From Our Family To Yours

All of our tables were set.....

Inside and out.............

Emanuiel and Clara Beth finally got to eat at their little table. What a treat that was.

Family and food was enjoyed by all.

From our family to yours............We hope you enjoyed a very blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Now I must rest because tomorrow I have a shopping date with my husband. It's our after Thanksgiving tradition. Just the two of us!!!!! We always have so much fun!!!

Many of you will also be out and about purchasing your gifts for this Christmas season. As you do remember the wonderful gifts you have been given and use them to serve the One who gave us the greatest gift of all.

Each one should use whatever gift

he has received to serve others.

1 Peter 4:10

Until next time.....................

Robin

Sneak Thanksgiving Peek!!!!

Thanksgiving Eve supper............Baked Potato Soup

One of our desserts for the big day............Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Clara Beth's and Emanuiel's table all decorated with the turkeys that they made.

The main table all set and ready.

Another view.

First peek at the Pumpkin Pie!!!!

Just a little taste....................

And no holiday would be complete without a little Thanksgiving tug-of-war first thing in the morning!!!!

There's still so much to do!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Remember this:

And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

Until next time.................

Robin

Looking Our Best

Not only do we have to get our house looking it's best for Thanksgiving, but the boys needed some sprucing up too. So off we went for haircuts. This is Land after his. He has such a head full of thick hair. I just wish I had that problem!! She had to thin some of his to take the heaviness out. What a handsome fellow!!!

Then it was Emanuiel's turn. This was his first official haircut since he has been home. The little trim I gave him doesn't count. He sat very still and was very patient. You can see Paul and Clara Beth watching in the mirror.

Snip, snip

Okay, is this EVER going to end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It did finally and he also looked very handsome. I am supposed to be getting things ready for tomorrow so I must run.

I just LOVE Thanksgiving. Right now I have to intervene before we have yet another head injury. The two little ones are entertaining themselves by jumping off the sides of the couch!!! Never a dull moment around here.

Until next time...................

All the ends of the world

shall remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before You.

Psalm 22:27

Worship and give thanksgiving to the One who is so deserving, on Thanksgiving and always.

Robin

Rainy Days and Mondays..............

Yes, that Carpenter’s song was running through my mind today. And what a Monday it was. After one frantic call to our pediatrician’s office about a head injury while exiting the car today(yes, that is correct), a little girl that has decided that “no” she does not want to wear big girl panties anymore, and a husband that is in bed with a fever I felt that Land and I needed a little escape. So here it is in the form of luscious, liquid chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!!! Warm and yummy for our tummy, topped off with whipped cream, cinnamon and chocolate shavings. I could just feel the day melting away right along with the whipped cream.

Once my cup was empty it was back to reality and the all important question of "What's for dinner???? I decided "simple" it would be..... so ham and cheese omelets, buttery grits and bacon were on the menu. Paul is our resident "breakfast" guy, but since he was under the weather it was all up to me. This was a quick and easy meal that was also enjoyed by Anna Kayla(Greg is on a Mission Trip to Costa Rica right now)so we have been blessed with her company a lot since last Friday!!! After every one's tummies were full it was off for baths and bedtime. Now everyone is all tucked in and asleep and I am headed in that same direction. I can still hear the rain as it falls.......................Good sleeping weather!!

Until next time.......................

You drench the plowed ground with rain,

melting the clods and leveling the ridges.

You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.

Psalm 66:10

So too soften and bless us with Your Spirit Lord.

Please pray that everyone is back up to speed very soon in our house.

Emanuiel's huge goose egg has gone down on his head but it is going to be an ugly bruise. Clara Beth will hopefully LOVE her new panties tomorrow and will decide that "yes" she does want to wear them. Thankfully she is still using the potty, she just chooses to wear a diaper now so she won't have an accident and wet her yeggs as she calls them. Paul is NEVER sick so he must get better because, like I said in my earlier post, Thanksgiving is at our house and there is "MUCH" to do!!!!!!

Robin

Pondering the Week Ahead

Thanksgiving is coming and their is so much to do and so much to be thankful for.

Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens,
and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord:
for He commanded, and they were created.
Psalm 148:4-5

Until next time..............
I will be hosting the Thanksgiving dinner this year so I have lots to do to get ready!!!!!!!
Robin

"Felicious" Delicious

Tonight after dinner we had ice cream cones for dessert. While we were eating them Clara Beth said "Mama dis ice cream is dust felicious" Emanuiel couldn't have agreed with her more!!!

" Manuiel do you think dis ice cream is felicious?"

Then she told me "I'm gonna yick it"!

To this Emanuiel replied,"Yummy, Yummy"!!

This weekend try and enjoy something "felicious"!!! We will!!

Until next time...............

Here's a "felicious" thought for you:

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys of those who trust him!

Psalm 34:8

Robin

Wordless Wednesday

Meeting New Friends!!!

Saturday while Paul and Land spent the day at the Clemson game Anna Kayla, Clara Beth, Emanuiel and I hopped in the car and headed out to meet up with Sharon and her girls from "Blooms and Blessings". She drove from her home about thirty minutes and our drive was about an hour. Boy was it worth it to meet "bloggy" friends in person!! However, you will see that it was very hard to get a good picture of so many moving targets!! You can barely see sweet EllaKate in the background.

Sharon joined in the picture so that we could try and get a better shot. Clara Beth was definitely more interested in her yogurt than anything else!! We did manage to try and squeeze in some conversation between my numerous trips to get drinks, spoons, plates, several bathroom breaks and a first aid run after Emanuiel feel backwards out of his chair and bit his tongue. Yes there was blood, so glad I decided against wearing the white shirt that I had first picked out!! The red blended nicely whit the hot pink I was wearing!! Oh well, that's what life is like with a rambunctious 3 year old and 2 year old prissy poo!! Thank goodness Anna Kayla was there to help me!!!

Our fun spilled over into the parking lot in 40 mph winds!!! Again we tried to get pictures.........Emanuiel is hiding behind EllaKate. Clara Beth has moved completely out of the picture!!

Yes, they finally made contact. Sharon and I had to keep grabbing them because they were running around and giggling in the wind. I am so grateful that we were able to meet. There was so much more that I wanted to talk about. I guess I'll have to just save all that for another day!!! I do hope we get together again very soon.

I am so blessed to have met so many wonderful people through our journey of adoption.

Just like in Isaiah 11:6

And a little child will lead them.

We have been led to new Christian friends through the adoption of our precious children. How great is that!!!

Until next time....................

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have

entertained angles unaware.

Hebrews 13:2

This week be especially kind to those you meet, it might just be an angel!!

Robin

Joy and Delight

Whatever our destination may be and no matter how we get there. Whether we ..........

climb.........................

walk..................

run.......................

or twirl with giddiness.

May we do so with the wonder and awe of a child. May we never become so grown up that we can no longer bask in the splendor of our Father’s creation.


I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you find time to……..

Clap your hands, all you peoples;
Shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
A great king over all the earth.
Psalm 47:1-2

Until next time……………….
Robin

The Big Day!!!!

After celebrating pretty much all weekend, Land's big day finally arrived. He loves these white meringue cookies that he refers to as "Land Puffs" so I surprised him first thing Tuesday morning with them. I made them after he went to bed on Monday night so he had no idea that they were waiting for him when he woke up. I know you are not supposed to have cookies for breakfast but since it was his birthday I made an exception!!! This picture shows all that were left by Tuesday night!!

As always, the birthday boy (or girl) at our house gets to plan the whole menu for their big day! So for Land the dining room was transformed into an Italian Bistro!! Here is the Chocolate Layer Cake he requested for dessert. I had to run home after school on Monday to bake this because of course he wanted fudgy homemade frosting!!

These little bread sticks are in the pewter cup that Land was given when we brought him home. All of our children have one of these with their name engraved on it. They are so very special to us and it was the perfect compliment to our table. Clara Beth could not stop eating these!!!!

This Chocolate Raspberry Cake was a special little surprise from Anna Kayla. Land can NEVER have too much chocolate cake!!! It was the perfect size for him.

Here is his favorite meal....................Baked Ziti covered with melted Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese, warm garlic bread, and a salad with homemade Creamy Italian Dressing!! YUM!!

Here is the birthday boy feeling quite full after several helpings of the Ziti!!! During our meal we all took turns telling special or funny stories about Land. We had such a great time remembering different things he had done over the years. We all laughed and laughed, that boy has given us a lot of material to work with over the years!!!

With help form our resident Barista(Anna Kayla worked in a coffee shop while in college) we set up a coffee bar for Land because he absolutely loves coffee. We had flavored syrups, creamers and sugar to make it extra special.

Getting ready for the coffee!!!

Here is Anna Kayla surprising Land with the Chocolate Raspberry Cake as we all sang "Happy Birthday"!! He was very surprised!!! It was a great compliment to his Chocolate Mint Coffee!! I told you he could never have enough chocolate(much like his mom)!!

A happy onlooker hoping for some delicious cake!!!!

Land decided to dive in like he did on his very first birthday, face first!!!

Mr. Chocolate Face!!

Then it was present time!!

After dinner we were entertained with a concert. Land played his trumpet and was accompanied by Emanuiel playing a Lincoln Log and...........................

Clara Beth tooting a Tinker Toy!!! All in all it was a wonderful evening spent with the ones I love!! I can't believe my Land is twelve years old!! He has brought such laughter and joy into our lives(along with some hair raising moments) and I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything!!!

For him I am forever thankful!!!!!! My heart's desire is to help him become the man that God would have him to be.

The steps of the Godly are directed by the Lord,
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will not fall
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23-24

I pray that my son will follow in His steps today and always.

Until next time....................

Robin