All things

There isn't a whole lot to report on our adoption other than our team in Russia is moving forward on another option, so that translates into more waiting.  We're doing okay in spite of all the ups and downs and we're still holding onto hope that this will all work it self out.  My devotion this morning was again just what I needed to read:)

A Bountiful Blending

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."

Romans 8:28

How wide is the assertion of the Apostle Paul!  He does not say, "We know that some things", or "most things" but "all things."  From the minutest to the most momentous;  from the humblest even in daily providence to the great crisis-hours in grace.

And all things "work"- they are working;  not all things have worked, or shall work;  but it is a present operation.  

At this very moment, when some voice may be saying, "Thy judgments are a great deep," the angels above, who are watching the development of the great plan, are with folded wings exclaiming, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" (Psalm 145:17). 

And then all things "work together."  It is a beautiful blending.  Many different colors, in themselves raw and unsightly, are required in order to weave the harmonious pattern.

Many separate wheels and joints are required to make the piece of machinery.  Take a thread  separately, or a note separately, or a wheel or a tooth of a wheel separately, and there may be neither use nor beauty discernible.

But complete the web, combine the notes, put together the separate parts of the steel and iron, and you see how perfect and symmetrical is the result.  Here is the lesson for faith:  "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter" (Macduff)

Sigh, I'm so glad God's got this and I don't have to worry about it.

We are really looking forward to seeing our family in AZ in just a few short weeks!  I am working on getting creative with snacks and activities for the drive down, going to be doing some research on Pinterest today for some fun ideas;)

My favorite cookie

I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, correction I LOVE chocolate chip cookie dough and I'm a little selfish when it comes to sharing it with my kids.  Yada yada salmonella... I know, I know.  It was about 7 or 8 years ago when I was on the hunt for a really good cookie recipe that was soft and chewy.  I found this recipe here long ago, I tried to find it in the archives but couldn't.  But this is where I got it and wanted to give the proper cred.  Thanks Heidi!

*Note~ the measurements are doubled because I like to have a lot of cookies, so if you don't want that many just half everything.  But believe me you won't want to:)

Ingredients:

*2 C. brown sugar

*1 C. Granulated Sugar

*2 C. (2 sticks) Butter flavored Crisco sticks

*4 eggs

*2 tsp. vanilla (overkill a little)

*4 C. flour

*2 tsp. salt

*2 tsp. baking soda

*1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

*1 bag (12 oz.) milk chocolate chocolate chips

* bag of chopped walnuts (optional)

I usually get about 75 cookies out of this batch.

Combine in mixer all sugars and Crisco sticks and mix until fluffy.  Next, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until really fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Then add flour, salt and baking soda and mix until combined. Last, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.  Scoop about 2in. balls on to baking sheet.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 11 minutes.

Cookies will seem a little doughy when you pull them out of the oven, I let them sit for about another minute or two to cook on the baking sheet and then scoop them on to a plate or cooling rack. They will be a perfect combination of warm, soft, melty, gooey and chewy.

Serve them to cute kiddos who have asked you about 50 times "When are they going to be done?!"

Let me know what you think!


Wait a sec, I think I may have found something a bit more yummy...om nom nom!

This weekend I made a lot of these pretties for some sweet new baby girls.

Today I am attempting to finish this...we'll see.

Right now I'm laughing at these goobers:)

I'm looking forward to our trip in April!  CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

(source)

I'm loving my new old sewing machine I got at Goodwill!  I named her Jenny after my Grandma:)

And I need to fold like 15 loads of laundry...I'm scared:(

 What have you been up to?

Hey All!

We're still alive and kicking, (wow I really need to update my header) we've been taking some time to just "be".  At the end of December we found out that Russia had banned all American adoptions.  I think I was in a fog for the next couple weeks.  Every day there was new information, and each hour could change from good to bad and then back to good again.  It's been lots of ups and downs, but we are still holding on to a small ray of hope that might allow us to continue.  Hoping to hear something soon.

 (I just realized that we hit two years on February 23rd that we've been trying to get Sergey home...crazy!)

So in the meantime what does one do while waiting to hear the outcome of their adoption?  Well most importantly you pray of course:)  But the rest of the time you eat EVERY piece of chocolate in a five mile radius, drink at least three cups of coffee a day, repaint your kitchen (yes again) and purge your house of anything you have not used in a year.  The mess in my office looked like an episode from Hoarders!!  I've been to Goodwill twice this week to donate a van load of stuff and I am deep cleaning and organizing everything.

  I'm finally hanging some things on the walls, it's only taken me six years to do it! You can see the the new paint color, it's a lot darker.  It's called Schoolhouse Slate by Martha Stewart.  It's a greenish, bluish, charcoal color.

A new clock...a Goodwill buy, before the purge:)

I worked on organizing my cabinet in the living room this past weekend and used things that I have bought
and loved but were piled under stuff in the office.  It makes me smile that I can see it all now.   A little happiness in this time of uncertainty.  Hey I'll take all the joy I can get and probably a little more chocolate too.

So anywhoooo we're doing good in spite of it all.  We appreciate all of you that continue to pray for us and ask us how things are going.  We completely trust Him with the outcome.

A little more of this and that.

Update on Russian Adoption Ban~ We are waiting for an update some time tomorrow to see if we will be grandfathered in since we have already registered and have met our child.  But all we know as of now is that all Russian adoptions are banned.  Your prayers are appreciated.  

And to keep my mind on something other than this horrible news here are some of the other gifts I made for the kiddos.

Sadie's upcycled kitchen, both pieces were bought at Goodwill for $3.99 a piece.  I painted them and sewed the curtain and oven front.

Made these cookies as well, more food are in the works.  It's a little addicting, they were fun to make.

Madi's vintage suitcase dollhouse, I found the tutorial here.

Tatum's puppet theater.

I still have to photograph a few more gifts, I will post those soon.

I made some yarn trees, they are very addicting as well.  I can't stop myself!

Some of my favorite Christmas ornaments.

This and that.

First things first, my friend Amy is in Russia right now visiting her sweet Davis for the first time.  I was overjoyed to see this picture this morning on Facebook.  Gosh that is the sweetest thing EVER!

Update:  We were not able to make our November 20th deadline for our paperwork.  Our social worker has been dealing with health issues so we asked the judge for an extension.  She gave us until the end of December to get everything in.  We are currently waiting on one document, why does it always seem we are waiting on one document, from our social worker and will be able to mail it all out once we receive it.

I'm sure everyone has been busy, busy with getting ready for the holidays.  It's no different here, since the day after Thanksgiving we have been working on many projects.  Ash put up a plank wall for me in the living room which I am in love with!  Can you be in love with a wall?  Definitely!  We just have a spot to caulk in the corner and it's done!  We used leftover wood we had from our kitchen project, gotta love a free project:)  I took a look at all the pinterest pics I was pinning and all the rooms that I liked were white, so I painted the entire living room white and it feels so much better and bigger in there.

I had written about doing a handmade/thrifted Christmas this year in a previous post, and I have been working really hard.  Here is one of those projects, this is for Ainsley:)

If you'd like to make your own you can find the dollhouse and doll patterns here:)

Me and the kids have been doing Christmas crafts, we made our mason jar snow globes.

And pine cone Christmas trees.

And I love the fun things they bring home from school.

I have lots of things in the works so more pics to follow:)

Before I forget....