Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

 You MUST make these cookies!

While we're suckers for just about any homemade anything around here,

we've just declared these our "go to" cookies.

IN to the credible.

They come from a blog I love by a chica who just stopped homeschooling her girls.  Which is a kindof' funny since I just started homeschooling mine.  :-)

But what this doctor turned stay-at home mom will tell you is that she kept her girls home until she KNEW that she KNEW that she KNEW

that THEY KNEW

that THEY KNEW that THEY KNEW

that they were loved.

Which is exactly and precisely the #1 reason our girls are now home.

Because institutional behaviors and mindsets?

They gotta lotta root ties to not trusting love.

CAN YOU BLAME THEM?

(I thought not.)

Took her girls about five years at home.

Phew!

Here's hoping for maybe a few less than that.

Unless we bake these cookies every day.

Then, maybe I won't mind at all.

LOL

Linger

There are clothes to be washed, bathrooms to clean, dishes to put away, and yet the most important things to do today?

Linger & Love

Randall is away for the day serving a local church and I'm playing zone defense, 1 on 5.  How easy it would be to concentrate on the "stuff" there is do...but there is always stuff.  And these kids?  They won't always be here.  I plan to soak in each moment.

Today we will draw and cook and play in the snow.  The playing in the snow part?  That they'll do on their own while I watch from inside.  :-)

And hopefully, we'll make time to go to the local thrift store to treasure hunt.  We love to find old books, dishes, and fish tanks. (Gabe, ahem)

We may only have today...let's make it matter!

The Greatest Special Need Of All

The following post was written by one of my closest girlfriends in the world, Amy.  We've known and loved each other for more than twenty years.  (We clearly met when we were infants)  Sharing daughters from China is the sweet icing on the cake of our friendship.

She's been asked to join a special group of parents blogging about life before and after adoption.  Keeping it real.  I know you'll be blessed by her words, just like I am by her love.

Be moved by her words here

"There is one special need, however that is noticeable most days. No doctor can prescribe a procedure or a prescription to heal or to help. It wasn’t listed in her referral information, nor is it something you would notice in a photo or physical exam...."

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” — Psalm 147:3-5

Amy also blogs at  Stops Along the Journey. 

Snow Day

Filled with all things white and wonderful,

a lovely lazy morning

coffee in bed, cinnamon rolls later on

 Panda hats and King of the Mountain

 

Shoveling, shoveling, shoveling

Snow blower refusing to start

Happy, tired hearts off to sweet dreams

to begin fresh days tomorrow!

Cast Free!!

Cast free as of yesterday!!!

Now we wait while a custom prosthetic is made. 

(They can't start until the cast is removed because they must measure the size of the foot.)

Two weeks more of hopping and wheelchairs.

So very thankful for Shriner's Hospital who go 

OUT.OF.THEIR.WAY.

to make sure she is taken care of and treated with the utmost dignity and respect.

And so thankful for all her church family and community friends that

love and support her!

My Name is Yoon

Get this book!

 

If you have children (and maybe even if you don't), this book is an important read.  It's good on soooo many levels.

The art.  Make your mouth drop gorgeous art.  Our book is displayed in the living room right now.  It's that beautiful.

The message.  Yoon is a young Asian immigrant to the United States who must learn to write her name in English rather than Korean.  For her, changing her name feels like abandoning everything she has been.  The book walks readers through Yoon's acceptance of the change as she realizes that her identity is not determined by outside things, but on things unseen.

This books gives the opportunity to talk about immigration, names, adoption, acculturation, perspective, diversity, and so much more.  My girls were immediately drawn to the story because of the art, identifying with the adorable Yoon's round face and dark hair.   The book's topics were not easily understood by my girls, but I pressed on a bit, asking wondering thoughts like

I wonder how Yoon feels about giving up her name...

I wonder if she thinks it means that SHE has to change...

I wonder how you felt when you came to America...

I wonder if you liked your English name at first...

Have we ever been in places or situations where someone is new?

What does that feel like for them?  For us?

How can we help people to know that it's ok to be different?

 

We wrestled together through the wondering and it was GOOD.  I think sometimes we pick "twaddle" books for kids because we think they can't understand more complex literature.  It's ok to be left with questions.  

 

The book that they were drawn to that they didn't quite understand at first?  They've taken it up on their own and read and reread it, pausing on the pages for long moments of thought.

 

Fabulous.

 

 

Gung Hao Fat Choy!

 It's the New Year Festival in China and we're celebrating!

From Gabe getting in on the act to sisters dressed in silks,

we're having fun!

 I can't handle the cuteness.

 Last year, I could take a picture against this wall and the calendar didn't show.  Time to look for a new background.  Stop growing, girls!

 Here you can see in Violet's face that she can be full of mischief...:-)

I love when Mia's eyes disappear with joy!

Spontaneous hand holding gets me teary every time.