Friday, January 02, 2009

Saying Goodbye to My Blog

I've toyed with the idea of ending my blog for a while for MANY different reasons. The reasons to continue are becoming less important to me these days so I'm feeling the need to say goodbye and the new year seems an appropriate place.

I'm not sure that I'll be leaving for good, but if I do come back I hope to have a different emphasis or purpose for this blog. One of the reasons I've been hesitant to quit is because of my passion for adoption and I've loved hearing from families (a few) who've been inspired to adopt because of my blog...that's PRICELESS to me and so I'm going to have to trust G*d will use me to encourage adoption in another way. I think I'll keep the blog here for a while and you can ALWAYS email me with questions concerning adoption (or anything else) at k95 @ comcast.net (remove spaces).

I know this sounds dramatic, but this is going to be painful for me. I LOVE my blog...which is mostly the problem (if you get what I mean). Blogging has taken far too much of my time and affection.

If I do come back I'd like this to be a little different and since I'm not sure if or how that will be I'm going to say goodbye blog-friends! I've learned so much from you all and hope still to stop by occasionally and visit those of you with blogs.

This may not make sense in this context, but it makes perfect sense to me and is my little reminder:
(on dying to "SELF")

"It is never fun to die. To rip through the dear and tender stuff of which life is made can never be anything but deeply painful. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free." Tozer in The Pursuit of God
and another from the same book...
"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever."

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had a wonderfully quiet Christmas. It's so rare for all of us to be together so much and we just enjoyed the time we had. We went to the candlelight Christmas Eve service at church and then Megan begged for some "Christmas ice cream". Then the kids were coerced in front of the tree for a picture.
Christmas 08 (9)

Christmas 08 (21)

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The girls are excited that their stockings are going to be filled tonight.
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Miyah found baby Jesus under the star and gets to open the first present.
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Let the fun begin!
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Never mind the expensive toys...these Dollar Store swords were the hit this Christmas. I should have known.
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I know it's strange, but Matt asked for a smoothie maker this Christmas and got the Magic Bullet. I figured it'll be a good dorm room appliance to take with him next year.
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The girls with their live cubs. They were so excited to get these. This is the only thing they asked for this year.
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Mei Lin and I fell asleep on the couch in the early afternoon.
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After dinner we went to a movie then came home for some family time.
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Enjoying some smoothies.
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Megan's so sweet. She spent some of her break making a quilt for the girls' animals.
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On New Year's Eve both Megan and Matt had plans with friends and Pat and I invited some families over to play games. The little ones played and watched a movie while we talked and played games. Both of the families were part of our small group Bible study this summer so it was good to get together again.

Happy New Year to you all!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!
We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2009.
Family Photos 11-08 (88)Family Photos 11-08 (66)
Photoshoot (48)
Girls in Cmas dresses (100)

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Lydia NEEDS Your Prayers!

I'm so saddened by today's (Dec 23) journal update from Monica, Lydia's mom. PLEASE keep Lydia and her family in your prayers.

Click below to read the latest news from Monica (under "journal" for Dec 23):
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lydialimeieikomiyashita

Monday, December 22, 2008

Family Visit and Catching Up

You can usually assume that if I haven't posted in a while it isn't for lack of events to post about, but rather too much going on to find the time to post. I'm hoping to catch up in the next several posts.

But first, Pat's brother and his family stopped through for a couple of nights on their way down to Disney. It had been over a year since we'd seen some of them and over two years since seeing the entire family. We all had a great visit and the kids really enjoyed each other. I have the sweetest nieces and nephews and it was so nice to catch up with my brother and sister-in-law.

Pat and his brother, DavidSullivan-Konyn visit (106)
My niece Grace with Mei Lin
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My sister-in-law Colleen and my niece Cate
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Colleen and David
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Marty and Megan
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Playing cards
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The gingerbread house making
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Icing problems
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Marty
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Cate
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Grace
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Liam
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Grace was like a little mother to the girls and they loved her!
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Pat reading The Advent Book with the kids. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of ALL of us on the couch for advent the next night.
Sullivan-Konyn visit (2)

Traditions

Here are a few of the Christmas traditions chronicled by camera. Most don't need any explanation...

Gingerbread House 08 (9)
Decorating the little tree (13)Decorating the little tree (14)Decorating the little tree (8)
Miyah's reaction to making cut out cookies...
Christmas cookies (24)

Mei Lin's reaction to making cut out cookies... check out that throat
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Christmas cookies (28)Christmas cookies (26)
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Megan's masterpieces
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Miyah did a great job, too
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The day we got our tree Mei Lin constantly sang "O Tismas Tree, O Tismas Tree..."
Christmas cookies (109)
Miyah's just excited about Christmas!
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