On the Trail...

We have been studying the westward expansion of America.

The Santa Fe Trail became a "major highway" for wagon trains and good transportation beginning in 1821. It was used actively for years beginning in Missouri and ending in Santa Fe. Yesterday we had a day of adventure as we drove part of the trail and stopped to study and "re-live" a bit of history along the way... 

(You might be a redneck if... your kids chase tumbleweeds and find it an exciting sport!)

 

We stopped to check out wagon ruts that are still visible today! On this part of the trail, wagons often drove 4 across because they could circle up quicker in case of an Indian raid.

 After lunch with our friend, M, we headed to a museum that had wagons like some of the travelers would have used...

 The kids decided that packing one of these with everything they would need would be difficult these days! We also talked about what we really "need" and what we really "want!"

Next stop was Indian Mound... this point on the trail overlooks what was the Arkansas River- then flowing with water, today... a dry river bed!

There was a cool suspension bridge across a water canal to get to the hiking trail to the mound.

 It was a beautiful day to be out on this adventure...

 The kids beat me to the top and immediately began "defending" the mound! What fun we had pretending we were pioneers fighting the Indians... then we were Indians raiding the wagon trains...

 All at the top... it was windy up there!

 Defending the mound again!

 Smiles even in the wind, she was loving being outdoors with everyone!

 My handsome boys... notice Eli was prepared... he had his revolver ready:)

 Looking out from the mound to the Arkansas River bed. In 1816, the Battle of Chouteau's Island took place out there. There used to be an island in he river, many people describe it as timbered and beautiful. A band of 200 Pawnee Indians attacked a group of traders here.

 Up the road a ways is a small cemetery, it has several old stone markers from the trail days in it.

 I love this metal cross on the gate. As the kids and talked about what life on the trail must have been like... words like... hot, cold, hard, tiring, lonely, dangerous, slow... came up. For me, I I can only imagine the nights when prayers were sent up for protection, safety, good health and comfort... the cross is a reminder of the faithful who accepted the challenge and lead the way into these rugged, desolate (in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness-wow, this definition describes it well- it was a vocabulary word this week!) new lands.... they went forward at all costs to find a new home for themselves.

 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"playing in the dirt..."

 It's that time of year... beautiful spring evenings and sunsets...

time to prepare the soil and get the garden spot ready... plant some potatoes and broccoli...

and to have a blast just playing in the dirt!

 Are you planting a garden this year? We'd love to hear about it...

 Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:   
 a time to be born and
   a time to die,
   a time to plant and
   a time to pull out what was planted,

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Things that make a mama's heart sing...

The weather this past weekend was beautiful! 

Our neighbors were out working in their yards, enjoy the spring weather.

The kids heading out to ask if they could help...
Laundry drying on the line in the spring breeze...
New leaves and buds starting...

How I love spring!

Sunday Snapshot {What we would have missed...}

This past week I got ask several "Why?" questions, we get these often it seems...

why adopt? 

why China? 

why special needs? 

why her?

why spend the money? 

One year ago this week, our phone rang at 10pm. I could immediately tell from caller ID that it was our adoption social worker, and I knew the only reason she would be calling at that hour was if she had a referral for us. In week before she called, we had narrowed down our thoughts on what we felt we could handle at that time with our family as it was. When I answered, my first questions was if our referral fell within those because if not... 

I didn't want to let my heart even look.

I realized that we had put some limits on God, we had told Him what we thought we needed and could handle.

What a sense of humor He has! Our hopes were narrow, in fact I really thought it would be months before a little one came available... but God had something different in mind!

When I ask about the referral, this little one fit each of the things we had prayed for... a little girl... less than 12 months at referral... a limb difference... from the province of one of our other children...

All those things we listed to "limit God" He came through with and was now asking us to say, "yes." I'll never forget opening the email with her pictures and knowing in my heart she was ours.

 Today as I have pondered the why questions, I look at this little one we love so dearly and see what we would have missed if we would have told Him, "no."

 

The answer to the why? 

She was meant to be ours... chosen.

She was waiting and needed a Daddy and a Mommy... and a family to call her own.

Her special need... God made her so special and amazing... and how she does amaze us each day!

She is worth more than riches or treasures stored up...God would and did make a way for us.

This is what we would have missed...

 A treasure worth far more than silver and gold...

A blessing beyond measure...

A smile that can melt even the hardest heart...

Has it been easy... not always.
Sometimes saying "no" would have been simpler...

I am so thankful that He is teaching me to say "Yes, Lord."

“We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes.” – Radical by David Platt.

Wordless Wednesday...

(no, Nate doesn't have a black eye, he has dirt all over his sweet little face:)

Going on a rock hunt...

I ain't afraid...

I got my hammer... 

I got my rubber boots...

and my ziplock bags...

We spent part of our weekend on a 4-H geology trip, collecting rock samples for 4-H Geology boxes for the fair. I am so thankful that the weather turned out to be beautiful, much warmer than expected, no rain and lots of fossils to be found. I didn't take as many pictures as usual because it was muddy and I carried Clara everywhere but here are a few!

 Thanks grandma for planning the trip!!!!

Sunday Snapshot {Celebrating St. Patrick's Emerald style...}

 We had an awesome time yesterday celebrating St. Patrick's Day- Emerald style! Emerald was an Irsih settlement established in the 1850's when Kansas was still a territory. The town was named after Emerald Isle, sort of funny since it is totally land locked in Kansas! There is a rich history in this little community...

 (neat historical note- in 1939, the church burnt and had to be rebuilt- the statue of Christ on the right hand side of this picture was donated by Bing Crosby when they rebuilt!)

Each year they have a huge shindig to celebrate their patron Saint...

Awesome food, great music and wonderful fellowship...

 

The menu was all Irish- corned beef, potatoes, cooked cabbage and soda bread... it was amazing! I wish I knew how to make corned beef that tastes like that!

The cousins all had a blast being together and they kept the balloon man busy!

 

 

Christ with me, 

Christ before me, 

Christ behind me,

Christ in me, 

Christ beneath me, 

Christ above me,

Christ on my right, 

Christ on my left

Christ where I lie, 

Christ where I sit, 

Christ where I arise

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, 

Christ in every ear that hears me. 

St. Patrick

 The journey...

Six years ago, we headed out on a journey we will never forget. We had already flown half way around the world and we crawled in a car to begin an 8 hour journey to the mountain town that was our new daughter's home of the first 15 months of her life. The road was long and winding... literally, full on bumped and unexpected delays...

 

Eli drew lots of curious on lookers as we waited for the car to be repaired...

 We finally arrived, hours later than expected, almost midnight with a dinner waiting... 

Shawn put the kids to bed at the hotel and I went to dinner...

 it was chilly out and the room was lit by candle light and a fire pit... but it is a night I will never forget...

 

spent with others who loved and cared for the orphan...

 The next morning we woke to this view from our window...

And much to our surprise,our daughter arrived at the hotel...

 I will never forget those first moments...

 

They were filled with joy and sadness...

 Two mamas brought together who deeply loved a little girl...

another mama out there somewhere who had chosen the gift of life ...

Three mamas who's lives will never be the same because of a little girl... and the gift of adoption...

 Treasured time together...

First moments never to be forgotten...

More fellowship and food shared...

Time that crossed cultures and language barriers...

 First family picture of the five of us...

(Eli is in the pink snow suit, they were convinced I had not dressed him warm enough...)

 Over the next few hours, we walked the streets of our daughter's  first home together...

trying to take it all in...

to capture moments in time that we never want to forget...

 We laughed and cried together...

We met others who's stories were much the same as our daughters... 

loved by a mother who couldn't raise them...

cared for by a foster mother who treasured them...

 and waiting for a family to call their own...

 We shared tea, snacks and listened and learned...

 Grace...Mercy... Love poured out...

Hope... played out before our very eyes...

We experienced brokenness and blessing...

 

As God expanded our family a little more ...

 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. Isaiah 43:5

We love you Abigayl and we are so thankful that we get to be your mom and dad...

Love, Mommy