Our Christmas letter/picture has turned into a New Year’s letter, maybe picture?….. things have just been gloriously crazy, but we’ll get them out soon. Here are a few pictures from our fun Christmas morning. 
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
We enjoy living here (and there are about 110 houses for sale, so come on down..).. but Claremont still has its little things that make it well, Claremont. You can only slam on Claremont if you actually live here, of course, too. Well, we live here. So here is our ode to Claremont Christmas, where despite a couple feet of snow, you can still find oodles of Crocs for sale, but few nice snow boots.
On the first day of Christmas, Claremont gave to me: a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the second day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 2 feet of snow and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the third day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the fourth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the fifth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the sixth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the seventh day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the eighth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 8 potholes local, 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the ninth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 9 folks shopping in pajamas, 8 potholes local, 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the tenth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 10 sales on Crocs, 9 folks shopping in pajamas, 8 potholes local, 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the eleventh day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 11 unplowed roads, 10 sales on Crocs, 9 folks shopping in pajamas, 8 potholes local, 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a detour sign on Mulberry Street
On the twelfth day of Christmas Claremont gave to me: 12 ways to get stuck, 11 unplowed roads, 10 sales on Crocs, 9 folks shopping in pajamas, 8 potholes local, 7 dogs loose barking, 6 schools where math died, 5% more in taxes, 4 new parking ordinances, 3 cashiers at Wal-Mart, 2 feet of snow, and a DETOUR SIGN ON MULBERRY STREET.
Friday, December 19, 2008
I started writing to the children when Lydia was born, and I’m sharing it as an idea to consider for other parents out there who may find it to be a good practice in your families as well. Our family’s collection includes everything from “cherishing you” type of letters from me, instructional advice-types of letters, and cute or special memories for the children of Rich’s and my growing up life as well as our life together with the children. I also have recently started including recipes everyone likes in the family and notes on organization and household management. Finally, there is a big collection of articles from long dead, and not yet dead, wise counselors on every type of subject.
Of course, we are all growing along the way, so if you do this, date your entries so that the children can keep them in perspective :-). There are things I wrote as a new mom that I wouldn’t necessarily find as worthy to write at this point in the game, and I’m sure the same will be true 20 years from now. However, there are enough letters to them that I would repeat exactly over again too, and I could not have written them now as well as I did then. If I hadn’t written to the children at the time we had a newborn and a two year old, or when financial times were particularly lean for us, I wouldn’t remember as well now what it was like then, both the great wonder of it and the difficulties, so it is helpful for them to see how God worked in our life and the blessings and lessons we learned then that we could not transmit in the same way now.
The children don’t always read these regularly. Some of them are more interested than others. But, they have their whole lives ahead of them and I don’t know if Rich and I will be around a year or ten years from now. Our memories fade, too. I don’t know hardly anything about my grandparents and what they think or how they have lived, and that doesn’t mean that my parents didn’t tell me; maybe they did and maybe they didn’t. The point is, it’s nice to refer to something written and tangible, something we can pass along despite the busy seasons of life in which we constantly find ourselves, something that our children can see through new, maturing eyes as they reread the entries during their various stages of life.
Some years my entries have been many and sometimes I go too long without adding to it. Lately, I am adding lots and lots of things! I also started a private blog for the children and this has helped me to keep it up, and also helps the kids read it more often. During this school break, I have been busy copying everything previously written into the blog, and now I will keep only one master copy printed out in a binder, kept with the family albums (previously, each child had a big binder). When the kids leave the house, we can make them a copy of the master binder and they’ll be good to go.
My ultimate goal is to equip the children through these entries. The days are “short and evil,” and anything we can do to give them tools or direction, as well as a sense of the rich heritage they have been given by God’s grace and the love with which we have loved them, seems worth the few minutes it takes to jot something down, or copy over an article. So there’s my little idea and I hope it will be of use to someone else too.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Valerie turned thirteen this week and had a great time. I wanted to put some baby pics on (she was sooooooooo cute!!!!) but our scanners don’t work so I am posting these for now. She has been waiting patiently for her Ipod shuffle 
and finally got it (first pic), and she also got a cake decorating set and nifty cupcake thing, as well as a special Girls Of Many Lands doll which she’s wanted and Grandpa found for her! For her bday dinner she chose cornish game hens w/apple-cranberry stuffing, mother’s dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, etc We had lots of fun and are so happy that we have this sweet, loving daughter!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Over the week of Thanksgiving, we refinished our downstairs floors: dining room, living room, school/sun room, and Rich’s office. They turned out quite well for being such old maple and I hope that comes through in the picture. We are definitely enjoying them; they feel so much cleaner. Now, on to more trim work and other stuff!
Our School Room, After:
Our Living Room, Before:
Sunday, December 14, 2008
New Hampshire has been hit by a major ice storm. This picture is actually compliments of my friend Jean, who lives in NY, but since this storm looks just about the same everywhere, it’ll do. Since we have no TV reception anymore/no cable, we don’t know how much this has been on the news, but apparently, over half of New Hampshire lost electric power, which tops the numbers for any previous ice storm, including the one in 1998. Many people are without power still, and have been told it will be at least Thursday before they may see it return. We only lost power for a moment, which was such a great blessing, since we have been doing loads and loads of puke laundry for the last week, which brings me to my next elegant report.
2) Yes, we have been HIT by the Puke Bug. Some of us are pukers, some are not. Take Jesse for instance: he is a little puker and can even puke on TWO beds, EIGHT stuffed animals, and ONE sleeping brother, in ONE fell swoop. We are amazed by his hurl abilities, and will start to call him His Hurlness. Benjamin prefers to make it a dinnertime affair, and all I can say is that I was thankful I’d pulled out sturdy paper plates (the “deep dish” type with a rim!), to use that day, and thankful that he can aim… Jubilee was hit the worst and the first, but being the girl that she is, she handled herself much more gracefully than the boys. Others of us have not puked (yet) but this does not mean we have escaped “ramifications” of the Puke Bug. I just figured I have grossed you out enough already.
3) We are going to make an attempt to change the template of this blog. Last year we apparently picked the Word Press template with the most peculiar problems, as even our best tech-savvy friends are stumped. Nothing earth-shattering, but we have to manually enter code to make a paragraph, and stuff like that. We don’t really like the appearance of the template anyway. To change things, if we even can, we have to then go back and edit, or reenter, every post for the last year. This template will not just transfer all our info just right to another template. So this may take some time, unless I am much more fortunate than I believe myself to be in this situation. So bear with us if for the next week, our site appears even more unfortunate than it already does!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I just posted this in a blog we recently made just for things we want to collect for our children. Whether the risks of love are big like missionary work in a hostile area, or small like doing good to those who judge and slander us, let’s spur each other on to be radical in our short time here on earth. The good news of salvation through Christ is worth all our love-risks! What a privilege.
The Call For Christian Risk by John Piper, 2002
By removing eternal risk, Christ calls his people to continual temporal risk.
For the followers of Jesus the final risk is gone. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “Neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:38-39). “Some of you they will put to death. . . . But not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:16, 18). “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
When the threat of death becomes a door to paradise the final barrier to temporal risk is broken. When a Christian says from the heart, “To live is Christ and to die is gain,” he is free to love no matter what. Some forms of radical Islam may entice martyr-murderers with similar dreams, but Christian hope is the power to love, not kill. Christian hope produces life-givers, not life-takers. The crucified Christ calls his people to live and die for their enemies, as he did. The only risks permitted by Christ are the perils of love. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28).
With staggering promises of everlasting joy, Jesus unleashed a movement of radical, loving risk-takers. “You will be delivered up even by parents . . . and some of you they will put to death” (Luke 21:16). Only some. Which means it might be you and it might not. That’s what risk means. It is not risky to shoot yourself in the head. The outcome is certain. It is risky to serve Christ in a war zone. You might get shot. You might not.
Christ calls us to take risks for kingdom purposes. Almost every message of American consumerism says the opposite: Maximize comfort and security - now, not in heaven. Christ does not join that chorus. To every timid saint, wavering on the edge of some dangerous gospel venture, he says, “Fear not, you can only be killed” (Luke 12:4). Yes, by all means maximize your joy! How? For the sake of love, risk being reviled and persecuted and lied about, “for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12).
There is a great biblical legacy of loving risk-takers. Joab, facing the Syrians on one side and the Ammonites on the other, said to his brother Abishai, “Let us be courageous for our people . . . and may the LORD do what seems good to him” (2 Samuel 10:12). Esther broke the royal law to save her people and said, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Shadrach and his comrades refused to bow down to the king’s idol and said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us . . . But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods” (Daniel 3:16-18). And when the Holy Spirit told Paul that in every city imprisonment and afflictions await him, he said, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course” (Acts 20:24).
“Every Christian,” said Stephen Neil about the early church, “knew that sooner or later he might have to testify to his faith at the cost of his life” (A History of Christian Missions, Penguin, 1964, p. 43). This was normal. To become a Christian was to risk your life. Tens of thousands did it. Why? Because to do it was to gain Christ, and not to was to lose your soul. “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
In America and around the world the price of being a real Christian is rising. Things are getting back to normal in “this present evil age.” Increasingly 2 Timothy 3:12 will make sense: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Those who’ve made gospel-risk a voluntary life-style will be most ready when we have no choice. Therefore I urge you, in the words of the early church, “Let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:13-14).
When God removed all risk above
He loosed a thousand risks of love.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
I found this on Cathy Steere’s wonderful blog (link in blogroll). A super reminder and challenge for us in the coming week.
Knowledge and Good Works
(by William Secker, The Consistent Christian 1660)
“If you know these things–you are blessed if you do them.” John 13:17
To obey the truth, and not to know it–is impossible.
To know the truth, and not obey it–is unprofitable.
For, “Not everyone who says unto me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven–but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” Saving knowledge is not as the light of the moon–to sleep by; but as the light of the sun–to work by. It is not a loiterer in the market-place–but a laborer in the vineyard.
A man may be a great scholar–and yet be a great sinner. Judas the traitor–was Judas the preacher! The snake which has a pearl in its head–has poison in its body! The tree of knowledge has often been planted, and flourished–where the tree of life never grew! All abilities and gifts–without grace and holiness–are but like Uriah’s letters, which were the death warrants of those who carried them!
Mere head knowledge will be as unhelpful to the soul, in the judgment day–as a painted fire is unhelpful to the frozen body, in a cold day. Theoretical knowledge may make the head giddy–but it will never make the heart holy. How many professors are there, who have light enough to know what should be done–but have not love enough to do what they know! Give me the Christian who perfectly sees the way he should go–and readily goes the way he sees!
That is barren ground–which brings forth no fruit. “To him who knows to do good, and does it not–to him it is sin.” The sins of ignorance are most numerous–but the sins of knowledge are most dangerous! That sinner’s darkness will be the greatest in hell–whose light was the clearest on earth!
There are many who set a crown of glory upon the head of Christ by a good profession, and yet put a crown of thorns upon his head by an evil conversation. By the words of our mouth–we may affect to adore religion; but it is by the works of our lives–that we adorn religion.
As trees without fruits are unprofitable–so knowledge without good works is abominable! Leah and Rachel are fit emblems of knowledge and obedience. Knowledge, like Rachel–is beautiful. But obedience, like Leah–is fruitful.
Friday, December 5, 2008
December 3, 2005, three years ago today, we first laid eyes on Jesse. Can it even be only three years? He was 6 1/2 then .. small for his age, blond, cute. We didn’t know at the airport that night that we were meeting the boy who would, within mere days, be known to us as our next child. Our family life continues to be a vivid illustration of Proverbs 16:9 ”In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Our adventure was about to continue and we didn’t even know it.
A few months earlier, with absolutely no plans to ever adopt again, we had felt a compulsion to make ourselves available for free respite care for adoptive parents in difficult situations. As we were in the process of figuring how to actually DO this respite care thing, we met a precious couple from Texas who had rescued three children w/needs from a Russian orphanage one year earlier, including this blond-haired bundle of energy and mischief. Jesse would visit for a month, we figured, and that was the plan, But, within a few days of Jesse’s arrival to our home, we knew we were adopting him. The legalities started and we finalized in court six months from his arrival into our home. Proverbs 16:9 all over again!
Jesse has been a real joy — he is a precious, delightful, and strong-hearted son. We have been greatly blessed by his sense of family identity and loyalty, his infectious sense of humor (see picture :-)), his ability to make any number of unique sounds and noises :), his what-you-see-is-what-you-get personality, his developing strength and skill, and his sheer brightness and passion as a kid. We love the type of sibling he is, as well. Jesse deeply desired a brother since arriving here, and he missed his brother from the Texas family immensely. We told Jesse to start praying about a little brother. We are so thankful God gave Jesse his new little brother this year! He cares so well for him, teaches him things, plays well with him, and is a (mostly :)) good example to Ben.
Rich is the perfect father for Jesse. They “clicked” right away and Rich shared with us later that he’d started praying about Jesse joining our family before we even actually met him, though there were no plans to adopt then. He just couldn’t get him off his mind and believed this was going to be bigger than we planned. Rich has a knack for bringing out the best in Jesse, and for knowing what will be good for him in any area. I frequently tell Jesse that if he grows up to be anything like his Dad, he will be a great man! As a mom, having this little boy has given me a different angle on boys and on raising them. Though Jesse has been through a great deal in his short life, especially during his time in Russia, “winning” him as my son and ministering to his brokenness and difficulty, has come through very different means than “winning” a child in our other adoptions. I quickly learned that Jesse is blessed most by food :), baking for him, keeping a fairly consistent schedule for him, reading to him, giving simple praise for accomplishments, forgiving/forgetting his “mis-steps,” and simple things like rubbing his back. He’s not too complicated, and he internalizes those simple things as acts of love, which is a blessing to see — we take this resilience & attachment as a gift from God.
Since joining our family, Jesse has made a working potato cannon, and an enormous plane in our backyard (complete with an old ceiling fan for the propellor), and other cool things. Let’s just say that the day he learned his plane would not actually be able to fly.. was not a good day at our house :). Jesse’s also getting really good at Karate. Every time he tests, he is “promoted,” and it will be fun to see how far he gets with martial arts in years to come. He’s doing well in his school work, too. Jesse’s got a penchant for absorbing history, and he’s just about memorized, word for word, the first volume of Story Of The World, The Ancients, by Susan Wise Bauer, and he’s working on her second volume, Middle Ages. He listens to them over and over again and retells the stories to us frequently.
We praise God for our little man :^), for his amazing life & story, and pray that God will be His help, strength, and salvation for the rest of his days. Thanks for letting me “love on him” a little here.