Our Gymnast And Dancing Queen

Earlier this month, Lottie celebrated the end of the Fall semester of her dance and gymnastics class with a gymnastics show and dance recital. While she started out with a bang at her first class back in the fall, she became timid during the dance portion of class each week. For several weeks she just stood there like an icicle. I was not sure how a dance recital at the end of the semester would go. She rallied though and with a few extra practices she became comfortable with her dance routines and put on quite the show! She thoroughly enjoyed the gym throughout the semester and her beam and bar routines are proof of her hard work!! Hmmmmm......future Olympian?

Paw Paw gave her flowers after her performance. She put them in a vase once home and placed them on her bedside table. The next night I saw her go in her room and turn the light on and I asked her what she was doing. She said.."I am looking at my beautiful flowers my Paw Paw gave me" Too sweet!!

Our Dancing Queen!!!

Sorry for the poor video quality! Mom of the year left the video camera at home and had to use the cell phone. BUT, thanks to technology , we captured the memory. And God has written it on our hearts...even better!

Memorial Box Monday

Today I want to share a memorial box monday post with you. I have put the link to the blog above where I first heard of doing this . I thought it was such a grand idea to record those God moments where He surprises us, or provides for us, or heals us ,or comforts us and to be able to record these for our children and children's children. What a legacy of God stories to leave behind. So this is my first attempt at doing this. I don't know if I will have a weekly post as I am still a new blogger but it will not be because God isn't moving, just that I am slow to record the stories.


Please go visit A Place Called Simplicity. You will be blessed I know!! Hers is one of the stories that stirred my spirit toward Africa as I read of their journey to bring home their two babies from Uganda .





So, the idea of a memorial box is to place an item in a special keepsake box to remind you of a God Story in your life. I don't have a box yet, but if I did, in it I would place the birth certificate of a little cabbage patch doll I purchased for our daughter we adopted from China before she came home. Actually, it was purchased before she was ever born, soon after we submitted our application to adopt from China. We had talked about naming our daughter Lottie after Lottie Moon ,a missionary to China who shared Jesus with the daughters of China by having them come to her home for cookie parties. What a hero of the faith to name our daughter after. We had not decided for sure until I walked into Wal-mart one day and happened to see these Cabbage Patch dolls. One looked a little more Asian than the others and I pulled it closer and saw the birth certificate through the cellophane which read....Cinderella Lottie.....yes!!! Lottie!! I had tears streaming down my face as I went to purchase the doll KNOWING that God himself had called our daughter by name and she would be born in China!!!





So this weekend I was reminded of that God moment as I watched my precious daughter dress up as a princess for a fall festival at school and for a neighborhood parade .....

my Cinderella Lottie........








Thank you Jesus for your confirmation that she was our daughter before she was even born!!! Our treasure from the King of Kings!!

My Ballerina

Even though I was not a ballerina myself, there is something monumental about taking your daughter to her first dance class. I went and bought Lottie her first leotard, ballet shoes and tap shoes for her first Little Gym dance and gymnastics class yesterday. I picked her up from preschool and told her the exciting news. She was thrilled ! She excitedly put her new leotard on. She was a little shy in front of her teachers and classmates in her new attire but once she got to dance class she never looked back. The first 30 minutes was ballet and tap and the last 30 minutes was in the gym doing gymnastics. I smiled proudly as I watched her do her first pliet and step ball change and looked in amazement as she attempted a forward roll on the balance beam 3' off the ground! As I watch her enjoy each new first in her life, I stand in awe at the incredible blessing I have been given. I so look forward to all the promises and possibilities yet to be fulfilled in her life. She truly is a bundle of potentiality! I am so thankful for the incredible priviledge to be this little girl's mother. God is so very good!!

Treasure Map

Lottie has enjoyed playing "Pirates" lately and just this morning was asking me to pretend with her . She looked up at me and said "Mommy, let's play pirates!" Then she started her repoirtoire of sayings like " Land Ho!!!" and "Ahoy Maties!" Then she said "Mommy if we are going to be pirates, we need a treasure map" The next thing I knew , she had run out of the room and came back carrying her "treasure map" , an old King James Version of the Bible off of one of the book shelves. I looked down and smiled..." yes, my dear , you HAVE found a treasure map. The very best!! " What does this treasure map tell us about? "JESUS", she said enthusiastically. Oh , may she always be this excited about her treasure map and may she always hide her Treasure in her heart to guide her all the days of her life!!

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" Psalm 119:105

"I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee" Psalm 119:11

LOVE...Disguised As A Mop

Yes, this mop is our beloved furry friend MACY, who joined our family back in June. She was an april fool's puppy so she is almost 6 months old now. She is a labradoodle and living up to the reputation of the breed, being quite smart, gentle and affectionate. She has been going to puppy classes to learn good manners and basic obedience. She is still all puppy though and is into everything!! She came to us from a breeder in Montana. We went and picked her up at the airport at midnight after she had flown in from out west. Here are a few pics from her first night home.

God may give us these furry friends to give us just a glimpse of what unconditional love looks like.