Video From the Ball :-)

The Ball in Eugene was wonderful. We danced, mingled, ate yummy food, and I won most of the raffle!!! It was so much fun. Here are the pictures and video from our evening. :-)

Our Little Garden

Today I planted our little baby sproutlings in our garden. Now we get watch, tend, and wait for them to grow :-) God Bless!

Silly Animal Tricks :-)

It's official, I taught Gico bird how to sew. Here's the proof below :-) Enjoy!

Being Very Brave :-)

I have been encouraged by my friend, Sarah, to share this video. God Bless!

P.S. This was Christmas Eve 2007 @ Lakeview Community Church in Lake Havasu City, AZ (my home church) The music is by Sandi Patti.

Little Stinkers :-)

So our dogs, Max and Leila, are on a strict diet, because they just eat too much. So we have a large plastic bin, with a snapping lid where we store their food. They get fed twice a day and that's all. Well, I discovered that the kiddos have figured out how to open said bin and treated themselves to a gorging feast while I was at work. They are smart, sometimes too smart. I came in the door, looked at the opened food bin, the lid cast aside, and looked at the dogs. I didn't even have to say anything. Both dogs belly crawled to me and all I could do was laugh. I know that they know better, but it was pretty funny and quite clever of them. Now I need to find a new spot for said bin :-)

Leila and Max on "their couch" :-)

More Regency Underthings

Below are the pictures of my latest project, a Regency Short Corset and Chemise. The corset is entirely hand sewn, eyelets and all :-) The patterns are part of Sense and Sensibility Patterns' Regency Underthings pattern. Enjoy :-)

Okay so this last picture kinda looks like Max is trying to eat Gico. That, of course, was not the case, he was trying to kiss me and Gico was playing with Max's ear. My boys :-)

Latourell Falls

Sunday was a simply wonderful and beautiful day in Portland. The sun was out, it was warm, but not hot with a slight cooling breeze blowing. We took advantage of the wonderful weather and headed out the Multnoma Falls. We hiked the 2 mile loop at Latourell Falls and just enjoyed God's wonderful creation. Here are some pictures of our little adventure. God Bless!

Why I Love My Job # 1,053 :-)

Marble, surveying her kingdom. She's the princess and she knows it.

Sally (the Golden Retriever) George (the puppy) and our janitor's dog (the Chiuaua whose name I cannot say because it is unprintable, but she's really cute)

Sorry the pics are blurry, I took them with my phone :-P

All the Kids :-)

So here are some recent pics of the fur and feather babies. I just love 'em to pieces.

Gico Birdy :-)

Leila Lu, during a long hike at Powell Butte :-)

Max, aka Moose Dog, aka Maximus, aka Maxipup on a lovely evening walk. Poor boy can't go on long walks, but we do what we can until his surgery :-)

Thoughts...

My mind and heart have been in very deep thought lately. I've been pondering the issue of adoption again. Aaron and I are at the age where everyone we meet asks us if we 1) have kids or 2) if not, when we are planning on having children. As a couple who has decided that we have a passion for adoption and raising children from other cultures, our natural response is "we wish to adopt in 3 to 4 years." The reactions to our desire is so mixed. It amazes me, no astounds me, at times. We have heard everything from "why would you want to do that?" to "that's wonderful if you can do that sort of thing," and everything else in between. I think the strangest comments have been along the lines of "will that be fair for the child?" and "you'll change, and want one of your own." To which I reply, "is it fair to leave a child parent less?" and "we do want our own, if we adopt, the child and/or children will be our own." These comments have only strengthened our desire and choice to adopt! Now, I'm in no way opposed to having biological children, if that is what God has intended for us, but I also know that is not the only way to grow a family.

I have many of the same feelings I had as a teenager, when I was deciding what career path I wanted. I was bombarded by people who thought, just because I sing opera, that I had to become an opera singer. It was crazy for me to be anything else, in their minds. I love singing, but I do it for the Lord, not for other people. It took me a long time to realize that my voice did not define me, it was a gift that was part of me. That God had another plan in mind, and I am right where He wants me. I feel the same way about our desire to adopt. People assume that because I am a woman, I need to have biological children. That as a woman, why wouldn't I want to give birth, it's what we do. It almost makes me feel like I'm broken because I yearn to adopt. I've been asking myself what's wrong with adoption, why is it controversial, and why am I expected to give birth? I still don't know what the answer is to these questions, but I do know where my heart is. I am for adoption, I love the beauty of it, and I love how God can weave a family any way He chooses.

As Christians, how can we be opposed to adoption. Christianity is based entirely on adoption. Even our Savior Jesus was adopted by His earthly father. We who are sinners and fallen so low have been chosen by a loving God and Savior to be adopted into His kingdom. To become heirs, to truly be His children. How then, can we, who are wretched, sinful creatures, who cannot earn Salvation, but who have been loved beyond words, be against something as beautiful as adoption. Also, as Christians, we know that God created the heavens and earth, that every person on this earth stemmed from one man and one woman. Therefore, we are truly related. We share the same gene pool. Now mind you, it has become more diluted and specialized with each generation, but it still has that original blood of Adam and Eve. It flows through our veins today, just as it did 6,000 years ago.

This leads me to believe even more passionately that family does not have to be "biological." It can be beautifully woven however God chooses. God is in control of Aaron and me, our life together, and our future family. Whether that family is woven through biology or adoption. This is where my heart is, it is where God is leading Aaron and me, and I though I don't know what the future holds, I know the my God is in control.

Happy Birthday Zachary :-)

Yesterday was my nephew Zach's 2nd birthday. I can't believe how big his getting. I love you baby and can't wait to see you in December. Love Auntie Lauren :-)

Pride & Prejudice Ball :-)

We had a glorious time at the ball last night :-) It was wonderful. There were probably 150+ people there. We didn't stay for the whole event, due to the long drive, but we enjoyed ourselves emensly. Here are some pictures, enjoy :-)