Well, I am moving my blog

Here is the new site but I can't get the link to work.  Sorry everyone. 

You will just have to copy and paste.

www.lazydranch8.blogspot.com

Please bookmark so that you can keep up with the Davis Happenings.

And, be sure that I will continue to check in on all of your sites. 

Thank you Kendra for all of the kind words and the beautiful picture that you posted of my latest creation.  My family is the proud owner of Daisy Fields Basket Co.  I am the creative side of the company and love every minute of it.  This little side business has been a blessing to me because it allows me to create unique, special gifts for others. 

I have such a great time finding containers and baskets and then finding the product to fill them with.  I have always disliked cellophane and shredded paper so I chose to fill the containers completely with the highest quality product I can find. 

Since this is a very part-time job I am limited to making baskets during the holiday season or for a large order during the rest of the year.  I can also manage a few baskets if I am given a few weeks notice. 

I have started a blogspot for Daisy Fields as an online portfolio.  I will continue to add pictures of my creations so keep checking back!

www.daisyfieldsbasketco.blogspot.com

What do you do when a filthy magazine subscription finds itself in your mailbox? 

As I was cleaning off my desk this morning I uncovered a disgusting, vile magazine sitting on my desk.  As my shock wore off I got a sick feeling in the bottom of my stomach.  What if my husband saw the cover?  What if my boys saw it?  What if my girls saw it?  I did not set it on my desk so someone saw it.  This is one of those times that you realize that you can not protect your children from everything.  We are very concerned at what our children hear, see, read, and watch.  I just did not think that I would have to monitor the mail also. 

The front of the magazine says that we have a subscription until May of next year. I do not know who bought this subscription but I sent a letter to the publisher in hopes that we will not have to worry about another magazine showing up. 

In these circumstances I am very bold and state the truth without wavering.  I sent an email and also plan on calling them to let them know how disgusted  and upset I am that they would push their sin on us in this way. 

Here is the email I sent:

To whom it may concern,

I am not sure how we got on the subscription list of this magazine but I would appreciate being taken off the list.  DO NOT send another magazine.

I know you are all too desensitized to realize that your magazine is actually smut.  Over the years we have become very sensitive to this kind of material.  As we have walk away from what the world has to offer it has become evident that the product you are all promoting shows how incredibly hopeless your lives are.  The pictures and articles in your magazine show the lowest a human being can go in his sin.  How sad when there is so much more to live for. 

We don’t want our children to see this disgusting, vile material.  We are raising our boys to be brave, courageous men who defend women and children rather then take advantage of them or use them.  The men you portray in your magazine are merely looking out for their own sexual interest.  They are perverts. 

Our girls are being raised to be lovely.  To be a prize that a worthy young man will cherish.  They are being raised not to flaunt their sexuality but to appreciate it as a gift.  The picture of Avril Lavigne on the front of your magazine was pornographic.  She, along with the other women portrayed in your magazine are modern day prostitutes. 

As we say, pagans will be pagans.  Pagans worship themselves and creation rather then worshiping the One True Living God who is the Creator of all that we see.  You have reminded us that there is a very dark, dark section of our world that live vile and ungodly lives.  Thank you for the reminder.  It makes us all the more diligent to protect, guide, and train our children to be godly and to hate the sin that you promote. 

I expect to not see another one of these magazines delivered to our address.

Sincerely,

Eric and Heather Davis

Eeyore is my nickname.  Has been since the day we decided that Winnie-the-Pooh characters are really based on typical personalities.  By the way, this is way before any books came out on the particular subject. 

I no longer see myself as Eeyore but I do have one thing in common with the character; I tend to be negative rather than positive in my outlook.  Yep!  I am a 'glass is half empty' gal.  I bet you can guess that my husband is the opposite.  If I think one way he always thinks the complete opposite. 

As a mom of a teenage son I am learning that having a positive attitude toward those things that he cherishes is really important, even if it kills me inside.  There is no better time to start using encouraging, positive words then when your son comes home with a VW bus. 

I have written before that I am not hung up on what cars we drive or where we live but I must now confess that there are certain vehicles that I just can't imagine stepping into let alone driving.  I am rambling here so let me get right to the point.  My son, with our help, bought a junker. It is a classic '66 (I can hear all the guys sighing) VW bus that has the refrigerator, table, bed, and pop up camper top.  It came with dents galore and hippie bumper stickers that are in the process of being striped from the vehicle.  What I don't get is how someone can imagine this heap of junk turning into something worth being seen in.  Thus, my Eeyore personality pops up and I get labeled again as the ever negative mother. 

Well, I have voiced my opinion (or concern depending on if your a mother or a friend of my sons) and will now let it rest.  I have decided that my position is one of positive encouragement.  A very important part of motherhood is knowing when being positive is important.  Just don't expect to see me driving it around town!

PS.  When I get up enough nerve I might just post a picture of the "thing" sitting in our driveway. 

I have been eating a lot of salad lately.  Because of the latest change of menu in our house I have had to get creative in the salad dressing area.  Most salad dressings are full of additives such as sugar and MSG.  I can't have either and also have to be careful as to what oil and vinegar I use.  And, since a lot of you have been asking for these recipes I thought the easiest way to get them to so many would be to put them on this blog.  Enjoy!

CAESAR DRESSING

4TB Olive oil, 2TB balsamic or raw apple cider vinegar,  1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 6TB mayo, 2TB lemon juice, 4 to 7 cloves of crushed garlic, freshly ground pepper.  Shake vigorously.

VINEGRETTE

1/2 cup, 1 TB, and 2 tsp of Olive oil, 3/4 cup and 2 tsp of balsamic or raw apple cidar vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 1/2 tsp basil, 1 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1 1/4 tsp dijon mustard.  Shake well. 

My family lived in Portland for quite a few years when I was very young and we also lived in Bend for nine of my middle years.  I love Oregon but always got a kick out of visitors who did not know how to pronounce its name.  So, above is the correct way to say Oregon. 

I was able to visit Oregon this past weekend.  Boo, Daisy and I drove a rental car a week ago today to visit family and friends but also to go to my Grandpa's funeral.  Last Wednesday was a twelve hour drive to Portland.  We drove through snow, hail, and rain.  We stayed with my sister and met up with my parents who flew in from Palm Springs. 

Thursday we drove to the funeral which was about 1 1/2 hours away.  I saw cousins and other family members I have not seen for ages.  I even met other family members for the first time.  The funeral was well done. Very simple.  We went out to the grave sight and where I was blown away by the beauty.  The last time I had been up there was when my Grandma died in 1981.   The sun  shown through the grove of trees.  And, on both sides of the graveyard the hill dropped off into a beautiful green valley.   After a long day we drove back to my sisters.

Friday we drove to Bend which is about three hours drive on one of the most scenic highways I have ever been on.  I enjoy this drive so much.  We walked around Sisters and then spent the evening resting at my parents home. 

Saturday the girls and I visited my other Grandparents just down the highway from my parents house.  We had such a wonderful time helping out and visiting.  Grandpa was in such a great mood which is much different then the past couple of months.  They have him on some medication to help him sleep and not be so agitated.  This became important for my Grandmother's sake.  She looked much better also.  Grandpa even stood and prayed for us before we left.  This is somewhat of a miracle since I can't remember him ever doing this before.  Let me tell you it was hard to keep the tears back.  I don't care if he doesn't remember who I am any more I am just thrilled to have such wonderful memories of him during his final years.

Sunday we drove back to Central California....home. This time it was a nine hour trek.  What an adventure!  i feel like I accomplished so much and in such a little amount of time.  The only thing that would have made it better was if my whole family could have gone with me.  But, then again....not sure if Brown Sugar would agree. 

And, for those of you who care I only broke my new way of eating twice.  I had a flour tortilla and a Diet Dr. Pepper.  I was a bit worried about the food issue because I associate junk food with road trips. But, I made it through another change in my life and so I know the next time will not be as hard.  Thanks for the prayers! 

This past Sunday my Grandpa died.  But, in my heart Grandpa died many years ago.  He had such a hard time dealing with the death of my Grandma twenty-six years ago.  She was the glue that kept the family together.  She also kept Grandpa sober.  After she passed away Grandpa self destructed.   Alcohol took over his life and caused our family many heartaches.  Twenty-six years later his heart could no longer handle the abuse.

As I sat through the memorial service and stood next to my Grandparents graves I was so grateful for many wonderful memories.  And, the many people at the service had wonderful memories also.   The incredibly heartbreaking part is not knowing if my Grandpa is spending eternity in heaven.  I pray that God granted mercy on his life even if it was right before his last breath. 

On Monday, I realized that I needed to reflect on something other then my Grandpa's eternal destination.  It hit me that even in this difficult time I have the opportunity to praise the one and only God of heaven and earth.   He is all powerful over life and death.  He has the power of salvation and mercy.  He has the power of justice.  I am in awe. 

Sometimes God uses people who are not necessarily a functioning part of your life to chastise you.   I have been convicted by another Christian sister that my comments were not kind nor loving toward the women that I wrote about in THE TALE OF TWO TABLES.  After reading her message to me I admit that even though I do lead a much different life then the women at table two I did not show love towards them. 

Thankfully this comes at a time where God has been already working on my heart.  Softening it to be more like Him.  Loving one another is the greatest commandment next to loving God.  As I was teaching my children that loving your brother or sister shows that you love God I was not being a great witness to them on how to do this. 

I have said this before but I am beginning to see more clearly how true this is:  Homeschooling, family integrated, reformed, adoption, quiverful, etc does not make one greater then another.  For the Davis family it is the way of life BUT it is all for naught if we do not have love.

Eric has been reading I Cor. 13 nightly for us.  It has not only sunk in but has become much more then just a passage read at a wedding.  "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbol.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

So, Table two (you know who you are) please accept my sincere apology for not loving you as Christ would have me to. 

*This entry is similar to the one that I posted in the Tale of Two Tables entry.  I have deleted the original message as not to cause any more strife and because it does not reflect my heart nor the love of Christ. 

We are in our ninth month with Lil' Cowboy and Brown Sugar.  This time last year we were hopeful that we would be bringing our children home only to find out that someone in the press had fabricated allegations of trafficking.  Of course, the government found that these allegations were false but it did wreak havoc on our plans.  It would be yet another three months before we would have them in our arms.

But, here we are nine months into our adoption journey.   It is so hard to put on paper (or blog) what it feels like after the fact.  You know how you felt before you had your first child and then after you had that same child?  Before you had no idea what you were getting yourself into but you were idealistic and just knew that you were going to be the best mommy yet.  After you found out that there is really no way you could have prepared for this little one.  

 I had some of those same feelings going into adoption.  I had no idea what it would be like and yet I was wise enough to know that it would not be like having your own bio child.  But, I was still idealistic with a bit of worry mixed in.  Would I not want them in my house after we spent all that time, money, and energy to get them here?  Would I want my life back to before the adoption at some point? 

I have not had one moment where I thought "why did we do this?"  but I have to admit that these two children have made me very content with the quiverfull that God has given us.  In my mind, I am fully able to say that we are done and be thankful.   This is a good feeling that I have not had until recently.  So, I am grateful for this new found contentment that this adoption has brought me. 

The thoughts I have had have been along these lines:  I am raising another woman's children,  I wish that I could have had them since birth, training a child at six is much harder then at two, I hope I can love them as much as I love my bio children  I hope they love me as much as I hope to love them.

There are also a lot of questions:  What does Brown Sugar think when she looks at my white skin?  How long will it take before Lil' Cowboy and Daisy finally have that brother/sister bond?  What will it be like when Lil' Cowboy and Brown Sugar are the only ones left to raise in our house? 

I have heard that after six months the honeymoon is over and the children start acting up and not obeying.  Thanks be to God that this has not happened for us.  We have seen foolish and childish behaviour from Lil' Cowboy but it is everything that we would expect from a seven year old who has never had rules or someone to look out for him.  He is bright, energetic, willing to give a hug (and sometimes a kiss), and has a killer smile.  He is a Davis through and through.  And, I believe that he is loving his new life.

Brown Sugar is a smart cookie.  And, she has an attitude to boot!  She has completely bonded with us which has been the biggest help considering that she is a handful.  I would hate to have to deal with bonding issues and her attitude.   She is a delight, fun to be around, listens well, and is learning incredibly fast.  Oh, and she has a killer smile also.

I can't imagine what these kids have gone through emotionally.  How in the world does a child leave his family, travel all the way across the world, live with a new family and not be effected by it all?  The only issue that we see with Lil' Cowboy is that he does not understand the value of things.  That's it.  It really is a miracle and one that we do not take lightly. 

Nine months.  What a gift.

I am in the process of learning a hard lesson.

I have eaten whatever I wanted whenever I wanted for most of my life.  My body has protested for the past couple of years but I have ignored the signs.

Some of those signs are: itchy skin, eczyma, stomach problems, weight gain, and no energy.

During my last visit with the Doctor he told me that if I would do certain things that I could rid myself of these symptoms.  Whoo-hoo!  But, do I have the endurance to keep up the process of cleaning my body?  I have tried diets before and have succeeded for limited amounts of time only. 

I can't say that this time will be different but I am doing it for a different reason.  I have gotten so tired of these symptoms that I am willing to work hard at this.  And, one of the side benefits is losing weight and having more energy for my children.

So, here is what I have to do:

1)  I have a load of different medicines and natural remedies that I must keep up for at least one month.  But, I must be prepared to keep it up for a very long time to get rid of the over growth of yeast in my body.

2)  I must eat a diet of vegetables and meat.  I can not eat any yeast products, grains, sugar, or fruit for at least a month.  I may add apples and berries after one month.  I am eating more veggies then I have every thought possible.   I have personally decided to keep this up till the end of May.

3)  I must drink lots and lots of water.  This is a hard one for me.  I have tried water with lemon, with lime, and even with cucumber.  I just need to get better at having water around and getting into the habit of drinking even if I am not thirsty.

4)  I am adding exercise.  I know this is what he wants me to do and what I need to do.  I am working on walking at least three times a week and lifting weights at least two times a week.  I am also trying to be more active which is much easier now that Spring has officially arrived.

There you go!  My new life.  I will probably always have to watch what I eat to not have these symptoms return but how much easier is it to keep this up at home then if I was working outside the home. 

My 40th birthday is this May and as a birthday present to myself I have a goal to have my energy back and a slimmer body.  So, I will be keeping up this diet through May and then I am hoping to continue to eat this way daily and enjoy those once-in-a-while occasions. 

What a great way to start out the next forty years of my life! 

***I have been meaning to post this for a few weeks now.  I have actually made it through my first month and am doing splendid.  The hardest for me is when my family is enjoying pizza and I am having a salad instead (pizza is my all time favorite food).  But, the results are soooooo worth it.  I have lost sixteen pounds so far and when I "caught" the flu I bounced back much quicker then I would have in the past.  I have a long way to go and I realize that but the goal is looking much more attainable and I have this desire to accomplish it. 

It was a warm, beautiful day last Friday.  Our friend's ranch was the perfect place for Lil' Cowboy's birthday party. 

Can you guess the theme?  Yep...we had a lot of little boys who were dressed up like cowboys.  We started out giving everyone a "mustache" and a bandana. 

My friend's father came out and gave the boys pony rides.  What a blessing for Lil' Cowboy and all his buddies. 

There was milk can roping, "Feed the Horse a Carrot" (pin the tail on the donkey), apple dunking, and lantern making. 

They were itching to play cowboys and bandits.  So, off they went jumping over hedges, hiding behind bushes, and running through fields to get the next great bandit.  There were quite a lot of play guns and pretend horses.  Lil' Cowboy had the time of his life.

Hot dogs, potato salad, chips, beans, and root beer was the grub of the day.  Then, they enjoyed a horse cake made by Boo.  Even Brown Sugar had a great time.

Lil' Cowboy's siblings were an incredible help.  Hubbie was very sick which usually does not keep him down but this bug had him flat on his back.  The rest of us were tired and relieved that it was over but thoroughly happy that Lil' Cowboy had such a successful first birthday in America. 

Happy Birthday Lil' Cowboy!

you  Boo (Also known as RED to her friends) has decided to try her hand at blogging.  Welcome!

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.

  Ad/ver/tence   noun        1.  The action or process of adverting.

   Form:  Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary   tenth edition 

(Sorry, the room that our computer is in happens to be our School room where our Dictionary’s, Fact books and History books are.)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch? 

      The cabinet that holds all our DVD’s

3. What was the last thing you watched on TV?

      It was a show that was recorded onto DVD called Sue Thomas F.B.I.

   (It is a true life story about a deaf woman who is an F.B.I. agent.)

4. Without looking, guess what time it is. 
     5:40 p.m.

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 
      5:55 p.m.

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? 

     Lil' Cowboy  singing the theme song from our favorite old TV show  "Hogan’s Heros" while setting the table for dinner.
   

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? 
      It was about 30 minutes ago and I was playing outside (the all time favorite) freeze tag with Lil' Cowboy and his friends. (Man, they are fast!)

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at? 
     My hands folding laundry.

9. What are you wearing? 

      Jeans and my favorite red shirt.

10. Did you dream last night? 
       Last night was a pretty dreamless night, sad to say.

11. When did you last laugh? 
        An hour ago while reading Ben’s blog.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? 
        Tan paint with some paintings painted by a really good artist (....hmmm, myself?), a clock and a map of the world. 

13. Seen anything weird lately? 
       Goose caring in a new car seat for Brown Sugar while she was in it!

14. What do you think of this quiz? 

       It is very interesting and a great way to get to know people because their humor side comes out.
 

15. What is the last film or video you saw? 
         The last movie I watched was A Tiger Walks by Disney.

 (This is a very old movie that my mom watched when she was little.)

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? 

      After giving 10% to God, I would buy a red and white Mini Cooper and travel around the world with someone.

17. Tell me something about you that I do not know. 
      1. I was born on an Air Force Base.
      2. I  took a lifeguard class when I was in Jr. High.

        3.  My favorite thing to do is wash clothes and wash dishes. This year I am going to help with the garden and I think it is going to be added to my favorite things to do around the house.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? 
       I would make an organization that would help all children learn how to read.  No matter their class, skin, color and religion.

19. Do you like to dance? 
       Do fish like water?

20. Comment to George Bush:

      Whenever you are not sure what to do go to “the Man upstairs.” 
 

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? 
       Bailey, Jane, Elizabeth (Beth), Jessica……. I could go on and on. 

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him? 
      Luke, Cole, David, Jacob …

23. Would you ever consider living abroad? 

        I would love to live in a different country for a few months, but I think my end all choice would be California (with all my traveling I have not found a state that just jumps out at me )  I would also say it all depends on what God has for me too.

24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate? 
       Welcome to Heaven, We have a nice heated, Olympic size pool to your left and chocolate is served every hour.

25.  What one book, besides the Bible, has changed your life? 

         My choice would have to be "The Hiding Place".  This book has changed my outlook on what can happen when you are obeying God.  The faith that Betsy had and the love she showed to the Germans was heart changing.  Also. the words of wisdom that Mr. Ten Boom would tell his children plus his love for everyone no matter their religious background was inspiring.  The one thing I learned was to give praise to God in every circumstance.

26. 3-5 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog:

        (Ben, do you notice anything different about this question?)

     I do not know many people who blog and the ones I do know have already done this quiz.  So I guess that I will just end this quiz with a little something…….So long, Farewell for now

I live in a house with six children so you wouldn't  think that I would get lonely.  But, loneliness is the word that I would use to describe the past week for me.

My husband left for a week last Sunday.  He is out at sea with the Navy and is due back today.  A week really is not that long.  But, in the past ten years we have been able to communicate while he was out at sea.  This time out we were not able to communicate at all.  It reminds me of the years where we had to number our letters (letters never came in the order they were sent), talk on tapes, and wait for a very expensive long distance phone call from Hong Kong, Australia, or Africa. 

This week might not have been as overwhelming if I had not gotten sick, started a yeast free diet, and had two newly adopted children who don't understand why daddy is gone.  Brown Sugar has become very clingy over the past week which I attribute to her missing her daddy.  The other kids are getting restless today but then again, so am I. 

I just can't wait to see his face and to hear his voice.  I will let the kids overwhelm him with kisses and hugs.  Then, it will be my turn.  Enough said

We get many questions about Liberia.  Most do not know where the country is.  Before we brought the children home we would get people who would say "So you're adopting from Russia?" No.  That's LIthuania.  Now that we have our children home it is pretty evident that they are from Africa.  The geography is narrowed down a bit but Africa is a big continent.  There are over fifty countries on the continent.  

West Africa is densely populated with countries.  LIberia is surrounded by Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Guinea.  Most of these countries I have grown up knowing about through missionary stories.  Liberia and Sierra Leone have very interesting histories. 

The United States has a vested interest in helping Liberia.  In the 1820s, there was a lot of fuss on what to do with slaves in America.  The British had abolished slavery and were sending their slaves to the British colony of Sierra Leone to start a new life.  Men like Thomas Jefferson felt that black and white people could never live together in harmony.  One of the proposals was to send the black people (those that were free and slaves) to the West coast.  But, many feared that the black people would make an alliance with the Indians, Canadians, and Mexicans and ultimately make war against the United States.  So, the next best idea was to send them back to Africa.  Mind you, this is before the civil war. 

So, many free blacks and some emancipated slaves were sent to Liberia.  We still did not think that they could govern themselves so we sent white Americans to fill those positions.  LIfe was rough on these new immigrants.  There were existing tribes to deal with (these tribes were still selling slaves), adjustment to weather, and the fact that they had to learn how to live in, what was for them, a foreign country.  By the way, Stonewall Jackson (a Confederate General) emancipated his slaves, sent them to Liberia, and helped them establish themselves.  Their letters back and forth is some of the only history  we have of this new colony. 

Over the years, Liberia became its own country.  As with many African countries, Liberia has had many ups and downs.  At one point Monrovia was considered a resort area and was a big, modern city.  After the recent dictatorship of Charles Taylor the country is in ruins.  There is no electricity or running water.  We liken it to what the U. S. would be like if we had a dictator who cut off all utilities.  We would not know how to live without running water, sewers, and electricity or gas.  Lawlessness would take over considering that police and firemen would be completely helpless.  Our lives would change as much as their lives have changed. 

LIberia was prosperous because they have a big economic export: rubber.  Firestone used to have quite a few plants there until the war.  As for the present, Liberia's new president, Ellen Shurleaf Johnson, is trying to reverse years of destruction and corruption.  A bit hard to do when the government is so saturated with corruption.  But, she is really trying and should be applauded for any attempt that she can make to reestablish Liberia as a democratic Africa country. 

I must add that if you have any questions about Liberia or life there I will try to answer them as best I can or lead you to the right resource.  We have gained most of our info from a wonderful children's book that you can get at your local library.  It is called "This Our Dark Country" by Catherinne Reef. 

....usually keeps the Doctor away.  But, in this case, we had to visit the Doctor for our re-adoption process.  We decided to travel up to the hills and visit an MD who would much rather use natural remedies then push steroids and anti-biotics.  He is also sympathetic to those of us who are starting to question the whole immunization issue.

All went well and the kids did good considering that it was nap time and we had been at the office for three hours.  Lil' Cowboy was healthy as can be.  He is about 60 percentile in weight and height.  Brown Sugar is in the 50 percentile range.  Lil' Cowboy will need a lot of dental help and Brown Sugar shows some signs of her former malnutrition.  One of her legs bows a bit but the Doctor told us that this was due to a deficiency of Vitamin C and would eventually correct itself as she grows and is given good nutrition.  In the meantime, we enjoy watching her run.  She has a little wobble that just adds to her cuteness!

I had been praying for a Doctor that would understand where our kids came from but gave up on that idea since most Doctors don't volunteer to go to Africa and learn medicine.  Well, this Doctor is from Switzerland and he did spend two years in Africa.  I had told him what I was hoping for but even having a Doctor that had lived and practiced in Africa would be a plus.  He asked where they were from and then told me that he practiced in Ghana which is just north of Liberia.  Thank you Lord!

We rarely go to the Doctor.  Thankfully, we are very healthy and when we do get sick we usually just up our dosage of Vitamin C , add more garlic to our diet, and use things like Zycam and Cold Calm.   Our pre-adoption visit to the Doctor was disappointing.  His first question to me was "Why are you adopting?  Don't you have enough kids?".  It went downhill from there....questioning our homeschooling, our daugthers thoughts on college, and the fact that our children do not date.  Add to that the questions I had for him on the whole issue of immunization and it pretty much severed our relationship and made me rethink the whole idea of medicine. 

You can imagine then how I felt when I found a Doctor who understands my concerns about traditional medicine and immunizations.  The downside is that most of these Doctors are very much into the mystical.  It would have been a bonus to find a Christian Doctor.  For now though, we feel a sense of relief. 

They really do!

While we were at an Aquarium, a little girl was watching Hubbie play with Brown Sugar.  She had a puzzled look on her face when she asked Hubbie if Brown Sugar was his daughter.  Hubbie replied yes and the girls face became even more puzzled.  Then she stated "But she doesn't look like you!"

Hmmmm.....is it the black skin that gave it away? 

Then, the other day I was visiting our next door neighbor and she retold a funny story that involved her nephew and Lil' Cowboy.  Lil' Cowboy was outside playing with my neighbor's little boy and with her nephew.  When it was time for the nephew to go home he complained that it wasn't fair that Lil' Cowboy  (dressed appropriately with bandana, cowboy boots, and cowboy hat )got to stay and play while he had to go home.  The nephew's mom informed him that we had adopted Lil' Cowboy and so he now lived next door to his cousin.  Nephew sat and thought about this for a few minutes and then declared "Why did they adopt a cowboy?"

Hmmmmm again....the cowboy gave it away this time rather then the black skin!

I was alerted to a show that was going to air on this past Monday.  Oprah was doing a show on fascinating families.  The first being a famous football player and actress who have four children.  The next segment was a group of families who have adopted Liberian children.  This is the part that interested me the most.  Go figure!  Anyway, I went over to my next door neighbor's house to watch the program since we do not have tv in our home. 

We were both impressed with the stories that these families had to share. There was no mistaking that their faith was the reason why they felt lead to adopt.  Not only did they adopt but they adopted a whole choir of adolescent boys!  What a ministry.  One couple had already raised their four bio kids and then adopted two boys from the choir.  When the boys said that they had four other siblings in Liberia this couple adopted them also.  I was wowed ( as my kids would say).  Oprah was wowed also.  She made a wonderful parting statement, "Love sees no color". 

But, the next segment marred the whole show.  It was the glorification of two homosexual men who are fostering and adopting children.  We turned the television off and did not watch the rest but I can only assume that this is another way to slowly make us all accept homosexual marriage and parenting. 

I thought I would post my thoughts on two Liberian Yahoo sites that I am on.  One of them is for Acres of Hope and is a closed site for those who have adopted or are in the process of adopting from AoH.  There were a few comments on not having enough compassion and not being Christ like in my comments but other then that it was fairly mild.  Thankfully a husband of one of the wives came on and gave us all the reasons why we are to judge and yet love in the same manner as Christ.  So, I chose not to send a rebuttal on that group site.  But, on the Adopting from Liberia site I received a scathing response.  I thought I would include segments of all our comments so that you can get the whole picture.   

Here are the comments from an Adopting from LIberia Yahoo member: 

That attitude is one of the reasons I don't frequent this website as
much as I would like. Please don't flame me, but I believe Jesus would
be appalled by such narrow-minded prejudice. If a gay couple, whether
male or female, wants to share their love with a foster child, I say
that child is one of the lucky ones. I am sure if you gave children
the option of being in an institution or being with loving parents,
none of them would reject a couple offering a stable home.
I happen to be heterosexual, but my parents had nothing to do with
that genetic fact. Gay people are the result of a man and a woman
making love, so why are gay parents considered a threat? If you think
that being gay is a "choice' then what did all those hetero people do
wrwrong? Puh lease!
I am sure many of you will find Bible verses that you have interpreted
to support your homophobic stance- religion has always been corrupted
that way. Please don't bother to try and convince me. I have many gay
friends whose character is such that they would never exclude another
person on the basis of race, sex, religion or sexual orientation.
It is sad to see that people still persecute others, especially from a
group of people who are otherwise loving and generous.

So, I sent a rebuttal and here it is:

Although I would love to lay this to rest I must clear up a few
misconceptions about those of us who would rather not see a
homosexual couple foster or adopt children.

First of all, I am not homophobic. I am, in no way, afraid of
homosexuals which would be the definition of homophobic. We have a
few aquaintances who have chosen to live a life of homosexuality and
we pray for their salvation. The Old Testament and New Testament
make it quite clear that fornication of any kind was prohibited.
And, Jesus being "the Word made flesh" (John 1) clearly indicates
that your concept of Jesus' compassion and love is not correct.

Second, all of us are excluded at times. Our age, sex, and religion
exclude us from many things. The only reason why a person should
not be excluded from certain things is the color of his skin. Sexual
orientation should exclude you from many different abilities. For
one, the fact that you can not conceive a child (it is in fact
impossible!)keeps you from enjoying the many facets of parenting.
(Please do not lump in men and women who are married and can not
conceive...they have the physical ability to conceive but are not
able to for one reason or another...much different then someone who
does not have the physical ability!).

Third and lastly, my opinions, in no way, persecute others. You are
as free as I am to speak of your opinions. Please learn to have a
logical conversation rather then an accusatory one.

To wrap this up...I am sure that I have fanned the flame but I am
rather tired of being labeled, told to be quiet and keep my opinions
to myself. Especially when the opposite side chooses to label and
spit venomous words at the Church of Jesus Christ. ~Heather Davis

So there you go.  I could think of even more to say but really, overall I am fine with what I wrote.  I did get about a half a dozen personal emails from those who wanted to encourage me and thank me for taking a stand.  The scariest part of this whole ordeal is that all of those who negatively responded called themselves Believers.  Yikes!  There is definately sin in the camp and we had better all start speaking up or judgement just can't be that far behind us. 

Let me start out by saying that  I will rarely give a movie review or recommend a movie.  First, because there is rarely anything to recommend, old or new.  Second, this can be such a divisive issue in the church and many would think me way to conservative while others would think of me as foolish.  But, last night we saw a movie worth seeing.

We were drawn to the actor, Will Smith who plays the main character, and his son who plays his son in the film.  I have never seen a film that he has been in but I have read and heard some great things about him.  For instance, he deeply loves his family and he vocally stands against black artist who use profanity and obsceneties to make people laugh.  I applaud him for standing up in a world that does not like to be reprimanded.  But, I will confess that I am not "up" on the Hollywood latest and would find it hard to believe that there aren't things that we would disagree with him on. 

This is not a "leave your cares at the door-I want to be entertained" kind of movie.  This is a gritty account of a single father's life. He walked us through silly mistakes, bad choices, and hard circumstances to show us that diligence, perseverance, and honesty win the day.  You never heard a complaint about his situation and he never used the "color card".  Instead at every moment he helped his son see the good side of all circumstances even when that meant sleeping in a subway station bathroom.  You sit through one and a half hours of life to get to a few minutes of glory.  But, you would not have understood the emotions at the end if you had not experienced the hardships at the beginning. 

At some point I realized that I was no longer looking at Will Smith as himself but as Mr. Gardner, the man whom the movie is about.  His son did an excellent job as well.  It is too bad that Hollywood is so deep in their sin that they can not recognize when one of their own has truly done a fabulous job bringing a story to life.

I walked away thinking back in the past when we were going through tough financial times.  I used those memories to remind me, just like the movie, that those times make the present all the more sweeter.  We have a roof over our head, we have a paying job, we have food on the table.  All in all, this movie made me think....and I like that.

I will say that there are things that we did not like about the movie.  There was some foul language that  was used to portray how negative the world was that this boy was growing up in.  And, there was a modesty issue of the wife getting dressed for work (she was in her bra).  There were also issues that Mr. Gardner had to face that were not easy issues to deal with (i.e.  being left with a taxi tab and not being able to pay for it so he flees the scene). 

I would highly recommend that if you would like to see this film wait till it comes out on video.  While I walked away from this movie feeling good I did not feel this way about the fifteen minutes of movie previews before the showing of the main feature.  I felt violated and sick over what I saw coming out of Hollywood.  I had no idea that the entertainment industry had fallen so low.  It made me all the more thankful for a husband who protects us and keeps us away from such filth.  And, even more grateful to our God who has seen fit to make me sensitive to these things again. 

And, that's for sure!  It has been very, very cold for our part of the country.  On average we usually dip down into the 40s at night.  But, this past couple of weeks the temperature gauge has seen the lower 20s. 

Before you go thinking that I am a whimp I must let you know that my middle years were spent in cold, cold central Oregon.  I should be used to the falling temps.  I lived among pine and juniper where the wood stove was your friend. 

But, for the past twenty-one years I have lived in somewhat sunny California.  I say somewhat because usualy we are smack dap in the middle of fog right now.  But, because of the very cold weather there are no clouds to be seen.  It is clear blue skies which has been such a blessing. 

The down side to having such cold weather is that our plants are not used to it.  Our citrus (we have an orange, lemon, and lime tree) are covered with Christmas lights as we try to keep them from freezing to death.  Any semblance of lettuce in the garden is now mushy and wilted.  The chickens seem to be doing okay as is the bunny which, is quite a relief.  Then there is the price that we will all pay in the store for citrus and avacadoes.  Bummer! 

Kind of a silly post but I thought I would update you on the weather since there was not much else to tell about from the LazyD ranch.  Now, back to warming my toes by the fireplace!

We had our first and last post adoption home study visit the other day (Liberia only requires one post adoption visit).  We were nervous but not as nervous as the first visit. at the beginning of the process  We did have a different social worker and so we were a bit apprehensive on how she would assess our family.  I don't think that she could have seen anything but love in our family but what about all those other issues?  Immunization, doctor visits, corporal punishment, pool safety.

Michelle was greeted by Brown Sugar and I.  She was a delightful woman who seemed to take a liking to our family right away.  She was here for over an hour just talking, asking questions, laughing with us.  It ended up being a great visit.  She met our hens out in the back and Miss M's bunny.  She loved our farm in the city.  She did not even bat an eye on the issue of no fence around the pool (another issue that is not a concern to the LIberian government but can be to each individual social worker). 

She asked about their immunizations and Doctor visits.  We are in the process of finding a Doctor that will understand and help facilitate our wishes on immunization.  We prefer not to immunize Brown Sugar until she is three or older.  Lil' Cowboy will probably get a few immunizations but we will be very picky due to our convictions of not needing some of them. She was okay with this.  Surprise!  Surprise!

The question of corporal punishment never came up.  Brown Sugar showed some of her latest antics of throwing her head back if she does not get her way.  Thankfully Eric, and his deep voice, was there to keep her in line.  Why is it that men have the ability to just say the child's name and the child immediately obeys and shakes at the sound of their father's voice? 

So, as you can see we were blessed.  Acres of Hope requires new families to have their visit the first month. To be honest, I am glad that we had the social worker out on the sixth month.  It was truly a better assessment of how the children are blending with our family. 

By the end of the visit Michelle asked us if we planned on adopting again.  I looked at Hubbie and he said of course!  We had talked about it but it seems so early after this last adoption.  There are times when I go into the idea with fear and trepidation.  What if the attachment process does not go as smoothly?  What if the child is not as happy about being in America as LIl' Cowboy and Brown Sugar are?  I will try to take these thoughts captive and remember that when you are called to something as great as adopting you have to trust that God is going to see you through the good times and the bad times.