Life to the Full!

Pressing the Pause Button on “Not this” for…

June 21, 2010

… Slithering at Poolside
You have to understand that I am not proud of what I’m about to share.
I don’t like to swim.
I don’t like to be splashed.
I don’t like water in my eyes.
I don’t like getting my hair wet.
And, honestly, at 43, nearly 44 years, I still haven’t come to grips with my body. This [...]

Read the full article →

“Not this” (continued)

June 18, 2010

“Not this.” I just knew that God would not lead us away from homeschooling. And then I remembered …
Sara Maria, who is now 17, asked me during our Family Devotions one spring night just after she had just turned 11, “Mom, can I really pray for anything?”
“Sure, Honey. But only if you’re willing to accept [...]

Read the full article →

“Not this”

June 16, 2010

That was my attitude toward homeschooling earlier this year as Bill and I faced personal weariness from such an intense year. It wasn’t simply our adoption of Katya, but also …
* church stress
* marital strain
* parenting disconnect
many of which rose during and through the adoption process.
*For a church, it’s hard for the pastor to be [...]

Read the full article →

Camp, Camp, and More Camp (Part 2)

June 11, 2010

This morning, our boys woke up in a cabin at Summer’s Best Two Weeks, however, for them, it’s not SB2W, but SB8D, Summer’s Best Eight Days. I’m already missing them, as is Katya who is longing for a buddy to explore the creek.
But while they’re gone, the females of the family + Bill, the CMG, will [...]

Read the full article →

Camp, Camp, and More Camp (Part 1)

June 8, 2010

Camp holds a prominent place in our family history. During the summers of my college years, I was most often at Camp Seafarer. Growing up in New Bern, NC, I had looked longingly at this camp but I went to Camp Don Lee. I loved my time at Don Lee, but once every week [...]

Read the full article →

Friday Night = Family Night

June 4, 2010

Adopting from Ukraine is HARD.
And it takes a LONG TIME.
Not only stateside working on paperwork, but you can count on ~ 7 weeks IN COUNTRY, if not longer.
Being separated from the six while going after the seventh was UNDOUBTEDLY the hardest part of the whole thing.
Even now it can bring tears to my eyes to [...]

Read the full article →

Do you know anyone who is in the midst of adoption RIGHT NOW?

May 28, 2010

Pray for them.
Adoption is HARD.
The paperwork is daunting, and this is just the beginning.
Adoption is COSTLY.
And dollars and cents are not even half of it. Although this is the initial reason people have for NOT adopting, once you get into it, you realize that the financial issues are NOTHING compared to what it will cost [...]

Read the full article →

That Southern Elixir,

May 24, 2010

Hotly debated topic,
And that which clears your sinuses…
Barbecue Sauce!
Now, I know I’m venturing into dangerous territory here. People feel strongly about their barbecue. For you Northern gals, I’m not talking about a method of cooking. I’m talking about pork.
And, if I had my ‘druthers, I’m not just talking about a piece of meat stuck [...]

Read the full article →

My beautiful and talented daughter…

May 11, 2010

… Adelyn!

Adelyn not only flies the air with the greatest of ease, but also writes! She’s a gifted communicator, an amazing photographer, and has a knack for technology. In all honesty, she’s my “techno-chick.”
Check our her blog, Randomness from the Addie Corner, if you
1. want the inside scoop on the Finley Family,
2. have a teenage [...]

Read the full article →