here.
Went here.
and now

Enter the contest here
Thompsons2China

So exciting.

They're Here!!!!!

Our David and Sheku bags arrived today! So exciting. What are David and Sheku bags?
So glad you asked.
Read here and here.
And then thank her for being willing to sell them and ship them.

These wonderful bags are presents for a couple of beautiful young women Graduates I know. What a better gift-Than one that helps another.

Kids Making a Stand

I got this email from a kid at school. I love it when kids make a stand to make a difference

Dear friends of Heritage Academy,


As many of you know, I was in charge of installing the flagpole on the new church property last year. I am grateful for the freedoms we have under the Stars and Stripes, especially in light of the extremely hostile position much of the world has toward Christianity. Yes, there is a lot that needs fixing in our country, but we can still be proud and thankful that we live in the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” Thousands and thousands have given generously, some even sacrificing their lives, to buy the freedoms we enjoy.


For these reasons, I took on the project of installing a flagpole outside the Grace Bible Church building. I want never to forget that our freedom to assemble is a precious gift.


As it stands today, the flagpole is installed and we have the ability to fly our flag during daylight hours. However, flag etiquette does not allow flying of the flag at night unless the flag is adequately lit. Currently, no one is in charge of raising or lowering our flag on a daily basis. My plan is to install a light at the base of the pole so that the flag can be flown all the time as a testimony of patriotic appreciation. In order to accomplish this, I need to raise funds both to finish paying for the flagpole, as well as purchase a light-sensitive spotlight and the hardware needed. The total amount that I need to raise is $900 dollars.


If just 36 individuals or families would participate in this opportunity with no more than $25.00 this project could be completed and the American flag could be flown at Grace continually. Please make your checks out to "Grace Bible Church" with attention "flagpole". Any extra money will go towards the building fund.


Would you be willing to stand with me to fund this project?


Thank you for your consideration,


Matt Hawkins

Beautiful Specimen

Beautiful? isn't?

We have lived in this home almost 5 years and every year I walk around the four acres scouting for this plant. I have never seen it on our property until yesterday. And it's EVERYWHERE!!!! I have a nice specimen out my front door by the brick walkway. Little ones shooting up all the way to the pool in the grass. They line the driveway. I'm slightly freaking out. If you haven't already guessed it....Yep. It's Poison Ivy!

A Little Bit of...

Xia

The Princess