Update about Ben and Jenn

Ben's eyes are getting better. He is back to almost being able to do all activities. His eye sight is still not normal but moving towards it. His eye looks normal now and he is only doing one eye drop. We have one more follow up this Friday.

Jenn has been having her blood drawn weekly since her baby died. They are testing a hormone level and it needs to be going down to 0 and stay that way for 6 months to say she does not have the cancer from the molar pregnancy ( partial molar) . This molar tissue can grow and cause a cancer. Monday she got her latest results and she was at 220 ... she started around 400,000 so praise God she is moving in the right direction .

Guess what we woke up to... SNOW

We woke up to snow and of course the kids loved it.... Here are some pics from their time outside.

Mary Kate's story

I have been wanting to share her story on this for awhile.... today after MK asked me to come look at Ava and Keith I realized I needed to. Watching Keith love this little girl and Ava responding to his love has been a wonderful gift. When someone doubts the promises of God and finds it hard to trust His will and His plan for their life I hope that my daughter's story is an encouragement. Keith is not the bio. father of Ava however it is amazing how much he resembles the bio. dad and so how natural for anyone to think that she is biologically his... after watching him there would be no doubt.

Mary Kate met the b. dad ( that is how I will refer to him and not by his name) at a church we used to attend. He had just gotten home from a drug rehab. experience called Teen Challenge in Florida. He had been there about 18 months. She met him at the youth group while watching the Super Bowl. A protocol for us has always been to be a part of our children's lives including when they wanted to "date-court". She was almost 17 and this was her first person she wanted to talk with and begin to "court". He had lots of red flags like the previous Teen Challenge but we were willing to give him a chance. We met him for breakfast and Paul and I talked about the perameters that we had for their relationship and why we wanted them . They included : no one on one dating (group outings), spend lots of time with the family, do things in groups, no physical contact.... It went ok for a few months and then we eased our ability and restrictions some as we got to know him. He went on vacation with us and seemed to like the other siblings and they liked him..... that was another prerequisisit. We knew his family from church but I can not say we were totally convinced they were on the same page as us as far as watching them or helping them... we know now in hindsite they were not... at the time too the mom was dealing with cancer and she has since died . Anyway Mary Kate's personality began to change... she started to question many things that she had been raised with like her faith, her values and her family.... We later learned that there was some physical and emotional abuse going on that we were not aware of until it was too late.... She was irritable, lying and had a very hateful personality. Her language changed... we started to hear more cussing and just hateful comments.... Finally the bdad wanted to break up... We were all for this since they now had shared that they had gotten involved physically. Mary Kate was devastated.... such wisdom in waiting and doing it the Lord's way. Her heart was broken and all over a yg. man who was beginning another spiral downward into hell. He started smoking, and drinking and late nite partying. He was fired from his job and has continued to struggle to hold down a job. Mk was deceived by his manipulations and controlling temper. We now think that he is bipolar.. he had some mood swings and changed his personality like we have never seen a person do. It was difficult to watch our daughter go thru this time but there was nothing we could do but pray.... eventually he decided he wanted to have the relationship and that is when she got pregnant. In came at no surprise to us that she was pregnant... she was due in late Jan. of 2007. I remember holding my daughter as she was crying and wondering how she was going to do this.... she knew in her heart what the bdad was really like and so over some months of the pregnancy she was able to free herself from his control and anger. She started to experience health issues in her 4 month... high blood pressure and some heart issues. I am sure all related to the stress of this negative relationship. All along she lived with us... He would threaten that he was going to take the baby to Mexico and many other things. Mk was afraid and struggling.... she worked almost up to the week she had Ava. She had very swollen legs, feet and hands and high blood pressure-- they ended up inducing her labor early because of pre-eclampsia. She had a difficult labor and delivery. Her epidural did not work on 2 attemps from the anesthiologist and her IV came out during the delivery so they had no way to give her anything until they got another IV started. She had some surgery done at the birth (necessary for the baby to be able to get out)without any pain meds... it was a terrible time but in just a few minutes our precious Ava was born and we all forgot some of that as we ooed and ahhed over her. Jenn, Molly and I were at the birth to help... it had been decided not to contact the bdad out of fear of how he would react with his previous threats. Security was aware so if he showed up they were prepared. She had chosen a diff. state and it was further away from him . Ava was born on Paul's b-day Jan. 5. She was healthy and we brought her home 3 days later because of some complications from MK's pre-eclampsia. We had our pastor call the bdad and his family . When he came over we had some other people there in case he got out of hand. He did not ... His parents could not come over because his mom was very ill with her cancer and was bedridden. So MK and I went to her after a week. We did not feel it was safe for her to be by her self with the bdad and for awhile he had to visit her at our home or she would go with one of us.... He did little wanting to anyway so it was managable. He did continue to threaten MK but in a passive way and has for well over 8 months not seen the baby.... We built an addition for MK and Ava and that has worked out well... we all love and care for her and have tried to support MK in every way. She was struggling for a long time and felt how could another man ever love her and Ava ( another man's child). She also struggled with her faith... she had been beaten up emotionally and spiritually by this man that she did not feel the Lord cared about her. It has been a slow healing process where she has learned to trust the Lord again. Months before we were to travel to Ukraine she started to seek Him again with all her heart. She will be the first to tell you it was then that she knows the Lord was able to work with her calloused and stone heart....She made the choice to step out in faith once again. We could see the light of the Lord's love in her eyes beginning to shine. While in Ukraine she was the one who encouraged us the most... then Keith came into her life. She began attending our church IBC while we were gone the 4 weeks for the adoption. She was going to the yg. adult class and she met this man whose family had 11 children and they homeschooled too. Sunday evenings Keith and his brothers would come over and play with all the kids and visit . The week that we came home they decided to begin to "date-court". We love this yg. man, Keith and are very grateful to the Lord for bringing him to MK and Ava. He is a godly yg. man who loves the Lord and loves our daughter and grandaughter... He delights in them. Those are the 2 things we have always desired in a spouse for our children-- one that they love the Lord and two that they adore our child. They have so much in common and share so many of the same values ( he comes from a lg. family and they homeschool). We actually knew them before from a homeschool group... we feel blessed to be meshing our families together and look forward to the future. It is not often that so many family connections mesh as this one has... that has to be the Lord. I know that Mary Kate feels very much that the Lord loves her and really would say when she began to trust in His love and provision ( the 2 months before we left for Ukraine) then He was able to bless her choices and her life. Her heart of stone has once again softened and is pliable to the Lord's will.

After I saw this ... I wanted to share how special it is for us to watch and see how the Lord has provided a daddy for Ava and a husband, friend and godly man for Mary Kate. Everything we prayed about the Lord listened to, every desire in MK's heart is being fulfilled and we are watching as the Lord thru Keith and others is gently wooing our daughter back to Him and restoring what the locust had eaten.

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me- Isaiah 8:18

At church last Sunday the 11 we had a wonderful time of worship, message and fellowship. When we got home we made dinner and after the meal Paul wanted to share with the children some things he felt during the service. We were sharing some of the message and asked what the kids had learned at church today. We had a wonderful time of sharing and the Lord's presence was with us in a very real way. Since I learn best and remember things by object lessons that is how we taught about having a heart to serve for the Lord. We closed our hands in a fist and shared that is the size and shape of our hearts... and a heart looks like your tongue (sort of) it is a muscle and is pliable and able to push the blood thru our bodies.... We talked about where does the Lord live and all ... they knew he is suppose to live in us in our hearts. Then we got a rock and talked about what happens if you begin to sin or struggle in your faith... and make wrong choices... little by little your hearts will turn to stone. There was lots of sharing and when I looked at the faces of all the precious children the Lord has given Paul and I.... there were several that had tears pouring down their faces. Isaac one of our younger ones and Rachel one of the new girls were especially moved that day.

In our adult Bible class on Sunday am we have been studying the feasts and Leviticus -especially chapter 23. There has been lots of discussion about the sabbath and it being a day or rest....rest really meaning worship and coming closer to the Lord. I thought of something that I really feel is true for me..... It is not so much that I need lots of physical rest... I need more holy time of the Lord's presence... time when I get rejuvinated and refreshed to go on and do more .... That Sunday time doing devotions was just that for me... Our lives are intense.... as I shared we go and never hardly stop with so many children... I often get asked how do we do it .... and it really is a worship and effort that is easy especially when we have drawn close to the Lord and gain His strength and His ability to do what He calls us to do.... When we go to the beach for a "vacation" a time of "rest" it is sometimes not that. The effort to get 22 people ready, driving to the beach, even though we don't do much ( cost to much to eat out or play things like putt putt). ... No one complains though we enjoy the time it is not the same "rest" that we got that Sunday.... I think that is the ultimate rest that the Lord calls us too on a Sabbath... not necessarily a Sunday either... we should be seeking to be closer to the Lord and to want to feel His presence every day of the week.... The energy and ability to live my life came more thru our devotions after dinner than it does when I take a "nap" or "rest".

Where were you at midnite- we were at the ER

Yesterday was a full day for us all the way to the end... Paul and most of the kids were up at 6:15 to go to Ben's indoor soccer game. I was up and made a run to Walmart for some sausage for a tortellina- sausage soup for our lunch. We went to my dad's to visit and drop off Joseph and Isaac. My father came home from the rehab. home on Tuesday and my brother, Johnny has been taking care of him 24/7. He requires someone to be with him now. He came home worse than when he went to the hospital in early Dec.... He is 87 and has multiple medical issues all of which could end his life. So Joseph who has such a servants heart wanted to help. He was off of work and offered to spend the nite so Johnny could go home for the nite. We had the soup and bread for lunch with them and then left by 3 to get to a local skate/rec. center. A friend's church had rented it for 2 hrs and we were invited.... what a gift to us . It literally saved us 200 dollars if we had to pay. The kids had a blast... they had a huge indoor play-climbing area as well as the skate rink. We came home and I made dinner... we ate at almost 8pm by the time it was fixed and then Ben called ( he was at his friend, Daniels). He said he had an accident. My response was please tell me it was not in the car. It was not... thankfully. He and Daniel were playing with some nerf guns and Ben shot the ceiling and the sponge, nerf bullet hit his r eye... the iris was bleeding and his pupil was oblong. Thus we spent a few hrs at the ER. He has a follow up with the eye doctor Monday.... and we should know if he will have permanant damage or not. Since we already have a son who is blind and another son with just one eye... it was not a "horrible" thing to go thru for me. However for Ben he was quite upset that he could loose his eye over a "stupid" accident. His comment in the exam room was, "Mom, How quickly our lives can change." I will update after his doctor's appointment. For now he can't even read, watch tv or do the computer. He is off from work and has to sleep at a 30 degree angle... and we do 3 diff. eye drops some every 2 hrs.... So please pray for him.

I think we may be in trouble with this little one when she gets older :)

Last nite I had sent Mya to bed early because it was quiet time and she was running around. I was upstairs and I overheard this conversation she was having with Anna, " Anna go and ask Mommy if I can get up now, Pleaseeeee." Anna said," No she will get after me." Then Mya responded, "Anna if a person is saved and has Jesus in their heart they should be doing things for others." :) My oh my are we in trouble if she is thinking this way.... Here is a shot of the two of them today....

PawPaw and Ava

Paw Paw and his Ava going out to eat breakfast on their birthday-- Jan. 5. He takes each child out to eat on their b-day...