Mountain Day Olympics

It was our first Mountain Day Olympics at Berry today and was more exciting than I could have ever imagined. Watching those K-8Th grade kids come marching down the hill to the lawn in front of Frost Chapel actually brought some chills and made my eyes tear a little. The weather was terrible though, rainy and cold made for not so happy parents. But looking at each child you surely couldn't tell the weather was bad. I don't think they noticed.

All grades competed in games, races and fun activities. Chloe had a blast! Her daddy and I followed her class around from event to event cheering. At the relay race he whispered to me; "I hope she wins!" We are both kind of competitive. We love to see the look on her face when she succeeds. It's just the greatest feeling.

At around 11:30 each class trekked back up the hill to their classroom for pizza. After lunch would be the finale, the traditional kindergarten versus eighth grade tug-of-war. While they were eating their lunch Mrs. Niedrach tried to pump up the class to get them ready. They had been lifting weights all week in preparation. Those eighth graders were big. She had each one show their mean face. After finishing up the pizza, we headed back down to the field. The kids were very pumped up. After the talk from Mrs. Niedrach, every child had confidence that they could win.

We watched as class after class competed. There was lots of yelling, encouraging and excitement as one class went up against another. As I sat there looking at the our class, it appeared they were getting a little bit worried.

The anticipation was growing at it was finally our turn. Chloe ran to get a good spot up front. When the horn sounded and the tug-of-war started they all pulled with all their might. The eighth graders, being the fabulous sportsmen that they are, pulled with all their might but just couldn't do it, (wink wink). The kindergartners came out on top just like they have every year in the past. Seeing those little bitty kids win and seeing those big kids look all sad that they had lost, WAS PRICELESS! Ben and I both had watery eyes. I suppose it's because he and I both LOVE the underdog and especially love to see the underdog win. Today, it was Chloe and her fellow classmates who got the thrill of victory when all odds were against them. It was a wonderful feeling!

In just a mere eight years she will be on the other end of the rope competing in another tug-of-war helping other little kindergartners gain some confidence. What an awesome tradition!

Until then we will continue to instill in her the importance of helping the underdog, the lowly, the less fortunate.

"He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:12-14

On loan

While driving this morning, I heard part of a sermon on the radio. The pastor was talking about family. He began explaining how great the responsibility is to raise Godly children.

He said..

"Understand, our children are not ours, we think they are, they are really not. They are God's children. He entrusts us to manage them for Him. They belong to God. God gives them to us, He uses us as stewards."

"They are on loan from God to us."

I had one of those wow moments, tears and all. Chloe is not ours. As much as I want to claim her, she's really not ours. Yes, we waited 16 months for her. Yes, we traveled half way around the world for her. But, she belongs to the Lord. I know he has great plans for her. He has entrusted her to us for Him. What a responsibility!

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." 2 Timothy 3:14-15

"One generation plants a tree, another generation sits under it's shade" ~ Chinese Proverb

Best Friends

Chloe received her first gift today from a boy friend. (Notice the space between those two words.) Squinkies from her cute kindergarten classmate, Porter. She has been smitten by him since day one. From the looks of this picture, snapped by her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Niedrach, it looks like the feeling is mutual.

Not sure her daddy is ready for this....

You should see the way she reacts when we say his name. She gets that shy smile and actually beams....Porter's mom offered this about the gift: "Porter was so cool about it, he said he met her at her bookbag and gave it to her. He said he was sneaky and even Mrs. N. didn't see him..."

"You only meet your once in a lifetime friends....once in a lifetime" ~ The Little Rascals

The Bus

I get to have the absolute thrill of picking our girl up from school every Monday and Friday. These are the days I don't work so I look forward to these days. As I sit in the car line I often think of how fast time has flown.

It's been about 5 1/2 weeks since school began and I get the same feeling every time that bus comes into view. I usually tear up for some crazy reason. It's not that I'm worried about her. I love the fact that the bus never leaves the Berry campus. It's simply takes her from the Cage center to the Elementary school in the morning and from the school back to the Cage center in the afternoon. She's safe.

It's just knowing she's such a big girl now. Knowing my little bitty girl is on that bus. It's the anticipation of hearing all about her day. I remember the first week lining up in the car line. I kept thinking, I must get out of the car to go get her. She won't know I'm here. She won't recognize the car. I must go up to the bus and tell her, "I'm here!" I honestly almost got out those first couple of days. The urge to open the car door was strong! Almost instinctive. But parents were instructed, for the safety of the children, to stay in the car. I was surprised that those first few times, she knew exactly what to do. The school staff had told each child how the car line would work. And evidently she had listened. Every day she got off the bus, stood where she was supposed to stand and waited until I pulled up on that yellow line. It was then, during those first days of school, that it hit me. She will never again need me for everything. Some things she can do on her own. It's hard to let go of her, but I know I must.

"Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go." ~ The Wonder years

Chloe's Daddy

Words from my sweet husband and Chloe's daddy....



Talked to a dear lady who was unable to have children. Though her doctor suggested adoption, she said that she could not do it. She stated that she did not feel that she could love an adopted child "like her own child."


I do not fault her for thinking this way as I have heard this before. Honestly, if she felt this way then it would actually be best that she not adopt. As an older widowed lady, I sense that she might have regretted her decision.

Let me present ...my story briefly if I may. I had been married before and am blessed with two biological daughters. I love Hannah and Lauren more than can be expressed in a small fb post. I would die for them! I remember praying for them while in the womb. I have always been there for them as much as I could even after the divorce from their mother. They are great!

After marrying Kim, we found the house to be a bit empty. I had told her prior to marriage that I probably would not want any more kids. She was OK with that as she most of all "wanted a good man and husband." That part could be debated. Haha. I knew I might want to be a father again, but did not know if we could afford it and did not want to get her hopes up. Also, I might mention that I had been neutered.

As time passed, we both prayerfully approached the idea of adoption. We almost did it once, but then rested the idea. The Lord brought the idea back and led us once again into the uncharted territory of adoption. We accepted and pressed forward. We knew NOTHING about this! We (Kim mostly) got on the ball and got things rolling.

For 16 months we spent money. We had home studies. We got background checks. We answered invasive and intrusive questions. We got fingerprints. We shared financial records. We even had to change plumbing issues as required for adoption. We jumped through every hoop requested and then some. We wanted our daughter!

All the while, we always wondered if we would really get her. Will this really happen? Kim wanted to be a first time mother and I wanted to be a full-time father. We held to the verse in James 1:27, "Pure and undefiled religion is this, to care for widows and orphans." We forfeited the desire to bring another kid (our "own" child) into this crazy world and replaced it with the desire to grant a kid a chance who is already in this crazy world. This was our heartbeat.

The Lord gave us Chloe. I will forget part of the details as time passes, but some details and memories I will hold dear until my last breath. I will never forget watching Kim hold her for the first time and crying while I held the video camera (that died by the way). I won't forget some of the first days. I shall never forget the bus ride from a govt office back to the hotel while Kim and Chloe boo-hooed for different reasons all the way back to the hotel. We had ice cream together while Kim showered. We held her while she cried and cried and cried and cried! We fumbled through figuring out how to handle this new child from a different culture. I can't forget the initial greeting by grandmothers, aunt, cousin and Hannah and Lauren at the airport. I remember finally making it back home with the new addition. Many details are so vivid.

....Now, do I love her as much as my "real kids?" ABSOLUTELY! I love all three girls the same. Each has a unique story, but the amount of love is equal. Kim had a 16 month "pregnancy" versus the nine month pregnancy of the two older girls. I love them all three. So, if considering adoption, let me say that love is the same for all. I would die for any of them tomorrow. She is "my own child!"

Luke Chapter Five

Ben ~ "What did you learn at church today?"

Chloe ~"Well, we learned about Luke chapter five. An angel told this old man he was going to have a baby."

This conversation started as we were just about to get into our car. Ben told her, wait and let's get in then you can tell me. She said she wanted to tell him now. So she continued while climbing in. As she was jumping into the back seat she grabbed her bible and started looking for Luke. She found it, then found chapter five. Ben offered to help her because she said, "it's not supposed to start with so." He quickly discovered they had studied Luke 1:5.

As she continued, I felt the tears well up in my eyes. Ben and I looked at each other smiling and for the first time in my life I actually saw tears in his eyes too. He has told me in the past he teared up when they placed her in my arms, but I don't remember seeing it. I suppose I couldn't see the tears in his because of all the tears in mine. But it was evident today. And it was sweet.

To hear her talking about the Lord and seeing her enthusiastically searching in her bible for the passage and THEN FINDING IT is an indescribable feeling. Our morning worship had already been incredible. We had a beautiful experience participating in the Lord's supper. It was one of the most meaningful communions I've ever experienced. Beautiful!

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years." Luke 1:5-7

"Then and angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." Luke 1:11-13

Cowboy Day

Cowboy Day was an extremely fun day for Chloe. She got to ride a "real" horse and groom a "real" pony.

Grooming the pony

Riding "Shade"

Chloe and her "best" friend Porter