Let it Snow (n-snow-n-ice-n-snow)...

and snow and ice it did! The sky opened up and poured for over 24 hours (which is a rarity in our neck of the woods). On Friday, there wasn't a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread within 100 miles but there were children everywhere bursting with excitement... "Can we go out yet? Can we go out yet?" was heard about 673 times before they were able to hit the door. By Saturday afternoon our neighborhood totaled about 4 inches of snow... topped with another 3-4 inches of ice... and a little more snow to grow on... Of course that didn't stop Wild Man and Little Miss from doing the "more snow" dance...while MeiMei watched from the toasty comfort of the dining room window. I'm sure she was wondering WHY they would want MORE of the freezing cold white stuff. I'm pretty sure she's never seen anything like it. They have palm trees in southern China--not snow. She would have been fine to stay inside the whole weekend but there was no way this Momma could let the first BIG snow pass her by.

At first she didn't know what to think...but it didn't take long before she was rarin' to go... Little Miss (who just HAD to wear a dress--even to play in the snow) had to teach her baby sister a thing or two about snow days...and MeiMei caught on pretty quickly. Monkey See...
Monkey Do...
Ahhhhh...
I'll let you decide what she thought of it...
The final attempt at a snowman was...ummmm...shall we say...non productive? They learned first hand why it's called a SNOWman (and not an ICEman)but they had a great time trying. Obviously this is not the best group photo but it makes me laugh nonetheless. To think I bribed them with hot cocoa just to catch the three of them in the same frame.
And even though my foyer floor is PILED with three layers of clothing x 5, I would still welcome a few more snows just like this one in 2010. There is nothing like the joy it brings to the faces of my three little Eskimos.

Kupcakes for Kids...

On Sunday, January 24, our Pastor taught from Matthew 25:14-30 about the Parable of the Talents, and then introduced a "Modern Day Tale of the Talents". During each service that day, he gave one of our young ministers a $50 bill, and charged them with investing that money... God's money... in a way that advances the cause of Christ.

Mr. Eddie was Wild Man's Assistant Children's Minister not too long ago. Wild Man thinks he's about the best thing since chicken nuggets (and if you know him you know how much that is). Mr. Eddie chose to use his $50 to purchase the ingredients for cupcakes. Cupcakes? Yep, cupcakes. He sold them for a minimum donation of $10 each. His goal? To raise $500 to buy shoes and socks for the children of a local public housing preschool.
When I told Wild Man we were going to buy special cupcakes after school today and WHY we were going to buy them, the first words from his mouth were "Can I help too?". He said he wanted to use his money to help buy shoes and socks for the kids just like everyone else. After school he dug out the money he'd been saving for Chuck*e*Cheese and bought 2 "Kupcakes for Kids" instead. One cupcake for each of his sisters. He didn't even buy one for himself having no idea I was going to buy one for him either way.

I was SO PROUD of him I could have burst. As a parent, some days we all wonder if we are getting through to them. If they can even grasp the blessings they have been given in this "me-me-me" society in which we live. Today I am thankful for a tiny peek into the window of his heart. There's some good stuff in there, even at 7 years old, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for him.

Wordless Wednesday...

The Dedication of MeiMei...

For those unfamiliar with a Parent-Child Dedication, it is a ceremony in which we promise to parent our daughter in a Godly home, teach her about the love of Christ and do everything within our power to raise her according to His word. Tonight, exactly four months after we arrived home with her in our arms, the Chief and I pledged all of these things before God, our family and our church family. There is no doubt this beautiful and precious child is a gift straight from His hand. She belongs to Him and we are thankful He chose us to be her parents. From March 27, 2009 forward, her story was, is and will continue to be my living example of "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine". For years I prayed the same simple prayer over the little one who would some day join our family. Ten months ago He answered my simple prayer in ways I never imagined.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

-Ephesians 3:16-21