Our family arrived home yesterday after being in the valley for the week. Five of us are sick, while the rest are just exhausted. So this post may be a bit disjointed, but I’m sure you understand.

 
Eric Davis went home to be with the Lord this week. I still can’t believe my “little brother” is gone from this earth. We will all miss his quick wit and smile, and his determination to accomplish many tasks. The Davis family is one of our closest family friends. Eric, Heather, Dave and I have shared many adoption, parenting, church and godly conversations. We have much in common with their family. We have traveled together, played together, worshiped together and now grieved together.

 
I was truly blessed to be able to serve the Davis family in whatever capacity they needed this week.  When I was at the house, and not blood related, I didn’t always know if I was a help, but I tried to do what needed to be done. Perhaps that was part of my grieving.

 
The memorial was Saturday. I would say it was the best memorial service I have ever attended. Everything about it pointed to Eric’s love of the Lord and how he lived that love out in his life.

 
The service was attended by somewhere around 300 people. It was a real testimony as to the impact Eric and all the Davis family has on people. The service itself lasted over 2 hours, but you just wouldn’t have known it, everyone was so intent on the goings on.

 
Eric was in the Navy Reserves, so a Color Guard attended. They played Taps and Heather was presented with a flag. I admire our military so much. The presentation was beautiful.

 
The slide show, photos done to the song “How You Live” by Point of Grace, was wonderful. I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the building.

 
One elder of our church, a very close friend of Eric’s, had heard from Eric just 45 minutes before he collapsed. Eric's call was about service projects he was doing as a deacon and also about helping an elderly lady in his community. Our elder's question for us was to ask ourselves, “What will you be doing 45 minutes before you die?” It’s quite a challenge.
 

Most people I talked to both cried and laughed throughout. The most poignant part was probably when our Pastor, while reading letters from the children to their father, stopped and could not go on. We all waited. Heather, with her abundant grace and gracefulness, stood up and proceeded to read the rest of the letters.

 
Many people got up and talked about Eric. Most had a funny story and a loving memory to tell. Their message and that of our Pastor all pointed to Eric’s love and service to Christ. The gospel message was delivered, loud and clear. I know that would have made Eric jump for joy.

Eric was my little brother in Christ. I will miss him. But he is in the holy presence of God...

Our homeschooling journey has been a long one for me, as it has for many – we are on our 18^th year. I still have approximately 10 more to go. Wow, that sounds amazing to me. As the Lord guides us through His vision for our homeschool I try hard to hearken unto His voice.

            However in my vision, when buying curriculum or setting up my school schedule, I always assume I will continue to use “that” particular curriculum over the years for all my kiddos. Not! It seems the Lord has other plans. Each year, each child, each set of circumstances usually needs something different. So, after spending hours last summer setting up this school year’s schedule, over the Christmas break I changed it, once again.

            As with all curriculums I am extremely excited. Usually the first day to first week shows me whether this is a viable curriculum. It’s not just whether the children can do it, but whether I can keep up my part of the equation as well. We studied Egypt three times in a row while I tried to find a curriculum that worked for us. I guess the Lord wanted the boys to know “lots” about Egypt. They do.

            When Nick was a preschooler and I was schooling just Ben & Thomas, Sonlight was a favorite. Lots of read alouds about history. With the three boys schooling, one of our best curriculums was Learning Adventures’ first year, A World of Adventure. It was great fun with lots of read alouds, some activities, and for Ben’s sake, lots of information (he’s my academic one so far).

            However, adoption plus a large number of children have complicated the previous curriculums. I have seven in school. Three high schoolers, one junior high and three in grammar school. Due to the backgrounds and learning disabilities of many it can be a tough job. But Dave says I am tenacious and persevere until I find the answer, even when it changes all the time. (That’s my paraphrasing, but I like his compliment).

            So, we started a new curriculum yesterday – Classical Conversations. As with all things, I have modified it some to fit my children’s learning styles. (Thanks to my friend CQ’s many ideas). It’s lots of Mom interaction to start, but it looks like a great curriculum so far. We all had fun together.

            My prayer is that we will be able to use this one for the whole year and then perhaps, should I just whisper it, the whole three years. Only the good Lord knows this one.

Blessings, Jean

A “gift” is the transfer of something, without the need for compensation that is involved in trade.  A gift is a voluntary act which does not require anything in return.

        Okay. I always thought of a gift as an all-around pleasant experience. Christmas. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Valentine’s Day. What I’ve learned in the last four years about gifts has not been pleasant, downright difficult; however the outcome has been worthwhile.  

        I’m going to let the cat out of the bag. I didn’t really expect adoption to be soooo hard. Those who know me well already know that. Of course, we did adopt a sibling group of six, who ended up with numerous initials – RAD, PTSD, OCD etc.  What was I thinking!! I guess that’s the point - I wasn’t. I am extremely confident that this is God’s will, that He brought these children into my life, that he wants to use me to help, guide and teach them. I know He blessed me with an incredibly strong, caring husband and three amazing bio sons who have grown and helped throughout the difficulties. Wow, God’s gifts are so honoring and humbling at the same time.

        Raising my three biological boys has been easy and fun compared to the job of the adopteds. Yet I have learned more about sacrifice and love than I ever understood before. Plus I’m stronger. Ben’s motorcycle accident, had it happened five years ago, would have sent me into a deep depression. Not so now. I have continued on with living, raising the kiddos, schooling etc.  My trust in the Lord is growing, slowly, but going forward. That’s exciting! More gifts to be grateful for.

        I think the hardest part in regards to the adoption, was finding out that I had an incomplete attachment to my own mother.  I was getting prepared for the difficulties of adoption; I was not prepared for what it would bring up in me. I always wondered why I felt so empty and now I know. Another gift of adoption.

        One of the best gifts is when I see the whole family together, laughing, playing, eating and just enjoying each other. Truthfully, it’s rare. Usually one of the children is out of sorts, working through some trigger. So, I really appreciate it when it’s peaceful and fun.  

        So, a gift is not always a pleasant experience, but it is given voluntarily and without strings attached.

Thank you dear Lord, for your gifts, especially salvation.

Blessings.

    DH’s Dad was left handed. My Mom is left handed. Ben is left handed and three of the adopted children are left handed. Two of my bil’s are left handed. Wow, I’m surrounded by lefthanders.

    Ben (age 22) was in a motorcycle accident last Wednesday. Today he is having surgery on the broken bones in his left hand. This has been quite a week. You never really know what life is about until something bad happens to someone you love.

    I’ve been the primary nurse in Ben’s wound care. “Mom’s are like that, yeah they are”. For those who don’t know, that’s from a children’s aspirin commercial when I was a kiddo. I can still see the image of the boy standing at the door and the mother informing him that his playmate is sick. I’m dating myself, but everyone needs to realize that you keep the images from childhood in your brain for your lifetime. Beware what you put in.

    Anyway, the fateful phone call came around 7pm last Wednesday. It was a strange phone number, with a name I didn’t recognize on the caller ID. I answered. The reply…”Mom, I have a problem.” At that point I could practically feel the adrenaline leaping through my veins. Ben had left to attend a class about 1.5 hours away. He was on the motorcycle – oh, no.

    “Ben, what happened?!” He proceeds to start at the beginning and tell me how he was coming around a corner and there was something in the road, he went down. My brain is racing; I’m not listening to the details. I cut in “Ben, are you alright, are you hurt? Is the motorcycle okay? (I’m asking this one to check on his mode of transportation, NOT because I truly care about the bike at this point). Ben is interjecting answers during my flow of questions. “I’m kind of banged up.” “No, Mom” with a sigh “The bike is totaled.”

    By this time I’m walk/running down the stairs toward Thomas. Of course Dave is at work, seems like he’s there a lot during family emergencies and he’s far better at emergencies than me. But he’s only a phone call away. I’m telling Thomas that Ben has been in a crash on the motorcycle. Thomas (the EMT) grabs the other phone and jumps in, asking Ben legitimate emergency questions. I tell the teen boys to call Dad on the other phone.

    Ben isn’t making a whole lot of sense and we aren’t getting answers. “Ben, can we talk to the person whose phone you are on?” “Okay” he says. At this point, I’m a basket case and Thomas says “Mom, let me do the talking”. The boys have DH on the other line so I get off one phone and go to the other. DH said the first thing I said was “Ben was in a wreck, the bike is totaled.”

    Ben’s phone friend is willing to take him to a local hospital or to any hospital we want. What a treasure of a Samaritan; and all we know is that her name is Dana. I thank the Lord for sending people like this into our lives. With all this commotion we realize there is an ambulance pulling in – Thomas’ EMT ears heard the siren. Okay, I have a realization, this accident is bad enough for an ambulance. This is not a fender bender. Amidst all the chaos – DH says to let the ambulance take Ben to Stockton. Not the time to take chances with possible internal injuries etc.

    I change, the kiddos grab my purse & jacket, and Thomas and I jump in his pickup (Grandpa’s pickup that he bought from Grandma) and head down to Stockton 1.5 hours away.

    Prayer, ask for prayer. Before we run out the door, I have the wherewithal to call a couple of people. My sister is ½ hour from the hospital. I ask her if she and my bil would go to the hospital, since they can get there an hour or so before us. I feel better knowing they are there. My bil had a motorcycle accident on our road a year ago. They had to mediflight him out – but that’s another story. Motorcycles!

    We finally got hold of our Pastor’s wife and a church prayer request went out on the internet. At the hospital my sister was in with Ben. Only one at a time in the room. When my sister came out they had a lock down of the emergency room due to a code. No one in or out until that’s done. Patience, patience. I just need to see him to know whether he’s okay or not.

    We were blessed at the emergency room with a visit from Pastor, an Elder and his wife, and a Deacon and his wife. These are church leaders, but also dear friends and it meant so much to have them there.

    Finally, I get in. I breathe a huge sigh of relief; he’s hurt, but intact. He’s banged up, pants torn – he had khakis on, DH says wear jeans. He was wearing his leather jacket and his HiTec shoes are not scraped a bit. He’s got gauze here and there and scrapes. A short run down, the bike rolled about 200 feet and caught on fire, burning to a crisp, literally. Ben rolled 5 or 6 times. Probably looked something like a movie stunt. But I’ll let him tell the gruesome details on his blog.

    We talk. He closes his eyes periodically and says “I can’t get the images out of my head.” It’s like a movie running over and over. He thought he was going to die. In my curiosity I ask “What went through your head?”  His answer “Mom’s going to kill me.” Hmmm, have I made an impression on my child or what?

    I haven’t had a good cry yet since I have been busy with wound management. Crying usually helps me relieve stress. Surgery is today, so another hurdle to jump. Yet I am at peace in knowing that the Lord is sovereign. I am so thankful to him for saving my son’s life. With what the wreck entailed, his injuries could have been far worse, even fatal. Yet the Lord has seen fit to spare his life. Has Ben learned anything? Only time will tell, as he heals and integrates yet another painful learning experience into his repertoire.

    God is good. Blessings.

    I have always wanted to raise our own food. The Laura Ingalls Wilder stories about living off the land have been in my head since I was young. Of course, those circumstances were not ideal, and I would probably be the first person to whine about no freezer or electric lights, but the charm of providing for my family has always drawn me.

    We live in the mountains. We can’t farm here, the land reproduces rocks, but we do have animals and a small garden plot. We have sheep, a horse, chickens, a dog and cats.  In early June we received a batch of chickens. The meat birds need to grow for approximately 8 weeks before butchering.

     August became the month for butchering. This include d killing, soaking in hot water, plucking, gutting, plucking and more plucking.  DH and Ben do the head chopping, the next set of boys gut and the girls and younger boys pluck. I do the final plucking and rinsing in the house. We then wrap the birds and put them in the freezer. Home grown chickens make the absolute BEST chicken soup. It smells and tastes better than store bought.

     We did the butchering in two sessions, eight one time, six the next. The second go round included a family from our church, who’s girls wanted to help. It was great to see how excited and competent they were in helping out.  They are truly pioneer women.

     I will say that one of their sons and one of our older sons opted to prepare an entire lunch rather than help with the chickens; and my son is an EMT! Lunch was good though.

     It was the first time we had done this and I most certainly would like to continue the practice. My DH jokingly, or perhaps not so jokingly, says it would be far easier to go to Trader Joe’s and buy them, and he’s right. But there is something utterly satisfying in eating a meal that you have raised.  

    You may have guessed that the meat birds were my idea.  DH decided that this is a once a year occurrence, so maybe next year we’ll get 30 birds!!

    I'll wait to post pictures as the boys aren't here to show me how!! I promise they won't be real gruesome.

Blessings!!

If you want to read about the trip, go to my son’s blog at

www.homeschoolblogger.com/deusprimus

He and I wrote the blog together and used wonderful photos from my husband and sons.We met many wonderful people and saw a grand array of historical and natural sites. I absolutely loved it.

Upon our return I am rearranging our great room to become our school room, library, play room and craft room. It won’t be done before school starts but I am having fun. I am enjoying the preparation for our upcoming school year. We will be studying American History!