A Day At The Farm...

We had the BLESSING of spending Brenda's last day at the farm of my dear and amazingly precious friend, Mary Jane.  She and her husband, David, gave the kids and I a wonderful memory that we will hold dear for a very long time!  These are Mary Jane's shoes... Mary Jane is not a farm girl... she is trapped in an episode of "Green Acres" but she does it with grace and style!  And I simply adore her! (The dirt on her left foot is from one of her horses licking it! :0)

After a yummy lunch, we started our adventure with the horses.  I honestly don't know who enjoyed this more, me or the kids.  I LOVE animals and think horses are some of God's most amazing creatures.  Just being near them makes me feel His presence... majestic and strong yet gentle and loving!

This is Missy.  She is precious, sweet and amazing.  I am in love with her.  She was very interested in my camera.

She sniffed it, nibbled it, posed for it... it was adorable.  And at one point, she set her head on my shoulder... I could have just stayed there with her all day!

This is Thor.  Do you see Abby?  So you see how Thor's head is almost as large as Abby!  Thor was stunning... HUGE... but malnourished.  Thor is a rescue horse.  His owners could not feed him and so he was given to my friends.  Praise the Lord!  Now they are feeding him and loving him.

Thor stole my heart.  Something inside Thor is wounded, I can see it in his eyes.  His spirit is wounded and I just wanted to love on him all day.  He did not like my camera at all.  The sound of the shutter scared him and he would leave me.  It broke my heart and I handed my camera to David.

Thor has my heart.  I am praying for Thor... for healing and strength.  And I will be going back to love on him REALLY soon!

The kids loved feeding the horses carrots.  Brenda was totally loving it!  Abby was fearless... I love that!  At first we kept them out of the fence.   There were 6 horses and a donkey (Sicilian donkey) and so we didn't want anyone stepped on.

The miniature horses were right at Marc's level and he got a kick out of them.  One nibbled his hand and he let out an aggravated sqawk that was hillarious... but he too had no fear... LOVE IT!

After the horses and a brief stop at the frozen lake to throw sticks, rocks, and ice... the kids got to play on a log pile!  Amazing how kids can have so much fun just climbing on logs!

The precious and gorgeous dogs, Bandit and Possum, got to join us for this part.  They are Australian Shepherds (I think) and were just beautiful and sweet.  Brenda has the same love for animals as I do... I LOVE THAT!

Marc was only allowed to play on the bottom two logs... you can see he was not happy about that!  Bella is so precious and spunkie!  She was always offering to hold Marc's hand and walk with him... it was cute.  He wouldn't even look at her or smile for his picture... he was giving me his "tood"!

 

Then the adventure got kicked up a notch!  David came by to "work" and we ended up talking him into a ride!  The kids piled in the back and hung onto the roll bar.  Marc and I sat in the back in a little bed.

Mary Jane and Bella got in front with David and we were off!  And off!  And off!

As you can see, it evoked pure delight and deep joy!  I LOVE IT!  Abby started out with two pony tails and ended up with one and a big whack across the face from a tree branch... but she didn't care!

I thought we were going for a little jaunt around the field. Oh no!  We were off into the woods and then deep into the swamp!  It was amazing and so much fun!  The kids thought it was the best thing in the world!  They were hooting and hollering... it was great!

How cool is it to have this in your back woods!

The dogs were also loving chasing us and running with us... they are so stinkin precious.

Then when we got back to the fields, David did a VERY COOL thing.  He taught Brenda to drive the thing!  The kids and Mary Jane got out and he pressed the gas as she steered.  And something very beautiful happened... she bloomed in front of my eyes.  She wouldn't do it without me in there with David.  She was very nervous yet something was driving her to try... to trust.

After about three or four minutes, she went from very concentrated and timid to...

this... confident, happy, proud, and ready for more!

It was amazing to see her transform.

We got out and he let her drive by herself... she continued to bloom... then he let his boys get in with her... and she was full!  It was simply a very cool moment... I am so thankful for it David... thank you.

Oh sweet friends... thank you so very much.  Our last day could have only been better if Daddy had been there with us.  You have made such an amazing memory with us... I will treasure it and you forever!  Lots of love... hugs... and see you soon!

Post Edit: 10:58 a.m.

I just got a message from Brenda's foster sister that she is there, safe.  Brenda sent me a message... it simply said, "I miss you."

So Touched

I am just so blown away by our friends.  I am so blown away by the way God is loving us and blessing us through you right now.  So many people were touched by Brenda when she was here.  So many friends reached out and blessed us in so so many ways. 

Yesterday, two friends stopped by after reading my post... one with tulips and sunshine for me (smile) and another with love and hugs (smile).  They stopped by within 15 minutes of each other.  My phone has been filling up with texts from friends praying for us and loving us today... checking in on me.  My email has received several "love notes" as well as my answering machine.  And yes, I am even being loved on face book.

Today was such a mixture of emotions.  Awaking on the day you are sending someone you love greatly away is very difficult.  But I tried so hard to keep it together.  She was brave.  I was brave.  My Lord was strength.

Watching her walk out of my eyesight was difficult and the rush of emotions came for a moment and then they were free.  New and very precious friends stayed with us at the airport for two hours afterwards, loving us, just being there, making it much easier to walk to my car.

And then we napped.  And when we awoke, I felt rested and ready and excited.  God has something amazing in store and I am waiting... so very ready and anxious.

THANK YOU MY PRECIOUS FRIENDS.  Thank you for the nights having us over for dinner. Thank you for the breakfast and shopping trip out. Thank you for the gifts given at church.  Thank you for the gifts given before she came (YOU were a part of her being here) and after.  Thank you for the joy you shared with us, the questions you asked, and the memories made. THANK YOU for showing her and us God's love... we are swimming in it!  You all amaze me... over and over again.  And thank you for reaching out to us, praying for us, and loving us today... I will never forget the comfort, healing, hope, and warmth it brought!

I love you so very much.  Dawn~

The Last Day

My heart is in disbelief that a month has gone by since Brenda has been with us. 

It is very had right now.  We will be visiting a friend's farm today to hang out with horses, goats and chickens.  After being farm girls, we will come home and pack.  Then we will go to dinner at our favorite restaurant.  Then we will come home and have "family time"... one of Brenda's favorite things we do.  Fly boy will make a fire, we'll put on some music, and sit on the sofa together under blankets and just look at each other... hug, cuddle, smile, pray.  We will give Brenda and Abby matching angel wing necklaces... and pray for God's protection, mercy, grace, and blessings over them.   We will take their mattress, put it in our room, and all go to sleep together.  Then tomorrow morning will arrive and we will leave the house at 7:30 a.m. to put our precious Brenda on a plane to go home to Latvia.

Please pray.  Pray for God to protect her heart, to protect her physically, to protect her spiritually, to guide her, to cover her with His strength, grace. mercy, and LOVE!  And please pray for Abby to be covered with His peace, hope, grace, and protection!  THANK YOU!!!!!  Much love... Dawn

Monday 9: 43 a.m.

Three full days left.  The heaviness has arrived.

And Then It Snowed...

There is something so magical and heavenly about snow to me.  Probably because we live in a state where it is a rare treat.  But snow makes me happy and I am in awe of the beauty created by everything being sprinkled with heaven's dust.  We were given the gift of such a sprinkle Thursday night!

"Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters." Psalm 29: 1-3~

"The voice of the Lord is powerful.  The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.  The voice of the Lord breaks cedars of Lebanon.  He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Siron like a young wild ox." Psalm 29: 4-6~

The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.  The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, And strips the forest bare; And in His temple everyone says, Glory!"  Psalm 29: 7-9 ~

"The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, And the Lord sits King forever.  The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalm 29: 10, 11~

It was a beautiful morning enjoying God's creation, His beauty, His gift, and His presence.  This is my stone of remembrance.  It came home in my pocket.  It's the first of many to come home with me this year!

Hugs and much love... Dawn~

Guess what we did today?

Me and B and the Sea!

Brenda and I went to the Georgia Aquarium this morning and had a WONDERFUL time!  I LOVE ANIMALS!!!!  I continue to be mesmerized by the variety and fantastic creativity of God's creatures!

I am not sure what the best part was.  Caressing the sting rays and sharks was pretty divine!  Brenda was timid at first but after she touched the first one, her hand remained in the water.

They were totally cool.  Several of them really liked being pet and so they would circle around and come right back to us.  It took all my will power not to just sneak inside the tank and sit in the middle of them!  I am sure no one would have noticed me.

And then there was Nandi, the giant manta ray who stole my heart a thousand times.  She was simply amazing... so huge, so graceful, and so playful!  She would glide across the bottom of the tank and then come right up to the wall and do a back flip.  Then in the middle of the tank, she'd stop and do several back flips in a row... just to show off.

Then we found out she had been a rescue.  She had been caught in a fishing net off the coast of South Africa.  When I found out they rescued her, instead of just killing her as many do, I could have cried.  She was rehabilitated in South Africa and then moved to Atlanta and is the only manta ray to be in an U.S. aquarium ever!

She totally ROCKS!  I am totally in love with her.  I could have sat and watched her all day.  I think she is one of the most magnificant creatures I have ever seen.

The tropical fish were fun and very colorful.  Brenda liked the yellow ones and I liked the purple ones.  They reminded me of the fish I saw when I snorkled in Cuba and Hawaii.  You can pay to snorkle in this tank... very cool... would make a great date!

Then there was lunch.  We shared a Sprite, shared some fries, and shared some chicken tenders... Brenda keeps calling "chicken" "kitchen" and so she was telling me how yummy the "kitchen" was and we both laughed pretty hard.  And she is super cool because she loves mustard like I do and so we both ate it on our fries and our kitchen... I mean chicken. :0)

After lunch we played in the gift shops.  I could have taken one of every stuffed thing they had!

Brenda is a Nemo fan and she will kill me for posting the fish lips shot but I love it!

So here is the one she prefers.

The Beluga whales were not there since the aqaurium is building a dolphin exhibit... where you can ALSO PAY AND SWIM WITH THEM!!!!!!!!!  So that was disappointing but the whale sharks were glorious as were the hammerhead sharks and other amazing sea creatures.

This morning was amazing.  It's officially one of my favorite memories with Brenda. Hope you enjoyed the "little" peek into our morning delights! 

Hugs and kisses to you all!

Saturday Confessions

OK.  Here it is.  I am not perfect.  I know at least several of you are shocked.  I do know you will get through it... with time! HA

In the past, there have been comments that are so complimentary of my "mothering" that I have been left feeling guilty!  So here it is... I am starting off the new year with the main confession of my mothering short coming... I get highly irritated with my children... I mean highly.  Whew.  There it is.  You now know I am far from perfect... the pressure is gone!

I get HIGHLY irritated when Abby starts arguing with me 3 minutes after being awake.  I get HIGHLY irritated when she is still arguing with me on the way to school 50 minutes later.  I get way HIGHLY irritated when she continues arguing with me 1 minutes after getting back in the car after school.  It goes something like this:

6:30 a.m. Me-  "Good Morning Precious One"
               Abby- "I am NOT precious!"
6:35 a.m.  Me- "You need to wear pants today, it's cold outside."
                Abby- "I don't want to wear pants and it's not cold."
6:45 a.m.  Me- "Here is your breakfast, sit down and eat."
                Abby- "I don't want breakfast."  "I want to buy my lunch today."
                 Me- "You are taking your lunch today."
                Abby-" Why do I have to take my lunch? I don't want to take my lunch."
                Me- "You take your lunch so you have good food to eat."
               Abby- "I don't want to eat."
Get the picture?  And this is EVERY DAY!

Now onto the other little one... Marc Parker.  I get HIGHLY irritated that he SCREAMS ALL THE TIME!  WORDS MUST START COMING SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He screams when Abby says "Good Night" to him.  He screams when Abby looks at him.  He screams when Abby touches him.  He screams when he doesn't get the food he wants.  He screams when he wakes from a nap.  He screams.  It's like nails on a chalk board to my soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there.  My children are not perfect and I am not perfect.  I am HOPING and PRAYING for more wisdom in how to handle such things because I truly would like to feel irritated less.  But for now, I guess I am just imperfect. 

Now onto other and lighter confessions-  I love unsharpened pencils.  I know.  Crazy.  Odd.  Random.  But there is something about pencils with cool patterns on them that are not sharpened that I would just like hoard.  I am drawn to them.  I know... your image of me is falling apart quickly.  I also really love writting with pencils.  I am a horrible speller.  You probably know this about me as you have read many of my mispellings.  Yes, I went to journalism school at the University of North Carolina and I am still a horrible speller.  And my new version of blogger does not have spell check anymore.  My husband is an excellent speller and he often points out my mistakes and so that helps.  To pass the journalism program you have to take this HORRID spelling test thats like 20 pages... confession number three- I had to take the test THREE times.  I was a basket case.  But I finally passed!  I am a hair nightmare!  I have hated my hair... since I was born.  Seriously.  You think I'd be over it by now... but I am not. It's kinda thin... not real brown and not real blonde... just muddy in the middle... and it has enough wave in it to not starighten well and not be curly either.  And I know I mispelled curlie/curley/curly (they all look wrong to me... I don't know... maybe it was actually right!).  And that's all I am going to say about that. 

I guess that is enough for now.  I am hoping that all of you know now that I am far from perfect.  So now I can go on posting without the fear of misleading any of you! 

Lots of love... lots... and thank you for loving me!

Where The Road Takes Us

Happy New Year!  I have to say I am pretty excited to be heading into a new year.  I am still spinning from the last one and the realization that it has passed.  When did time start moving so quickly?

I took the picture in my header this fall in Virginia when we visited my parents for Thanksgiving.  The sky was amazing.  It was so cold and I must have stopped at least 15 times on the side of the road to take pictures.  Abby started whinning, "AgAIN...????" every time I pulled over!  It was pretty funny.  But I love this picture.  I love the sky, so full of movement, color, depth, power, God's presence.  I love the road lying there, empty... just waiting.  It seemed like the perfect picture to start off the year with... God's presence and beauty and the road He is waiting to lead us down... just lying there... waiting... full of turns, bumps, smooth spots, promise, and a glorious destination with beauty all along the way!

2009 was a full year... full of change, challenges, growth, love, joy, and God.  He was everywhere.  He drew us closer to Him and showed Himself to us in audacious ways!  I can't wait to see what He has in store for us in 2010!

Instead of offering to you the ways I hope to improve over the next year... I offer you a challenge.  I challenge you to seek the Lord as you never have before... even if you don't believe in Him... for in seeking Him... you will find Him.  There is no selfish motive behind this challenge... only the desire for you to be blown away by a God who longs to walk with you each day.  What do you have to lose?  Nothing.  And what do you have to gain?  EVERYTHING!

Happy New Year.