Friday, July 27, 2007

See Me

Found this poem on the Adoptive Family Internet Magazine and thought it was amazing...enjoy


SEE ME
Don’t look away, see me,
I’m hereWith shattered heart and real tears.
An orphaned boy, left here alone,
Along the darkened streets to roam.

Don’t turn away, your eyes from mine,
I am a precious child of nine.
With outstretched arms, I need so much,
A tender word, a human touch.

Don’t pity me for I can feel,
The shame and sadness,
all too real.Instead look deep and you will find,
A kindred soul of only nine.

Don’t walk away, see me, I’m here,
A frightened child with looming fears,
With hopes and dreams, much like your own,
Just yearning for a loving home.

Don’t look away see me, I’m here,
A voice now whispers in his ear.
My gentle arms will hold you tight,
And chase away your darkest nights.

Look up, See me, for I am real,
The Lord your God, himself revealed
Within this face so pure and mild,
My faithful presence with each child.

~ Lisa J Schlitt

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Jon Francis...In Memory Of....

I have had a prayer for the last year. Every year we travel to Stanley Lake/Redfish Lake area to enjoy the 4th of July. Last year, a young man named Jon Francis came to enjoy the mountains created by his loving God as well. After reaching the summit of Grand Mogul (the beautiful mountain behind us in the family photo and in the mountain photo on the blog) , Jon Francis disappeared. His family and Search units searched all last summer and began this summer as well....never giving up hope of finding Jon, first alive, then finding his body to give him a Christian burial.


At last, his remains have been found. As of July 24th, the family has found the remains of Jon Francis on a steep side of Grand Mogul. It appears that he fell quite a ways during his hike and died on the mountain.


I tell you this, because I have prayed for this family and for Jon every since I heard his story. Often checking the blog they set up in hopes of hearing that their search was over and that he was finally found so his family would have some peace.


We traveled to the mountains again this year and I was able to pray by the mountain that had more than likely claimed his life, praying that he was with God and his family could rest...now they can.

IN MEMORY OF JON FRANCIS....

http://www.jonfrancis.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1


Monday, July 23, 2007

BBQ'ing

Tonight we had a family BBQ.
My mom and dad, my brother Eric and his wife Lyndsey and their two girls Adisyn and Ariya. We celebrated my dad's 56th Bday. My hubby and I figured, even when it is my mom or dad's Bday, they always have the party, do the BBq'ing and clean up, so we decided to do it for them this year. I think all had a blast. The kids all played and ran around like crazy, the adults visited and had fun. A good night was had by all. I think at the end of the night, the grnadparents were glad that they got to hug and kiss the kids, but that they were not the ones taking them home. hehe
Good night!!!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Pastor Rick Wisdom

I wanted to post something from a new friend of mine. His name is Pastor Rick out of Akron, Ohio. He has a lot of wisdom, but this one struck me on a day when I REALLY needed to hear it...I hope it helps you as much as it did and still does me...
LeAnne




"Little Blessings" © 2007
"Little Blessings" © 2007
From Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter
So often we take the small stuff for granted. It isn't that we mean to do it, we just do.
Take for instance, your walking through the house and you stub your pinky toe. You jump up and down, try to balance on one leg while grabbing your foot and hope there is a wall to lean against or a chair near by to catch your fall. The neighbors outside can hear your gasps of pain so they turn up their radio a little louder to drown out the noise. They would come over to see if you are ok, but you have done this many times before, they know the routine.
Soon you will be hobbling out to your car to go do your grocery shopping. There you will be sure to get lots of attention and the regulars will be asking about your limp. You relish at their concern as somehow, you manage to embellish the story so you come out looking like a hero!
You get home and as you go to place the paper grocery bags on the counter a can of spaghetti sauce falls through a tear from the bottom of the bag, and lands on that same toe that made you do the dance two hours earlier! (This is where you are to praise Him in the dance)
Now your movements look like your trying to Tip Toe Through The Tulips, only a little faster this time. Ouch Ouch Ouch dag gum it, ras-em fras-em, arghhhhh.
Ok, so what is my point to all of this?
More often than not, and very unfortunate, simple little accidents like this can ruin a persons whole day, Not that it should, but we allow it to do so. We start with this mentality of, I never should have gotten out of bed, I can't do anything right today etc. "You" have set the tone and the mood for your day to be lousy. And most likely it will be!
What if instead you said, thank you Lord that I didn't break my toe when I stubbed it. Thank you Jesus for watching over me. Or how about, boy am I "thank full" it wasn't one of the glass jars, it could have cut my toe off! If you would speak words of gratitude and thanksgiving to God our Father "I" can promise you, because "He" promised you first, that it will get better "quicker" then it does with a woe is me attitude.
Just think about it.
PS. Here is a little blessing that happened to me today. I had lost my ReachOutCenter cell phone about a week ago. I waited to call my cell phone provider in hopes it would turn up. It hasn't yet and I really didn't have the money to go buy a new one with our vacation coming up. I knew I needed to call Sprint, but I didn't have a peace about it yet. And I have learned, that what I used to call my gut instinct isn't really me at all. It is the Holy Spirit speaking to me and trying to get me to listen.
I felt like I needed to wait one more day. So I still hadn't called them. You know what happened? Nope, I didn't find my phone, something better.
Sprint called me today! They said I have been a good longstanding customer and that they would like to send me a brand new, current model phone, for free! I never even had to call to tell them mine was lost.
I could have gotten ahead of myself and God and been reactionary and bought a new phone already. But I've learned to hear my Fathers voice, and He has blest me in so many small ways.
Has He been blessing you? But, because they appear to small blessings you rob Him of the credit? Give to the Lord what is due. And He will surely do the same for you, "Count you many blessings, name them one by one."
Again, Think about it.
Gods love and blessings.
Comments? Leave them in the BLOG called "Little Blessings" please.
Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter © 2007

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Various Pictures



Hunter checking out the campers bunkbed
















Our family is finally complete!!!








My Brother in Law... Derek and his #1 girl...
Kami and their baby....Izzy






Our friend Chase and Kai and Nikaya before the fireworks started.....it looks like an Oreo Cookie..ya think?














Threw this in for Hunter. Here he is getting some rad air on the trampoline before we went...he had to make sure he could still do it when we got home.

















Sibling love.....a mintue before this, they were fighting. hehehe














Two crazy love birds. I swear I look like I have googly eyes in the picture....it is a reflection of the kids taking it....weird...


















Hunter chillin' at the Beach












Beautiful RedFish Lake in Stanley, Idaho

The Big Guys B-Day


This is Kai Ceus.....he just had a birthday!!!!

How old are you now Kai??? 6!!!


He got an awsome Soccer ball that glows in the dark...he LOVES sports!



New binoculars to use when he is camping...or spying on his siblings






Here is a boy that had a great birthday. We went to Pizza...Kai's choice. They put a candle on the pizza and we all sang to him...he LOVED it. He grinned from ear to ear for hours. I am so glad he is having his first birthday at home with us! WE LOVE YOU BIG GUY!!!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

One of My Babies Comes to Visit


I was so blessed this weekend. One of my favorite families in the world came to visit me with their new little Haitian sensation I placed with them. Nadia has been home since February and she is doing marvelous. She is walking ( a little drunken monkey, but hey...) she is eating everything in sight and LOVES her family and they are all in LOVE with her as well.














One of the best families in the world!

James, Josh, Lisa, Nadia, Robert and Jacob












Hunter and Nadia














Kai, Nadia and Nadia's brother Josh
















Brother James giving Nadia a ride












Demi with Nadia and Josh
















Nadia checking out the food...











Both of our motley crews. Kai fell in absolute best friend love with Josh, they had their arms around each other and held hands the whole time.















































Beach Photos


Brotherly Love


Daddy and Nikaya on the Jet ski


Nikaya suiting up





Daddy and Demi





Daddy and Kai....I wish you could see his smile more!!






Daddy and Hunter with Chase pushing them out...THANKS FOR THE FUN CHASE!!!




Kai and Nikaya playing







Nikaya strutting her stuff


Fishing Fun




Hunter's big fish
































The kids all got a turn to fish at the Fish Hatchery. Each child is allowed to keep 6 fish each. Kai and Nikaya even got to fish. Kai reeled in the pole, saw what he was reeling towards him and DROPPED the pole and RAN AWAY from the fish...hehehe Funniest thing I have ever seen.
Once they coaxed him back he would only go if I "carried my hand for me mama" (hold his hand and go with him)

Nikaya helped reel hers in as well. When it got to shore you could hear her little voice..."EWWW...he uggie (ugly). EEWWW!" She touched the fish and giggled big time. Once she realized it was alive she screamed and ran away also, I thought she was not going to quit running until she got to paved road. hehe SHE IS FAST!

Summer Fun


Kai in the sand
Hunter in the sand

Kia and Nikaya playing in the dirt...as usual






Nikaya giving me a really fake smile



Demi buried to her neck







Kai and Nikaya enjoying the view