Last Night of T Ball

Kobe was sad that tonight was the last night of T Ball.  He enjoys it so much and is a great hitter!

He was really excited about getting his first trophy.  He kept talking about his "first trophy" after we got home.  It was neat that he was so excited about :)


If you want to see what store I am getting to pay me to come in and take stuff click here :)

If you want to hear about my really good deal I am going to try to pull off tomorrow click here :)

EWE!!!

According to this program if Ben and I had a baby this is what it would look like:Apparently we would have a red headed step child.

Does this look like kobe???  I don't think this is very accurate!

Kobe's Hidden Talents

Oddly enough, Kobe is really good at hoolla hooping.  He found this old one at my mom's house and tried it out and can do it for quite a while!



A couple years ago my mom & dad started dragging out this bow and arrow set when Kobe would come over.  It is perfect for a little kid and Kobe really likes it.  Over the weekend he was playing with it and decided to stick an apple on the end of it BEFORE he shot it :) 

What happens when you ask God and HE answers

 

June12, 2008

 

Last night I had “the talk” with Ben.  The “worst case scenario about adoptive foster parenting talk”.  The talk where I had to tell him we could have a child in our home for 6 mo. to a year and then they could go back to their parents.  I had to tell him I would probably have to meet their bio. parents and take them to visits with them.  I had to tell them even if the state does terminate parental rights it could take months and months for them to do that.

I cannot tell you what a huge change has taken place in both of us just over the past two weeks.  I couldn’t believe after telling him all these things he looked at me and said, “OK, Let’s do it.  If we are supposed to do this God will make it happen.  If not He won’t”

 

All this coming from two people that always said we would never adopt a child if the parents where even in the same country as us.

 

Well, never say never,  Sometimes it seems as if God hears you say “I will never…” and then He makes plans to show you how wrong you are.  It is always such a great plan HE has though, so you can’t really look back, second guess, or have too much pride to move in the direction He is pushing you in.

 

So, anyway, I guess it is official.  Ben and I plan to become licensed adoptive foster parents.

 

Thank you God for changing our hearts.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday!  She isn't too into celebrating, if you ask her "What do you want for your birthday?"  She will answer "Nothing, don't get me anything."  AND SHE IS SERIOUS!!!  

On Sunday we celebrated and I made Hot Fudge Brownie Sundays for her birthday.  They were really good :)

We had so much fun just hanging out out side and then the hammock came out and Kobe made everyone turn it into the equivalent of a Cedar Point ride!

He always gets my dad to do it first, he wraps him up...

And then flips him upside down while Kobe holds on!

Then Kobe makes everyone push him as high and as fast as we can get him to go.

Next David got in with him and we had to be a little tamer.







Bobbie & I grew up with my cousins Lauren and Bobby & every summer our Grand parents would get the hammock out for all of us and we had such a blast with it.  I love seeing Kobe and David do the same thing :)

Money Money

Check out what is going on over at:

gooddealsorfree.blogspot.com

Kobe's quote of the day...

Sunday in the car:

"Can I put chicken fat on my head?"

-Kobe W.

Ben's Quote of the Day (from yesterday)

"And that BETTER not go on your blog!"

-Ben

I personally do not have any updates on Grandma Corey (maybe you could up date us yourself grandma in my comments :)) but I would just encourage everyone to pray that Grandma's surgery went even BETTER than the doctors think it did and that God will bring lots of relief to Gram. We love you and are glad you are safe!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Life is not about what we have or how nice of a house we live in

Reality is not a bad thing

Learning to live in a way that honors God and not ourselves

I guess I am in the club :)

Check this out:

http://www.sisterlysavings.net/2008/07/walgreens-free-after-rebates-deal-this.html

Oh my

That is all I have to say Oh My

Explination:

The reason I am actually buying all these diapers:

1.  I really wanted to make Amanda that diaper cake for her shower and Walgreens made it very affordable.

2.  We are hoping to become foster parents within the next year and I want to be prepared for whatever may show up in the middle of the night!

Our Red Velvet Sunflowers

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Only three of them made it this close and only one has bloomed so far!

What happens when you ask God and HE answers

June 11, 2008

 

Well, today I posted on my blog and it was so short because I couldn’t bring myself to let out our current plans to become adoptive foster care parents.  I feel like #1 I have to talk to Ben before I do that and #2 I would rather be pretty far along in the process before I tell anyone.  I am just not ready to I guess.

Yesterday I spent a lot of my day reading one woman’s blog from start to finish.  Her and her husband could not get pregnant because of fertility issues and they decided to adopt thru the state.  Her blog was so eye opening and it made me understand what a rough road we could be choosing.  I keep praying that God will pave our way and direct us to do exactly what HE has planned for us, I give it over to HIM.

Anyway, the blog I read went like this:

 

-They became licensed Foster parents

-They had their first placement, a little boy with a cleft pallet.

-They had their second placement, a little girl with heart problems

-After a few months the Little girl dies from her heart problems.  Her foster parents were the only parents she ever knew.

-State continually drags out TPRs (TPR-Termination of Parental Rights) on First little boy

-They get a call for a second placement-a little boy-they decide against it

-The get a call for a little girl-they get her

-she is with them for 6 or so months, her bio mom has another baby that is taken away by the state and so that baby and his sister are placed in another home together.

-Eventually their little boy becomes legal to adopt and they adopt him.

 

Why am I writing all this out?  Because I could be getting myself into this and it looks like it will hurt.  It will be wonderful when they are placed with you, day to day the kids will challenge you and at the end of the day you might loose them.

 

So, why do I still feel like that is the right thing?  I don’t know.  In all honesty it sounds horrible.  I sometimes wish I didn’t feel like this was the right thing, and then God reminds me that was I decided to be a follower of Christ I decided to die to myself.  It isn’t up to me any more and hopefully we as a family will be able to help some kids and give them a family to call their own even if it is for a short time.

 

 

 

Part 2

 

Well, if I ever end up posting all of this for the world to see I have figured out what I would name it:

 

“What happens when you ask God and HE answers”

 

I was talking to my sister explaining to her why almost EVERY avenue of adoption sucks and then I tried to explain why it seems Ben and I are choosing probably the worst of the worst and that is all I could say…”What can you do when you ask God what to do and you get His answer?  All you can do is trust HIM.”  She understood.  I hope other people do.

 

 

 

 

…but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

                                                                                                                 Isaiah 40:31

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!

This week walgreens is having the same great sale on diapers as they did at the end of last month!

Check it out!

Money Monday!

Do you want to send FREE postcards with pictures of your family on them?

Do you want to get a ridiculous amount of stuff for $.19

Check out my other blog:

http://gooddealsorfree.blogspot.com/

Thankful

In 2001, after Ben and I got married, I was a freshman in college.  I attended William Tyndale and loved it.  I met a girl there I will never forget.  I have forgotten her name though.

In December of 2001 I was around 3 months pregnant and getting ready for Christmas break.  Ben and I were BROKE, as Broke as Broke gets.  I was thrilled to turn in my books at the end of the semester to get money back for them.  We had no money, a baby on the way, none of my clothes fit very well anymore and I was nauseated all the time.

Well, as Christmas approached I attended classes and had become friends with a girl in one of my classes.  She was african american, wore glasses, had a very pretty face, dresses well (probably on the expensive side) and if I remember correctly she drove a nice car.  On the last day before winter break she handed me a little silver box and told me she wanted to get me something for Christmas.  I said thank you, gave her a hug and she went my way and I went mine.  As I walked away I opened the box and there was a gift card for $100 to MIMI Maternity.  I couldn't believe it.  $100!  And to a maternity store!  I couldn't believe that someone who didn't know me very well would do something so nice for me.  I didn't have her phone number or email (I didn't even understand email back then) and that was my last day at William Tyndale so honestly, I really did never see her again.  But, every time I think about her I smile.  I still remember what I bought with that card.  Luckily MIMI Maternity was also linked to Motherhood so after seeing the prices at MIMI's I ran right to Motherhood and bought 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts.  What a HUGE gift from God that girl was too a 18 year old broke pregnant girl.

It is instances like that that have turned me into who I am today.  I still remember probably every dollar that was give to Ben and I during those hard months and I am still so thankful and indebted to everyone who helped us.

Very often I have looked back and been thankful for God teaching me thru our hardship to be kind and generous towards others.  It was such a special time of God shaping Ben and I that I am so thankful for.

This morning I was in the shower and remembered that girl and that gift card and it still brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye.  It's the little things that matter, kindness to one another is so important.

Speaking of which:

Have you emailed Great Grandma Corey lately?

grandoaks2001@yahoo.com

attn: Pearl Corey

Happy Birthday Chris!

I bet you didn't know when this picture was going to come back to haunt you :)

We hope you have a wonderful birthday!  Love, Ben, Leah & Kobe

                            _______________________________________________

On Tuesday Cindy, Shelly & I took the kids in to Vicki's to play at the pool!  They had a blast (when they weren't fighting-weird day for them) and that is also when I gave myself this retched sun burn (which is getting better).

I MEANT to take pictures of the kids in the pool, but ended up IN the pool so no pictures.  After they got out they discovered Caleb's play room and I did get a shot or two of that :)

Thanks Aunt Vicki for the fun day! 

Yesterday I had a Mom who wanted me to take Senior Pictures of her son.  Normally I take Senior pictures on Saturdays when Ben gets home from work or Sundays so I don't have to get a babysitter for 45 minutes :)

This Mom wanted to do them on Thursday and I said I would as long as she didn't mind my son coming with me.  He has come with me once before and he is very good for me.  I cannot tell you what an amazing gift it is to have a little one that understand Mommy has to work and HE has to be good.  He is so good :)  

Anyway, Kobe went with me and did really good. 
Trying to find some shade so he could actually SEE the screen on his PSP.
I did get some good shots of the Senior in between shots of Kobe :)



After we were finished with the photo shoot we went to see Indiana Jones!  Yesterday was SO hot and muggy it was not the funnest day to shoot outside while you have a sunburn so the cold theater was a great place to cool down and Kobe loved it.  He really liked the movie.  The first game Ben bought him for his PSP was the newest Indian Jones Lego Game so Kobe got to see all the "levels" he had been playing.  For a minuted I just stared at him while he was watching the movie with a grin on his beautiful face.  I love it :)