I am the absolute worst blogger in the world!! This is my first post since JANUARY??!! My daughters have urged

me to continue. I am reminded that the real reason I began this blog was to chronicle our lives and to share it with family and friends that are far away. So it is with complete embarrassment that I say, here we go......again!!

I think it is best to recap our summer. And a wonderful summer it was!! We were able to complete all of our adoption paperwork by the end of April so that allowed more time for swimming, vacation, a trip to El Salvador for Syd and I, t-ball, basketball, and so much more.

Christmas 2010

Better late than never truly applies with this post.

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday this year. I believe it is due to the fact that we are homeschooling everyone this year. We could be selective about the festivities/activities that we took part in and could truly choose what we wanted to spend our time doing. It was nice. As you can see in the pictures we painted ornaments with cousins, Nat and Reese, and decorated a gingerbread house (first one we have ever done that didn't fall over).

The week before Christmas Jody and I celebrated with friends at Pattis, a tradition I have grown to look forward to every year.

Surprise

Hudson is so thoughtful. Look what he left on the kitchen counter for me to find!! He found it out in a field yesterday. Got to love 9 year old boys......

I have been thinking for days that I wanted to write about my recent trip to El Salvador. But every time I set down to type, I can't find the words. My heart and my mind are so full. I am still working to process all that I saw and experienced. Following is a copy of something I wrote on the third night of our trip:

"I am at a loss for words as I sit to type about our experience here in El Salvador. Words seem cheap. My emotions are raw and I have cried a million tears. In the past three days I have: rocked a new born baby abandoned at birth, watched homeless men, women, and children crawl out from under a bridge for food, kissed the face of the handicapped adults that the world has forgotten, and prayed with the beautiful El Salvadorians that call a Squatter Camp home. As I lay in my bed and wept last night the only prayer I could muster was for His quick return. I pray that the Lord will come and end the suffering and pain. Until He does, I pray that He will continue breaking my heart and yours. I pray that we will not rest in our comfort, in our conveniences, and in our "security." Starfish IS making a difference here. God is using His people to reach those who are in the worst of circumstances and in desperate need. I am blessed to be a part of this fabulous group of people! All glory, honor and praise to our King"

A Birthday to Remember

Disclaimer: I have NO idea why the pictures are like this?!?

Anyway....

Hudson's 9th birthday this year is one that we will certainly not forget. The weekend prior to his big day we celebrated at our house with 10 of his buddies, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. This was his first big "sleep over" and we did it right!! They played football, basketball, spotlight tag, and wrestled. They ate pizza, cake, popcorn, and lots of soda! They went to bed way to late (sorry parents) and got up the next morning ready to do it all again. I think the party was a success!!

On the night of his actual birthday we decided to go for ice cream after church. He was in a mean game of chase with his siblings and cousins when he decided to leap off the play set. I knew by his scream that something was really, really wrong. As soon as he rolled over we saw that his right forearm was disfigured, disgustingly disfigured. We knew immediately we were headed for the E.R. and after a few X-rays we were told he had snapped both bones in his right forearm, in half!! At 6:00 a.m. the next morning (couldn't do it that night because he had a full belly of Snickers Blizzard) they put him to sleep and set his arm. He is now in a cast for 6 weeks.

He is enjoying "slacking" on his school work and jobs around the house. He is loving having his big sisters take care of some of this for him!?

As we set at the hospital that night I remember being overcome with gratitude that we were there for an arm that would heal. The E.R. is a sad place to be. I set with my son behind a curtain and listened to the sounds of people that were in some desperate, lost, very sad and difficult situations. Young, single moms with sick children. You could see the hopelessness on their faces. There were senior citizens that were very ill and alone. There was one man beside us that was biting, hitting, yelling and spitting and was being sent to a Mental Facility. Late that night an ambulance came in with a drunk driver injured in an accident that was his fault. I remember praying for these people as I would hear their voices and see their faces. I hugged and kissed Hudson's head and held him tight. That is certainly not how we wanted to spend the night of his 9th birthday, but the invaluable gift was the reminder of all that our family has been given.....and to remember "that to whom much is given, much is expected."

(Hats off to Aunt Renee and Uncle Brandon who were with us at Dairy Queen to take care of our other children and get them home when we raced off to the E.R......they are an "invaluable gift" as well!!)

Step by Step

The first picture was in our referral information packet we received in January of this year. He looked sick, sad, lost, hopeless, and miserable. It broke my heart every time I looked at it. I remember not wanting our friends and family to see this picture because I didn't want them to worry or question what we were doing. I was carrying enough doubt and anxiousness on my own. I remember asking myself, "Can we do this? How can he heal? Will he let us love him?"

We have come so far in just 5 months. I don't ever want to portray that this has been easy. It is not. There have been huge adjustments for all of us. Some days are great, some not so much!?! Some days we take 2 steps forward and then 3 steps back. But we are not alone. All glory, honor, and praise to our Healer, Counselor, and Mighty King.

End of Summer

Well, summer is officially over here at the Stivers' house. Gone are the days of late night movies, swimming, sleeping in, late afternoon trips to Dairy Queen, sunscreen, and trips to the water park. "His Call" Academy has now officially began it's 2nd year of school! We are reading, writing, and "arithmaticing". We are doing everything from learning our colors to Pre-Algebra.....please pray for the students (and the teacher).

We ended summer this past weekend at the St. Louis zoo with some very special friends (it was Luke's 8th birthday). We swam at the hotel pool, jumped on the beds (why do kids always like to jump on beds in hotels), saw lots of hot, stinky animals (us and them), and ate lots of snow cones and ice cream. It was a great time and a super way to end the summer of 2010!