Here is another video of Madelyn singing. Her mother has now learned how to hold the camera correctly. :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Kitchen That Was
Well....the dishwasher wasn't leaking, the broken pipes under the concrete slab were :( We are now VERY close friends with the 2 plumbers who have been at our house for 3 days. They have finally isolated the leaks, ripped out half of my kitchen cabinets (now residing in my dining room), taken off the counter tops (now in the garage), jack-hammered a large hole in my floor, and repaired the hot water pipe. They will be back tomorrow and repair the second leak, fill in the floor and them leave us with the aftermath. Our insurance is covering most of the cost of the repairs, but our kitchen (entire house) will be in turmoil for 2-3 weeks. I am thankful that we are going (running away) to Dallas this weekend to see the boys. I am going to sleep in a clean hotel room for 2 whole nights!
Needless to say, homeschooling didn't go very well this morning, and the 3 little ones (and their mother) have been a little cranky. Molly called Madelyn a "poo head" tonight, and Madelyn returned the favor with "bumpy head" :0) While I don't condone any name-calling, I am thankful that that is the worst they can do.
Randy is finishing up the very last of what he has to get done by the 31st. Although he has worked some loooong days, this January has seemed much less stressful that in the past. He even remained very calm when his sweet wife called to say that the kitchen was in the dining room and we had a pot hole where the sink once was.
I am thankful for sweet plumbers who know what they are doing and kindly tolerate a 6 year old boy looking over their shoulders for 3 days. I finally had to put flooring planks over the hole tonight so that Mason would leave it alone. I wonder sometimes what Mason thinks of our home and family. I bet his foster home in China didn't have a gaping hole in the floor, a cranky mother and a goldfish that swims upside down. Thank goodness he loves us and has a great sense of humor!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
This may be one of my all-time favorite pictures. Meemaw took this at the airport the morning we flew home from China after adopting Mason. The little girls did not go to China with us, so Molly and Mason had just met for the first time. I love the look of adoration on Molly's face and the happy smile on Mason's. Mason had a rough flight home, and we hadn't seen him smile in many hours. Madelyn, of course, was doing her own sweet thing and was still upset with her mommy for leaving her for two weeks :)
Floating Away!
Well, the good news is that the dishwasher isn't leaking...the bad news is that a hot water pipe has apparently broken underneath the slab of the house. Our kitchen floor is oozing water between the wood planks, water is creeping into the dining room, and more water is coming out of the floor in the utility room. The good news is that we needed to replace the kitchen floor anyway...the bad news is that all of this started Friday night and the adjuster and plumber can't come until Monday morning. Randy has turned off the water supply to the hot water heater and we will be showering at Meemaw's house for the nest few days, weeks, ????
I think it is easier to be cheerful about housing problems when you actually love your house. When we bought this house at a great bargain a year and a half ago, I assumed that I would either fall madly in love with it at some point or just move :) Did I mention that the strong winds we had last week blew part of our fence over? I may have to start packing :0)
This is just a great example of choosing joy and finding something to smile about when a lot of things are going wrong at the same time. Molly and Madelyn learned a song at Bible study that says "Good morning, God. This is Your day. I am Your child, show me Your way." So many times the very first thing to come into my mind when I wake early in the morning is this song. I videoed Madelyn singing this song, but even though my camera was right side up, the video came out sideways :( I will try to post it anyway. She is such a doll!
Keep praying for Randy. January is never our favorite month because he works so many hours trying to close out year end for his company. Only a few more days!
Molly is asking so many questions about asking Jesus into her heart. I know she understands more about faith at 5 years old than I did at 25. She LOVES the story of Moses, but still cries every time she talks about Moses' mother giving him up to save his life. She has such a tender heart.
Mason continues to be great fun. His melt-downs have become almost non-existent, and I think he finally has a deep peace about being part of our family. He and Molly love each other so much, play together constantly, and rarely have a disagreement. Even he and Madelyn are starting to play together more. I am almost hoping that the leaky pipe turns into a major demolition. Mason will love that!
I actually FINISHED Michael's quilt today - just in time to take it to Dallas this weekend. I might even have Matthew's quilt top to take for him to see (don't hold me to that Matt!). Missy, you are next! I have the most wonderful family!
I think I have figured out a way to put a video on Madelyn on here. Let's see if it works - you may have to hold your computer sideways to see it :0)
I think it is easier to be cheerful about housing problems when you actually love your house. When we bought this house at a great bargain a year and a half ago, I assumed that I would either fall madly in love with it at some point or just move :) Did I mention that the strong winds we had last week blew part of our fence over? I may have to start packing :0)
This is just a great example of choosing joy and finding something to smile about when a lot of things are going wrong at the same time. Molly and Madelyn learned a song at Bible study that says "Good morning, God. This is Your day. I am Your child, show me Your way." So many times the very first thing to come into my mind when I wake early in the morning is this song. I videoed Madelyn singing this song, but even though my camera was right side up, the video came out sideways :( I will try to post it anyway. She is such a doll!
Keep praying for Randy. January is never our favorite month because he works so many hours trying to close out year end for his company. Only a few more days!
Molly is asking so many questions about asking Jesus into her heart. I know she understands more about faith at 5 years old than I did at 25. She LOVES the story of Moses, but still cries every time she talks about Moses' mother giving him up to save his life. She has such a tender heart.
Mason continues to be great fun. His melt-downs have become almost non-existent, and I think he finally has a deep peace about being part of our family. He and Molly love each other so much, play together constantly, and rarely have a disagreement. Even he and Madelyn are starting to play together more. I am almost hoping that the leaky pipe turns into a major demolition. Mason will love that!
I actually FINISHED Michael's quilt today - just in time to take it to Dallas this weekend. I might even have Matthew's quilt top to take for him to see (don't hold me to that Matt!). Missy, you are next! I have the most wonderful family!
I think I have figured out a way to put a video on Madelyn on here. Let's see if it works - you may have to hold your computer sideways to see it :0)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Belly-up Day
Poor Randy! I worked all day to get laundry done, the house picked up and dinner on the table so that he could relax for a while before he went back to the office tonight. He walked in the door and the house fell apart! The hot water heater stopped making hot water, the door to Missy's room wouldn't open, the trash compactor became possessed, and the dishwasher is leaking (we think). He spent his "peaceful" 2 hours at home tonight being our repairman.
I hope you can tell by the fish picture that our goldfish swims upside down. There is obviously something very wrong with him, but he has been "playing dead" for months. Just one in a looooong line of strange Strickland pets :0)
Mason, Molly, Madelyn and I had such a fun day. On Fridays we go to the library to get some movies for the weekend. It is always so funny to watch them pick a movie out, swap with each other, put the first movies back on the shelf, and start over. Madelyn always wants the same Dora movie, but someone else had the nerve to check it out! Hopefully "Dora, the Mermaid" will be back next Friday.
Michael, Matt, and Missy - have a blessed and safe weekend. We love you!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
I do have a green thumb - I do, I do!
My Christmas cactus is blooming for the first time ever! (And yes I know that Christmas was weeks ago!) I have thought for years that I was just a cactus flunkie - but now I have renewed hope. Today a cactus, tomorrow chickens and goats :0)
Home Again - Home Again!
We cut our trip to San Antonio short by a day because my sweet mother was so ill. The chemo and radiation have really taken a toll on her. Because the cancer was in her mouth, the radiation has gradually robbed her of the ability to eat. Her only nourishment now is through her stomach tube. The good news is that she only has 2 more weeks of radiation and chemo (we think) and then her frail body can begin to recover from the trauma of the past few months.
My Dad looked tired as well. He has become mother's chauffeur, maid and dish washer - literally. One reason we came home early was so that my mother could sleep in the guest room again at night. She is constantly tired and rests all day, but her mouth and throat keep her (and Dad) from sleeping well.
I am so proud of both of them. They are bruised but not defeated. I have always known that I have exceptional parents, but it has really blessed me to see them prevail through this. I have just marveled at the spiritual strength they are showing.
We had a little marker incident tonight that marred our family dinner. Nana bought the girls new outfits and they wore them to Bible study this morning. While I was cooking dinner, Mason and Madelyn decided to mark on her new dress with blue marker! AAAGH!!!! They both had to sit in their rooms while we started eating - what trauma! We soon brought both of them to the table, but after dinner we confiscated all markers and put them up for a while - a looooooong while.
I cleaned house today - it looked like a bomb went off after we unloaded the car and the suitcases. :0) Nana and Papaw bought the 3 little ones a Playmobile hospital for Christmas. When mother bought it she thought it folded up neatly and held all of the little pieces. It took 3 days to assemble, does not fold up, and has hundreds of little items. Oh well - Mason, Molly and Madelyn love it.
I went to my favorite quilt shop today and spent some of my birthday money on fabric - surprise, surprise. Mother had sent me enough material to make a queen size quilt, and now I have everything I need to finish it. So....in my spare time....
We are counting down the days until our Dallas trip to see Michael and Matt! I better get the binding on Michael's quilt and start on Matt's. So....in my spare time.... Missy, we wish you were going to be in Dallas with us! I know you have a very fun teaching test to take that day.
As Molly reminds me every day - I am so blessed to have 6 precious children!
My Dad looked tired as well. He has become mother's chauffeur, maid and dish washer - literally. One reason we came home early was so that my mother could sleep in the guest room again at night. She is constantly tired and rests all day, but her mouth and throat keep her (and Dad) from sleeping well.
I am so proud of both of them. They are bruised but not defeated. I have always known that I have exceptional parents, but it has really blessed me to see them prevail through this. I have just marveled at the spiritual strength they are showing.
We had a little marker incident tonight that marred our family dinner. Nana bought the girls new outfits and they wore them to Bible study this morning. While I was cooking dinner, Mason and Madelyn decided to mark on her new dress with blue marker! AAAGH!!!! They both had to sit in their rooms while we started eating - what trauma! We soon brought both of them to the table, but after dinner we confiscated all markers and put them up for a while - a looooooong while.
I cleaned house today - it looked like a bomb went off after we unloaded the car and the suitcases. :0) Nana and Papaw bought the 3 little ones a Playmobile hospital for Christmas. When mother bought it she thought it folded up neatly and held all of the little pieces. It took 3 days to assemble, does not fold up, and has hundreds of little items. Oh well - Mason, Molly and Madelyn love it.
I went to my favorite quilt shop today and spent some of my birthday money on fabric - surprise, surprise. Mother had sent me enough material to make a queen size quilt, and now I have everything I need to finish it. So....in my spare time....
We are counting down the days until our Dallas trip to see Michael and Matt! I better get the binding on Michael's quilt and start on Matt's. So....in my spare time.... Missy, we wish you were going to be in Dallas with us! I know you have a very fun teaching test to take that day.
As Molly reminds me every day - I am so blessed to have 6 precious children!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
To Grandmother's House We Go!
The three little ones and I leave early in the morning to go to Nana and Papaw's house in San Antonio. How thankful I am that both of our SUVs now have DVD players! :0) We had a packed service tonight at church, and people were coming out of the doors saying how wonderful the sermon was. Because the sanctuary was packed, the preschool was also - I will have to listen to Jason's sermon online this week. I have officially been hired as part-time preschool director for our church. I haven't worked since we got Molly, so the past few weeks have been a blur!
I won't be posting until I get home on Thursday, but I will take my camera and have a lot of pictures to share when I return.
I won't be posting until I get home on Thursday, but I will take my camera and have a lot of pictures to share when I return.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Baby Princess - Madelyn
In the Fall of 2004, we began our adoption paperwork again for another daughter from China. SARS was over, and this time things went pretty smoothly. In June of 2005, we received our referral for a beautiful baby girl living in Taihe, China - Madelyn Grace. Our adoption blog for that trip is http://stricklandfamily.blogspot.com/
Madelyn was 11 months old when we held her for the first time, and we were so in love! What a tiny, beautiful baby. We immediately began to try to get her caught up in weight and motor skills. She had lived in a very poor orphanage for many months, and although she was loved, her care and nutrition were not adequate. Fortunately, this little one was very resilient. She adapted easily to new foods and a big new family. She began to grow and was soon crawling and walking.
What a joy she is to us! She has the funniest sense of humor, LOVES to do our hair, and she loves her family. She is now a big three year old and goes to preschool two mornings a week. She is also old enough to go to Bible study with her sweet grandmother every week. I will try to post a video of her singing some Bible songs - she is such a cutie!
Each of our children have such different personalities, and each one adds so much to our big blessed family. Madelyn, I am so thankful that I am your mommy!
Madelyn was 11 months old when we held her for the first time, and we were so in love! What a tiny, beautiful baby. We immediately began to try to get her caught up in weight and motor skills. She had lived in a very poor orphanage for many months, and although she was loved, her care and nutrition were not adequate. Fortunately, this little one was very resilient. She adapted easily to new foods and a big new family. She began to grow and was soon crawling and walking.
What a joy she is to us! She has the funniest sense of humor, LOVES to do our hair, and she loves her family. She is now a big three year old and goes to preschool two mornings a week. She is also old enough to go to Bible study with her sweet grandmother every week. I will try to post a video of her singing some Bible songs - she is such a cutie!
Each of our children have such different personalities, and each one adds so much to our big blessed family. Madelyn, I am so thankful that I am your mommy!
Happy Birthday Michael!
Today is Michael's 26th birthday! Happy birthday sweetie. Molly, Mason, and Madelyn posed for at least 10 pictures and this is the best we could do. Obviously some days are just better picture days than others :0)
Michael, we pray that you have a wonderful day filled with friends and blessings, and we wish we could be with you today. Molly thinks we need to make you a birthday cake and eat it since you aren't here!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Molly Anne
My sweet miss Molly - what a girl! I have written much about her adoption in an earlier post so I won't rewrite that again. What I want to remember tonight is how this little one changed the hearts of an entire family. She made us love a country halfway around the world and love a people we had never met before. She has brought light and life into a home that would be very lonely without her.
I can't even imagine our home without children running through it. With our older 3 grown and gone, Randy and I would totally different today without the miracle of adoption. Thank you Molly for starting it all!
To say that Molly is sweet, smart, and verbal would all be understatements. She is also sensitive, funny, and loves the Lord more than any other 5 year old in the world. She loves her mommy and daddy and her brothers and sisters. She is artistic, great at gymnastics, and can name more dinosaurs that you and I put together.
One movie that she loves is "The Prince of Egypt." Today was her turn to choose a movie, and she picked that one. The movie started, and she began to sob as Moses' mother put him in the basket to save his life. I held her and loved on her as the tears continued to fall. As verbal as she is, she couldn't ever tell me why the movie affected her so deeply. I think she is smart enough to know that her life began much the same as Moses' - with a grieving birth mother having to make a desperate decision to save her child. Molly's life began with loss, but it continues in love and hope.
I look at her and often wonder what destiny God has for her. Will she be a witness to the nations, an adoptive mother herself, an artist.... Whatever God chooses, her future is bright. She already lights our world!
I can't even imagine our home without children running through it. With our older 3 grown and gone, Randy and I would totally different today without the miracle of adoption. Thank you Molly for starting it all!
To say that Molly is sweet, smart, and verbal would all be understatements. She is also sensitive, funny, and loves the Lord more than any other 5 year old in the world. She loves her mommy and daddy and her brothers and sisters. She is artistic, great at gymnastics, and can name more dinosaurs that you and I put together.
One movie that she loves is "The Prince of Egypt." Today was her turn to choose a movie, and she picked that one. The movie started, and she began to sob as Moses' mother put him in the basket to save his life. I held her and loved on her as the tears continued to fall. As verbal as she is, she couldn't ever tell me why the movie affected her so deeply. I think she is smart enough to know that her life began much the same as Moses' - with a grieving birth mother having to make a desperate decision to save her child. Molly's life began with loss, but it continues in love and hope.
I look at her and often wonder what destiny God has for her. Will she be a witness to the nations, an adoptive mother herself, an artist.... Whatever God chooses, her future is bright. She already lights our world!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Mason
So much to be written about this sweet boy! I have another blog totally devoted to God's call to adopt Mason, our wait, and our wonderful trip to China in May 2007. The blog is
http://ourjourneytomason.blogspot.com I want to focus this post on what God has done since we became a family of 8!
Mason was found at a train station in Chongqing on December 31st, 2002. He was given an estimated (and wrong) birthday by the orphanage directors in Chongqing. We think he lived at the orphanage for a short time before he was placed in a wonderful foster home. He lived with this precious couple for 4 years until we came to get him in May. He was quite the "prince" in his foster home, and he was so well cared for and learned what a loving family was. I am thankful every day for this precious foster mother and father. We stay in contact with them (via email), and I know they still grieve for him daily.
Mason is totally deaf, and we prayed long and hard for God to speak to his heart and ease the transition into our family. Mason is just amazing! He is smart, funny, affectionate, still a little spoiled (we are working on that), and a wonderful son. He and Molly and Madelyn love each other and play together so well. That being said, adopting an older child has been an adventure for our family.
When we got Mason in May, we immediately began working on sign language with him. After 2 weeks in China, he already knew the signs for many words before we returned home. Teaching a deaf child the signs for nouns and verbs is a fairly easy thing to do. Our problems have occurred when a difficult concept needs to be explained, such as why he didn't get to open any of Molly's birthday gifts. Several "melt-downs" have happened simply because we didn't have the language in place to explain something clearly to him. Frustrating for all of us!!!!
The good news is that we are all learning more daily, and the frustrating moments are coming with less frequency. His grieving has lessened, and we have settled into having a precious and very LOUD little boy in our family. He loves to home school with me and wrestle with his Dad. Randy is such a wonderful father! His energy with Mason, Molly and Madelyn amazes me.
I know that I know that I know that Mason is part of God's great plan for our family. We have had some difficult days, but the future is so bright! I love you Mason.
http://ourjourneytomason.blogspot.com I want to focus this post on what God has done since we became a family of 8!
Mason was found at a train station in Chongqing on December 31st, 2002. He was given an estimated (and wrong) birthday by the orphanage directors in Chongqing. We think he lived at the orphanage for a short time before he was placed in a wonderful foster home. He lived with this precious couple for 4 years until we came to get him in May. He was quite the "prince" in his foster home, and he was so well cared for and learned what a loving family was. I am thankful every day for this precious foster mother and father. We stay in contact with them (via email), and I know they still grieve for him daily.
Mason is totally deaf, and we prayed long and hard for God to speak to his heart and ease the transition into our family. Mason is just amazing! He is smart, funny, affectionate, still a little spoiled (we are working on that), and a wonderful son. He and Molly and Madelyn love each other and play together so well. That being said, adopting an older child has been an adventure for our family.
When we got Mason in May, we immediately began working on sign language with him. After 2 weeks in China, he already knew the signs for many words before we returned home. Teaching a deaf child the signs for nouns and verbs is a fairly easy thing to do. Our problems have occurred when a difficult concept needs to be explained, such as why he didn't get to open any of Molly's birthday gifts. Several "melt-downs" have happened simply because we didn't have the language in place to explain something clearly to him. Frustrating for all of us!!!!
The good news is that we are all learning more daily, and the frustrating moments are coming with less frequency. His grieving has lessened, and we have settled into having a precious and very LOUD little boy in our family. He loves to home school with me and wrestle with his Dad. Randy is such a wonderful father! His energy with Mason, Molly and Madelyn amazes me.
I know that I know that I know that Mason is part of God's great plan for our family. We have had some difficult days, but the future is so bright! I love you Mason.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
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Missy's Story
After Matthew was born, Randy and I were the proud and happy parents of two cute boys. We decided that we wanted another child, and I really wanted a little girl to complete our family. Even before I became pregnant, I was secretly buying dresses and other girl-y things.
During the 9 months we waited for Missy, I knew that I would be so happy with a girl or a boy (but I bought a few more little dresses just in case!).
The week before Missy was born, I had contractions every night that were so convincing that I would get up and check my hospital bag, clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc.. The contractions would stop every morning, but I went without much sleep for several days. I was exhausted and grouchy. My mother had come to help with the new baby, but the new baby wasn't in much of a hurry to arrive.
My mom finally decided that she would go back to San Antonio on April 25th and return after the baby came. At 4;30 a.m. on the 25th, I woke up and knew that we needed to get to the hospital immediately! Randy woke up my mom to let her know, and off we went. Missy was born literally minutes after we got to our hospital room.
She was beautiful! She had soft blond hair and big blue eyes. Randy brought the boys up to see her later that day, and they were so sweet with her. I remember looking at our three healthy, beautiful children and knowing that we had been blessed beyond anything we could have ever imagined. We thought our family was complete. (God had other ideas!)
The next weeks, months and years were filled with baby dolls, dresses, hairbows and lots of love and fun. I can't believe my "baby" is grown!
During the 9 months we waited for Missy, I knew that I would be so happy with a girl or a boy (but I bought a few more little dresses just in case!).
The week before Missy was born, I had contractions every night that were so convincing that I would get up and check my hospital bag, clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc.. The contractions would stop every morning, but I went without much sleep for several days. I was exhausted and grouchy. My mother had come to help with the new baby, but the new baby wasn't in much of a hurry to arrive.
My mom finally decided that she would go back to San Antonio on April 25th and return after the baby came. At 4;30 a.m. on the 25th, I woke up and knew that we needed to get to the hospital immediately! Randy woke up my mom to let her know, and off we went. Missy was born literally minutes after we got to our hospital room.
She was beautiful! She had soft blond hair and big blue eyes. Randy brought the boys up to see her later that day, and they were so sweet with her. I remember looking at our three healthy, beautiful children and knowing that we had been blessed beyond anything we could have ever imagined. We thought our family was complete. (God had other ideas!)
The next weeks, months and years were filled with baby dolls, dresses, hairbows and lots of love and fun. I can't believe my "baby" is grown!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Matthew's Baby Story
I wrote a couple of days ago about God's faithfulness during our pregnancy with Michael. Michael was a precious first baby whose every move was documented with our camera. We had quite a learning curve with him, and I was very fearful during his first year that I was going to do something terribly wrong and ruin him for life!
When Michael started to walk at 12 months, I was so sad...our baby wasn't really a baby anymore. We began to talk about having another child and continued on with our busy lives. I must have been very grouchy for a few days, because Randy was the one who decided that I must be pregnant again. We were so happy to be blessed with another baby.
I had really gone overboard monogramming Michael's baby clothes with "M"s, so we chose another M name for our baby boy - Matthew Lyle Strickland.
Matthew came right on time, and was another beautiful, healthy baby. We went home the next day, and life was busy, tiring, and wonderful. We put up our Christmas tree a couple of weeks after he was born, and one of my favorite memories is of my two sweet sons sleeping in my lap as the Christmas tree lights twinkled in the dark.
Matthew had such a sweet smile and a deep little chuckle when he laughed. Parenting was much more relaxed with the second baby, and we loved being a mom and dad. What joy the boys brought to our little home.
Michael was only 22 months old when Matthew was born and couldn't say Matthew. "Sashew" was the best he could do, so we started calling Matthew "Bubba Bear" which Michael could say. To this day, I still find myself calling Matthew "Bub."
I am so proud of my boys. They are both wonderful sons and brothers. They are honorable men, and I am excited to see where the Lord will lead them in the years to come. What wonderful fathers they will be someday. I love being their mom!
Tomorrow....Missy's story.
When Michael started to walk at 12 months, I was so sad...our baby wasn't really a baby anymore. We began to talk about having another child and continued on with our busy lives. I must have been very grouchy for a few days, because Randy was the one who decided that I must be pregnant again. We were so happy to be blessed with another baby.
I had really gone overboard monogramming Michael's baby clothes with "M"s, so we chose another M name for our baby boy - Matthew Lyle Strickland.
Matthew came right on time, and was another beautiful, healthy baby. We went home the next day, and life was busy, tiring, and wonderful. We put up our Christmas tree a couple of weeks after he was born, and one of my favorite memories is of my two sweet sons sleeping in my lap as the Christmas tree lights twinkled in the dark.
Matthew had such a sweet smile and a deep little chuckle when he laughed. Parenting was much more relaxed with the second baby, and we loved being a mom and dad. What joy the boys brought to our little home.
Michael was only 22 months old when Matthew was born and couldn't say Matthew. "Sashew" was the best he could do, so we started calling Matthew "Bubba Bear" which Michael could say. To this day, I still find myself calling Matthew "Bub."
I am so proud of my boys. They are both wonderful sons and brothers. They are honorable men, and I am excited to see where the Lord will lead them in the years to come. What wonderful fathers they will be someday. I love being their mom!
Tomorrow....Missy's story.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Matt and Molly
I love this picture! Matt and Molly took a little post-Thanksgiving dinner nap. I have such precious children :)
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Michael - the Miracle Baby
When I look back at our early attempts at parenting, I am still amazed that Michael made it through seemingly unscathed. Not only did Randy and I marry at a young age, but I was a very immature 22 when Michael was born in 1982. He was definitely our miracle baby.
We found out that I was pregnant in the spring of 1981. We had been married for 2 years, Randy had finished college, we had moved to Amarillo, and we both really wanted to start a family. I was working at an unpainted furniture store, and Randy was working for a great accounting firm. When I was about 10 weeks pregnant, a young mother came into the store with a sick baby. I had waited on them for several minutes before she said, "I hope you aren't pregnant...the doctor thinks my baby has rubella." I told her I WAS pregnant, and I immediately got someone else to help her.
I contacted my doctor (whom I hadn't even seen yet), and his office told me to go have blood work done that afternoon. Rubella can cause such devastation to an unborn child - especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy. The first test of course didn't show any signs of Rubella, but I was supposed to wait 2 weeks and have another blood test done. In the meantime, my mother tried frantically to find my shot records to prove that I had had a Rubella vaccination. The shot record never turned up, but she was sure that I had had the shot and that all was well. The next two weeks were uneventful - I felt fine and showed no symptoms of the disease.
I went in for the next lab test and waited for them to call me and tell me that all was well with my baby. I finally got a call from my doctor's office saying that he needed to see me right away. My sweet mother drove me to the appointment knowing that something was wrong. The next part of this story is a very hard one for me to tell. My doctor was young and had probably never dealt with anything like this before. He sat me down in an examining room, told me that the 2nd test showed that I had contracted Rubella, there was a 100% chance that the baby was affected and probably wouldn't even make it to term. He had already called the hospital and scheduled an abortion for me. I was stunned. I asked about tests that could be done for the baby, but the doctor refused to authorize any more testing. I was at the end of my first trimester at this point, and I am sure he didn't want to deal with a late abortion decision on my part.
My mother drove me home and I sat in the dark crying, waiting for Randy to get home from work. We called his parents who lived an hour away and told them that we needed to come see them that evening. There are some moments in a lifetime that are forever etched in memory. Those moments are clear and defining. I remember sitting on a loveseat in Eual and Norma's living room while Randy explained to them what the doctor had said. Up until that moment I hadn't really even formed an opinion about abortion. I would have given you a very complacent answer about a woman's right to choose, blah, blah... But in THAT moment, I knew that I could never allow a baby that God had given me to be destroyed for any reason. Whatever the future held, this baby and I were in it together.
While I was in Dumas that evening, I called my old family doctor at his home and told him what had happened. He told me that if I did indeed have Rubella, the baby would be greatly affected, but that I should have as many tests run as I wanted. I called another family friend who was the head lab technician at a large hospital, and he told me to be at his lab at 7:00 the next morning.
Randy and I didn't really sleep that night. The future for us and for our baby seemed very scary. The next morning, our friend took a blood sample and sent us home to wait again. I didn't know until weeks later, but he also drew blood from everyone who worked at the hospital who had had the rubella vaccination. He wanted to compare my titer counts to theirs.
Randy took me home to rest and he went to his office to work for a few hours. I lay on our bed exhausted, but still very afraid. The one and only time I have ever heard the audible voice of God was at that moment. I heard God say, "Sleep, your baby is fine. All is well." Then a remarkable thing happened. All fear left, and I slept soundly until the phone rang. My friend called with the lab results.
This test showed that I did NOT have rubella. Michael was indeed whole and healthy. In the next few weeks we found out that the first lab had received a faulty batch of test kits. I have often wondered if other women were given the same false report that we were given.
Well, our beautiful miracle baby was born on January 17th, and he was PERFECT!!!! What a joy he has been to us for the past 25 (almost 26) years. Michael, we love you!!!
We found out that I was pregnant in the spring of 1981. We had been married for 2 years, Randy had finished college, we had moved to Amarillo, and we both really wanted to start a family. I was working at an unpainted furniture store, and Randy was working for a great accounting firm. When I was about 10 weeks pregnant, a young mother came into the store with a sick baby. I had waited on them for several minutes before she said, "I hope you aren't pregnant...the doctor thinks my baby has rubella." I told her I WAS pregnant, and I immediately got someone else to help her.
I contacted my doctor (whom I hadn't even seen yet), and his office told me to go have blood work done that afternoon. Rubella can cause such devastation to an unborn child - especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy. The first test of course didn't show any signs of Rubella, but I was supposed to wait 2 weeks and have another blood test done. In the meantime, my mother tried frantically to find my shot records to prove that I had had a Rubella vaccination. The shot record never turned up, but she was sure that I had had the shot and that all was well. The next two weeks were uneventful - I felt fine and showed no symptoms of the disease.
I went in for the next lab test and waited for them to call me and tell me that all was well with my baby. I finally got a call from my doctor's office saying that he needed to see me right away. My sweet mother drove me to the appointment knowing that something was wrong. The next part of this story is a very hard one for me to tell. My doctor was young and had probably never dealt with anything like this before. He sat me down in an examining room, told me that the 2nd test showed that I had contracted Rubella, there was a 100% chance that the baby was affected and probably wouldn't even make it to term. He had already called the hospital and scheduled an abortion for me. I was stunned. I asked about tests that could be done for the baby, but the doctor refused to authorize any more testing. I was at the end of my first trimester at this point, and I am sure he didn't want to deal with a late abortion decision on my part.
My mother drove me home and I sat in the dark crying, waiting for Randy to get home from work. We called his parents who lived an hour away and told them that we needed to come see them that evening. There are some moments in a lifetime that are forever etched in memory. Those moments are clear and defining. I remember sitting on a loveseat in Eual and Norma's living room while Randy explained to them what the doctor had said. Up until that moment I hadn't really even formed an opinion about abortion. I would have given you a very complacent answer about a woman's right to choose, blah, blah... But in THAT moment, I knew that I could never allow a baby that God had given me to be destroyed for any reason. Whatever the future held, this baby and I were in it together.
While I was in Dumas that evening, I called my old family doctor at his home and told him what had happened. He told me that if I did indeed have Rubella, the baby would be greatly affected, but that I should have as many tests run as I wanted. I called another family friend who was the head lab technician at a large hospital, and he told me to be at his lab at 7:00 the next morning.
Randy and I didn't really sleep that night. The future for us and for our baby seemed very scary. The next morning, our friend took a blood sample and sent us home to wait again. I didn't know until weeks later, but he also drew blood from everyone who worked at the hospital who had had the rubella vaccination. He wanted to compare my titer counts to theirs.
Randy took me home to rest and he went to his office to work for a few hours. I lay on our bed exhausted, but still very afraid. The one and only time I have ever heard the audible voice of God was at that moment. I heard God say, "Sleep, your baby is fine. All is well." Then a remarkable thing happened. All fear left, and I slept soundly until the phone rang. My friend called with the lab results.
This test showed that I did NOT have rubella. Michael was indeed whole and healthy. In the next few weeks we found out that the first lab had received a faulty batch of test kits. I have often wondered if other women were given the same false report that we were given.
Well, our beautiful miracle baby was born on January 17th, and he was PERFECT!!!! What a joy he has been to us for the past 25 (almost 26) years. Michael, we love you!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
How Did we Just Celebrate our 29th Anniversary When I'm Not Even That Old! :0)
Well, I AM old enough to have been married that long...I just don't feel that old! I can remember worrying about the 50% divorce rate before Randy and I married. That number just seemed so dismal and discouraging. What 29 years have taught me is that marriage, like everything else we do, is a choice. There are days in any marriage when you don't feel like being married, you don't feel like loving that other person, you just don't feel much of anything. But...the great news is that those moments pass and the longer you choose to love even on the hard days, the fewer hard days you seem to have.
When we were in high school, Randy was the quarterback of the football team, and I was a half-hearted tennis player whose paths really never crossed. The week after my junior year (his senior year) ended, I heard that he might be interested in dating me. Wow! I guess I missed the rest of the story - I was just one on a long list he wanted to date. :0) I started driving by his house, he started driving by mine, he finally asked me on a date, and 31 years later.....
Our first date probably should have been our last. We grew up in a very small town with very little to do and very few places to go on a date. The 2 choices were the movie theater and the drive-in. (Yes, they still had those 31 years ago!) I don't even remember what was showing at the regular theater, but it must have been really awful, because we chose to go to the drive-in and see a new movie called "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Guys, if you ever want a girl to sit on your lap on the first date, just take her to a very scary movie at a drive-in. I had apparently led a very sheltered life before that movie - I was terrified.
Somehow we moved past that memorable first date to many more. Two and a half years later we were married and moved into the smallest efficiency apartment ever built. I had to sit on the bed just to have enough room to open the dresser drawers. Fortunately, we didn't stay there long. I found a cute, new duplex and we began our tradition of moving frequently :0)
I am thankful every day that I married this sweet man. What a wonderful husband and father he is. I am blessed!
When we were in high school, Randy was the quarterback of the football team, and I was a half-hearted tennis player whose paths really never crossed. The week after my junior year (his senior year) ended, I heard that he might be interested in dating me. Wow! I guess I missed the rest of the story - I was just one on a long list he wanted to date. :0) I started driving by his house, he started driving by mine, he finally asked me on a date, and 31 years later.....
Our first date probably should have been our last. We grew up in a very small town with very little to do and very few places to go on a date. The 2 choices were the movie theater and the drive-in. (Yes, they still had those 31 years ago!) I don't even remember what was showing at the regular theater, but it must have been really awful, because we chose to go to the drive-in and see a new movie called "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Guys, if you ever want a girl to sit on your lap on the first date, just take her to a very scary movie at a drive-in. I had apparently led a very sheltered life before that movie - I was terrified.
Somehow we moved past that memorable first date to many more. Two and a half years later we were married and moved into the smallest efficiency apartment ever built. I had to sit on the bed just to have enough room to open the dresser drawers. Fortunately, we didn't stay there long. I found a cute, new duplex and we began our tradition of moving frequently :0)
I am thankful every day that I married this sweet man. What a wonderful husband and father he is. I am blessed!
And Even If...
I am going to write for the next few days about my sweet husband and precious children, but I wanted to explain the "and even if..." title first. One of my favorite Bible passages is in Daniel 3 where king Nebuchadnezzar is about to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego into the fiery furnace because they will not bow down and worship an idol. The three say to the king that their God is very capable of saving them from the fire, but even if God doesn't rescue them they will still serve Him.
When we were waiting and waiting for our adoption of Molly to become a reality, I had a definite timetable in mind for our adoption. Unfortunately, China did not have the same timetable. A 6 month adoption dragged on for 2 years. The week we were finally supposed to get our referral and see a picture of her sweet face for the first time, China suspended all adoptions because of SARS. For 6 weeks we waited without a word. Rumors began to circulate in the adoption community that China wasn't ever going to do any more adoptions, and that they were using SARS as an excuse.
I had been keeping journals during the long 2 year wait. I wrote to Molly and Madelyn, to their birth parents, wrote down my joys, frustrations, etc.. I was almost at the end of my old journal book when the SARS suspension happened. I wanted to start my new journal with the news of our referral, but as the suspension dragged on week after week, and I wrote smaller and smaller in my old journal, I realized that I would have to start the new one without our referral news. I had literally cried and cried out to God for a solid 6 weeks. I continued to read my Bible, but only the "cranky" Psalms where David cries out to the Lord and complains. I still loved God, but I was angry that He wasn't moving fast enough and working hard enough on my behalf. :0)
Finally, one night my hard heart was broken. I realized that Jesus was enough. Even if God never did ONE more thing for me - Jesus was enough. I stopped my moaning and started my new journal with these words - "Even if you never allow me to go to China to get this child my heart desires, I will love and praise you forever."
The next morning, Randy woke me at 6:00 with the news that the SARS suspension had been lifted and that adoptions were resuming immediately! Two days later we had pictures of precious Molly, and 8 weeks later we were holding her in our arms. I have often felt that SARS dragged on so long because I was so hard-hearted. God refused to leave my heart in the same miserable condition, so He left me in the same wordly condition until I broke and ran to Him.
We live in a fallen world. Things often do not go our way. We must choose daily where our joy comes from - does it come from getting our own way or does it come from the Lord? Even if our world seems to be falling apart - it isn't. We serve a God who passionately loves us and is constantly working on our behalf - even when we can't see it.
When we were waiting and waiting for our adoption of Molly to become a reality, I had a definite timetable in mind for our adoption. Unfortunately, China did not have the same timetable. A 6 month adoption dragged on for 2 years. The week we were finally supposed to get our referral and see a picture of her sweet face for the first time, China suspended all adoptions because of SARS. For 6 weeks we waited without a word. Rumors began to circulate in the adoption community that China wasn't ever going to do any more adoptions, and that they were using SARS as an excuse.
I had been keeping journals during the long 2 year wait. I wrote to Molly and Madelyn, to their birth parents, wrote down my joys, frustrations, etc.. I was almost at the end of my old journal book when the SARS suspension happened. I wanted to start my new journal with the news of our referral, but as the suspension dragged on week after week, and I wrote smaller and smaller in my old journal, I realized that I would have to start the new one without our referral news. I had literally cried and cried out to God for a solid 6 weeks. I continued to read my Bible, but only the "cranky" Psalms where David cries out to the Lord and complains. I still loved God, but I was angry that He wasn't moving fast enough and working hard enough on my behalf. :0)
Finally, one night my hard heart was broken. I realized that Jesus was enough. Even if God never did ONE more thing for me - Jesus was enough. I stopped my moaning and started my new journal with these words - "Even if you never allow me to go to China to get this child my heart desires, I will love and praise you forever."
The next morning, Randy woke me at 6:00 with the news that the SARS suspension had been lifted and that adoptions were resuming immediately! Two days later we had pictures of precious Molly, and 8 weeks later we were holding her in our arms. I have often felt that SARS dragged on so long because I was so hard-hearted. God refused to leave my heart in the same miserable condition, so He left me in the same wordly condition until I broke and ran to Him.
We live in a fallen world. Things often do not go our way. We must choose daily where our joy comes from - does it come from getting our own way or does it come from the Lord? Even if our world seems to be falling apart - it isn't. We serve a God who passionately loves us and is constantly working on our behalf - even when we can't see it.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
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29 Years and Counting!
Randy and I have been married 29 years today! Don't forget - I was VERY young when we married! :0) Tomorrow starts our Spring semester of homeschooling. Molly and Mason are very ready - they have just about driven me and each other crazy the past 2 days. They are bored and ready for their regular routine. Madelyn will also start back to preschool tomorrow. She is finally over the wretched cold she had during the holidays.
I have taught myself to crochet (one stitch), and now have enough dish cloths to last for YEARS!!! I guess I will have to put my crochet hook up for a while and homeschool, work at the church, and finish remodeling the extra bedroom. It really looks bad now that Missy has moved all of her things out. (I miss you sweet girl!)
For Randy's anniversary "present" today, the kids and I took down all of the Christmas lights outside and raked thousands and thousands of leaves out of the front yard. Because we had such a wet spring, our oak trees were very prolific with leaves and acorns this year. I hope the trash men come tomorrow - we really filled up the dumpster. :0)
Michael starts his second semester of teaching tomorrow. Missy starts a new semester at Oklahoma State, and Matthew's new promotion finally becomes a reality. Quite a big day for the Stricklands! I think I will go to Starbucks to celebrate.
I have sent a house plan to a very nice builder and hope to hear back from him this week. I would love to be in the country with chickens and goats. I also wish I could explain to everyone WHY I want to live in the country with chickens and goats. I think it will be fun to have eggs and goat milk soap to go with all of the dish cloths I'm making :) I would also like to have a big garden this year. I had promised Molly that we would plant a garden last spring, but we traveled to get Mason during planting time. By the time we got home, I was too tired to garden!
If you get a chance, go to www.messiahshouse.org to hear Jason's sermon from last night. It was wonderful! I know that we are very blessed to be part of a church body that we love so much. I learn so much every week.
I am also posting some wonderful Christmas pictures of my gorgeous children. I am very blessed.
I
I have taught myself to crochet (one stitch), and now have enough dish cloths to last for YEARS!!! I guess I will have to put my crochet hook up for a while and homeschool, work at the church, and finish remodeling the extra bedroom. It really looks bad now that Missy has moved all of her things out. (I miss you sweet girl!)
For Randy's anniversary "present" today, the kids and I took down all of the Christmas lights outside and raked thousands and thousands of leaves out of the front yard. Because we had such a wet spring, our oak trees were very prolific with leaves and acorns this year. I hope the trash men come tomorrow - we really filled up the dumpster. :0)
Michael starts his second semester of teaching tomorrow. Missy starts a new semester at Oklahoma State, and Matthew's new promotion finally becomes a reality. Quite a big day for the Stricklands! I think I will go to Starbucks to celebrate.
I have sent a house plan to a very nice builder and hope to hear back from him this week. I would love to be in the country with chickens and goats. I also wish I could explain to everyone WHY I want to live in the country with chickens and goats. I think it will be fun to have eggs and goat milk soap to go with all of the dish cloths I'm making :) I would also like to have a big garden this year. I had promised Molly that we would plant a garden last spring, but we traveled to get Mason during planting time. By the time we got home, I was too tired to garden!
If you get a chance, go to www.messiahshouse.org to hear Jason's sermon from last night. It was wonderful! I know that we are very blessed to be part of a church body that we love so much. I learn so much every week.
I am also posting some wonderful Christmas pictures of my gorgeous children. I am very blessed.
I
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