Blizzards and Fun

Last night, we went to bed trying to think what we could do as a family for spring break.

This morning we woke up to find the decision was made for us. We were iced and snowed in - again!

Our oldest son, Jacob, decided to go outside and see what the weather was all about - he geared up in his snow suit and went outside.

We all stood at an open window and watched as he braved his way through the snow to his swingset - once he got there, he waved to us and turned immediately around and walked back to the house.

When he came inside, he was so excited that we let him do that alone. =-)

We've had fun talking about Jacob's brave expedition - especially his brother and sister - WOW! They really admire him for that! =-)

Later, when Mark and I were alone, we laughed about how our son thought he was alone, little did he know, that Mark had his shoes on, ready to run outside to help him if needed.

Isn't that like our Savior? We don't need to feel like we're all alone, God is watching us and is there with us every step of the way, even though we can't see Him.

I'm so thankful for our children, they help remind me that God is always with us and we don't have to worry about anything! =-)

"Grumpiness, Blizzards, and Prayer"

All these things happened in our family over the last several days. Grumpiness, an act of personalities clashing; Blizzards, an act of God; and Prayer the act of crying out to God and begging Him to love us, forgive us, and help our day go better.

Marveling at the similarities of a blizzard and grumpiness between family members it came to me that both can do a lot of damage. The blizzard can knock trees over, it can destroy some of the delicate tulips that are trying to bravely grow up through the rocks and snow into the dry arid air that we have here on the Front Range. While grumpiness can infest a home that in one moment is filled with laughter then is filled with anger, bad attitudes, etc. – affecting all who dwell within the walls of the home.

Interestingly enough, when we speak with God in prayer I found that the grumpiness that so consumed some of our family members calmed down even as the blizzard swirled around our home.

God is good – He created various emotions within us so we cry out to Him and rely on Him! Praise the Lord!!!

Today is a new day, it will be exciting to see how we rely on God. He is always a friend to us. I’ve put the song , “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” on as a reminder that He loves us!

May God bless you as any blizzards blow into your home, they don’t last too long, but can do a lot of damage. Trusting and relying on God is the only way we can make it because we have a friend like no other – our friend, Jesus!

Thank you Jesus!

Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. I Corinthians 13:4-5

Our Family Montage

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I thought I would share our family montage we put together the year we brought our daughter home from Guatemala!

Be sure to turn the music off at the bottom of the page before playing this! =-)

Blessings,
Anna

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tumbleweeds, Wind, Sunshine, and Pike's Peak

Tumbleweeds, Wind, and Sunshine are the standard procedure for outdoors here on the Front Range of Colorado!

Today was unusual for us as we stayed home due to a foot injury I sustained last week. We had our church service at home and then the children played outdoors. They hiked down the bluff at the back of our home and chased after the tumbleweeds blowing across our cul-de-sac and back onto the open reserve!

Watching this all happening reminded me of what a wonderful world that God has made for us to enjoy!

Before, I just saw tumbleweeds as a chore to remove from our bushes, trees, and fence - but today opened my eyes to a more enjoyable use for them - a fun activity for the children! The wind that can be so harsh at times, became a joy as it was what was used to make the tumbleweeds become a rocket, a baseball, or whatever else the children imagined it to be, and the beautiful sunshine gave us the warmth and light to watch our children play, pretend, and to enjoy all of God's goodness and creation!

With the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and Pike's Peak, I marveled at the verse, Matthew 17:20, where Jesus tells us that if we just have the faith of a tiny mustard seed, we can move mountains!

As I pondered on this verse, it felt like we came full circle today. Because of our faith, God brought us our beautiful children from various birth families and places across the globe and then as they played in the shadow of the great Rocky Mountains and enjoyed all that God has provided for us, we are overcome with thanksgiving to our Savior for our precious children and for our family!

"Kid's Say the Darndest Things"

“Mommy, you are my one, true love!” What a thrilling statement to hear from your child! When my son said that to me, the birds chirping was sweeter, the sky was bluer, and the flowers smelled more beautiful ~ well maybe not but that’s sure what it seemed like!

Then, the next day, one of our children asked us a question about bathroom type things that would have been totally embarrassing if asked out in public!

We had to fight against our initial reaction to laugh at such a question and had to remember children are a “blank slate” and are asking questions because they want to learn something. One of our job's as parents is to make our home a comfortable place where our children can ask anything, tell us anything, and vent in a safe environment. It’s also to be able to give them an answer that is appropriate to their age.

As a mother, I want to teach my children to be open and honest about their life and I want to teach them how to live, love, and laugh in the security and knowledge that they have a Savior and parents who love them always – no matter what the statement or question may be!

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Our Family

Today, we decided to create a journal of our families Journeys. God has been so good to us. We call our blog 5-High-5 because in our family of 5, a High-5 is the greatest of all compliments and rewards! Our story starts when Mark and I got married in 2000. Then in 2002, we got the good news that we had a son, Jacob! We flew to Hawaii, where Jacob was born, and he was put in our arms on Thanksgiving day! We were thrilled and felt such love for this precious little boy. In 2003, we received a phone call that would change our lives forever - there was a little boy in Hawaii and he was ours if we wanted him! We said yes! Within a few days we met our precious Joshua - again, love filled our hearts to over flowing!!! In 2006 we learned of a little girl who had been born in Guatemala. We knew she was our daughter. In June 2007, we flew to Guatemala and were able to bring her home - such love and excitement was overwhelming! Each story of our journey to become a family of 5 has been a testimony of God's absolute love, mercy and grace. One day, I hope to share each of our children's stories with you. Thank you for joining us on our great adventure!