2014 Hunting Season

For our family, hunting is great fun and also a practice in patience.  Daddy started hunting with the boys 5 years ago and didn’t see a single deer that first fall.  This year we were blessed by seeing lots of animal activity and harvesting quite a few deer.

For our family, the season opened with a coyote, the deer’s natural predator.  Where we hunt, the coyotes have been taking down deer just for ‘fun’ and doing damage to the herd.  Kyle was sitting alone and watching yearling deer play when this coyote came out of woods chasing a deer.  Kyle shot the coyote as it ran through the field and became the deer’s champion!


Luke’s first deer…Way To Go!!  He has been Dad’s official deer spotter so he was very excited to get his first harvest.


Philip loves to sit with Daddy in the stand.  He is looking forward to the day he can hold a gun.


The boys shot these nice does at neighboring stands.  Davis’s deer was in the field when he reached the stand.  He climbed the ladder VERY slowly and was able to remain undetected until he was situated in the stand.  Great patience Davis, especially with your first deer harvest!!


I (Emilee) enjoyed hunting this year.  It is so peaceful and quiet out there in the woods (except for the noisy squirrels), even if you don’t see any viable targets.  This was my first sit in a stand by myself and the Lord provided a nice buck as my first deer.  I am looking forward to next year:)
Thanks Dad for taking us hunting…hope Bullwinkle visits your stand next year!

We Got You!

A year ago this month, my parents sat in a big room in China with many other adoptive families and received our girl!  Looking back over the past year, we know we had no idea what it would be like to have a new adopted little one in the family.  Yes, we were ‘educated’ by our agency and had observed other families, but our first year was nothing like we anticipated.  Often as humans, we want to know what the future holds and what our life will look like down the road.  However, we are so thankful that only God knew what this year held.  The victories have been wonderful but they have only come with much struggle.  

It is such a blessing to watch Hope blossom in so many ways.  Her sense of humor is coming out more and she enjoys being the baby of the family:)  She is also quite the copycat and we love to watch her make many funny face contortions.

Enjoying the fall season with big brother.

In September we attended a wonderful wedding.  Luke enjoyed taking apart the truck decorations afterwards.

The little guys performing a science experiment in the best location…outside!

Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isaiah 42:5-7

Learning to Give

“I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

Living in a larger family has many unique joys, opportunities, blessings, and lessons.  There is always someone to talk to, someone to listen to, someone to work with, someone to play with, someone to learn with, and someone to cook for.  When you live with many people day in and day out, the depraved nature of man is also seen in a multiplied sense.  Each one of us is born selfish and with the desire to gratify ourselves immediately.  Family life is an excellent and God designed institution to teach every member that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.”


Our newest member, little Hope is beginning to learn this lesson too.  Even though she has been with us less than a year, it is so important that she learns that she is not a body to be cared for, but a person made in the image of God who was created to work.  She has learned to enjoy her little chores of cleaning her tray, throwing trash away, putting dirty clothes in the basket, helping Momma with sticks in the yard, and cleaning up her toys.  She can be particular that things are put away just so!


The ability to accept, want, and give nurturing personal love is another area that Hope has had to learn.  Dependence on parents is an area that will be a work in progress for quite awhile.  On day one in China, Hope was given her first doll and has been encouraged and taught to love baby.  She has a few dollies now and they are becoming her favorite toys.  It is so sweet to see Hope carry baby around the house as she follows Momma.


Food is one of the hardest areas for us to understand Hope’s background and for her to trust Mom and Dad with.  Tears were a normal occurrence at meal time because her expectations were not met.  Praise the Lord, there has been some big improvement in the past few weeks!  Recently, Mom gave Hope a toy bottle and taught her how to feed baby.  To see Hope give her baby food (her previous security and purpose in life) was wonderful!!  Does Hope completely understand what she was doing?  Probably not.  But she is learning that she is not here to be served in every way she desires.  She is a person created to serve her Savior and blessed to take part in the dignity of work for His glory.
Hope is not the only one working on selflessness, each one of us is a work in progress.  For me, it can be much easier to busy myself with household chores instead of keeping an eye out for relationships I can invest in.  Jesus has time for the little children, to create beautiful flowers, birds, and trees for His glory and the enjoyment of His creations.  As a follower of Christ, do I have time to patiently help my little brother with his math, listen to my brother talk about his latest invention in the shop, play the harp at a moment’s notice to help my Mom relax, or do the dishes for my tired brother even if I am ready for a break?
Today, what special way can you follow Christ’s example by experiencing the fact that it is “more blessed to give than to receive”?

A Manhood charge and recent happenings

 

Earlier this month, we hosted an entrance into manhood celebration for Kyle.  He had a wonderful time with the men in our church skeet shooting, fellowshipping, and being charged as he enters this new stage in life.

Enjoying lunch together.

 

Receiving his first charge from Papa on following Christ’s example as he perfectly exemplified the fruits of the Spirit.

 

Pastor Ken exhorting Kyle to humility as seen in the life of Moses.

 

Grandpa sharing a few of his thoughts regarding manhood.

 

Sisters were present to encourage and provide yummy food.

 

Mr. Heller’s charge to Kyle.

 

Mr. Philip :)

 

Finally, Daddy’s charge to his son to be a man who consistently labors for the kingdom of Christ.

 

Attentive listeners.

 

While our other Grandparents were here, they graciously took us out to dinner at a local plantation.  We enjoyed a walk before our meal.

 

A few more Hope highlights…

Missy helping (i.e. snacking) in the kitchen!

 

For quite a while, it was very traumatic for Hope to open her mouth when told to do so in order to make sure her food was properly disposed of.  After much work, we are now blessed with this happy response!

Landmarks with Hope

It has been quite an experience over the last few months to adjust to our growing family and witness the effects of an institutionalized system on a child.  Hope differed from all the other adoptive children my parents were with because she had had no previous bonding with anyone.  She found security in her own little world.  Some bonding landmarks Hope has made since she arrived home include intentional eye contact, obeying Mom and Dad (she is understanding the English we speak to her quite well), learning to trust Dad and Mom when food is involved (although we have much improvement still to be had in this area),  and preferring to play with others than by herself.
As we spend more time with and get to know Hope, our hearts weep for the other children still without families and Christ.  My parents will never forget going into Hope’s room and seeing 29 other children staring into space.
We appreciate all your prayers for our family and Hope!  Please continue to pray that Hope would love and trust her new family.

A few recent memories…

Kyle turned 17 in December and went on an elaborate scavenger hunt (that I had a great time planning).  The final gift was a leaf blower for his lawn business.

Hope loves to read books with us.  Ernie’s Bath Book is her favorite.

Entertaining ourselves while we wait for Mom in the car!

Philip sharing one of his favorite stories with little sis.

Special bonding time with Momma.  She learned early how to quietly sit with Momma during Bible time.  She did great at Church this past Sunday!

The Christmas Miracle with Jonathan Toomey is one of our favorite Christmas books.

Thanks for visiting!