Ally Mae Photography
Here is Ally's photography site on Facebook! Like her page & look through her pictures!!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
I AM BLOWN AWAY BY YOUR GENEROSITY!
If you came here to help us pay off the money that we needed to send off our dossier check today... it has already been taken care of! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???????? I am in awe of our great God & of the people who have given...i don't even know who you are yet! AMAZING! I have wept so much for joy that i cannot even tell you!!!!
SO, NOW WHAT????
Well, in about 2- 2 1/2 months Scott & i will need to be flying to Bulgaria. That money will be coming from our Reece's Rainbow fund that is on this blog. SO we will need to pay for 2 plane tickets plus one week of hotel & food plus Ethan's visa. THEN, 3-4 months from then we will need money for THREE plane tickets;}) Hotel & food PLUS a $4,000 check to our agency. SO, we will be needing to raise.... a LOT BIGGER amount in the VERY near future!
IF you came here to help us with our dossier....people have amazed us with their urgency as it is done in just hours! IF you would like to help us with the NEXT step....you may go to our regular RR spot for Ethan on this blog! It is on the side of our blog!
WE ARE SO SO SO SO VERY BLESSED!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Connie for the crew
SO, NOW WHAT????
Well, in about 2- 2 1/2 months Scott & i will need to be flying to Bulgaria. That money will be coming from our Reece's Rainbow fund that is on this blog. SO we will need to pay for 2 plane tickets plus one week of hotel & food plus Ethan's visa. THEN, 3-4 months from then we will need money for THREE plane tickets;}) Hotel & food PLUS a $4,000 check to our agency. SO, we will be needing to raise.... a LOT BIGGER amount in the VERY near future!
IF you came here to help us with our dossier....people have amazed us with their urgency as it is done in just hours! IF you would like to help us with the NEXT step....you may go to our regular RR spot for Ethan on this blog! It is on the side of our blog!
WE ARE SO SO SO SO VERY BLESSED!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Connie for the crew
AMAZING MIRACLES!!!!
*********NEED A GOOD MORNING PICK ME UP READ THIS MORNING???
My phone is the way that i get our Charter email...because Charter is just SO bad! But the last three days/ maybe four...my phone isn't even letting me see my Charter. I JUST got on & was reading through ALL of the people who have given....some names of people that i have never even met...others who are also adopting....then names of people who we haven't seen in ages & who are probably shocked that we are adopting in our old age & then missionaries who are in need of more money than we are needing;}) AMAZING!!!!! THEN.......go get your kleenex.....
Remember how i told you all that there was a really WEIRD total & i couldn't figure out the reason why & that i hoped that i would find the answer? Well, i JUST read the answer!!! OH! MY! GOODNESS!!!
There is a young man that i LOVE...he is such a godly young man that i pray that the woman who gets him is just as amazing as he is. He has wept over my husband's loss of work last year...after fifteen months of no work, this young man asked our group of people to stop & pray over Scott for a job...& then....he prayed through weeping. THAT, is just a little glimpse into this young man! OK...well, he wrote me on CHarter that i needed to tell our 11yr old daughter, Catherine that since she is only 11 yrs old & could give $70.96 & he is double her age then he could give $141.92.....that i KNOW is a sacrifice to him! I saw him this morning....he probably thought that i wasn't all that excited but then i pray that he knows that that is not me .....WHAT A GENEROUS man! (Bring blessing on these people Lord!!!)
There is an example of another sacrificial gift....and it blows my mind! Oh my goodness....how can i sleep???? Such weeping for joy! In the gift of friendship with people like this!!!! WOW!!!
My phone is the way that i get our Charter email...because Charter is just SO bad! But the last three days/ maybe four...my phone isn't even letting me see my Charter. I JUST got on & was reading through ALL of the people who have given....some names of people that i have never even met...others who are also adopting....then names of people who we haven't seen in ages & who are probably shocked that we are adopting in our old age & then missionaries who are in need of more money than we are needing;}) AMAZING!!!!! THEN.......go get your kleenex.....
Remember how i told you all that there was a really WEIRD total & i couldn't figure out the reason why & that i hoped that i would find the answer? Well, i JUST read the answer!!! OH! MY! GOODNESS!!!
There is a young man that i LOVE...he is such a godly young man that i pray that the woman who gets him is just as amazing as he is. He has wept over my husband's loss of work last year...after fifteen months of no work, this young man asked our group of people to stop & pray over Scott for a job...& then....he prayed through weeping. THAT, is just a little glimpse into this young man! OK...well, he wrote me on CHarter that i needed to tell our 11yr old daughter, Catherine that since she is only 11 yrs old & could give $70.96 & he is double her age then he could give $141.92.....that i KNOW is a sacrifice to him! I saw him this morning....he probably thought that i wasn't all that excited but then i pray that he knows that that is not me .....WHAT A GENEROUS man! (Bring blessing on these people Lord!!!)
There is an example of another sacrificial gift....and it blows my mind! Oh my goodness....how can i sleep???? Such weeping for joy! In the gift of friendship with people like this!!!! WOW!!!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The 24 hours of giving that was amazing! Can we do it again?
For those of you who do not have FB or to those of you who may have missed all that happened that i wrote on FB about the reaction to our last blog post....this is how it went down...it was an amazing 24 hours of miraculous giving!!!
Within thirty minutes of putting up another blog but this one was stating our need for our dossier finances...a friend gave $100 making it a need for $3,422 then within thirty minutes of putting up the Chip-in onto our blog another friend gave $100!!! Now, all we need is $3,322- i am blown away! I guess i didn't even think about people forwarding my blog & people have!!! SO i learned how to put a Chip-In onto our blog! I pray that YOU will prayerfully consider helping us send this paperwork! I am blown away already!
HELLO!!!!?!?!?!?! ANYONE AWAKE!?!?!?!?!?! I was taking down all of the 'gadgets' (whatever they are called) at the bottom of my computer so my computer would work faster and one of them was our blog!!!!!!! OH MY WORD!!!!!!
(Someone had given $1,000)
Well, we are already almost 1/3 of the way there to get the finances for our dossier to go over to Bulgaria! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? WOW! IF you feel like you are able, the Lord is leading you, or you would like to be a part of bringing home Ethan then you can see our blog & donate there! Remember, when you give to our chip-in that is NOT tax deductible but our Reece's Rainbow account is (but the RR account can not be used for our dossier) THANK YOU to the THREE of you who have given & the THREE of you who have shared this on your wall!!! I LOVE IT!!!! SO amazed!!! WOW!
Well, we are now ANOTHER $100 closer!!! Another dear friend gave $100 onto our chip-in! I cannot believe this! THANK YOU GOD!
We are now at 35%...another $100 gift!!! Overwhelmed!
We are in need of $2,097....how amazing would it be if we could be under the $2,000 mark today??? IF you are able to help us with our dossier costs for our son, Ethan....we would SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT!!! Just go to our blog & help with the chip-in! SO EXCITED by the many blessings already!
IF you feel comfortable, we would also love it if you could share this need with your friends----through talking about it, coming up with ideas of how to help, giving, praying together, sharing it in your small groups, sharing on FB......or any other idea of getting the word out;)
SO i am sitting here minding my own business when i see Catherine with a weird grin on her face as she was coming from the downstairs & going up the next stairs toward her room. I stop her because she looks guilty. I ask her what she is doing and she says, "I'm not taking any treats or cookies!" I say, "Well, what ARE you taking up? You look guilty!" She says, "I promise i will be right back & i will show you!" My mind is wondering what in the world Ally has put her up to now! ;) She comes out with something inside of her flannel cover-up shirt & i am thinking that there is going to be something that is going to come out & scare me because she has such a different face on, so i say, "You aren't going to scare me, are you?" She giggles and looks like she can't believe why i would even be thinking such a thing. She then pulls out an envelope. I am still thinking that this has something to do with Ally but i open it up & there is a lot of cash in the envelope. I shut it quickly & ask her whose it is. She says, "Mine" & i say, "No way...you can't give away all of your birthday money......you won't be able to buy anything! That is your money that you got from people for your birthday!" She says, "i don't care!" SO then she sits down & asks me to count it. I am thinking that there is about 20-30$ but then we add it up & it comes up to $70.96! WOW!
She looked like she was going to cry because she was so excited, pleased as she said, "I want this to go to Ethan. Can we put it in the Chip-In?" I told her that i would put it on my FB so it would be like putting it on our Chip-In!
Yep, pretty well humbled by our 11 yr old....remember, she doesn't have a birthday for another 11 months!!!!
BTW, that means that we are only $26.04 short of going under the $2,000...WOW!
Ummmm.....someone just gave $100!!!!!!
Ally just went hobbling downstairs & brought up $26.05!!!!! She didn't know about the $100!!!! (she had immediately gone downstairs as soon as she heard about the $26.04 being needed & in that short of time, the $100.00 had come in)
NOW, we are at $1899.99.......UFFDA!!!! I CAN. NOT. BELIEVE. THIS!!!!
We are still needing that same amount! The check will be going out Monday to California SO REALLY we could have a few extra days before it will be taken from our account. I would LOVE to have the $1,899.99 by Monday! SO that means if 190 of our friends gave $10 it would be done! OR if 76 people gave $25-we would be fully funded for our dossier paperwork, or if 19 friends gave $100 or if 4 people gave $500....if you would please ask the Lord if you are to be involved & how much you should have faith to give in helping us in this way!
We are so very grateful to all of those who have given already...not just financially but also people like Jill who took time from her day & went with me to the Cities to the Secretary of State office (& even brought snacks! i only provided a water bottle) Jill is doing what she can to help! We appreciate all who have given....not just for our dossier but also before this...so many have given & many sacrificially! We are grateful! Thank You! We are always blessed, Connie for the crew!
Within thirty minutes of putting up another blog but this one was stating our need for our dossier finances...a friend gave $100 making it a need for $3,422 then within thirty minutes of putting up the Chip-in onto our blog another friend gave $100!!! Now, all we need is $3,322- i am blown away! I guess i didn't even think about people forwarding my blog & people have!!! SO i learned how to put a Chip-In onto our blog! I pray that YOU will prayerfully consider helping us send this paperwork! I am blown away already!
HELLO!!!!?!?!?!?! ANYONE AWAKE!?!?!?!?!?! I was taking down all of the 'gadgets' (whatever they are called) at the bottom of my computer so my computer would work faster and one of them was our blog!!!!!!! OH MY WORD!!!!!!
(Someone had given $1,000)
Well, we are already almost 1/3 of the way there to get the finances for our dossier to go over to Bulgaria! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? WOW! IF you feel like you are able, the Lord is leading you, or you would like to be a part of bringing home Ethan then you can see our blog & donate there! Remember, when you give to our chip-in that is NOT tax deductible but our Reece's Rainbow account is (but the RR account can not be used for our dossier) THANK YOU to the THREE of you who have given & the THREE of you who have shared this on your wall!!! I LOVE IT!!!! SO amazed!!! WOW!
Well, we are now ANOTHER $100 closer!!! Another dear friend gave $100 onto our chip-in! I cannot believe this! THANK YOU GOD!
We are now at 35%...another $100 gift!!! Overwhelmed!
We are in need of $2,097....how amazing would it be if we could be under the $2,000 mark today??? IF you are able to help us with our dossier costs for our son, Ethan....we would SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT!!! Just go to our blog & help with the chip-in! SO EXCITED by the many blessings already!
IF you feel comfortable, we would also love it if you could share this need with your friends----through talking about it, coming up with ideas of how to help, giving, praying together, sharing it in your small groups, sharing on FB......or any other idea of getting the word out;)
SO i am sitting here minding my own business when i see Catherine with a weird grin on her face as she was coming from the downstairs & going up the next stairs toward her room. I stop her because she looks guilty. I ask her what she is doing and she says, "I'm not taking any treats or cookies!" I say, "Well, what ARE you taking up? You look guilty!" She says, "I promise i will be right back & i will show you!" My mind is wondering what in the world Ally has put her up to now! ;) She comes out with something inside of her flannel cover-up shirt & i am thinking that there is going to be something that is going to come out & scare me because she has such a different face on, so i say, "You aren't going to scare me, are you?" She giggles and looks like she can't believe why i would even be thinking such a thing. She then pulls out an envelope. I am still thinking that this has something to do with Ally but i open it up & there is a lot of cash in the envelope. I shut it quickly & ask her whose it is. She says, "Mine" & i say, "No way...you can't give away all of your birthday money......you won't be able to buy anything! That is your money that you got from people for your birthday!" She says, "i don't care!" SO then she sits down & asks me to count it. I am thinking that there is about 20-30$ but then we add it up & it comes up to $70.96! WOW!
She looked like she was going to cry because she was so excited, pleased as she said, "I want this to go to Ethan. Can we put it in the Chip-In?" I told her that i would put it on my FB so it would be like putting it on our Chip-In!
Yep, pretty well humbled by our 11 yr old....remember, she doesn't have a birthday for another 11 months!!!!
BTW, that means that we are only $26.04 short of going under the $2,000...WOW!
Ummmm.....someone just gave $100!!!!!!
Ally just went hobbling downstairs & brought up $26.05!!!!! She didn't know about the $100!!!! (she had immediately gone downstairs as soon as she heard about the $26.04 being needed & in that short of time, the $100.00 had come in)
NOW, we are at $1899.99.......UFFDA!!!! I CAN. NOT. BELIEVE. THIS!!!!
We are still needing that same amount! The check will be going out Monday to California SO REALLY we could have a few extra days before it will be taken from our account. I would LOVE to have the $1,899.99 by Monday! SO that means if 190 of our friends gave $10 it would be done! OR if 76 people gave $25-we would be fully funded for our dossier paperwork, or if 19 friends gave $100 or if 4 people gave $500....if you would please ask the Lord if you are to be involved & how much you should have faith to give in helping us in this way!
We are so very grateful to all of those who have given already...not just financially but also people like Jill who took time from her day & went with me to the Cities to the Secretary of State office (& even brought snacks! i only provided a water bottle) Jill is doing what she can to help! We appreciate all who have given....not just for our dossier but also before this...so many have given & many sacrificially! We are grateful! Thank You! We are always blessed, Connie for the crew!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Reading with the girls last night...FAITH!
Every night, i try to read to the three youngest girls & last night was no exception. We are reading the biography of Ida Scudder. It comes from THE series that i recommend more than any other series EVER! Amazing real life people - even names that we know very well BUT THESE biographies start when the people are children! SO our children see the childhood of people like D.L. Moody, George Mueller and yes, Ida Scudder. There are dozens of missionary biographies but there are also historical biographies.
Ida Scudder lived in India due to the fact that her parents were missionaries. One day, her mother asked Ida (who was then six years old) to do something that she had never been asked to do before & it was asked in such a way that Ida knew that it was VERY important. She had to hand out one piece of bread to a child & ONLY one piece each! There were hundreds of children in the missions yard. There was a famine in India. Three million people died. Ida cared a LOT...too much. She decides that she will NEVER EVER be a missionary like her parents, her uncles, cousins & all her other family members (almost ALL of her extended family members were also missionaries in India)
Circumstances later changed her mind...Indian women would not let a man look at them. Muslims & Hindus also wouldn't let a male Dr look at their wives....& one night THREE different women went into labor & three different men came to Ida's door asking for her to come & help but she couldn't-she would be of no help, she had NO medical skills at all! That night she had been in the middle of writing someone back in the States to let her know how much she despised India but that night her life dramatically changed. By the next morning she decides to become a Dr. & go back to the states to go to medical school! The problem is...she has no money!
The Lord provides her with FOUR YEARS worth of schooling! It amazed me! I kept on reading the story! Ida finally gets her degree & is wanting to go back to India but she feels that they need a hospital built! She goes to over a hundred different churches, organizations, ministries, & anyone that will listen but no one seems to care about poor women in India. (when i was reading this section...sad to say, but i related...it feels like not too many people REALLY care that there are thousands of children who are considered "different" (who are just like our Sophina) who are dying over in Eastern Europe) Ida is crying herself to sleep because she just can't believe that the Lord has given her this strong feeling that there is to be a hospital but people weren't providing. She is near giving up when she gets a note to come to a brother-in-law of the lady she had just visited the day before! She goes to him & he writes out a check for not just the ENTIRE hospital to be built but later that day he takes her to the medical supply store & writes out a check for ALL of the needed supplies FOR the hospital...from the operating table, beds, mattresses, to the bandages -everything that is needed to run the hospital AND he pays for shipping it all over there!
Well, our family is not in need of a hospital or even filling a hospital with supplies BUT it does FEEL like it might as well be that! We are needing to write out a check for $5,500 in just a couple of days! We are in need of $3,522 yet to make it. This amount is NOT able to be taken from our Reece's Rainbow gift fund...THAT will be used for our traveling costs & hotel & such. SO your gift won't be able to be used on your tax refund as it would need to go straight to us. IF you feel led to give, we would be most grateful! You can write a comment on here as to how to give you the information that you would need privately or if you are my friend on FB, you can message me & i can give it to you! OR you can pray like crazy for someone else to give;}) We know that God is able to do whatever it is that He sees best & we are looking forward to what He decides! GOD IS FAITHFUL! We are always blessed, Connie for the crew
PS if you would like me to bake something for you in exchange, i would be more than willing to do so!
Ida Scudder lived in India due to the fact that her parents were missionaries. One day, her mother asked Ida (who was then six years old) to do something that she had never been asked to do before & it was asked in such a way that Ida knew that it was VERY important. She had to hand out one piece of bread to a child & ONLY one piece each! There were hundreds of children in the missions yard. There was a famine in India. Three million people died. Ida cared a LOT...too much. She decides that she will NEVER EVER be a missionary like her parents, her uncles, cousins & all her other family members (almost ALL of her extended family members were also missionaries in India)
Circumstances later changed her mind...Indian women would not let a man look at them. Muslims & Hindus also wouldn't let a male Dr look at their wives....& one night THREE different women went into labor & three different men came to Ida's door asking for her to come & help but she couldn't-she would be of no help, she had NO medical skills at all! That night she had been in the middle of writing someone back in the States to let her know how much she despised India but that night her life dramatically changed. By the next morning she decides to become a Dr. & go back to the states to go to medical school! The problem is...she has no money!
The Lord provides her with FOUR YEARS worth of schooling! It amazed me! I kept on reading the story! Ida finally gets her degree & is wanting to go back to India but she feels that they need a hospital built! She goes to over a hundred different churches, organizations, ministries, & anyone that will listen but no one seems to care about poor women in India. (when i was reading this section...sad to say, but i related...it feels like not too many people REALLY care that there are thousands of children who are considered "different" (who are just like our Sophina) who are dying over in Eastern Europe) Ida is crying herself to sleep because she just can't believe that the Lord has given her this strong feeling that there is to be a hospital but people weren't providing. She is near giving up when she gets a note to come to a brother-in-law of the lady she had just visited the day before! She goes to him & he writes out a check for not just the ENTIRE hospital to be built but later that day he takes her to the medical supply store & writes out a check for ALL of the needed supplies FOR the hospital...from the operating table, beds, mattresses, to the bandages -everything that is needed to run the hospital AND he pays for shipping it all over there!
Well, our family is not in need of a hospital or even filling a hospital with supplies BUT it does FEEL like it might as well be that! We are needing to write out a check for $5,500 in just a couple of days! We are in need of $3,522 yet to make it. This amount is NOT able to be taken from our Reece's Rainbow gift fund...THAT will be used for our traveling costs & hotel & such. SO your gift won't be able to be used on your tax refund as it would need to go straight to us. IF you feel led to give, we would be most grateful! You can write a comment on here as to how to give you the information that you would need privately or if you are my friend on FB, you can message me & i can give it to you! OR you can pray like crazy for someone else to give;}) We know that God is able to do whatever it is that He sees best & we are looking forward to what He decides! GOD IS FAITHFUL! We are always blessed, Connie for the crew
PS if you would like me to bake something for you in exchange, i would be more than willing to do so!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Blessed more than i deserve
The last five days have been so utterly amazing! Not just because we got our adoption paperwork back WAY earlier than we were expecting either! Let me explain...
The Lord prompted me to ask what i was feeling strongly was needed & so i did. I went onto Facebook and asked a question ONCE which is what i also felt was all i was suppose to do. No one answered this question until i told the Lord that i was content that no one had answered & then that night someone did answer my question-if anyone had a cabin that our family could use that weekend AND...someone WAS allowing us to use their cabin! Someone whose parents don't even know us!!!
I was very bummed that our family wasn't all together as Liz & Nate needed to work as well as Scott & Ethan is still in his country. I would've LOVED to have had another adult or two but i knew that the timing was perfect & we had to do it. OH! How i wished that Scott could have been with us!
We left on Thursday & the drive alone was out of this world! I cannot begin to describe to you the beauty of the trees! The colors were some of the best that i had ever seen. We got to the log cabin & it was so beautiful & it reminded us all of Grandma Grace. It was completely decorated as if she had done it! OH how Grandma would have LOVED IT!!! Loons & Scandinavian decor all over!
The girls & i went on walks every day. The BEST walk was one that was not very well planned...i had no clue that when we left the cabin that we would be gone so long that we really should have taken food with. We drove to a place that had been recommended...the LOST FORTY is what it is called. I have lived in Minnesota most of my life & what is even more amazing is that i lived not far from this particular area for years & i had never heard of it! It was SO AMAZING...in the top five most beautiful places that i have ever been (on this particular weekend of FULL FALL COLORS)!!!
It was FORTY ACRES of untimbered land...for 350 years there has not been anyone messing with God's creation on that land! STUNNING!!! The trees were in their PRIME FALL COLORS & the pictures will never do it justice but oh how i praised the Lord for His beautiful artistry! SO worth a 3 hour drive if not four...if you can, this week!
The girls & i had popcorn & watched Father of the Bride 2. It felt like it was our family...even though i am not pregnant, nor is Liz BUT knowing that our children could be even five years different is just amazing! CHILDREN ARE SUCH BLESSINGS!!! I LOVE that movie! The girls & i also played MANY games...something that i have not been doing a good job of doing with them this past year with Scott being so far away. We also played LOTS of Foosball...oh my, the times of laughter with tears rolling down our faces were MANY! We also had fires in the fireplace & times of reading & relaxing.
On Sunday, we had a LONG time of just clearing the air & talking about our relationships & how to do LIFE better...it was SO SO SO good! Also, a time of prayer...with Sophina stealing the time...every time another of us would pray she would try to move her toy out of the way so she could hold the toy AND fold her hands AGAIN...i have to admit that the entire time we all prayed i was watching our precious angel pray with us too!
We watched Fiddler on the Roof...another classic that our family LOVES!!! Lots of time focusing on the older kids while Sophina slept for her nap or nighttime...many LATE nights!
On the trip home today...the first hour...i wept off and on because i was just SO overwhelmed by the family's generosity....AND the Lord's. I have only seen colors like i saw today...in Aspen Colorado & the mountains there (when i was a child). Every turn in the road, every bend in the road, every hill for that first hour...took my breath away. I just kept saying..."we are so blessed....God has been so good to us...i cannot believe this beauty...i am in awe of this...can you believe what we are seeing.....can you believe what this family has done for us...can you believe that we have been given this chance to see something that we would have never seen without them doing this...i cannot believe that this is even more beautiful than when we came up...CAN YOU BELIEVE THESE COLORS...oh my goodness God is amazing...i wonder if the people who live in this area understand the incredible blessing they have of living in this part of the country...WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY...i am just stunned...i am so blessed-i do not deserve this blessing...oh my goodness..." and on and on and on i went. The next hour it was just a little less & then we came to HWY. 371 & it was as if the color was erased from the trees & dirt had been thrown on them...it made me want to turn around and go back! i still cannot believe the difference...it seriously had been as close to heaven's colors that i think i have ever seen! They had been SO BRIGHT, so bold, so perfect, so well blended...so beautiful!
I don't think that we will EVER be able to thank this family & their parents enough. Nor, do i think that they will EVER know how much we needed it,how much it helped & how much it meant to be allowed such a HUGE blessing. I don't know how one thanks someone who does such a selfless act, such a kindness, such a gift that will never be returned! It made me so aware of what the Lord Jesus has done...how much i take it for granted so often! Oh how i thanked Him for this incredible, wonderful, out of this world, one of a kind, tremendously amazing treasured time! We are so very blessed!
SO many people have done so much for our family over the many years...SO many things have happened that were hard & stressful & overwhelming & God has always place some people in our lives who have just blown our minds away with their generosity & kindness & sweet ways of loving us! We have been blessed again! SO grateful!
NOW...we are ready to tackle the dossier so we can go see Ethan SOON!!! PLEASE pray that we will do everything that needs doing & that it will be CLEAR & correct & will get to our country ASAP!!! THIS has never been easy with the two of us in two different states and this...will test us to the max! I see some more traveling in my coming days!
SO VERY VERY BLESSED, Connie for the crew
The Lord prompted me to ask what i was feeling strongly was needed & so i did. I went onto Facebook and asked a question ONCE which is what i also felt was all i was suppose to do. No one answered this question until i told the Lord that i was content that no one had answered & then that night someone did answer my question-if anyone had a cabin that our family could use that weekend AND...someone WAS allowing us to use their cabin! Someone whose parents don't even know us!!!
I was very bummed that our family wasn't all together as Liz & Nate needed to work as well as Scott & Ethan is still in his country. I would've LOVED to have had another adult or two but i knew that the timing was perfect & we had to do it. OH! How i wished that Scott could have been with us!
We left on Thursday & the drive alone was out of this world! I cannot begin to describe to you the beauty of the trees! The colors were some of the best that i had ever seen. We got to the log cabin & it was so beautiful & it reminded us all of Grandma Grace. It was completely decorated as if she had done it! OH how Grandma would have LOVED IT!!! Loons & Scandinavian decor all over!
The girls & i went on walks every day. The BEST walk was one that was not very well planned...i had no clue that when we left the cabin that we would be gone so long that we really should have taken food with. We drove to a place that had been recommended...the LOST FORTY is what it is called. I have lived in Minnesota most of my life & what is even more amazing is that i lived not far from this particular area for years & i had never heard of it! It was SO AMAZING...in the top five most beautiful places that i have ever been (on this particular weekend of FULL FALL COLORS)!!!
It was FORTY ACRES of untimbered land...for 350 years there has not been anyone messing with God's creation on that land! STUNNING!!! The trees were in their PRIME FALL COLORS & the pictures will never do it justice but oh how i praised the Lord for His beautiful artistry! SO worth a 3 hour drive if not four...if you can, this week!
The girls & i had popcorn & watched Father of the Bride 2. It felt like it was our family...even though i am not pregnant, nor is Liz BUT knowing that our children could be even five years different is just amazing! CHILDREN ARE SUCH BLESSINGS!!! I LOVE that movie! The girls & i also played MANY games...something that i have not been doing a good job of doing with them this past year with Scott being so far away. We also played LOTS of Foosball...oh my, the times of laughter with tears rolling down our faces were MANY! We also had fires in the fireplace & times of reading & relaxing.
On Sunday, we had a LONG time of just clearing the air & talking about our relationships & how to do LIFE better...it was SO SO SO good! Also, a time of prayer...with Sophina stealing the time...every time another of us would pray she would try to move her toy out of the way so she could hold the toy AND fold her hands AGAIN...i have to admit that the entire time we all prayed i was watching our precious angel pray with us too!
We watched Fiddler on the Roof...another classic that our family LOVES!!! Lots of time focusing on the older kids while Sophina slept for her nap or nighttime...many LATE nights!
On the trip home today...the first hour...i wept off and on because i was just SO overwhelmed by the family's generosity....AND the Lord's. I have only seen colors like i saw today...in Aspen Colorado & the mountains there (when i was a child). Every turn in the road, every bend in the road, every hill for that first hour...took my breath away. I just kept saying..."we are so blessed....God has been so good to us...i cannot believe this beauty...i am in awe of this...can you believe what we are seeing.....can you believe what this family has done for us...can you believe that we have been given this chance to see something that we would have never seen without them doing this...i cannot believe that this is even more beautiful than when we came up...CAN YOU BELIEVE THESE COLORS...oh my goodness God is amazing...i wonder if the people who live in this area understand the incredible blessing they have of living in this part of the country...WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY...i am just stunned...i am so blessed-i do not deserve this blessing...oh my goodness..." and on and on and on i went. The next hour it was just a little less & then we came to HWY. 371 & it was as if the color was erased from the trees & dirt had been thrown on them...it made me want to turn around and go back! i still cannot believe the difference...it seriously had been as close to heaven's colors that i think i have ever seen! They had been SO BRIGHT, so bold, so perfect, so well blended...so beautiful!
I don't think that we will EVER be able to thank this family & their parents enough. Nor, do i think that they will EVER know how much we needed it,how much it helped & how much it meant to be allowed such a HUGE blessing. I don't know how one thanks someone who does such a selfless act, such a kindness, such a gift that will never be returned! It made me so aware of what the Lord Jesus has done...how much i take it for granted so often! Oh how i thanked Him for this incredible, wonderful, out of this world, one of a kind, tremendously amazing treasured time! We are so very blessed!
SO many people have done so much for our family over the many years...SO many things have happened that were hard & stressful & overwhelming & God has always place some people in our lives who have just blown our minds away with their generosity & kindness & sweet ways of loving us! We have been blessed again! SO grateful!
NOW...we are ready to tackle the dossier so we can go see Ethan SOON!!! PLEASE pray that we will do everything that needs doing & that it will be CLEAR & correct & will get to our country ASAP!!! THIS has never been easy with the two of us in two different states and this...will test us to the max! I see some more traveling in my coming days!
SO VERY VERY BLESSED, Connie for the crew
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