Anabella Posing Pretty...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Laughter Lives Tuesday
This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts. "I love you back."One day, while enjoying some snuggle time and a book together, Brennan turned to me and said, "I love you, Momma". To which I replied, "I love you back". Several days later I said, "I love you B.", and he quickly turned to me with his charming little smile and bright blue eyes and said, "I love you back". It's "our thing" now :o)Squeeze three times...Way back when, before we were married, Josh told me that when he was a little boy he and his dad would say "I love you" by either 3 hand squeezes or 3 taps, etc. One squeeze for "I", one for "love" and one for "you". After he shared that story, we were holding hands in the car and he squeezed my hand 3 times. It's been "our thing" ever since!

Meet Jaclin and Jose....

Marilus sister, Rosa, Jaclin and Jose

Jaclin, Marilus sister who lives in Guatemala and Jose..

Marilus birthother, Matteya's birthmother and Lorena Matteya's foster mother...

Neyvada's foster mother, Gloria, Lorena, and Jaclin Matteya's sister, Gloria and brother..

We found out months ago and were very thrilled with the news that Matteya has a biological brother and sister in Guatemala. Jaclin is 4 years old and Jose is 6 years old and they live with their (and Matteya's) birthmother Gloria. This wonderful news was given to us from Matteya's foster mother Lorena, in Guatemala. Lorena was also Marilus foster mother , my awesome friend Esperanzas daughter. Matteya and Marilu were in foster care at the same time, so they had the first many months of their life together during the adoption process. Lorena has contact with Matteya's birthmother and Marilus. Through Epse and her sister Rosa who lives in Guatemala we are all in touch now. And we were so happy to send Christmas gifts to our new extended Gautemala family. We hope and pray to meet them all someday..Matteya and her sisters pray for Jaclin, Jose, Gloria and Lorena everynight...We feel very blessed to have this special family in our lives....

Sand Angels...

Guardian Angel... At times when I am feeling sad and think that no one cares, I feel the vibrations of your wings and know that you are here.
I then feel your tender touch as you enfold me with His Love. A yearning prayer has come to earth, sent down from Father above.
I can never deny your presence. You fill my heart with song. All sad thoughts simply disappear, knowing that I am not alone.
You loan me strength when I give out. And you raise my courage up. I can face my troubles head-on ,mortal thanks is not enough.
I will live each day I have in humbleness and in prayer. With heartfelt words I'll write and with all others, share....
(Lottie Ann Knox)

Treasures in Heaven..

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. --Matthew 6:

The Movie.. Hotel for Dogs

The Movie " Hotel for Dogs" is one of the best family movies I have seen. It was very cute and entertaining . It captured the attention of the theater full of kids, parents and grandparents watching with smiles and giggles at the many cute and funny dogs . I took Gabi , Bella and my parents. Neyvada and Matteya are still a little young to sit through a 2 hour movie at the theaters. This movie taught a lesson about caring for animals ,BUT what i loved most about the movie is that it touches on something I have a passion for deep in my heart... adoption. Hotel for Dogs is a movie about orphaned children taking care of orphaned dogs. The movie raises awareness for the need of good foster families to take care of these precious children and the need for forever families to adopt them... with over 129,000 orphaned children in the United States and an estimated 13 million orphans in the world there is a HUGE need for people to create their forever families through adoption. We truely enjoyed this movie . When it ended Gabi wanted to sit there and watch it again.... Go see this movie with your family, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon:o)

Pictures of Neyvada's Birthday Party...

Neyvada's Pink Princess Cake..

Neyvada and her Grandparents...

Princess Neyvada

All her friends...

Neyvada's Foster mother from Guatemala ...

More Pictures of Neyvada's Birthday Party..

Grandma(Ga) and Neyvada looking at her gifts..

Neyvada and friend Izzy...

sister Gabi...

sister Matteya...

sister Bella...

More Pictures of

Message From Pastor Les...Words we speak...

The Inspired Word says, “Let your speech always be with grace, as through seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” – Col. 4:6.

Paul talks about our tongue and our speech in this verse. It hits close to home in all of us. As James said, “If we do not sin with out tongue, we can control the whole body.” I know that my tongue does cause me to sin from time to time. I may speak too rashly, say something with a taste of sarcasm, or just be emotionally charged by a statement or a whole group of statements that I later regret.

Yes, the tongue is a poison and can set a whole forest on fire. It can ignite an argument in an instant. It can cause people at peace to become enemies in a few moments just by words. Our hearts and our tongues are closely related and connected. We need to be careful when we speak!

Paul tells us that our speech should always by with grace (lovingkindness, showing love towards others). We need to be like a hard boiled egg when we sprinkle some salt on it to make it tasty. I enjoy eggs with toast, especially when the yolk is runny. I appreciate the salt and how it makes it taste so good. Hmmm, maybe one would be good right now with a toast and plenty of butter on it?

How do we respond to other people in our lives? What do we say that is gracious when they do not deserve a kind word from us? It is so easy to be abrasive, mean, or uncouth (lacking in manners or social graces). We speak and then we strive to justify ourselves in what we stated. We lose our saltiness and we can never take back the nasty things that we just stated.

And, some people never forget what we said, even if they do not quote us correctly. That even makes it worse. We focus on their misstatement(s) and even more find room to justify ourselves for what we did say.

Yes, I need to be careful what I say and the way I say things. My wife reminds me from time to time about the way I said it. Yes, God wants us to speak graciously as seasoned with salt. Is that the way you speak to others, especially towards those who do not especially “like” you? This is a reminder to think about the way you are speaking to every person in your life.

In His love,

Pastor Les

The Brick...thoughts for the day..

THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down

when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver

then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against

a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watch ed the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Will You Please Pray for Abby?

I wanted you to know about Abby.

She was adopted from Guatemala. At three years old, she was diagnosed with a high-risk, aggressive form of Leukemia. Certain genetic complications have put her chance of surviving the treatment at about 20%.

I am praying for her and her family. Would you pray for them too?
You can find more about Abby here, on her family blog: http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/2009/01/about-abby.html

The Song.. My Wish

this is one of my favorite songs.... My wish, by Rascle Flatts. The words to this song are wishes i hope for my girls as they move along in their life......."I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,and each road leads you where you want to go, and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you. And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window, if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile, but more than anything, more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish. I hope you never look back, but ya never forget, all the ones who love you, in the place you left, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, and you help somebody every chance you get, Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake, and always give more then you take. But more than anything, Yeah, and more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish... My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish. this is my wish i hope you know somebody loves you may all your dreams stay big...."

Happy 4th Birthday Neyvada..

Sweet Guatemala princess Neyvada turned 4 yesterday.... Neyvada is such a precious little girl and brings so much joy to our family. I was truely blessed a year ago last January when i received the phone call about a little 2-1/2 year old that was relinguished from her birthmother .(my heart and love will be forever grateful to her, and her love for Neyvada wanted a happier life for her daughter) I was emailed the picture and knew instantly my 4th daughter was waiting to be in the arms and love of her new family. Neyvada came forever home on Sept. 26th 2007.

Neyvada celebrated with her friends at school and went to dinner with her grandparents and tomorrow is her birthday party at the train park with lots of friends:o) Feliz Cupleanos Neyvada and we love you!!

2 Weeks of Christmas Fun....

Christmas morning started at 5:30 with Gabi waking everyone up to let them know Santa came...

Thanks for my new heelys Grandma and Grandpa...

Santa brought baby dolls...

lots of fun toys....

and a jeep...



and new bikes....

Neyvada and bike

Gabi and new bike

Bella and bike

Teya and bike...

We took a trip to California with my parents to see Aunt Bernice and cousins, big and small....

The trip to California was also to visit and spend time with my brother who is very ill... He met Gabi, Teya, Bella and Vada for the first time. We had a chance to take a walk through a little amusment park close by with the girls. my dad , me and mark..

Mark, We love you and you are in our prayers everynight...