We are busy getting ready for Christmas. Savannah, my 2nd oldest daughter, is going to cook the main course for our get-together with my side of the family. What the main course will be is yet to be determined :-)

Overall, most of my Christmas gifts have been purchased online. I prefer it this way. I'm short on time and prefer not to waste it in stores or waiting in lines. I think I make wiser purchases, too. It is too easy to make impulse purchases after a weary day at the mall.

I bought from Christian Book Distributors .  I also shopped at Wal-Mart, and Target. Savannah loves a place called Wet Seal. Prices are terrific, too!

If you are interested in adoption books as gifts, or for yourself, I have some ideas listed under my Amazon favorites list on my Christian Adoption Blog.

And shhhhh ...... don't tell, both of my older daughters, who love the Jonas Brothers, are getting some gifts from their website :-)

Sadly, this time of year is waaayyyy over-commercialized. Remember what really counts: your relationship with Jesus Christ, and your family and friends.

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I'm afraid that I'm not very attentive to my blog here.  However, I would like to invite those of you who read this blog to join me over at my other blog:

Christian Adoption Blog: http://james127mandate.blogspot.com/

I try to update it several times a week.

Also, I just had another article published at Suite 101.

Kansas Homeschool Requirements: http://homeschool-regulations.suite101.com/article.cfm/kansas_homeschool_requirements

Feeling very blessed today that the ice storm stayed to the north and south of us.  Overall we just had a lot of rain.  Praying for all of you who weren't so lucky.

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It's stange how life can be so busy and yet not much is really happening .

Let's see .....

I have a new blog -- Christian Adoption Blog (James 1:27 Mandate) at:

http://james127mandate.blogspot.com/

I've published a grand total of 3 articles on Suite 101.  You can view them at:

Foster Child Adoption 101 at

http://adoption.suite101.com/article.cfm/adopting_a_foster_child

Celebrate Adoption at:

http://adoption.suite101.com/article.cfm/celebrate_adoption

The Adoption Home Study at:

http://adoption.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_home_study

We have a new dog.  Her name is Katie, she's a 5 yr old Welsh Pembrooke Corgi.

My oldest daughter, Stephanie, has been volunteering at a vet clinic on Thursday afternoons.  Long story short, we now have Katie .  She's a sweet dog.  Aricka absolutely loves her!

Stephanie loves working at the vet clinic.  She's a country vet and we have known her for several years now.  She has taught Stephanie more about biology in just a few short weeks than she could learn in a year of book study!  Stephanie has assisted in surgeries, put surgical kits together, looked at specimens under a microscope, in addition to helping out with the care of the clinic and animals.  The vet has been such a blessing!

Well ... it's time for goodnights at our house.  We'll have a short devotion and then it's off to bed.

Goodnight

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This is what I found when I went to the bathroom the other evening:

Aricka said that her horsie needed to go potty .

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I am now a published writer!!!!  My first articles appeared today on Suite101.com.  Here is a link to the article:

http://adoption.suite101.com/article.cfm/adopting_a_foster_child

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We finalized on Matthew's (Hilario) adoption July 6th.  What an awesome day it was!  Another judge was supposed to finalize Matt's adoption but was unable to, so our lawyer was just going to have a judge sign off on it for us and skip the hearing.  Turns out that the judge who worked Seth's CINC case (Child in Need of Care) and then finalized our adoption with him, signed off on ours with Matt.  He recognised our name and met us in the courtroom after all for pictures and so that he could see Seth.  It was more like a family reunion than a meeting before the judge.  Afterwards we ate at the restaurant that Matt picked out (mexican).  The following Sunday we went to Chanute and celebrated with family . 

Our God is so awesome!

On another note, it's finally quit rainning here.  I am probably odd, but I love rainy days.  I love the sound of thunder in the distance, the patter of raindrops on the roof, watching the birds wash themselves in the puddles.  But even I have to admit that it was getting to be too much of a good thing.  Especially when we were watching the river nearby rise and had to begin thinking about evacuation plans should it come to it.  PTL that it didn't, but we were sure beginning to worry!  My hometown was hit hard, and harder still south of it.  We have much to be thankful for!

Another thing we are thankful for is the recent news about my MIL.  A few weeks ago we were told that Margaret had a mass in her brain and that the nursing home staff thought it must be growing very quickly as she has declined rapidly over the course of a week's time.  As it turns out, after the results of a MRI came back, we find that it is not cancer but a mild stroke.  She is getting physical therapy and doing better.  Scares like this make one re-think their priorities.

Another school year is just around the corner.  Where did summer go?  I have been thinking about and planning out our curriculum.  I will post our choices when I can make up my mind.  Oh why do I feel like I will ruin them forever if I choose one Math program over another?  Homeschooling is a wonderful adventure!  An adventure that I praise the Lord for (nearly) every day !

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The other day at our homeschool co-op, a friend of mine was showing us her granmother's handmade quilt, which she had inherited.  It was beautiful!  Some of the other moms told about special quilts, handmade items or antiques that they had received likewise.  I found myself envious. 

Over the Christmas holidays we went to visit my family and help my mom clean out my grandma's apartment, as she had just been placed into a nursing home.  This was emotionally hard for me.  It was hard to admit that my onory grandmother had finally slowed down.  She just wasn't the same anymore.  In fact, she barely knows who any of us are now.

Mom asked if there was anything I wanted from what was left behind. I asked about this and that.  Every time I asked about something Mom said that she had already given it to my sister, or my uncles, or kept it herself.  Everything that I grew up thinking was so special to me had been given away.  I was getting a little disheartened.  Finally, Mom walked over and picked something up and turned toward me.  She said, "Granny would want you to have this, " and handed me her police scanner. 

Yep, a police scanner!  I had to laugh!  Nothing my grandma owned fit her personality more than her scanner.  As long as I can remember, Granny always had to get the "scoop."  Growing up, my sister and I were frequently sick enough to be hospitalized.  Grandma was always there for us -- especially when we were in a room close to the nurses station, with the door wide open and before things slowed down around 7 pm!  It was an added bonus to be there while the doctors were making rounds.  Granny always had to know what was goin' on. 

When Granny got a police scanner she was in heaven!  She could 10-4 with the best of them and knew the badge number of every single police officer in our small city.  Her scanner became her best friend and her link to the outside world as she grew more tired and isolated. 

Ahh yes, some of us have grandmothers who pass on beautiful quilts or crocheted teapot cozies or favorite family recipes, but for me, nothing reminds me of my granny more than her trusty police scanner.

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Seth & Aricka's 2 yr picture.

Taken Oct. 31, 2006

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This picture was taken on the day we adopted Seth, Feb. 21, 2006.  It was an amazing day!

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Hello! 

To those who do not know me, my name is Crystal.  My husband's name is Chuck, and we have 5 blessings.  By birth we have 14 yo Stephanie & 13 yo Savannah.  Chuck also has a son from his first marriage, Chuck IV, who lives in Virginia.

In 2004 we adopted Aricka, through private adoption, and was blessed to be able to bring her to our home away from home straight from the hospital.  Aricka was an answer to many years of prayer.

I know that God has a sense of humor because I had told my dh and the Lord when we were first hoping to adopt, that I knew I could not handle twins.  Well . . . in June 2005, 7 month old Seth came to live with us as a foster child.  Aricka was only 8 mo old at the time.  Aricka is only 30 days older than Seth!  We officially made Seth ours in February of this year.  Once Seth healed up from the evidence of the physical abuse he suffered & put on some weight, he and Aricka almost look and completely act just like twins! 

In March, we started doing respite care for a 10 yo boy named Hilario (pronounced "e-lar-e-oh").  Two weeks ago he moved in when we signed the Adoption Placement Agreement.  We are praying that we can make it official in early 2007.  In Kansas, we can homeschool when we sign the APA, which is exactly what we are doing.  Hilario has already decided that he prefers homeschooling to public school.  He loves the homeschool co-op that we are a part of, and is already making friends.  Just last Tuesday he gave his life to the Lord.  PTL!!!

Last, but not least, is our little dog, Tarzan.  He is some sort of a mix of beagle and rat terrior and ???.  He may be little, but he has a big dog bark!

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