Orphans and Northpointe

On another note (since I'm here), I have had orphans on the brain so much lately! Okay, more than usual. As I have probably mentioned, I was approached to start an Orphans Ministry at church by Christy. Christy works for Northpointe, her husband is the High School pastor, she runs the women's ministries, and has become a dear friend since her asking me. I was immediately willing to help out in whatever way I could but we were both unsure what avenue to take. There are so many "avenues" possible with this type of thing. I had tried the support group thing before with no such luck. Christy has not adopted or had any experience with orphans before. She just knew God was calling her to help orphans and widows. So we both agreed to pray about it. That was before Christmas and nothing has transpired since then. That was until.... someone could not go on the missions trip to India and Christy got to step in. The team left just about 2 weeks ago and just returned on Wednesday. While there Christy was able to visit Mother Teresa's orphanage (and another one I think) and fell in love with the children there. She encountered a little blind boy that would bang his head on his crib. She went over to him and sang Jesus Loves You to him and he immediately calmed. She met a little girl she wanted to bring home (thanks to Melanie-I used a couple of your pictures). NOW she has experienced orphans and has pleanty of knowledge to share! While she was gone I felt God really speaking to my heart to do more. I could not stop reading the team's blog while they were gone, received orphans information in the mail and email, read bible verses, so on and so on. It was amazing the things God was throwing in front of me during this time. I have also become good friends with Chenecua (thanks to Katelyn and her friendship with Chenecua's daughter Dejah) and she mentioned to me how touched she has been these past two weeks and how she wants to help as well. God put us two together to be HIS hands and feet, I'm sure of it! I am so excited and cannot wait until Christy is all rested and ready to start this mission of helping these children with me! Stay tuned for what God has planned!...... ***Prayers are welcomed!***

Summertime Swimming!

This week was Kennedi's first swim lessons. Last year, she would scream her head off every time she was in the pool so I wasn't sure how this week would turn out. Well, as you can see from the pictures above, she enjoyed it very much. This has been one of those crazy weeks to say the least. Monday was good, everything went according to planned. Tuesday however, I had a terrible sore throat. We made it to swim lessons but by the time I got back home I had the stomach flu. The stomach flu continued to Wednesday so I was unable to take the kids to swim lessons. Later that night Kennedi said to me "I did not like today because I wanted to go to swim lessons", she liked it that much. Yesterday I was better enough to take them back to swim lessons. Then today Bradley came down with the same thing I had so I was able to take Kennedi but Bradley had to miss out (that's why there are no pictures of Bradley). What a week. Even though, Kennedi did learn how to somewhat swim, float, jump in, but most importantly saw that she can do it and to not think she can't. Thanks to Pam and Nicole for their always great swim lessons!

As I may have mentioned before, this year is the first year for Katelyn and Bradley to swim on the city's summer competitive swim team (Kerman Kickers). In the winter Katelyn mentioned she wanted to try the swim team (unfortunately she has not had luck trying out for the sports at the Jr. High so I knew this would be great because everyone gets to be on the team). I was excited because I swam for the Kerman Kickers so it was neat that my daughter now wanted to be on the team. So we went to the parent meeting in the spring and signed up Katelyn with no intentions to have Bradley swim. He immediately said he wanted to try the team out as well. With him not being a strong swimmer yet, I didn't think he'd make it or like it. Practice came, he tried it, made it, and liked it. Katelyn was the one crying the first week of practice (don't think she realized how hard swimming practice is) and Bradley just kept on swimming. He was like Dory in Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." The coach talked to Katelyn and convinced her to just give him 2 weeks. She did, and that was 2 1/2 months ago! Both of the kids are having a good time and are getting stronger each week. They aren't the strongest ones out there but they keep trying and keep improving their times. We have about 5 weeks to go in the season. The photos above are from last weekends invitational (like a tournament) in Los Banos.

Worth Every Second

Recently I have been thinking about my life and what God has already done with it, but more importantly what He still has planned for it. We are so blessed to have so many things, but all of these "things" are just that.... "things" and items that will not matter when we leave this world. What will matter is the impact we had on this world and how we followed the road God has paved out for us. It's a choice you have to make and one that is sometimes not easily made. If you do decide to follow God's will for your life you will be a changed person because of it. I learned this 3 years ago (on the 17th to be exact) when I heard God telling me His plan of adoption for us. Adoption was not even a word in our vocabulary but we decided to follow Him. Boy am I glad we did! It was a tough road at times and definitely not a road that has come to an end for sure, but all worth it. Just recently I was reminded of God's reasons for all of this to happen to us and to Kennedi. Kennedi has been talking about "good dreams" and "bad dreams" a lot and last weekend when I put her to bed she said she was probably going to have a bad dream. I told her to "think of good things and she'll have a good dream". The next day we were sitting at the movie theater and I asked her if she had a good dream or a bad dream. She said she had a good dream because she prayed to God. Just those four words "I prayed to God" put tears into my eyes! To think that God placed this little precious girl into our hands to be able to love, but more importantly to show her the love of God and how she can pray to Him for help when she came from a country where that is not allowed what so ever, is worth every second we've been on this road. I also just finished the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and it has made me realize that we are here all for Him. I have been thinking about the group of Northpointe staff that will be leaving this Sunday for India to help at Mother Theresa's place and at an orphanage and how I would love to be on that trip. I've been thinking about my friend Julie who adopted Nicholas almost two years ago and how they just received travel plans to leave next week to bring home his new brother from China. I've also been thinking about starting our orphans ministry at Northpointe and how we can help the children who have absolutely nothing, not even a parent to love them. Wherever the road God has us on leads, we will follow and know that it will all be worth every second.

End Of The School Year Festivities

Today was filled with fun activities for Kennedi and Bradley for their last day of school. It started first thing in the morning with the awards ceremony and then off to Kennedi's classroom for her Kindergarten Graduation. Shortly after we headed over to Bradley's class for his pizza and ice cream party. The school year went by super fast but the kids are glad summer is here!

Bradley pretending to be a chicken with his bandana

Bradley with two of the girls, Jeanine and Brielle

Bradley and one of his favorite friends Brielle

Wrapping his gift for dad for Father's Day

Bradley and Annie

Kennedi and her class saying their Onto First Grade Poem

Kennedi getting her diploma from Mrs. Newman

Kennedi received an Almond "JOY" from Mrs. Newman because she said she is always full of JOY, always smiling! :)

Kennedi and her class friends

Kennedi receiving her Citizenship Award

Bradley received many awards. The one he is holding is perfect attendance for the whole school year. He also won Principal's Honor Roll and BUG Award (Bring Up Grades)

This is a video of the kids in Kennedi's class reciting their Onto First Grade Poem. She has grown so much in just the one year of being in school. Next year she will be attending public school to hopefully get her more help with her English learning. She will miss Kerman Christian very much. For now, she is glad it is summer time and no school! She has swim lessons coming up which she is NOT looking forward to, Vacation Bible School, and Creative Arts Camp so she'll be busy with some fun things. Katelyn's last day is coming up on Friday and she cannot wait. She will then be the King (or I should say, Queen) of the school, a big 8th grader! It seems like I was just stressing out about her going into Jr. High and now we're getting close to High School! Friday she is having a mud rally so maybe I can get some pictures of that. Until then..... {HUGS}