I-800A approved!

Just got in the mail approval to adopt up to 2 orphans from Bulgaria.  So excited.  This was the last step in updating our paperwork.

This took way longer than expected, but honestly, I don't expect things to go smoothly anymore with things like this because you get disappointed.

Christmas 2012

We had a simple Christmas this year.

Anton doesn't believe in Santa Claus anymore.  I'm glad about that because while it was fun when he was younger (we love fairy tales and developing the imagination...if you have read my other posts you know that already) it just seems like when they get older, you have to come clean and stop the madness.

Last Christmas he started asking questions and I told him the truth.  Just to clarify, we always said "Santa Claus is just pretend, Jesus is real"   So, I asked him if he really believed Santa was real, because I always said Santa is pretend, and he said he did believe he was real and didn't seem to connect that I said he was pretend (like what is "pretend" anyways?).  I figured out that even though I said that, in their world, if they get presents under the tree in the morning, Santa is real.  (So, my way out is:...sure Santa is real, we're Santa!)  Anton was glad I did tell him the truth instead of trying to prolong the "magic," but he's also glad we played Santa for a while.  We still said this year, "go to bed so Santa can come."  Now he knows who Santa is.  It is fun.

I love to decorate.  I'm particular about the tree.  I love a classic, retro style with German blown glass ornaments and tensil, and big lights.  I normally hang lighted garland all over the place but I only did a few windows this year.

this picture is actually from a few years ago.

Chris and I have started new family traditions since we've had Anton.  One of these is the Advent Calendar and have a family devotional for each day leading up to Christmas.  However, with our trip, that got pushed aside.  But I did read out of a wonderful book called, The Miracle of Christmas.  It explains the birth of Christ and why He became a man, and also some of the traditions surrounding Christmas, like Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, cards, etc.  It is very interesting.  I particularly love the amazing story of the wisemen and how they knew to follow the star in search of the Messiah.

Anton and I did some crafts.  We made paper snowflakes and a dangerous one:  we melted colorful crayons on an old wine bottle to make it look like it has had many candles in it before.  I still want to do one or two more crafts I found on Pinterest.

Since we went on a recent trip, I told him that was a big Christmas present.  Even though the ship boarding pass, meals, etc., was paid for, we paid for a few tours and we bought him some snorkel gear and beach toys, and you know...all those incidental expenses!

Christmas Eve we have a tradition of opening one gift to each other.  Over the last few years it has been board games.  After dinner we play games until bedtime.  Chris got Scrabble Flash.  It is these 5 electronic cubes that communicate with each other and you can form words from the letters.  It is amazing.  I got Pop n' Drop Penguin (like Trouble but with a twist, the Penguins can get knocked off a bridge, it is really cute, but cheaply made game, not as boring as Trouble can be.  I don't have a photo, but here's a link at Amazon.).  And Anton got a classic game called, Labyrinth (can see in photo).  He loves mazes, since we studied Greek Mythology, so I thought he'd enjoy that.   We really liked that game, it is so different than any other game I've played.

From Santa (Christmas morning), Anton mostly got educational games that are fun, that we could use for school.  And also a few just for fun toys.  He seemed very content and thankful and said this was the best Christmas ever.  I think I lowered his expectations when I told him he was getting much because of the cruise, so he was surprised.  I'm glad he's content and happy boy.  I don't indulge him with a lot of presents during the year, so this is the one time a year to spoil him!  and blame it on Santa!

Peanut got a cat toy for Christmas

Christmas Eve dinner we had steaks that Chris made, and we went to a candlelight service at our small church in Katy, TX.  It was a nice evening.  This year, I didn't do a lot of baking and I'm finally set free from the tyranny of all that, because I'm really trying to watch unhealthy junk food eating.  I think this was the simplest Christmas I've had.   Funny because I've been pinning all kinds of great recipes on Pinterest, and lusted after many of these things but ended doing little baking and just kept it simple.  (by the way, you can follow me on Pinterest :O)

Christmas day I made a Rib-eye roast.  I never made a Rib-eye roast before, but followed the directions for a pot roast that calls for chuck roast.  It came out pretty good.  Christ loves rib-eye but I think I prefer a Chuck roast, or rump roast.

On Christmas Day, we also went to see the new movie/musical, Les Miserables.  I really don't recommend it for kids Anton's age, except Anton is pretty unique in that he loves the story already and he can handle the drama.  I had to hide his eyes in a couple of scenes (like the entire song of Master of the House and when Fontine gets at her lowest point)    How did he come to like it?   I think he saw me watching a few You Tube clips from the 10th Anniversary Concert.  He loves "The Stars"  (Philip Quast version!) and has it memorized.  I also have a children's version of it and he is fascinated with the character, Javert, and why is he the "bad guy" if he's a policeman?  Aren't policemen good?  And why did he kill himself?  Some serious questions.  So, he made a costume from an old jacket of mine and pretends he's "Javert."   But don't worry, he isn't thinking of harming himself :O)  He just likes the drama.  This has been going on for months, then the new movie/musical comes out on Christmas Day  I'm glad he has a great heart for God and grace that comes through the story.

Anton as Javert

So, that was our Christmas.  Hope you had a wonderful Christmas also, celebrating our Savior's birth.

Favorite Christmas Movie

I'm sick today with a cold, so instead of school we had another blow-off day.  Thought I'd share a favorite short Christmas movie that Anton and I watch traditionally this time of year.  It is Beatrix Potter's Tailor of Gloucester.

I love this video production because the animation is like the watercolor drawings in her original books and the voice-over actors are just great.  If you a little time to watch, hope you enjoy it too.   You can see the other parts on You Tube, there are 5 parts and the whole story is 25 minutes.

Enjoy the magic and wonder of the season, most of all that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1).

Caribbean Cruise, December 2012

I'm so proud of Chris.  He hit his sales goal last year, 2011, and won a trip for us to Caribbean.  They paid for Anton's way as well.  We are so thankful.  We were gone from December 2 - 9, left out of Galveston, TX.  We just got back.

It doesn't seem like Christmas now but I'm glad I put up decorations before we left.

It was Carnival Cruise, on the Magic ship.  We stopped in Jamaica, Cayman Island and Cozumel.  We had so much fun.   The cruise is geared to a more Spring Break or party crowd, but we found our places on the ship to have a great and relaxing time.  It is so nice to not have to cook meals, and do whatever we want.  

Lessons learned...invest in a waterproof camera.  I thought I'd save money and bought a plastic protector, it worked fine but I think taking the camera out with wet hands ruined the camera.  It is just best to have the right camera for those memories.  Nevertheless, I managed to get in a few pictures and videos.

It was so educational for Anton also, to visit new places (and for all of us!).  We studied the Mayan Indians and there we were in the Yucatan Pennisula.  Also, Anton remembered some things about starfish he had learned from watching educational TV programs (he was teaching me :O)

 view from the 10th deck looking down in glass elevator.  This ship was a beast.

 ship had a water slide and ropes coarse that was fun for Anton, and us old folks tried it also.

Jamaica (Montego Bay).  We toured Rose Hall, a
sugar cane planation that had a lot of interesting history.

Here is a You Tube video of Johnny Cash's song with a little tour of Rose Hall.  

we're approaching the sandbar after about 15 minute boat ride.

the water becomes more shallow, looks like swimming pool.

the dark areas are coral.

 Stingray City tour, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

This stingray is a mommy with about 3 pups in her tummy.
I'm congratulating her :O)
she was so sweet.  our guides were great.

 This is a stringray wound from feeding a little boy stingray, they don't have teeth but can be aggressive feeders.

 I picked up a starfish from the bottom.  yay me.

this is the view from our balcony as we left Cayman

we joke about the Mayan end of the world,
that we had a talk with them.

fun picture, the pirate on back is on stilts, the one in front
is supposed to be a puppet on strings.  such mean faces!

 Anton found a baby conch in Cozumel Island, Mexico.

Anton finally got to build a sand castle on the beach.  new experience.

We were starving, ate at a restaurant near the pier.

took this picture right as we were disembarking Cozumel at sunset.  

formal night picture of us from dinner on the ship

Bulgaria food, and little background

I really look forward to visiting Bulgaria, hopefully soon.  We have been studying Ancient Greek history in our Homeschool, and even though Bulgaria is inland a ways, I'm just excited about visiting that part of the world and learning more about its history.

found this article.  http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bulgaria-Ancient-ruins-fast-cars-and-feta-3877109.php  \

Here is another post that came by me from a friend who is also adopting from Bulgaria:  http://www.icr.org/article/7105/   about an old town that appears to pre-date Ancient Greece!

watching old videos to cheer me up

Anton and I like to go down memory lane every so often watching old videos.  Thought I'd post a few.

This one is right after we got Anton and we couldn't find the keys.  I love the "love lu."

This is Anton chasing Nimitz and we're telling our friend Isabelle about our adoption experience.

We did "ants" a while back for Science.  I love "we have to be patience."  you can hear a Russian accent still.

This is when we got some aquatic frogs about 2 years ago.

This one is a freak snow we had in Houston.

Can "love" help our nation's economic problems?

I try to keep this blog to talk about our adoption progress, home life, our heart for adoption (that is an extension of our faith), but not really politics. But there's a connection, keep reading.  I like to read other blogs and I haven't read anything that coincides with my thoughts, so thought I'd write.

The Republican National Convention last week was masterfully done.  Many of the conservative platitudes and qualifications of candidate, Romney, were brought forth by other speakers that went before him, allowing for Romney to talk about higher ideals, more encompassing, that will help our nation.  It was sermon-like, in the tradition of Ronald Reagan.  It went above the political process.  And that is what we need from a leader, it is refreshing.

Ann Romney, in her speech, also talked more about her heart and her husband's heart than policy.  She said in her introduction that she wanted to talk about "Love."

Both speeches had the theme of love all through it.  Here is an excerpt that I loved the most, from Mitt Romney:    

Unconditional love is a gift that Ann and I have tried to pass on to our sons and now to our grandchildren. All the laws and legislation in the world will never heal this world like the loving hearts and arms of mothers and fathers. If every child could drift to sleep feeling wrapped in the love of their family – and God’s love — this world would be a far more gentle and better place.

I know there are speech writers, and it is still politics, but there was a genuineness of their speeches and the message resonated with me, and it wasn't just talk.

Full text of Mitt Romney's speech here.  I have it embedded video at bottom of this blog.  

Full text of Ann Romney's speech here.   

  

Our country is on the precipice economically.  We need an economic plan for recovery.  We want details.  According to the conservative media pundits, Romney was expected to talk about the benefits of Capitalism, teach on that, so success is not seen as "bad," and also, to talk about what he'll do as President.  But he talked a lot about love, not at all what I was expecting but I've been thinking about it.  

Here is why I think weaving the theme of love into the speeches was brilliant, and coincides with my Christian Worldview.  In talking about love, he is talking about the value of the Individual, and the value we place on them, because God does.  This isn't the love we have for politicians, or what government can do for us, as politicians are always promising what they can do for us to get our vote.  Some of us understand what that road leads to by now.  If we are going to replace government subsidies (that is making our country go broke) with charitable freewill giving (monetary and otherwise), what will that require?  It will require love.  I believe this love comes from above, and for the believer, is proof of what we say we believe.  The Good Samaritan loved his neighbor and he took a personal interest in a stranger.  It wasn't Government.  The Pharisee, like the government, didn't really care, and just walked on by.  That is what our healthcare system needs.  It does involve personal, freewill  monetary giving, effort and discretion alongside the competent healers who will get paid.

If it is the government's job to take care of orphans, then orphanages will overflow and we know they will not develop right, even though we need to be thankful for the orphanages (just not like a loving family).  Caring for the elderly is not the government's job, it is family or community.  We need love to keep families together, where wives and husbands are loving each other in spite of their faults.

The message of love shown by individuals is a joyful and hopeful one, and in contrast to a message that says government will solve all your problems where love is disconnected.  Government, when they redistribute wealth, doesn't give you a choice on giving and how much.  They give without enough discretion and oversight (or love!).  So, when we pay our taxes, it isn't a joy and we're not convinced the money will be used wisely or fairly.  It really robs the tax payer of the joy and blessing of giving.  I know the argument is that we don't give like we should, so therefore, government has to force it out of us to take care of the needy.  But I'm not going to make this blog too long and address that.  But I look to what is government's proper role to answer that, and that would be a subject of another blog.

My main voting issue now is the Pro Life agenda, every life is precious and every person is created in God's image.  (I don't want to make anyone feel condemned if that was their past, if they had or paid for abortion, because there is forgiveness at the Cross.)   Romney, talking about his love and heart for children also touched on his Pro Life agenda.  I believe part of the role of the "strong" is to defend the "weak."  These children need an advocate, both the born and the unborn.

As a side note, I was also pleased the Republican party included minorities, not as a token, but they are very much apart of the success stories of America.  Our nation was founded by immigrants, so Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Europeans, etc., have equal opportunities and their origin, color of their skin really becomes a non-issue.

I wish the Republican candidate was a born again Christian, but what is more important to the job he is running for is not what or who he's trusting in to get to heaven (as important as that is for his own soul that he trust in Jesus Christ alone).  But how he will govern and his leadership of our country is how I'll vote.  We're only given 2 candidates at this juncture.  Obama claims to be a Christian and yet he has stopped legislature 3 times in passing a bill that would halt doctors from killing babies born who can live outside the womb.  Even for Pro-Choice people, this is indefensible.

Romney could be a good actor with a great speech, however, he has an impressive past of charitable service and giving to match his rhetoric.  He has lived it out.  I'n not going to go into every vote or appointment but I can still generalize based on his history, and people grow and modify positions.

He also has shown himself to be a competent businessman and governor who can help our country balance the budget.  I see our economic issue as a moral issue, and having a heart to do good and integrity is what we need.  The overspending of our nation is a moral issue.

I am not voting for Romney be my pastor, or Bible Study teacher. God in His common grace allows many from all religious beliefs to demonstrate His caring love, and become very competent individuals, because we are created in His image.  This is why I have no problem voting for a Mormon.  He understands how important Individuals are, and his message of Love is a message that we all need to hear, and he is the best man for the job who understands many things from his experience.

I think the economic plan, and all aspects of government, have to start somewhere, and if we don't have that love, I think we will bear the consequences of a repressive government.  More than ever, we need God.