The Great Adventures of Milly and Grandy Frank I

 This year was an unusual year for us.  It was the first year we didn't have two of our children home for Christmas.  It just happened to be our 2 biological children.  We did however have our son in law and granddaughter here for her first Christmas.  Christmas Eve I was singing as part of our worship team and looked down to see all 6 of our children whom came to us through adoption, my son in law and granddaughter.  It hit me that this entire Christmas was happening because Randy and I gave our plans to God in our 20s....We trusted in something bigger then ourselves when things around us were falling apart. So many times in that journey we said yes to God's plan when it seemed, crazy, hopeless, fearful, amazing.....  Without that walk.  This Christmas would have looked a lot different.  I know for a fact we would not know any of these wonderful people who now call us mom and dad, no grandbaby would be looking at her aunties and uncles with ...

So I have been newly addicted to Tik Tok and yes for a long time I was saying no no I am not joining it, but alas I have hopped on board...and there is a whole group of videos using an audio that starts off...first of all how do you even know??  and so that begins my thought train of the day... I am about to reveal how human centric my thinking has always been....one thing I struggle with, along with many in the world is how God can allow bad stuff to happen or how He could create a world in which its allowed or possible.  Before I ever really considered much about faith in my 20s I was a big bangest (if that's a word) mostly because I didn't really think about it more then what I was taught.  Didn't think about what began that, or where that matter came from, or why....my brain just didn't care honestly.  I thought more growing up about spooky ghosts and hauntings more then I ever thought about the other side of spirituality.  What is funny is in those days I n...

Sometimes in life he slips in quietly, stealthy.  I never see it coming. A little apathy, a little less quiet, a little more reminiscing on darker times... then the doubts slowly creep in, the feelings start to slide and the emotions take over, the truth grows quieter and quieter.  The faith begins to waiver and the seeking slows.  A loneliness shadows my heart and like bedtime story starts to lull me into a stillness. Then like a mother waking a drowsy infant I begin to sense an SOS, a life line pulling me back.  It begins with a stirring in my heart and longing in my soul.  A recognition of truth and familiar tug of love back to where my heart belongs, reminding me of the masterpiece I am in the hands of He who has made me.  The volume of my heart begins to rise and my mind begins to clear until I am back where I am and I realize he has crept in and deceived me but He who is greater has got me in his hands.

 I have seen so much debate these past couple of years over a range of social issues.  It has no signs of stopping either.  As a Christian I believe in a God who has a sovereign plan.  He is neither confused nor slow nor unjust.  In a perfect world his statutes are perfect and thus we have a picture of heaven, his second coming.  In the meanwhile we are here in an imperfect world that was never intended to become a perfect world.   In a perfect world, rape, incest, sexual abuse does not exist.  In an imperfect world this is a daily horrible reality. In a perfect world disease and traumatic injuries don't exist, but in an imperfect world they do and often lead to depression, drug abuse.... In a perfect world families stay together, love always is enough, but in an imperfect world we have divorce, domestic abuse, unstable families In a perfect world we are just and do not need governmental type regulations but in an imperfect world we are not a...

Somedays I feel like I must have SUCKER tattooed on my forehead...or perhaps on a sign on my back.  Learning to stand up for myself is not something that has come easily to me.  I tend to avoid conflict and want to create peace in any situation.  Sometimes this has served me well....never had many fights, I can get along with most people.  When I was young people would say I was sweet and back then I hated that description, I wanted something with more power...funny, determined, smart, strong....but sweet always felt weak and powerless.  I have always been an optimist and often have the rose colored glasses.  I have always felt like we can take on anything and I grew to love that about myself as I grew.  I started to see sweet as powerful, because I saw sweet and caring can often bring about powerful change and much more then strength and attitude.  I saw my family blossom and grow in part because of those rose colored glasses.  Had I been lo...

The new me? So one thing that I looked forward to when my kids were little was having time to myself...usually to get some things done.  However, I have found that now that they are older and some have moved out I have plenty of time but I have forgotten how to take time.  Things in life haven't necessarily gotten easier but different.  When the kids were little my days were filled with making food, cleaning messes and staying on top of what type of shenanigan's they were getting into at any moment. During those time I worried that I wasn't enjoying the time with them, or was wishing away days or stages.  I used to think what will it be like when I can get caught up on the laundry or when I don't have to figure out what is for dinner again.  Now that mine are older we have many nights where all the kids are out and its just Grandy and I.  I forgot how to cook for two so we either have way too much food or we order in.  There is a relaxing aspect to it,...

 Welcome to our new blog....I kept a blog while my kids were little and growing up and I thought it was time to make a new blog to keep up with the new things happening around here.  No all the kids haven't flown the nest yet, we still have 4 home in high school, but each of these next 4 years we creep closer into the empty nester years.  I used to dread this part of life when the kids were little I couldn't imagine that I could let them go.  However, God is good to prepare parents hearts to be ready to sent them out on their own and to reclaim who we were and who we have become.  So for the last 23 years I have been parenting fulltime..... and again for the next 4..... the last time Grandy and I had an empty nest was never....Our oldest was born while we were living with my parents, so we are beginning a whole new exciting adventure.  So how did we get here, the short version....birthed 2, adopted 2, adopted 3, and then adopted 1....raised them (see previo...