great weekend...with the Clements...

....not so great pictures...well,the pictures aren't necessarily bad, but I barely took any...

like I should've had Brad take a picture of Logan flat-ironing my hair; and surely we should've photographed the moment when Curry, Barbie, Brad and I discovered the cause of "The Seven Year Itch" in marriages; and why didn't we get any pictures of the piles of peanut shells lying around after devouring boiled peanuts? Maybe next time...

For now, here's a shot of Brad letting Walker "drive"... And Wilson (and Lo way in the background) on the four-wheelers...
and Wilson tailgating Daddy...
and our two brave October swimmers! none of the folks over 4 feet tall had swimwear with them (for good reason, that water was CHILLY!)
then back at the Clements for some driveway play... Barbie had a pack of sidewalk chalk/paint that Walker was begging to open ALL DAY LONG. He was a little bummed that it didn't live up to the 3D advertising hype, but I think he got over it...
can you believe these two driveway pics are the only pics I took of their new house? How ridiculous, but those boys sure are cute!

Clements, you are truly a blessing to our family. We love all y'all!

***funny sidenote: spell check highlights "should've" but not "y'all". Interesting, no?***

backin' up...

so a few weeks ago, I saw this on another blog... and because we are super mature, I showed it to Brad when he came home... (p.s. sorry about the language)

You really need to watch both videos... to get the full effect...

and now whenever we hear the phrase "back it up" (or something similar) we think of this lady and her little song. Actually it hadn't occurred to me until Brad whispered to me at the Cub Scout meeting Monday... and then every time this pack-leader-guy would tell the boys to "back it up"... well, you get the idea...

My hope is that in sharing this with you; you, too, will think of this lady when you hear the phrase "back it up." Let me know if it works!

ain't that a kick in the head...

We had a particularly rough home-study yesterday. It wasn't so much the interview, as the circumstances surrounding it. Namely, more missing paperwork and the feeling of inability to do anything about it. We checked and rechecked our list of paperwork before handing in our packet. Those of you that know Brad, KNOW it was all there. (I might be prone to missing some details here and there, but Brad is gifted in the details-arena. Thorough is an understatement for how he covers fine print.) At our first meeting, Brad had to fill out a paper, that he had already filled out once. Yesterday, we found out Brad's application is now missing.

We were frustrated.

We discussed it some; stating that the idea of going through an expensive professional agency was alluring right about now. And realizing that some missing paperwork is the reason some children linger in foster care. And feeling powerless to do much about it. But wait. And fill out the same forms...again...and again.

I was reminded that this is a battle. And that I know the Victor. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

This morning I was catching up on some blogs that I read when I am not too busy. I haven't read any of them in about a week, and there were many updates about a conference this past weekend. Together for Adoption. I watched this video...

Isaiah's Story from 31Films on Vimeo.

And, naturally, I bawled my eyes out. The realization flooded over me, no matter how frustrated we might feel in this adoption process. No matter how helpless we might feel in regard to waiting on the right person to get the right paperwork. Our journey will never be as difficult as the one our child is walking right now... wherever he or she is. From this day forward, I pray that each frustration we face will strengthen our resolve, will steady our feet on this path, and will keep us praying constantly for the little one God will bring to our home.

fall family camp-out

We had a GREAT weekend with the cub scouts! We headed out Friday evening to the Camp Pine Mountain. We had no idea really, of what to expect. Sometimes that can be a good thing. ;) I think we all had a great time. Here are a few pictures (believe me, I left A LOT of them out!) Love this one of Brad and Wilson at the archery station...The great thing about it was that it truly was "family camp." Walker got to participate along with Wilson... shooting the bow was a thrill for him!
Next stop was the BB gun station. They told the boys all about the safety measures before letting them go shoot... parents could assist if they had "safety" glasses, Brad had to borrow mine ;)
Wilson with his target. Not bad for his first time shooting!
The boys all made little sailboats at the Crafts station, and then raced them. Here's the "W" coming into the finish...
Last night was a pack meeting, where the boys got to receive their bobcat badge. It was really exciting and high energy as the boys went down the alley to receive their new rank from their parents... (The other boys hit them with balloons as they walked through... the picture of Brad giving Wilson his rank didn't turn out very well...)
I thought for sure that Wilson would hate this part, but I guess this picture proves otherwise. This is after he got his rank and he's coming back to his seat (Brad and Walker are in the background).
They went outside after the ceremony to let the boys play a balloon-popping game...
and again, super family friendly, they let the siblings play too. Walker even has his cub scout sign up... Every time they would say "Signs Up!" Walker would shoot his little sign up in the air too...
And here's the little scout all decked out before his pack meeting last night. He has his camp-out patch on his left pocket. We bought his uniform yesterday and I sewed his patches on yesterday afternoon before the meeting. I have a new-found respect for people that sew patches on to uniforms. Wow, that was a little trickier than I thought it would be!

Overall, we are pretty excited that Wilson is in Cub Scouts. Yes, its a bigger time commitment than I expected, but so far it has been good. Brad and I were talking last night about how its a little like Awana. Of course, Wilson isn't memorizing scripture with Cub Scouts, but it is giving our family a chance to meet other families that we might not otherwise. We hope to be a blessing to those that we meet!

bow and arrow

Brad picked Wilson up from school today and took him out to a range to shoot......he said Wilson did a really good job with it...
...I think he sure looks cute doing it. =)

from there to here...

in a round-about sort-of-way.

You might be kind of wondering about how I went from "bring me home a baby from Africa" to adopting from the state of Georgia.

Its interesting. This journey God leads us on. Each journey unique, each child being led by the One who knows every step, every twist, every turn. And then, you know, if you are married - well, God leads each of you uniquely but simultaneously. And sometimes when I try to ponder it, I am just awed at how He does it.

If you know us (which the last time I checked everyone who reads this blog knows us), you know we are a bit different from one another. . Not total-opposites-attract-different; but most certainly not two-peas-in-a-pod. And our pastor says that is a good thing in a marriage, because if we were both the same then one of us wouldn't be necessary. Which is actually a really great point, and a wonderful thing to ponder in the midst of circumstances that bring your glaring differences to a head - just keep that in mind for yourself down the road.

In a letter to our families, I mentioned that Brad and I didn't have an "aha" moment about adopting. He wasn't at work, and me at home when we both sent each other a two-word text "Let's Adopt!" Didn't happen that way...

It was many hours of talking. Spread out over many, many, many months. Perhaps years. I couldn't tell you the first time it came up. (Brad probably could because he has a killer memory - we are different in this area).

I can tell you that I was kind of set on adopting internationally, because I adore Africa. I would love to go there again...and I knew if we adopted from there I would get to. Not really the best motive, but I am being honest.

I can also tell you that I was kind of set on not adopting domestically through foster care.

So that's where my heart started. I sort of had a little plan going.

Brad was on to me fast. He always is... and besides I am so transparent that I pretty much give those sorts of things away.

Brad asked me to do the research part of this... His schedule was so crazy (IS so crazy), so I started off reading books, and requesting informational packets. We would discuss my findings on our date nights. Among other things.

The State of GA didn't have a very user-friendly website. It took me weeks to track down someone to contact locally. And weeks to get a return phone call.

During those weeks, I began to assume that my plan was going to end up being His plan (like how often does that EVER happen?)

Brad was patient to wait.

In my heart, I thought that even though international adoption takes quite some time, at least you kind of know the steps and can kind of time the process - and besides all the people at those agencies call me back right away AND reply to my emails!

On July 3, I took the boys to see the fireworks on post. Remember? We were expecting Mom & Dad the next day so I didn't really want to be out that late, but I also didn't want to miss out on the fireworks. But when we got in our car I was determined to beat all the crazy traffic.

I sat there figuring out which way would be faster. I thought that instead of following the rest of the traffic toward the main artery, I would take a short-cut through post. I thought my way would be faster. I thought my way would be the right way to go.

As soon as I turned out onto the road, the opposite way of a long-string of brake lights I felt so smug - for about half a block. The place that I planned to turn was closed. I am sure I started to blush at my own ignorance. But at the same time, I felt a sense of reassurance. "My daughter, won't you please let me lead you? Won't you please lay down your own plan and stop your silly figuring? Let Me lead you." And I spent some time finally laying down my own ideas, my own plans... and my heart opened up for Him to lead me. I realized that I hadn't even considered adopting here because I was too afraid of the unknown and the unlikely. I confessed, somewhere in some neighborhood behind a bunch of cars that were stopped because we all knew we would be able to beat the other traffic, and my heart was changed.

I'm not much of a "what-if" kind of girl. We had a SS teacher at our last church that would ask things like "What if Jesus never died on the cross?" And I always had to fight the urge to yell something like "He did. Why waste time on what ifs?" But this little adoption scenario (little is used loosely) has caused me to ponder a huge "what if." What if Brad wasn't the kind of man that insisted on weighing all of the options? What if he was the kind of man that just wanted to please his wife and jumped on board with my ideas? Thank God I can't answer those questions. Thank God for making Brad such a good match for me.

"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

look what the cub scout won...

Brad took Wilson to his cub scout meeting last night... and Wilson came home with this...a little archery set and a DVD (Down and Derby, I think). They had the official popcorn sale kick-off last night and Wilson earned four tickets in the drawing. He was beaming when he came home and showed me!

some cute fall stuff...

front door wreath finally updated!and some little dresses for "A Bit of Benning" a crafter's shop here on post...

...I know, I said I never wanted to sell my sewing; but as we were looking for ways to bring in a little extra income I realized this might be a good opportunity. I was even considering doing one of those home businesses (Thirty-One Gifts), and I thought about making cold calls or trying to set-up parties (and with Brad's schedule that would likely include hiring a sitter). I thought about how much I would literally hate doing those things... and God reminded me about how much I actually do enjoy creating gifts. I am still considering an alternate website for selling stuff or possibly etsy. For the immediate time, I am just working on making some stuff for the little gift shop on-post and taking personal orders through PayPal. We'll see where God takes this venture!

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

"POPCORN!...

Get your FRESH, HOT, POPCORN!"

I don't know why, but in my head, I hear one of those guys at the ballpark hawking this popcorn. We've decided to embrace the after-school-activity of Boy Scouts this year. Wilson is pretty excited about all of it. Which makes it awfully hard for us, his adoring parents, to not share in his excitement. Heck, even Walker is geeked about it. Who knew?


The Pack Leader mentioned that it is nearly impossible for customers to resist the little cub scouts in uniform selling this popcorn. So, I knew I needed a couple pictures to accompany this post... Just look at that face...And is it just me, or is there a glimmer of "baby Wilson" in that top left picture below?
We can't start selling the popcorn on-post until next month because of the "Combined Federal Campaign" which is ongoing right now. However, we are free to begin online sales... ***SORRY I CAN"T FIGURE OUT HOW TO LOAD THE LINK CORRECTLY*** Email or call us if you are interested and we'll get you the correct information!

I promise* this is the last of the popcorn-pushing. We did a facebook blitz yesterday and now the blog. That pretty much covers our bases.

*unless of course he is somehow close to winning some sort of prize, and then, well, you know I just can't help myself under those circumstances. Just sayin.

what's cookin?

Friday night Brad had to work overnight... and sometimes {on Fridays especially} I make breakfast for dinner when Daddy is away. Brad abhors breakfast for dinner - you might remember that while he was deployed breakfast for dinner was every Friday. Sometime during the day Friday, I determined that I did not want to get the griddle out (probably determined that while I cleaned out the buffet where the griddle is stored). When Wilson came home we debated on what to eat - chocolate chip scones or applesauce cake. Wilson suggested a coin toss - he wanted scones. Much to his dismay, the applesauce cake won. He was certain that he would not like it - and he told me so quite plainly. However, I do believe this picture suggests otherwise...I called Rene as I was getting ready to make this applesauce cake - Grandpa Lewis' recipe that Aunt Becky put in a recipe book for me as a shower gift. I asked her about frosting... and when I told her we were having the cake for dinner, she rhetorically asked, "Brad's not coming home is he?" (She knows us well!)

And yes, we did have smoky links with our applesauce cake. Why wouldn't we?
This morning I made the chocolate chip scones after all. Because sometimes I am really nice like that. And also, I have a lot of buttermilk in my fridge that is going to expire on Monday. And I wouldn't know what to do with sour buttermilk.

I had the buttermilk because I signed-up to bring scones for PWOC on Thursday. I made three kinds. It was like Scone Henge on the counters in the kitchen! Our PWOC has such a high attendance that I felt like even though I had made three batches and made them half-size portions (because scones can be rather huge, you know?), I couldn't leave any extras home. The boys did eat one or two Wednesday night but that was it. Brad doesn't care much for the scones, so he wasn't disappointed.

Back to the chocolate chip scones this morning.

I ran out of baking powder after making three kinds of scones in one day. So I had to google for a substitute. I thought I would just make more cranberry scones because they were my favorite on Wednesday. However a very cute 2nd grader was very dismayed. He really wanted the chocolate chip scones. But my original chocolate chip scone recipe called for heavy cream, and I couldn't dare use two different substitutions in the same recipe. I'm just not that clever in the kitchen. So I googled again and found buttermilk chocolate chip scones. And we determined that they were even tastier than the others...

See for yourself... thumbs up!
Chocolate chip grins are priceless. (And Brad still doesn't care for them too biscuit-like in his opinion).
Oh, and I finished my "give thanks" bunting. I used scraps that have been around... initially I just used fabric glue to stick the letters on...

...but today I decided to sew them on to ensure that this baby hangs around for a long time. It makes me really happy. I was a little afraid that it would be too big up there and I might have to sell it, but thankfully, its a perfect fit. Oh and the pilgrims are out too...

two questions...

Q#1 - Should I paint this baby or not? Originally I had planned on painting it, then when I was washing it/sanding it with a Brillo pad, I found a sticker (UNDER the spray paint) that said, "Godinger Silver Art Co, Ltd." What do you think? It definitely is old & used, but kinda has some character. Paint or patina?
Q#2 - What the heck kind of spider is this?

a mixed bag

so the other day when I was looking for small fall ideas, I came across these "boo" bags... then I realized that Wilson has had a felt trick-or-treat bag for-ev-er but Walker doesn't have one. The original post linked to the Pottery Barn bags for additional ideas, and I when I saw the owl on the green felt, I knew that was the one and thankfully Walker LOVED that one too... I had all of the materials at home and in under half an hour... he had his very own felt trick-or-treat bag (of course, when Wilson came home he quickly informed me that Walker used his bag last year and he had to carry a paper one - which he had to shelter when it started raining so he didn't lost his candy... man, that kid has a great memory).And, I think Barbie is the only one that ventured a guess to the give-away... guess I'll be keeping my TEN CENTS because I made these pj pants with that old shirt... not too shabby... or at least not as shabby as the rags I have been wearing around as pj pants... Brad even said I could get an old t-shirt out of his drawer to make another pair.
We had the post-wide garage sale today. I meant to take a picture of Wilson at his lemonade stand, I have no good excuse for not doing it - it wasn't that busy. We sold some stuff, and brought very little back into our house... which is ALWAYS a good thing. I got a little sunburn, can you believe that? In September? Crazy.

Tonight the boys were playing in the backyard and Brad ambushed them with the hose...
...by the time I came back out with the camera, the only thing left to capture on film were two-soaking-wet-crazy-faced-cuties!

the adoption post

I'm not exactly certain how to start "The Adoption Post" so here goes...

Our family is in the process of adopting from the State of Georgia's foster care system. It has been a long road to get this place. Lots of prayer. Lots of discussion. Lots of research. Lots of prayer. Lather, rinse, repeat. You know?

I think probably since this happened, I have been sort of hoping to work out something like that for our family. And then when God sent Brad to Africa (via the US Army) for 15 months, I joked one or twenty times about Brad bringing us home a baby. Which I knew in reality wouldn't happen, but there's a popular expression 'round these parts that "There is a little truth in every joke."

And all along... God knew my heart about adoption. And He knew Brad's heart too. And He knew the perfect time for our family. We have come to the conclusion that at this point in time we would be disobeying God if we did not begin this process.

"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

We also felt a strong sense that we should begin here. In our own community. I have a specific story that really solidified this for me. Eventually I will put it on paper, or this here blog, so that our new little one can learn about how God talked to me about His plans for our family. I know I would cut too many corners if I started that story right now.

We have taken 20 hours of classes, been fingerprinted, drug-tested, had physicals and personality tests. We have had a home visit and filled out a LOT of paperwork. Walker is holding our file in this picture, the day we turned it all in! He was pretty excited, and so were we!The next thing on our list is the 3-4 hour home study. The state is currently working on contracts for the social workers so it might be awhile. We believe God's timing isn't impacted by the way the state government makes decisions. We trust God.

This summer as I was praying over some things very specifically, So Long Insecurity knocked me over the head. Beth Moore talked about how she used to pray, "Lord I trust you to...{fill in the blank}." And she said she realized that God wants us to pray, "Lord I trust you.{PERIOD}." You see at the very time I was reading this book, I was praying that God would connect me with a military family that had recently adopted (at the time I was thinking internationally because sometimes I really get ahead of God). I earnestly believed that I was exerting so much faith because I trusted God TO BRING THAT CONNECTION. Rather than simply TRUSTING GOD {PERIOD}. I was literally waiting for God to bring that connection into our life BEFORE stepping out in faith to do what we were certain He wanted us to do. I think shortly after confessing this to Him, I got that return phone call from the State of Georgia (and the ball began to roll...)

Funny thing is, a few weeks ago a lady from PWOC asked me some very specific questions about adopting through the state of Georgia... I won't share her personal information here, but let's just say our God is so good!

To say that we have seen God's Hand all over this thing already would be an understatement. I'll share more of those stories in the days and weeks ahead. This might be a really long road, it will certainly be a hard one. God knows each detail already and for that I am so thankful. I told Brad last night that I was ready to "have an ultrasound and see if it's a boy or a girl!" I guess this one will be a surprise! EEEK!

Please pray with us for the new one. Ask questions. Share in our journey, we are so happy to have you come along!

a {RIDICULOUS} bargain

ok seriously... this is just like a makeover show, you know, when they give someone a new outfit, but in the before picture her hair is wet & she isn't wearing any make-up... and after, well, not only does the outfit look good, so does the hair & make-up. You know what I am talking about right? Well this is like that, because Wilson's room was a bit of a mess in his before {bargain} picture...and TWENTY-FIVE CENTS later.... How awesome of a deal is that? I'm just not usually the one that finds the bargains that are this good. I had wanted to get Wilson a bed skirt for quite some time, but I never wanted to risk it not matching... (and heaven knows I wouldn't remember to bring a pillowcase with me or anything like that). Well, for a QUARTER, I took the risk today. So happy (Wilson thinks its a bit too ruffly, I told him he can hide whatever he wants under his bed and nobody will know). (And for those of you that don't miss a thing, yes, that is a gun case under Wilson's bed... it now holds Nerf guns rather than actual guns. Brad had to get a new gun case so that when we have our home study we don't get busted for not having things secured properly).
And I am doing a little giveway {little}... TEN CENTS to the person that can guess what I made out of this ladies 2x tshirt today. Here's a hint, its something for me...
and I took a picture of the capes today...
I'm thinking of taking some orders. So I made a few "extra" samples for a couple little people that I love because they are quite super too. And really aren't all the little people in your life, SUPER, and wouldn't they love their very own customized, reversible super hero cape? We'll see. I'll get you the details once I decide if I am taking orders or not.

Still undecided about the garage sale. {in two days}

some projects & what-not...

...Brad's been working a crazy schedule which has given me some time to sew in the evenings... last week I finished these dresses for Victoria (the turquoise one was a juniors dress and the plaid one was a skirt!) I can't wait to see them on her... Mom L sent me another dress to try to refashion for Victoria, so I might work on that one tomorrow...Walker has been working hard at school. If there is cutting and/or gluing involved, then he is super thrilled. I found another great web-site with printables for him...

Oh, and I did some work on a couple super-hero capes....

I r-e-a-l-l-y need to get a better picture of the capes while the boys are wearing them... although the Krispy Kreme hat, does make nearly-naked-Batman seem more intimidating. You think?
Oh, and one more project I am working on... thrift-store-find from a few weeks ago... 3-tiered-serving tray. Not exactly sure how I am going to paint it, I have a couple ideas floating around in my brain. Here's an in-progress picture. When I brought it home, Brad's comment was, "its crooked" (or something like that), so I immediately disassembled it. Therefore, this is my best "before" picture... I did some sanding tonight, not sure how much I need to sand it...


We may or may not be having a garage sale this weekend. Its the weekend for the post-wide garage sale. Last spring we thought about it, but then decided to donate our "sell piles" - which means we don't have much to sell right now. And this corner lot is not high-traffic like our other one was... So we'll see. If we have one, the $$ will go toward the New Year's Day Gala that Bryan & Emily are hosting (otherwise known as a wedding, but I like that title I just made up for it).

I think this will be the week that I finally write the adoption post that I promised a few weeks back.

happy birthday, Grandpa Carl...

so tonight (in the middle of dinner, because heaven-forbid if I can remember to do something 10 minutes after I think of it...) we called Grandpa Carl to sing "Happy Birthday." Dad and I chatted for a few minutes more. While chatting Dad mentioned the number "48" and well, I'm not getting any younger either, so I went along with it...

When I got off the phone, I said to the boys, "Forty-Eight."

Wilson ponders it, and I say, "that's how old Grandpa Carl is."

He looks at me, "how old are you?"

I reply, "Thirty-Four." Knowing there's no way I could switch my own age on him...

a few quiet moments and then...

"How far apart are you and Grandpa?" he questions.

"um, he's not really 48, Wilson."

oh he's a smart one.

a little labor...

on Labor day. Well Brad did more than "a little" since he is working all day/night. But the boys and I just did a little... We finally got the Presidential Busts out on Wilson's desk. Now, as long as nobody bumps into Wilson's desk, we should be alright...Grandma Lewis offered me these busts two summers ago when they were sorting through some of the stuff that was in the attic of the house in Flushing. I didn't feel right taking them then, but Grandma kept them aside for me. When we went to see her this summer, she reminded me to take them with me! And Aunt Denine had them all boxed up, and their shelf out ready to go! These babies are deceiving.. they are little, but they are SOLID bronze, so they are HEAVY! We didn't want to try and figure out a way to hang them on the wall. So finally, today, we got them out. I couldn't find ANY images of a full set (with the wooden blocks) online, so we just had to guess how to arrange the various height blocks. We found a list of presidents with pictures to make it a little easier to sort out the busts quickly. (The busts have their names on the bottom, so I just needed to get them in the correct order.) It was actually pretty fun and Wilson enjoyed finding them to put in order. I am certain that Grandma would be tickled!

The boys also made shirts from supplies that Aunt Becky sent them this week. They were SO excited to make them! I let them pick what words they wanted on their shirt...
Wilson picked "ROCK STAR"
He also wanted to have "rank" on his sleeve, as did Walker because Wilson did...
At first, Walker had chosen the word "kangaroo" for his shirt... and I honestly didn't think there were enough letter "o"'s for that option.... after a few suggestions he settled happily on "SGT LUTZ"

Wilson wants to wear his to school tomorrow and cannot wait to tell his teacher all about it. Thanks, Aunt Becky!