Summer Recap!

It is so hard to believe that summer is over! I started back to work last Monday and the kids went back on Thursday. We are so blessed to have great teachers for our kids. Greyson is a junior and started half a day at the community college, then back to the high school for 2 classes and ends his day with soccer. He's playing on the High School soccer team and started with a new competitive team this fall. He's driving everywhere and super busy. One of my favorite qualities of Greyson is how driven he is. I can't wait to see what God has for him but in the meantime I will savor every moment with him! Conner is now at the high school! He is a freshman and will be showing sheep again for FFA. He has quite the social life these days and I mostly feel like his uber driver!  London and Carrson are big third graders and excited to be out of the "little kids" hall at school. Carrson is playing soccer again and London will start gymnastics soon. They are growing so much and I love how close they have all become. There are still days when everyone is at each others throats but overall they play really well together. Sam and Mayah are in first grade. It's never a dull moment with my little "twins". Mayah is starting hip hop dance class and I love to see her practice with youtube videos! We are trying to decide the best sport for Sam. He is pretty indecisive about it and if we would tell him that playing on electronics was a sport, he would love it!

Kelcie started her big adventure at college. We all went to Nebraska Christian to get her settled in. She had to start a little earlier to start training with the soccer team. Probably one of the hardest things ever to leave her there but to see how happy she is makes up for all the momma tears. I absolutely love seeing her fall inlove with soccer again and venture out to find her place. I read somewhere that you know you did a good job with your kids if they are ready to leave and this little girl was ready to spread her wings. We get to watch her season opener next weekend and we can't wait to cheer her on.

Before Kelcie left for college, we took her on a cruise to Mexico. We had an absolute blast and are so thankful for grandparents that stepped up to help with the others so we could spend this special time with her. This was our fifth cruise and our second out of Mobile, Alabama. Its one of our favorite ports! We left out early from Little Rock and our first stop (extremely spontaneous) was in Tupelo, Mississippi where we found the childhood home of Elvis! We loved seeing the old church and sitting inside the chapel where hymns sung by Elvis played over the speakers. It was a super cool place!

We made it to Mobile later that evening and stayed at the most awesome Inn. If you ever go to Mobile, I HIGHLY recommend the Magala Inn. It was built in the 1800's by a set of brothers as a townhome for their wives. It's also supposed to be "haunted" but after some snooping around, we never saw anything. We spent the evening walking around looking at some of the beautiful sights of Mobile. It reminded me of a mix between New Orleans and Charleston. I love the deep south so much. Who knows, maybe one day we will end up back there.

The next morning, we had a great breakfast (including grits!!!) and then headed to the port. We love cruising with Carnival and the Mobile terminal really has a great process to get you checked in quickly and efficiently. In less than an hour we were boarding the Carnival Fantasy. This was our second time aboard this ship. The atmosphere is so fun and the cruise directors are always a blast. This year, our cruise director was Benny. He did not disappoint! It didn't take Kelcie long to meet new people and enjoy her time on the ship. She joined us for dinner (most nights) and sometimes if we were lucky for lunch. I love how confident she is and that she can make friends anywhere. We enjoyed naps on deck, shows, dancing,  great food and just spending time together.

 On our day in Mexico, we decided to take an excursion. We have been to Cozumel quite a few times so it was fun to try something different. On this excursion, we took a catamaran out to a private island called Passion Island. It is owned by Carnival so it is not crowded and the only people there are from cruise ships. It is absolutely beautiful. It had an authentic Mexican buffet, a few little huts selling merchandise, snorkeling, kayaking (which Kelcie and I got kicked off of. Apparently we went to far and ignored the whistle! LOL!) hammocks and beds on the beach and hammocks in the water. It was so relaxing and beautiful!

All good things must come to an end and we had to disembark our cruise! But Kelly had a little surprise for us on the way home. We stopped at Dauphin Island, Alabama. We just had lunch and spent a few hours there but I loved it and we are planning a vacation back there next summer with the whole circus.  We walked around Fort Gaines which is known for its role during the Battle of Mobile during the Civil War. It was a really neat place and a nice surprise for the drive home.  I will never forget this vacation with Kelcie and I hope she never does either. I'm telling you, 18 years flies by and she's the first chick to leave the nest. It made me realize how important it is to take trips with your kids. We have been able to do quite a few trips with our kids and I hope to do more. Material things never last but memories of time together last forever. So take the trip!! You will be so happy when you look back at the pictures!!

Until next time!!
xoxo

Where did the time go?

This beautiful sweet girl graduated High School! It still hasn't hit me that my first little chick is going to be leaving the nest. To say that I am so proud of her is an understatement. There aren't even enough words to describe how amazing she is. She has handled changing schools 3 times, being the oldest sibling, adjusting to bringing in two new kiddos , falling in love for the first time and surviving her first broken heart. She is a champion for the underdog. We had a graduation party a couple of weeks ago and we counted 92 people that came in throughout the afternoon. I looked around and it was such a vast variety of people.  From jocks to foreign exchange students, Kelcie has made her mark already. She has a heart for people and has big dreams to help people  start businesses in other countries and maybe even get a degree in psychology so that she can help missionaries and their kids transition from living between two different cultures. I am in complete awe of her.

I hope that as her mom I have taught her enough and been a good example. I look forward to this new step in her life and how our relationship will grow. Kelcie Marie you will always be my baby girl. Where ever life takes you know that your dad and I are your biggest fans and supporters. Your brothers and sisters adore you.  God has an amazing plan for you and we are so thankful that He chose us to be your parents. Now go change the world baby girl! xoxoxo

A mama's heart...

Tonight while daddy was at soccer practice with Greyson, I was home with the littles and we had done homework, gone for a swim, had dinner and were just picking up a few things around the house. London had gotten out some pictures of some of our trips to Haiti out and they were on a table in my bedroom. Sam was looking through them and found a picture of him and London with their Haiti mommy. He brought the picture to me and said "Was I in her tummy?' I told him yes and he said "Was London in her tummy too?" I told him yes to that as well and he just sat and looked at the picture. I watched him study the picture for a few minutes and then he got  up and ran off to play. That moment struck me tonight. I have the honor of raising that woman's son and daughter. She has never met me and I have never met her. We speak two different languages. We have very different lives but yet we share a love for two children. She carried them for 9 months and raised them for just a few years and I get to see them grow up. I get to watch London do her cheerleading and Sam as he takes apart every remote control we have just to put it right back together. Tonight as I stared at her picture I thought about her. Does she think about them every single day? Does she wonder about the people they are becoming? Does she think about me and what kind of mother I am to them? I can't even begin to understand what it was like for her to make the ultimate sacrifice for them. She loved them so much that she wanted a better life for them. I'm so thankful that God has woven our hearts together over these two kids.
They have her eyes and my last name. There is both joy and sadness in that. So tonight, I think about and pray for "B",  my children's first mother. I pray that God touches her heart and protects her. I pray that she knows that I love them enough for both of us.

Remembering my Papa

Today marks one year that my  sweet papa left this world and entered his eternal home in Heaven. He saw a lot in his 91 years. He loved with every fiber of his being. He was always the first to help someone, was a die hard FDR Democrat ,a patriot, a friend and quite possibly the most wonderful human being you could ever know. 

One of the coolest things about having your grandparents into your own adulthood is that you really get to know who they are and appreciate the relationship. Papa used to come and stay with us and our days centered around what and where we were going to eat. He enjoyed a good card game of Rummy, a fishing trip and always cake and cookies. He lived 20 years without his soulmate, my nanny but I bet the year he's been able to be reunited with her has only seemed like a moment. Sometimes I try to envision what Heaven must be like for him. The perfect love, peace and healing that he feels. Although I still miss him as much today I'm so happy that he made the decision when I was a baby to follow Christ which ensures that I will be with him again. 

I will strive everyday to make sure to be someone that he would be proud of. I'd give anything for one more hug or phone call. I pray I made him proud while he was here. I pray I can love like he loved. 

I love you papa. I hope the crappie are biting. 

When one journey ends a new one begins....

For years, I have dreamed about the moment I could write this blog. The one where I get to tell you that all 7 of my children are under one roof! London and Sam became US citizens on November 8. We have been home for 6 weeks and it still amazes me that they are here. It is a MIRACLE that they are here. So many of you have prayed and supported us for the last 4 years and 7 months and we are forever grateful to you.

So many firsts have occurred in the last 6 weeks. The first airplane ride, first bedroom, first roller coaster (they were not thrilled, but this week when we went again they LOVED it!) So many new experiences. Going to the grocery store, snow, (even though it wasn't much), first time performing in a Christmas play and they have done so well. Every day has had its own set of challenges. We take each day moment by moment. There have been days that I have wondered "what in the world have we done?" and days that I have said "How did we ever live without them?"

London and Sam have been our daughter and son since they were 3 and 18 months old. Every step of the adoption process was horrendous, but God was faithful every single step of the way. If we ever thought of giving up, He always gave us HOPE. He guided us and those moments that we couldn't take any more He would always show up. I don't know why it had to take so long or why we had to spend so much money but what I do know is that His promise was fulfilled. The dream that He gave me in my heart 13 years ago was birthed into fruition right before my eyes and I'm so thankful we didn't give up. Every day London and Sam learn to trust us a little more and learn how to be a part of a family. Not every day is rosy.

There are way too many people for us to mention that have helped us in this journey but it would be wrong of me not to mention Frentz and Mallery Neptune and Haiti Foundation Against Poverty.
www.haitipoverty.org
They took our kids in for what was supposed to be 3 months and ended up being over 2 years. They nurtured them, loved them and helped them heal. They provided a home for them, taught them English and told them about Jesus. Mallery and Frentz are a part of our family now. We love them and their heart for Haiti.

This journey hasn't really ended but in fact has just begun. We now walk through uncharted waters and figure out how to be the best parents that we can and help these kids become all that God has for them. We don't have the answers but are so thankful that our Savior does. 2016 really was the year of the Haitian baby!!!

Confessions of a Pastors Wife...

Disclaimer: The opinions stated in this blog are solely mine. I in no way can speak for every pastors wife, only myself and my experiences. I LOVE ministry. I love people. I love trying my best to be what Jesus wants me to be but I fail and sometimes I fail miserably! So keep that in mind if you read past this disclaimer. I'm human. I'm a mom. I have faults... so many faults. But I wouldn't trade one second of my life for anything else. 

I have worked alongside my husband in full-time ministry for over 20 years now. Yes, that must mean I was a tiny child when I got married. :) When I think back over those years of all the things we have been involved in it is actually surreal to think about. Starting out as children's pastors and swearing we would never have children of our own... Hello 7 kids later... youth ministry, associate, starting an inner city church with nothing but our savings,  General Superintendent of a denomination, lead pastoring, and our most recent venture (which we are SO EXCITED about). That's a whole lot of stuff! Along with all of that stuff has been thousands of people that we have had the opportunity to love on and serve in some capacity. Many have become like family to us.  We've packed up and moved our family across the country and back again just praying that it was indeed what God wanted for us and that we weren't causing permanent damage to our kids making them transition...again.  

I think about when we first got married and thought we knew everything about everything in ministry.  When in fact, we didn't know anything at all. Each move we have made has taught us a little bit more. We have loved, we have been angry, we have been hurt, and we have loved some more. For my husband its a bit easier. He's one of those people that "turns the other cheek" really well. Me? its more of a struggle for me. (brutal honesty here) There have been times when I didn't even want to go to church. There are times when I walked in the door of a church and felt extremely alone. There are times I've been mad but put a smile on my face so no one would know. There are times that I have sobbed in the office before going out to worship. There have been times that I have held the hand and cried with a mama who was having to bury her baby. I've tried my best to give good advice when asked and I've often worried about what my place should be and if I would make someone mad by offering to do something in the church.  

Being a pastors wife is a weird job to have. You're technically not hired to do anything but there are certain expectations of you and those expectations change... a lot. Sometimes you don't even know what those expectations are but you try and navigate the waters and not ripple them too much. It can be a state of constant uncertainty. 

It may sound like I'm being negative about being a pastors wife but I assure you that's not the case at all! Its an honor to be married to a man that you get to stand beside and support as he tells the ultimate truth to people day after day. I am his biggest supporter and cheerleader and I pray for him to have peace and rest and say the words that God would have him to say. I pray that his heart is protected from hurtful words that someone might say and I pray that he can be all that God wants him to be. It is an absolute honor to share in the lives of so many people and be entrusted with their hearts. My biggest prayer has always been that I would never be the source of someones hurt. I know I have not always held to that, and for that I am sorry. I guess what I would want someone to hear is that grace is such a gift to a pastors wife or to anyone really.  You have no idea what a call or a text means to her or a hug to say, "I know you're human and I get it!" Or that it's ok to be sad or mad sometimes. To my fellow pastors wives, hang in there. Our village loves us deeply and most would walk through fire for us and we know we would do the same for them. What an amazing gift it is to love and be loved! Life is a gift and what joy it is to walk through it with friends. So make lots of them! Don't hide out in the office until 5 minutes after worship starts (It's ok... I've done it... a lot!) Put on that smile and mean it! We get to share the love of Jesus every single day and that my friend, is what it's all about!!!

xoxoxox  

An update on our circus!

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps" 

Proverbs 16:9

 A dear sweet friend sent me this verse in a text this morning. It was a reminder of God's sovereignty and that His timing is perfect. All I have to do is sit back and trust. So many times in my life, I have rushed things, tried to work them out on my own and the end result of that is always the same. I may get to the destination God wanted me to get to, but it may have taken me all the way around the mountain to get there. 

This week marks 4 years since Kelly and I stepped off of a plane in Haiti for the first time. A seed was planted in our heart that has grown and grown. Two beautiful children became ours and a plan for our lives was put into place. The last 4 years have been filled with every emotion imaginable. As far as where we are in the adoption process, we are awaiting word this week that our file is being signed by a judge who has done nothing but cause us issues for the past 8 months. A process that should have been simple (that seems to be an oxymoron with anything dealing with Haiti adoptions) has been filled with heartache, money, and learning to "be still" all over again. Kelly was able to spend a few days with London and Sam a couple of weeks ago and it was much needed on their part and ours. We are so ready for them to be here with us, but until then we will rest in His presence and remember that He is establishing our steps. His ways are perfect. 

As far as the other members of our circus, everyone is doing great! Staying busy with end of the year activities at school, soccer and church. Kelcie is enjoying another season of Varsity soccer as a Lady Jag. She has been involved in Teen View magazine and has a special friend in her life. I can't believe the amazing young lady that she has become. We are so proud of her. Greyson is his fathers son! His current obsession is photography (which has followed prescription sunglasses, a hoverboard and of course being the greatest owner to Jake the aussie dog) He is playing soccer and researching "best jobs you don't have to go to college for" He makes me laugh all of the time! Conner... those of you that know Conner probably just smile when you read his name. He is the wittiest kid ever. He spent his birthday money on a hamster that he named Elvis Felix Ward and spends his time updating Felix's instagram account (#thathamsterelvis I promise you won't be disappointed!) Carrson is finishing up his kindergarten year. He is so smart. Loves math and soccer and we have learned the hard way that we can't spell things in front of him that we don't want him to know! Mayah Grace is still the princess of the house! She is a great pretender and loves her My Little Ponies. We are so blessed with these kiddos. 

For Spring Break we took a much needed vacation with some great friends. We went on a 5 day cruise to Mexico. We had such an amazing time being together and eating way too much food. We laughed so much and just enjoyed the time to regroup! I can't wait for summer and the memories we will make!

In this past year I have had to say goodbye to my last two grandparents. Last June, we were shocked and saddened when the Lord called my Grandma Elaine home. She was vivacious and beautiful and had the best laugh you could ever hear.  I would joke with her and tell her she didn't know how old she was. Always dressed so well and was loved by everyone. I can imagine her singing with my Grandpa George again. 

In February, my sweet 91 year old papa left this world and joined his Savior and my nanny in Heaven. I still struggle with losing him. I loved him more than anything in this world and even though I knew his time could be close nothing prepared me for it. There are days I still forget he's gone. The bond that I had with him was indescribable. I can still hear his voice and see him putting his hands in his face and laughing. So many memories of him flood my mind every day. I'm thankful that the next time that I see both of them that we will never have to part again. I have no idea how people make it through losing someone without a faith in Jesus Christ. Its the only thing that carries me!

Thank you all so much for keeping up with our family and your prayers and support. God is faithful and just and we can't wait to see the doors He opens for us!