Legoland

We went to Legoland last weekend. What fun!

Beach fun

 

The Pacific

We took a little trip to California right after Christmas. Here's a few pictures of the family on the Pacific Ocean. It was a little cold, but it didn't stop the girls from getting wet.

Twas the morning of Christmas...

and all through the house

wrapping and ribbon

and toys did abound.

Merry Christmas!

We did not send out Christmas Cards this year. It's causes me anxiety attacks just thinking about getting all the kids to smile at once in matching outfits. I thought of this idea today, so here's your internet Christmas Card from the Peaks. :-)

silly

Lucy told me she loves Frusty th'noseman.

Sorry, haven't been able to post in a while. My computer crashed and I can't access my pictures.

An Evening in December

Painting

Karianne spent her Birthday money at a pottery painting place. She did a great job painting a little kitty.

Giveaway

This fun blog is doing a huge gamestop giveaway. Just go to the site, answer all the questions on your blog or facebook and let them know you did it!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.


1. What is your holiday wish for your family? 
   Laughter


2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?
   Kids wake up and dig in their stockings, parents wake up, big breakfast, Christmas Story, then PRESENTS!
3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? 
   Is a maid too much to ask for?
4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
    We love looking at Christmas lights, going to church Christmas Celebrations.
5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
    Lots of board games, card games.
6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
    Kids get in their stockings before the parents have to get up. Oh and there are always some unwrapped presents under the tree.
7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?
    A lake cabin.
8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?My husband wants a WII. I like PS2 games, and a DS.

Creepy Santa

 

   I love anything old. If you know anything about me, you know that. I couln't resist buying this giant old Santa at a church junk sale for $1. He is just about life size. He is coming out of a cardboard chimney with hands reaching out, he just kind of looks creepy. I also bought a child's recliner at the sale (for $5 thankyouverymuch) so the van was already full with 4 kids and a recliner. I held him in my lap in the passenger seat with the window down and had him wave at the cars we passed. Brent got tired of that pretty quick so next we stuffed the Santa behind the back seat and he was looming over Amy and Angie like something out of a horror movie about to snatch them.

 When I got him home, everyone begged me to hide him. For the next few days I had great fun hiding him for the single purpose of scaring Brent when he opened the closet, turned down the bed covers or went to the bathroom. I put him on the toilet seat in our little bitty closet bathroom in our bedroom and waited for Brent to scream. Somehow he managed not to use that bathroom for over 2 days and I got tired of scaring MYSELF every time I opened the door to use the bathroom, so I finally gave up and hid him somewhere else.

He's a great gag, but the family wants him gone. He's on ebay now if you want him: here

Hope you don't have nightmares.

Sights of the Season

There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries.  ~W.J. Cameron

waiting

Angie told me she was going to wait for the green lemons on our tree to turn yellow. And then she sat...

Everything Changes

This is Zhuang Lu Hu. Zhuang is the last name of the Orphanage director, all the kids have that name and Lu Hu means butterfly. She was found on the side of a road, less than a day old wrapped in a red and white rag next to another little baby. Butterfly is a compound Chinese name and both girls have half of the word butterfly since they were found together. Almost all the referral photos I've seen of children overseas waiting to be adopted have this vacant stare.


This is Wu Hong Cai. Wu means the town she is from, Hong Cai means, "a pretty name for a girl". She was found abandoned in a hospital a few days old, and was taken to an orphanage. She waited for almost 3 years for her family to come scoop her up and say, "There she is! There's our little girl." And they scooped her up and brought her home.


This is Amy Wu Cai Peak and Angela Lu Hu Peak , sisters. Same little girls but what a change. Not that they are older, but they are different. They belong, they have family and they have a name. Not the orphanage director's name but their own parents name that were chosen for them.



Today in church we heard a message on adoption as the church announced the launch of our new Orphan Care ministry, Hands of Hope. The message was about how Christ adopted us, our names were changed and we were given the title, "Child of God". But so much more than that, our before and after adoption tale is more than a fairy tale. Before we were forlorn, undesirable, unlovely and rejected by the world. When Christ adopted us, we went from no hope, no love to a bright future with God and Everlasting Love.

I just love looking at before and after pictures of adopted children. The before pictures are so sad, so forlorn. The after pictures are without a doubt, beautiful children with breathtaking changes from their before adoption pictures. What is the difference?

Love.

Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.
(Isa 1:17)

Orphan Sunday

This Sunday is Orphan Sunday. I am thrilled to be a part of a church that is participating this year. We will also be introducing our new Orphan Care ministry Hands of Hope at the church this Sunday. May God use it to united Orphans and Families.

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Walk n Roll

Saturday we went to the Spina Bifida Association's "Walk n Roll". I thought it would be a good way to show the girls what Amy has has a name, and there are other kids like her. A lot of kids in wheel chairs and many kids with the Kiddie Gate that Amy got a few weeks ago to help her walk. It was fun. One thing that I have found to be so important for our family is a sense of solidarity with other families that have similarities with us. Whether it's special needs, adoption, international adoption, infant loss and on, it's just a great sense of support to join with others on the same road we are traveling.



Being the day before Halloween, the kids could come to the walk dressed up, so the girls put on their favorite outfits and strutted around. After the walk, there was a picnic and carnival games for the kids. They all got snow cones AND cotton candy AND candy. So much stickiness!


They did a great event. We look forward to the next event with the Spina Bifida Association.

So many choices.

Ya know how you have to pick a prefix when you are filling out forms? I filled out a form tonight that had more choices than I had EVER seen. So many choices. I'm debating on whether I'd rather be called "Her Excellency" or "The"

This was the list to pick from:

2nd Lt
Capt
Capt and Mrs
CDR and Mrs
CDR
Col
Col and Mrs
CPT
Deacon
Dr
Dr. and Mrs.
Dr and Mr
Drs.
Gen and Mrs
Honorable
Hon and Mrs.
His Excellency
Her Excellency
Ltc
Lt Col.
Lt Col and Mrs.
Madam
Maj. Gen
Miss
Mr.
Maj.
Mr. and Dr.
Mr. and Mr.
Mr. and Mrs.
Ms.
Ms. and Mr.
Ms. and Mrs.
Ms. and Ms.
Rabbi
Rabbi and Mrs.
Rev.
Rev and Mrs.
Revs.
Senator
Sen and Mrs.
Sgt.
Sgt and Mrs.
Sr.
The Honorable
The Hon. and Mrs.

Orphan Alert computer whiz ageing out. Huge grant available

Homestudy-Ready Families: Urgent Adoption!

A 13-and-3/4-year- old boy urgently needs to be adopted before he ages out in January. He is a computer whiz, has a good sense of humor, a repaired cleft lip and a blood disorder. He has been tested for HIV and is negative. Exceptions can be granted for families interested him, and families can adopt him with another child. There is up to $10550 in aid.

This boy is in Asia and this adoption requires travel. We had a devoted family for him, but due to circumstances beyond their control they could not complete this adoption. We need a homestudy-ready family that has started their immigration work in order to complete this adoption on time.

ID: LZ-0197-16675- 01,

When we met with this 13-year-old boy he spoke in a soft voice but clearly stated that his main interest is computers! His favorite subject in school is computers and his favorite out-of-school activity is working on computers. He has a repaired cleft lip and palate but his speech is understandable, though as he counted in English a slight lisp was noticeable. Although he is a bit shy, he did ask if everyone in the room was supposed to be speaking in English! Watching him later in our meetings, it was clear that he has an engaging personality and a good sense of humor, likes to entertain others and is a leader among the other children. He showed a competitive, but very appropriate, spirit in the group games. By breakfast of the second day, he had lost any shyness, not hesitating to approach our staff and asking with a smile the English word for an item he held up—a hardboiled egg. This nice boy is need of a family! He has a blood disorder. He has been tested for HIV and is negative.

Requirement waivers: Waivers can be requested if you do not meet the requirements for adopting from China. If you are married, we can ask for exceptions to the adoption requirements (i.e., if you are over the age limit of 54, somewhat over the BMI limit of 40, somewhat under the income/net worth, or have medical conditions, etc.).

Financial Aid: A family of any income is eligible for grants/waivers ranging up to $9,550 in aid for this particular child. There is a $4,200 Promise Child grant and the $250 WACAP application fee is waived. Please also ask about up to $4,000 in reductions possible on a case-by-case basis and a new private donation for this adoption of $1,000. There is no fee to ask for this child's information file. Please also ask your tax consultant about $13,000-plus Adoption Tax Credit.

Contact FamilyFinders@ wacap.org 1-800-732-1887 WACAP (www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency.

Deserving a Break

You know you always wondered what Superheroes did on their day off.

Hiking in the Fall

Besides the Autumn poets sing
A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow
And that side of the Haze --

A few incisive Mornings --
A few Ascetic Eves --

Gone -- Mr. Bryant's "Golden Rod" --
And Mr. Thomson's "sheaves."

Still, is the bustle in the Brook --
Sealed are the spicy valves --

Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The Eyes of many Elves --

Perhaps a squirrel may remain --
My sentiments to share --

Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind --
Thy windy will to bear!

Besides the Autumn poets sing by Emily Dickinson