Family Christmas Party

The three of us girls with our grandparents and Bingley in his red Christmas sweater.



Cousins and second cousins: Matison, me (Karissa), Mikyla, Kourtney, Emerson, Summer, Ariel



On Sunday we held our annual family Christmas party with our relatives from my mom's side of the family. My grandma and grandpa drove in from Arizona, and my aunt, cousins, and second cousins were here as well.

After everyone finished opening presents, I noticed that there was a rather large red bag with white polka dots that was still unopened. It turned out to be a Christmas present for Maylie! (You can see Maylie’s present in photo #2, at the far right.)

Maylie’s present was an adorable pink and green tin tea set! It’s the cutest tea set that I have ever seen! It was so sweet of my cousin Summer and her two precious little girls Matison and Emerson to think of Maylie!

Please keep Summer’s husband, James, in your prayers. He is in Afghanistan this Christmas serving our country working in a medical unit. Please pray for his protection.



I know that Maylie will have so much fun with this tea set someday! Thank you so much Summer, Mati and Eme!



Merry Christmas!
~Posted by Karissa

Operation Christmas Child

We are so blessed to live close by to an Operation Christmas Child warehouse, and to be able to actively participate with the sorting and packing up of the shoe boxes. Karissa and I first went last year, with our homeschool group, and we LOVED it!!!!!! This year my mom and we three girls all went with some friends. We had so much fun..... next year we are going to do it at least four times!

Operation Christmas Child is an amazing ministry, and it is amazing how God has blessed it throughout the years since it started.

If you and your family have never filled a shoebox, I encourage you to do so next year! As you can see in the video, it brings such overflowing joy to under privileged children. It is so special for them, to know that someone cared enough to make a box for them. And most importantly they hear the gospel message!

Merry Christmas everyone!


~Posted by Kourtney

Merry Christmas to you from our little elf!

Help! I can't see!


Oooooohhh, a treat!!!!!






The joys of having a dog......


~Posted by Kourtney

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas....

Give Thanks To the Lord!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 107: 1


Thanksgiving Proclamation

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

We know that by his divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign land, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

Abraham Lincoln, 1863


Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been tagged!

Help! I've been tagged by Sarah! I have to think of 7 random facts about myself. I hope I can think of 7 people to tag! I'm new to blogging and I don't know that many people who have blogs. So if I tag you and you don't know me, I'm sorry, or if you've already been tagged, I hope you'll forgive me!

1. When I was about 5 years old I made a beautiful handy little bird feeder out of my mom's old tampon box. I found the perfect tree for it, right in our front yard. My mom didn't seem to think it was really the best spot for it. She promptly found a new place for it.( I think in the trash) I couldn't understand....it was such a lovely blue color.

2. I hate peanuts, nuts and peanut butter. Don't know why, I just do. Please don't ruin a perfectly good chocolate cookie by putting those nasty tasting little rocks in there.

3. I married my hubby 8 months after we met. A speedy but lovely engagement.

4. When I was a little girl we lived just across the street from a side railroad track. Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus used to rest their train there once a year when they were performing in OC. One day a tiger escaped from its cage and roamed our neighborhood. Pretty scary!

5. When I graduated high school I literally had read less than 10 books. I know it's soooo sad. That's one of the main reasons I homeschool! Thank the Lord my girls are voracious readers and now I am too!

6. My name is Lydia and I have only one sister named Leah. My America World coordinator is named Leah, and she has a sister named Lydia. I think we were destined to work together!

7. My dream would be to move to a less populated area and adopt two girls from China, two boys from China, a couple of kids from Liberia or Ethiopia. Boy would we have a full house!


I tag:

Sally

Cindy

Summer

Jenn

Therese

Lexie

Cristy

Hudson's Gotcha Day!!

Our dear friends, the Strands, are in China right now! Click here to see more photos. Yesterday they were blessed beyond measure to be united with their precious new son Hudson! God has used this family in an instrumental way to connect our hearts to adoption and China. We are so thrilled for them and their new little one! Gotta love that sweet smile on Hudson! Looks like he's gettin' lots of lovin' from his big brother and sisters too.

"I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

posted by Lydia

My Mom

I want to tribute this post to my wonderful mom. She is just absolutely amazing!

This weekend she organized a big garage sale at my grandma's, made two lasagnas to eat during the week, made some yummy cupcakes, plus cooked tonight's dinner, of spaghetti with homemade sauce, and salad .

All of that in between cleaning the house upstairs and down for the week, doing laundry and generally being a loving servant. Plus yesterday, she was busy making muffins to eat in the morning, making cookies to sell at the garage sale, shopping for groceries, checking schoolwork and making dinner. Pretty amazing.

That's my mom.

It just amazes me everyday that she does, and has done all this every day for the past 18 years! Boy, are we spoiled. And blessed. God knew that I needed someone as special as her to guide me through life.

Thanks mom.

I guess the best three words to describe how thankful I am are these:

I love you.


~Posted by Kourtney

Happy 14th, Kourtney!

"Baby, where did you get your eyes so blue?" (and BIG!)


Sisters. I find this photo pretty comical. What colorful expressions! (My mom was feeding Mikyla crackers so she wouldn't cry at the photography studio.)


Cutie


Kourtney and her friend Kimberly at a ballet Christmas tea.


Kourtney's 7th grade photo.


Kourtney as Clara in Ballet Pacifica's 2006 production of The Nutcracker.



Well, Kourtney is fourteen years old today. The years fly by so fast. Kourtney, we love you, and we thank God for you every day. Your joy and cheerfulness bubble over into our lives. Happy Birthday!

With love, Dad, Mom, Karissa, and Mikyla

~Posted by Karissa

Happy Harvest Day!

We have always called October 31st "Harvest Day" or "Jesus Day" as an alternative to Halloween in our family. (And recently Reformation Day too, which it is!) Our Harvest Day tradition is to have a pizza/ movie night. In the past, we have almost always gotten together with our dear friends Jasmin and Heather. However, two years ago they moved to Tennessee. Last fall they were visiting, so we were able to have our Jesus Day together, but sadly we won't this year.

This picture was taken back in 2000. Kourtney, Heather, Mikyla, Jasmin, Me (Karissa)

We took an updated "Jesus Day" photo last year, with everyone in the same position. It's so fun to see how much we have all grown up!

We miss you Jasmin and Heather! We cherish all our past Jesus Day celebrations together!

Harvest fun!

Yesterday Hank, Mae and Esther S. came to visit us. We had so much fun! We decorated fall cookies with colorful sprinkles and frosting, and we watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" Their family is going to leave for China in less then two weeks, so they are very excited! We can't wait to meet the newest member of their family: little Hudson! It was so special to spend time with Hank, Mae and Esther, before they go. Happy Fall to three of the best kiddos I know!!!!

~Posted by Kourtney

Born Alive Truth

Born Alive Truth

-

The Intolerable

Sadly, many people in our country are not very tolerable about some of their fellow Americans rights to freedom of speech. Today someone ripped off our Restore Marriage Yes on 8 bumper sticker. Fortunately I had a spare! I will keep replacing it every day until the election if I have too! The girls and I have seen banners around our city that were there one day and gone the next. Some are torn or knocked down, which when we see we promptly pull over and restore. Also, we've noticed some signs that were spray painted over with a big ugly black "NO". I have also read reports of vandalism to cars with pro marriage stickers and even of one man who was physically attacked and had to be hospitalized for distributing Prop 8 banners. It is grieving to realize that some believe that only their views should be promoted.

Christians and Catholics Unite on Life

As Christians we need to unite in prayer. This election could change all that our country was founded on; all that our forefathers sacrificed so greatly for.

Please join us in a prayer vigil until November 4th. So much is at stake.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Ephesians 6:24

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14

Babysitting!

That's some gooooooood lemonade!



About a week ago, Makenzie and Isaiah M. came over! We had so much fun! Makenzie is just absolutely adorable, and Isaiah is the happiest, easiest baby! We haven't seen them for a long time, so it was a real treat to be able to spend some time with them! Makenzie's mommy and daddy have been so supportive of our adoption! They have very generously donated to our fund raising, and have been so thoughtful of us! A big thank you to the M. family!!!!!

~Posted by Kourtney

Check out their blog here.

Little Hudson

Our close friends the S. family, were blessed to receive their precious little boy's referral in July! They are so excited to go and get little Hudson! They hope to travel in November, so please pray for them! This is their second child from China, the first being sweet little Esther, who is now 2 1/2. We are so happy for this very special family! Check out their blog here.

~Posted by Kourtney

"We're having a party and the theme is this dog!"

O.k. we really didn't have a "party"; the dog was the party, and the birthday gift. (I just had to steal the above quote from one of our beloved books, Because of Winn Dixie... The movie is adorable as well, but if you can check out the book on cd it's read by an incredible narrator. Very adorable.) And actually Bingley was not the theme for Mikyla's birthday, well we sort of had two themes you could say. It was a Bingley/China theme. Mikyla, and everyone else around here, has China and especially little Maylie on our hearts. So Mikyla chose an Asian theme for her birthday dinner. On the menu was Chinese chicken salad, fried rice, wontons, eggrolls etc. For dessert, in lieu of a cake, we made "sushi cupcakes" topped with fruit leather, dried apricots and sour straws adorning the coconut- sprinkled -vanilla frosting. Once again, the girls contributed so much to create this feast! They love to cook and I am one blessed mom to have so much help!

Update

Praise the Lord! 

Little Susannah is doing so much better! To find out more, visit her blog. 

Please pray that Susannah and her family will be able to come home soon!

Posted by Karissa

Please Pray For Little Susannah

Please pray for this family in China. They are there right now and their daughter is dying. They URGENTLY need our prayers.

Posted by Karissa

Mooncakes

Tomorrow is the Chinese Moon Festival. Traditionally, families make or buy mooncakes and then gather together and eat them under the full moon. This is the second biggest Chinese holiday. (The first being Chinese New Year, of course.)

A couple of weeks ago we bought some authentic Chinese moon cakes at an Asian grocery store. They looked beautiful, and came in a box with a beautiful Chinese woman on it. (We're saving the box for Maylie, although Kourtney, Mikyla and I all wanted it.) We came home, made tea and then sat down to taste our very first mooncakes. They tasted...well, let's just say you can't judge a mooncake by it's alluring appearance!

This is the box that our mooncakes came in.

I found this recipe for "Americanized" mooncakes online. I plan on making them tomorrow morning. Here is the recipe if anyone is interested:
Easy Chinese Moon Cakes








Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup strawberry (or your favorite) jam (traditionally
red bean paste is used so if you want a more authentic
version, you can use a can of red bean paste instead of
the jam).

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and 1 egg yolk and stir.
3. Mix in the flour.
4. Form the dough into one large ball and wrap it in
plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate dough for half an hour.
6. Unwrap the chilled dough and form small balls in the
palms of your hand.
7. Make a hole with your thumb in the center of each
mooncake and fill with about half a teaspoon of jam.
8. Brush each cake with the other beaten egg yolk and place on a cookie sheet.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or just until the outside edges are slightly brown.


Here is a traditional mooncake...so lovely and golden. Deceiving, isn't it?
Maylie, we'll all be thinking about you tomorrow as we celebrate Chinese Moon Festival, and as we eat our mooncakes under the same moon that you are sleeping under somewhere in China. We hope and pray that we will get your referral soon!

Posted by Karissa

Happy 12th Birthday, Mikyla!

A Dozen Years With Mikyla...

Mikyla at 5 months old- CUTIE PIE!!!


What cupcake, Mom?


Little ballerina.

10th Birthday

Mikyla as a party girl in Ballet Pacifica's Nutcraker December 2006.


Mikyla one year ago.

August 2008

She was the sweetest baby with often an expression of a deep thought and she had the chubbiest cheeks ever! So cute! And now she is a young woman of twelve...that makes me feel really old!

Mikyla, we are so thankful that God placed you in our family. We couldn't live without you!
Love, Dad, Mom, Karissa, and Kourtney

Posted by Karissa