Jewelery for Genevieve

We (Adam, Yana, Lily, Jadon and Grace) made these bracelets to help with fundraising for Genevieve's surgery. If you would like one of these bracelets, please see the end of this post.  All of the bracelets are made with flexible beading wire and have sturdy silver clasps.

Bracelet #1 (top) (no longer available)
Bracelet #2 (bottom): Color: gold, black, and brown, Length:  7 3/4 inches

Bracelet #3: color: black, and white, Length: 7 inches

Bracelets #4, #5 and #6: Color: blue and red 
Bracelets #4 and #5, Length: 7 inches  Bracelet #6, Length: 7 1/2 inches (these three bracelets are no longer available)

Bracelets #7 and 8: Color: pink, and white
Bracelet #7, Length:  6 3/4 inches
Bracelet #8, Length: 7 1/2 inches
(these two bracelets are no longer available)

If you would like one of these bracelets, There are 2 things that you need to do.

#1. Donate $15 or more towards Genevieve's surgery (use the chip-in on the sidebar).

#2. Send an E-mail to us at bandimere_9@msn.com with your address and what bracelet you would like.

Shipping is on us.

If you would like us to make more bracelets, please leave a comment on our blog or E-mail us.

Thank you for helping Genevieve!

Somebody's 10!

And he's just a little bit excited about it!




Jadon requested a black forest cake for his birthday
The whole house smelled like cherry liqueur...hehe!
Good thing there wasn't enough liqueur in the cake to cause any negative effects!

David and I took our new 10 year old out for breakfast.

In the afternoon, I took Jadon out of school and he and Grace and I went to the park.

They ate their lunch there (I was still full from breakfast!).

 

This park is incredible!  It's five minutes from our house and was made specifically for children with disabilites.  It's wonderful...hmmm, maybe it will come in extra handy some day...just sayin'...you never know!

In the evening, David's dad (Opa), David's Grandma (Grammy) and cousin Abi came to visit.  Abi and Lily adore each other!

 

Love this picture of Grace and Grammy.

A couple of weeks ago, Lily was asking us questions from "The Family Dinner Box of Questions."

She asked, "What is one way your mom or dad embarrass you?"

And what do you think Jadon's answer was?

"Oh, that's easy!"

"It's embarrassing when Mom writes about me on the blog.  You know how she says I'm so cute and so great and all that stuff.  It's embarrassing!"  lol!

So, in an effort not to embarrass my son too much, I'll refrain from going on and on about his cuteness and his wonderfulness!

But, I will say, Happy 10th Birthday to my precious son.

Jadon, I love you so much!

Would you join me in wishing Jadon a very special 10th birthday?

And don't forget to check out this post if you'd like to know more about Genevieve and her upcoming surgery.

LEMON+AID FOR LOVE

Hi! This is Lily! Just today we did a lemonade stand, and we got lots of customers! Me, Grace, and two of my friends did it together. My mom stayed in the car, because we seemed to have more customers when she was out of sight! We did it for Genevieve. We spilled a lot too. We asked for donations, and I think that that helped. It was fun to see how much people would give! Some people gave, and didn't even buy lemonade! We also sold Gatorade. After we thought that no one was going to buy any more, we shut down. After that, my two friends, Grace, dad, and I went door-to-door and told people about Genevieve. One person gave 15 dollars, and another man gave his whole penny jar! I was happy when I saw people give to Genevieve, and how lots of people were able to help someone in need! I think that it also helped me to become bolder. I was bold before, but I'm not sure that I always used my boldness for love! I am glad that today I used my boldness for something good!

God really loves Genevieve, and so do I! You can donate towards Genevieve's surgery too. Chip-in below or on the sidebar.

Genevieve's Second (and final) Surgery

This is Adam, Jadon, Lily,Yana, and Grace. We are going to raise money for Genevieve (a little girl in Sarah's Covenant Homes: an orphanage in India).  She is having her 2nd (and final!) eye surgery. She has already had a cyst removed from her right eye but she can't see in both eyes yet. After this surgery, she will be able to see in both eyes. If you want to help raise money for her, just click the chip in button.

We told our mom that we wanted to be the ones to raise money for her-it would be great if you could help us! If you can't chip-in, it would be great if you prayed for us! We know that God is going to do something awesome! We're planning on selling lemonade and brownies, going door-to-door and sellling some special bracelets to raise money for Genevieve's surgery.  We're excited that she will soon be able to see~!!!

What a little love can do...

Just had to tell you about precious Rachel.

She has lived at SCH for the past two years.

This first picture was taken shortly after arriving at SCH.

such a fearful little girl...

Today, Sarah sent me this picture of Rachel.

It's her 10th birthday.

Isn't she absolutely radiant?!

Dear friends, God transforms lives through love.

Would you like to help other precious children like Rachel?

Click here if you are able to assist with surgery, oxygen, schooling, orthotics and life for these beautiful children.

life is good

Friends, I want you to know that I appreciate you all so much.

This past month has been really tough, but you have been such faithful friends and that is a precious gift to me.

I have appreciated your prayers and encouragement so very much.

Please keep praying for our friend.  I can't share anything more, but I am so grateful for your prayers.

Our God is a prayer-hearing (and prayer-answering!) God!

Because we've had so much going on, and also because it is the lenten season (which I LOVE) I've decided to cut back on blogging/computer stuff for a little while.  It's not so much that I'm "giving up" blogging, but rather, I want to make more space for prayer, study and family time.  All of these things have taken a bit of a hit with all that has been happening.

But, I will check in from time to time.  I may even write a quick post (if I have something good to say!).  I will also check in on some blogs here and there, and if you're a family whose traveling to adopt, you can bet that I wouldn't miss that!  Comments on this blog go straight to my email, so if you want to get a hold of me, feel free to leave a comment.  I might not get it right away, but will certainly get it within a couple of days.

I wanted to leave you with a story that I hope will be an encouragement to you:

A couple of months ago, I was at home with Grace while David and the older kids were out sledding.  We were doing some chores, feeling neither particularly happy or sad, when I clearly heard the Lord say,

"You have a good life."

Though it wasn't an audible voice, it was one of the clearest words from the Lord that I have ever heard.  The God of the Universe had just told me that I had a good life.

And it is so true.

I DO have a good life.

I could not stop thinking about this word and basking in the wonder of it.

Fast forward about a month.

I was in MN, visiting my parents.

My dad and I were sitting at the kitchen table, and completely out of the blue my dad said,

"You have a good life."

Wow!

My Father said that I have a good life.

Now, I don't think that my earthly father would ever claim to be a prophetic man.

But, there he was, uttering the very words that God had spoken to me just a month earlier.

I was blown away!

Father, I hear you!

I'm listening!

And I know that it's so very true.

I have a good life.

Thank you so much for this good life.

So, despite the difficulties of the last month, I am rejoicing in the fact that I have a good life.

Indeed...

I have a great life.

Thank you, Father!

Thank you, Father!

You are so good.

nice school

Grace: "Adam, how come you're always so nice? Did you go to nice school?"

Adam: "No. Dad and Mom taught me to be nice."

Grace: (running into my room) "Mom, will you teach me to be nice?"

sickness and healing

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

Our good Father just loves to teach us how to love.  He loves to show us how to be more like His Beautiful Son.  And He'll use any means possible in order to accomplish His loving purposes in us.

When our sweet Jadon had his palate closed 7 1/2 years ago, I began to really see how God could use sickness and pain for His glory.  Holding my precious boy after his surgery, I looked deep into his eyes, and experienced a love for him that I had not experienced up until that time.

It is true that love is not just an emotion, but often our emotions are an indication of something that is already there.  I felt an overwhelming love for Jadon in that moment and the reality of that moment has informed ever moment thereafter.  I was becoming attached to my son in a way that had, up until that time, eluded me.  And my son knew it.  He could feel it.  And that little boy (now nine years old) has the sweetest attachment to his mama and daddy.  He is all hugs and "I love you's" and "You're the best mama in the whole world" every single day.  He's just so full of love.

I have another child who has struggled more with attachment.  This child endured a lot in her young life.  She truly is amazing and has matured so much in the past year. God is healing her heart!  But, this precious child still struggles to say "I love you" and to accept hugs and to accept correction.  She still struggles to fully trust us.

But, last week our little sweetheart was sick.  And she climbed in bed with me and sat down right next to me on the couch and hugged me and just plain wanted to be with me.  She wanted my comfort.

It was glorious.

And even though I do not believe that God wanted my precious child to be sick, I do believe that He allowed it and that he used her illness for greater healing.

He is so concerned with our hearts.

He is so concerned about our relationships with one another.

And he'll use any means possible to mold us more into the image of His Beautiful Son.

He causes all things to work together for good.

sickness and healing

Thank you, Father, for this beautiful gift of healing.

May your healing continue to grow in my precious, precious child.

Once upon a time...

I used to make homemade pasta every week.

really...

These days, I'm afraid that we see this kind of pasta on our table a little lot more frequently than the homemade variety..

It's not that my kids are picky eaters.

In fact, it's just the opposite.

They're great eaters.

great

big

eaters

So, I make crockpots full of beans and rice, big pots of soup, lots of cut-up fruits and vegies,

and the occasional four boxes of mac-n-cheese.

Cheap, easy and plentiful.

That's my motto.

So...

when I went to MN,

and my sister made meals like this for lunch.

and made a beautiful, gourmet meal for my mom's birthday party,

I was in heaven

(the no-macaroni-and-cheese-allowed-kind-of-heaven, that is.)

hmmm...

do you think that my sister, Angela, would like to move to CO to become our personal chef?

nah...

probably not.

Maybe I could talk her into a visit.

What do you say, sis?!

And honestly, you wouldn't even have to cook.

(Although you might be forced to eat some macaroni and cheese.)

No longer orphans, we are sons and daughters.

"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba, Father!'"  Romans 8:15

Dear friends, we have a Father.

A Father, dear ones.

A loving Father, who longs for nothing more than to be in relationship with His precious children.

A wonderful Father, who is not so concerned about what we do,

but who is so very desirous of our hearts.

Hearts fully given over to His perfect love.

Do you feel like a son or a daughter of the Most High King?

Or do you struggle with the spirit of an orphan?

It's amazing, friends.

My precious children--

the ones who truly were orphans,

have taught me so much about what it means to be a daughter.

Their struggles have sent me straight to the arms of the only One who can meet all of my needs.

Straight into the arms of a loving Father...

a Father whom I never really knew.

I spent so much of my life living like the "older brother" (you know, the brother who was angry when His father killed the fattened calf in order to celebrate his brother's safe return).

The section in this book (Experiencing Father's Embrace, by Jack Frost)

could pretty much have described me:

"Most older brothers are right; they are usually the most loyal, hardest-working, best performers in the church.  But often they would rather prove their rightness than promote intimate relationships.  They value obedience over relationship, and they use that self-righteousness to justify their negative attitudes." (p. 101)

Sound like someone you'd like to know?

nah...

me neither.

That's because most "older brothers" are far more concerned about being right than they are about love:

"These sins of the older brother may in reality be a greater hindrance to the Kingdom of God than are the sins of the younger son.  While the younger brother may commit sins of immorality and violate God's laws of behavior, the older brother commits perhaps the greatest sin of all--a sin against love." (p. 95)

a sin against love

Oh Lord, lack of love is what makes us orphans...

striving

competing

always needing to be right

being driven by fear

But it is love that makes us

sons

and daughters.

Love

that heals our broken hearts.

Love

that causes us to desire Your way,

to submit our lives to You,

to serve You,

with joy.

Father, thank you for adoption into your family.

Thank you that Jesus is my perfect elder brother.

Thank you that He is a brother who loves without restraint,

and who teaches me to love with that same kind of love.

Father, thank you that you are a Father

who loves with tenderness,

with kindness,

with compassion.

Thank you that I am no longer an orphan,

but that I am a daughter.

Thank you that you have brought my precious children into my life

to teach me about your Fatherly love.

Let me know your heart, more dear Father.

Let me know your heart more.