We celebrated Piper's 4th birthday and had a wonderful time!  I feel so blessed by the Lord's gifts.

Future equitation rider!           The Ferris Wheel which I made daddy ride with the girls. :)

               I didn't do it.                                  The Sage sache'.

                 Birthday fun!                                                         Is my cake done yet?

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I am finding out that raising daughters is quite different than raising sons.  Boys are just young, rugged outdoors men. If they ever get bored, just give 'em some dirt and water and they will be busy for hours. 

Boys don't hold grudges.  They can be mad as hornets at each other one minute and the next they're planning a camping trip. 

Boys don't get their feelings hurt easily and if they do they get over it quickly.  If I fussed at one of my sons and hurt his little feelings he would go upstairs and shortly after return asking "Hey mom! What's for dinner?", like nothing ever happened.  I think God puts these very unique traits in males because He  knew they would need them! 

Now on the other hand,  females are quite different.  They are like elephants.  They never forget.  And whine.  Goodness do little girls whine.  And talk.  Talk, talk, talk.  My five year old daughter goes to bed jabbering and wakes up jabbering.    Quite honestly I've never heard anything like it.  My boys were just.... active.  They jumped on furniture and ran around all day long. Just feed 'um and they're good.   Girls are constantly speaking.  Just the other day Sage was making two sticks talk to each other.  "Hi, mine name is Emily, what's your name?"  "I'm Jade".  Sticks! Sometimes you have to wonder if they're (were) touched.

If they ever get their feelings hurt -- lord have mercy.  It goes on and on..... Are they sensitive or what?  My two year old hurts my five year olds feelings for looking at her the wrong way.  But oh, how I am enjoying my little girls!  We picked blueberries the other day and had such fun. (The boys would have ended up throwing berries at each other and me)  We cook together, clean together, scrapbook together, sew together, snuggle together.... I am in heaven.  

The Little Violinist

Sage had her first violin recital today...  She was so excited and cute as a button with her little 1/16th violin.  She gave a twinkle twinkle demonstration.

It's really hard to get pictures of Piper... she is constantly moving and does not like to have her picture taken .  After the recital these two little country girls kicked off their shoes and went rollin' in the grass....  in their white dresses. Three guesses what I'll be doing.

An Afternoon Tea was served yesterday.  Daddy and even guh guh Jack attended.

The dainty social began when a Mandarin Orange tea was served along with dainty finger sandwich's, cheese, water crackers, and a creamy strawberry dessert all of which Mistress Sage assisted in preparing -- since it was her tea.  The table was set with a fine linen tablecloth and napkin set from China (guess it's almost an antique since it was mine when I was young  and we lived in the Philippines).  The delicate meal was served on the finest china from Japan (also from our years of living in Asia) and a lovely spray of baby blossom and a lilac scented candle graced the center of the table. 

Young Mistress Sage and Mistress Piper were dressed in their finest and Mistress Sage was a most gracious hostess.

Hey, she took this very very seriously!  It was truly the event of the year!  Well, maybe the week.... at least for Sage as you can tell from the picture that Piper was only there for the snacks.... notice the tea bag in her teeny tiny tea cup....

Mistress Sage and Mistress Piper taking Afternoon tea.

On April 29th Sage was in her 5th ballet production held at ASU.  She was a little pixie who danced and fluttered around Snow White - who was quite beautiful.  They even sprinkled pixie dust on her before she went on stage. Sage was so excited to actually get to meet and dance with Snow White.... ssshhhh  Hey,this is serious stuff!

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families..."  Psalm 68:5,6

Adoption:  To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child.   To take up and make one's own

Adopting our daughters was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I honestly believe it is the Lord's will to provide homes for children without them.  This is scriptural.  It is also not convenient for many.  It takes a lot of our time.... and money.... we have other things we could be doing.... or maybe people say we are too old.  There are all kinds of excuses why "we" just can't do it.  Some people may not want to hear it - but it is a believers obligation to care for widows and orphans.   James 1:27 tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..." 

Galatians 2:10 encourages us to "remember the poor." And in Matthew 19:14, Jesus declared, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."   There is obviously a special place in the Lord's heart for children!  

Exodus 22 and 23 tells the Israelites to help the aliens, widows, orphans, and the poor. 

Psalm 82:3 says Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

He is defender of the fatherless... Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalm 10: 18, Psalm 68:5, Psalm 40:17.

It is not comfortable to look upon those who are so needy such as the poor and orphans who do not have homes or hope.  It takes us out of our comfort zone.  It would be nicer to avoid these things altogether.  It is easier to just pray for them and hope for the best, I mean someone is bound to help....

               The famous British Christian author C.S. Lewis writes...                         "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."  (The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey)

"Anyone will be cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans, or widows." Deuteronomy 27:19. 

Are we not being unfair and unjust by just ignoring them? 

It is the responsibility of every Christian to help orphans (and widows) whether by adopting or helping a family to adopt, giving money to orphanages, volunteering or sponsoring a child.  When a Christian family adopts they demonstrate God's love to everyone.  When you go home to your nice decorated house with heat and air conditioning, sit down to a lovely dinner of fresh food, take a nice hot bath and snuggle up in your bed with fluffy pillows think of these children who have absolutely nothing.  I say this not to judge but to cause one to think.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40

I can't begin to express in words the blessings of having two beautiful daughters of China.  The immense joy my daughters have brought to me is immeasurable.  I thank God for allowing me to be their guardians and am so humbled he entrusted this privilege to me.  How lucky I am to have five beautiful, healthy children!

Sage

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Yep,  This truly shows my Piper's personality.  Spunky, Fiesty and Spirited!  No posing needed for this two year old. 

Piper was born in Wuhan, Hubei China in 2003.  She was found in front of a hosptial at one month old.  In 2005 we were lucky enough to adopt her and she is now home.

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