Kari's Poem.....

A Trip to Spring Gate Farm

Today we made a trip to Spring Gate Farm and had an awesome tour given by the very knowledgable owner, our sweet friend Jane.  Ana enjoyed seeing the goats and ducks. She did not enjoy all the goat "poop" and pointed it out to me repeatedly in a very concerned fashion.  My response; "at a farm, there is lots of animal poop and it's okay".  The cashmere goats were ADORABLE and the kids held them, chased them and frolicked with them delightedly.  In the picture above, this goat was only days old.  They kept hopping with all 4 feet leaving the ground at once....like they were leaping for just the joy of being alive!

Guess who likes ice cream...

In this photo, Ana is eating it right out of our ice cream maker.

Ash Wednesday Poem

Is this a Fast, to keep 

The larder lean?

And clean

From fat of veals and sheep?

Is it to quit the dish

Of flesh, yet still

To fill

The platter high with fish?

Is it to fast an hour, Or ragg'd to go,

Or show A down-cast look and sour?

No: 'tis a Fast to dole 

Thy sheaf of wheat

And meat

Unto the hungry soul,

It is to fast from strife 

And old debate,

And hate;

To circumcise thy life.

To show a heart grief-rent;

To starve thy sin,

Not bin;

And that's to keep thy Lent. 

~Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

I have a Daddy!

(Sigh).............

We know a family here in town who adopted a little blonde, blue eyed boy from Eastern Europe.  Aaron has some physical challenges and the family is making trips to Shriners Children's Hospital in Maryland each week to get casting on his legs to correct some muscular issues that were not addressed in his earlier life which he spent in an orphanage, and then spent an additional miserable year in a mental institution which is where unadopted post 4 year olds are sent in Eastern Europe. These children are basically discarded, locked away from society and many of them literally perish in these horrific institutions.  Aaron was adopted at 5 years old by this dear family who fought like crazy to get him out of this hell-on-earth place and into their loving home.  For the last 3 weeks, I have had the HONOR of teaching Aaron in the PreK class at our local homeschool co-op.  To see him smiling, full of joy, bright, laughing and interacting with the other children is truly unbelievable.  Aaron is doing SO well, is so smart, so full of life....all because of one loving family who was willing to take a "risk" and get outside of their comfort zone.  Many adoptive families hear from others;..."oh, (your child's name) is SO lucky that you adopted them!"  but most adoptive families would say that THEY are the ones who have been blessed beyond measure.

This is where my (sigh) comes in.  Aaron's family has a blog that follows many other blogs which highlight families in the process of eastern european adoptions.  While it is wonderful to see the cases of the children being adopted into their forever families, there is still a great and DIRE need for many more families to adopt.  Every day, these sweet children "age out" of the orphanages and take a very somber and scary car ride to what will probably be their final destination: a mental institution for children ages 4-18.  Run-down, ill equipped, understaffed, unclean, wretched places that most people would not deem livable at all.  And 4 year old toddlers are "introduced" into these unwelcoming places where they will likely spend the rest of their "childhood".

When I hear Ana chattering away in the preschool class, announcing proudly that "SHE has a Daddy who wears a tie" when we're learning about the letter "T", or that SHE has a doggie at her house that she loves, I can't help but think about all the other children for which time is ticking, ticking, each day bringing them closer to aging out of the orphanage.  Who will go for them? Who will adopt them?  When, if ever, will they be able to say that THEY have a Daddy and a doggie and a house?  I know I sound depressing, and I know most people don't want to hear such sad things but this IS the reality...........

Micah 6:8- "He has showed you O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Pink Froggy Potty

This new little gadget is decorating my family room these days.  Ana had great interest (and production) with pink froggy potty the first few days but the interest has waned.  (sigh).  Maybe when the days are warmer and there are less clothing layers...and the pink plastic doesn't feel so icy.......