Pillow Talk

I attended the iMOM breakfast last month and won this great prize.  I am sad to say that I am just now looking at it.  I love this kind of thing.  Well, today I have opened it up and I am so excited to start this with the kids.  It is great for any age.  It gives you little colorful paper to write your kiddos notes of encouragement.  It comes with stickers and ideas for your notes.  You can go to iMOM.com to order one for your family.  I am thinking I will order some for gifts some time.  I know this is geared towards kids but it is a great idea to do for our hubbies too.  Love it. 

You Have Time

This is something fun we do every February.  The boys make their own valentine mail boxes with a shoe box, stickers, and valentines.  They place their little boxes in their rooms starting on Feb. 1.  So from Feb 1- Feb 14,  I place a piece of candy or a note in their "mailbox".  I also encourage them to write little notes to each other.....nice notes!!  So if you would like your sweet kids to do this, you totally have time!!   Of course this was not my idea...I got it from Family Fun!  It really is fun for everyone!!

For me

This blog entry is really just for me to write a few things down.  This week has been such a blessing.  It has been so rewarding to have the little guy from Russia stay with us.  I would host again in a heart beat.  I have loved the experience and it has been so great for my kids.  Tonight I want to journal just about my "heart" issues.  It has been an emotional week.  I find myself tearing up almost daily.  Here are some of the facts.  The orphanage which he comes from is very, very poor.  At the age of sixteen he will have to leave the orphanage.  If he does not succeed, he is very likely to turn to crime.  There are no leads on my little guy for adoption (along with 3 others).  So you can see how this is heart breaking.  I keep talking to the Lord.  My conversations have been like this:  "Lord, His future is in Your hands."  "Lord, You know what is best for him." "Lord please send help from Your sanctuary."  "Lord, protect him, send him a mentor, provide for him." etc.  Today while we were at the pool, he looked up at me and smiled so big and gave me the thumbs up sign.  I just spoke to the Lord, "God I wish I could tell him that his future will be okay."  The reality is that I cannot even guarantee that for my kiddos.  It just makes me sad that this little guys doesn't have a mom or dad to love on him or look out for him.  I really am okay.  There are just moments and this is really not about me.  It's about the little guy.  So tomorrow as I take him to go back to Russia I know I will be sad but I will be okay. I will be on my knees for this little guy.  Thanks for letting me share.

PRE-VE-YET (hello)

We picked up our little Russian friend Friday night at the airport.  It was a lot of fun waiting with the other families.  We brought him home and got to bed very late that night.  Saturday morning, we took him to pick out a few things.  Saturday morning there was a point where he was a little sad and started crying.  I think he was very tired and just overwhelmed.  I would be!! He calmed down and things improved greatly.  So far he really enjoys playing basketball, riding scooters, playing soccer, and playing some games on the playstation.  I am so proud of my boys.  They have really looked out for him and entertained him greatly.  My two oldest keep saying that we need to adopt him.  I am so proud of their hearts.  I am just praying to the Lord and asking Him to provide exactly what "Koyola" needs.  The Lord knows what is best for this little guy.  He will be attending VBS for 3 days and I am very excited about that.  He will be exposed to the Lord and that excites me greatly.  (I would post a pic of him, but I am not allowed to!!)

Looking Back

I started this book for our family in 2002.  At the end of each year I write down our "blessings" for that year and our "times of trusting or faith".   I think it will be so neat to have this for our children to look at one day.  The journal begins with the scripture from Ecclesiastes 3:3-8..."There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven."  Hopefully this week I will write about 2008.  My biggest prayer for the year 2009 is for the Lord to enlarge our territory for Him.  

The Blankie

We have had this red blanket in our family since my first child was born....8 years!!  It was handed down to each boy and my third one latched right onto it.  He has slept with it for every nap and each night.  He is three now and has decided he is done with the old red blanket and is ready for something new.  I think the huge holes were just getting too big!!  He folded the blanket up and put it the closet all by himself.  Now he is onto bigger boy things....His new blanket is "Batman, the Dark Knight."  Do you have a blanket story?

Christmas at the Whitley's

Here our a few highlights from our Christmas.  We have had a blessed time with our family. Our Mimi and my sister have been here to celebrate Christmas.   On Christmas Eve, Daddy read from Luke 2 and we had a Jesus birthday party.  Daddy gave the 2 older boys twenty dollars each to pic out some gifts for me.  They came back with my favorite things....dove chocolate, some jewelry, and a coffee thermos!!  Very sweet.  It was so fun to watch the boys expressions about their presents.  A simple five dollar gun was the highlight for my 3 year old.  Of course the older ones cost us a little more.  My five year old was excited about his ipod shuffle.  He and I went for a morning run with our ipods. Fun. Fun.  My 8 year old's favorite gift was a Rip Stick. He and his daddy are still trying to master it!!  On Christmas Day we went to see a movie with 3 of the boys. I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas.  I can't wait to keep up with all of your blogs in 2009.  Blessings to you.