Crazy Rabid Squirrels

The band has formed.  They are certain they are going to be famous.  I have no doubt that they will be.  Their band name is "The Crazy Rabid Squirrels."  They have practiced one time.  I have heard that they were flawless.  When they come to a town near you, be sure to give them some love.

From left to right:  Caleb "The Big C", Rye Bread, Levi "The Beat", and T-Bird.

BTW - We are very happy that The Beat's parents bought the drums.  That way they have to practice over at his house.

SPECIAL DISCLAIMER from The Beat's Mom:  this is what a basement looks like when a college girl who had her own apartment moves back home!!!

Second SPECIAL DISCLAIMER from "The Beat's" Mom:  Crazy Rabid Squirrels Band picture is official property of The Beat Enterprises and may not be used without expressed, written consent from The Beat Enterprises.  All proceeds from the Crazy Rabid Squirrels Band photo become the property of The Beat's Mom when the Crazy Rabid Squirrels become rich and famous.

Coons, then a Possum, then a bunch of Beavers!

First we were surprised by finding some Coons in our tree.  Then we discovered a Possum in our cage.  To top all of that, we were delighted to have a bunch of Beavers in our house.  I won't take the time to blog about it since they had such a great post.  They were very kind to include in their post a plea for prayer for our Peaches.  What a great night of fun with them.

Read their post by clicking here.

Pray for Mama and Daddy Beaver as they are in Russia right now at their court appearance for the adoption of their soon-to-be newest three children.  We are praying for good news from the court hearing.

You can follow their progress and provide an encouraging comment on their blog by clicking here.

Waiting, Still....

More thoughts on waiting.  Not because I've learned new ways to be content or have learned to enjoy the waiting, but rather because I am struggling once again with impatience.  We feel like we are continually walking the line that narrowly divides complaining vs. contemplating and impatience vs. introspection.

We wonder why we have to wait at the #1 spot for a toddler girl for months only to see no toddler girls get referred.  And then this past week, one of the families ahead of us on the overall waiting list changed their parameters to include toddlers girls.  This results in our moving from #1 to #2 on the toddler girl list after being #1 for months.

We know the number of orphaned toddler girls in Ethiopia is unimaginable.  We know our agency and associated orphanage in Addis are doing everything within their abilities to help the most needy orphans reach a family and a home.  And we also know that our little girl is sleeping another night in an orphanage without a mom or dad to hold her, care for her, provide for her.  She remains a body in an institution, being cared for as best as they can, yet still in an institution.

So with these thoughts I think about our Peaches.  Who is taking care of her?  Who is feeding her each day?  Who holds her at night when she is afraid?  Who picks her up when she falls down?  Who protects her from other kids?  Who tells her that Jesus is with her?  We have been told that the orphanage is filled with people who really do care about the kiddos and that the conditions are not horrible considering they are in a third world country.  But, even so, the kids need a family, they need a mom and dad, they need the love and permanence that only comes through adoption.

The recently enacted two-trip policy for Ethiopian adoptions was instituted to help prevent adoptions from going bad.  Additional layers of protection have also been enacted in Ethiopia with the same purpose.  This has resulted in a major slow-down of the whole process.  It has resulted in children and families waiting longer, enduring more obstacles, paying more money to be united.  Is this a good thing?  There are many, many families who are painfully in the midst of the dark time of the waiting list.  We know many of these families through our own agency's listserv.  They are a group of loving, Godly, encouraging, determined people.  They will all become amazing parents.  I wish it could happen more quickly for each of them.

As I have walked the narrow line between impatience and introspection, I realize that I am very good at seeing things from my own point of view.  That is what gives way so easily to complaining.  Complaining really is our internal way of trying to convince the world of the things aren't happening the way we would like.  That things would be better if I were in control.  It is during these times that God's Spirit speaks to my heart and reminds me who is in control, and that His purposes are perfect.

I've been reading a book by Ted Kluck called "Hello, I Love You."  The book is about the author's adventures through two different adoptions from Ukraine.  He candidly shares his thoughts and feelings through much transparency about the inefficiences and deficiencies of the country of Ukraine and the unpredictability of an international adoption.  He is also wrestled by God's Spirit of his own complaining and his own lack of pause under God's sovereign plan.  Here is an excerpt from the book as he is writing in Kiev on their second adoption from that country - each time having to spend more than a month in-country (from page 143):

Kristin and I (mostly I) have been feeling convicted about something of late, and that is our propensity toward complaining.  I complain a lot here.  A lot of that complaining finds its way onto the page and results in good writing, of the laugh-getting variety.  But that doesn't make it right.

I've felt increasingly convicted that complaining is essentially a rejection of God, who is sovereign and sends every circumstance into our lives and intends it for our good (Romans 8:28).  I've always said that one of the drawbacks of Reformed theology (which I love) is that it doesn't leave you anyone to be mad at.  So when I pace the apartment and rant, I'm pacing the apartment and ranting at God, and suggesting that what He's given is somehow insufficient.  

When I rant about the dirty sidewalks, or complain that I'm not at home in my comfortable house, I'm doubting God's provision.  I'm disappointed in myself that this contentment lesson has been so hard to learn, but I'm thankful that He sent me Numbers 11 this morning, and pray that He will forgive me for this besetting sin.

So there it is.  A summary of the importance of allowing my impatience and complaining to fall at the feet of Jesus.  To know that He is the one who is taking care of Peaches tonight.  Her life this very moment rests within His care.  He is actively caring for her right now in a greater capacity than my feeble attempts ever will accomplish.

Thank You God for Your conviction of my heart and Your care for Peaches.

Congratulations Sunshine!!!!

Sunshine tried out for the Nebraska All-State Choir a week and a half ago.  She found out this morning that she made it!!!!!  This is a choir that takes the best high school singers from across the entire state.  It's a huge honor to make the choir.  She's very giddy!

She'll get to have a weekend of practice and a concert at the University of Nebraska (GO BIG RED!) campus in the middle of November.  It's a big deal to make the choir and we are very, very proud of her.  She worked so hard at getting ready for the try outs.

Last year she tried out and two of her friends made it but she was disappointed to just make alternate.  So it was especially sweet for her this year since she had tasted the disappointment last year.

Way to go Sunshine......we love you!

Oh, Possum!

Well lookey what ended up in the trap this time!  Not any of the three cute little coons, but instead one ugly Possum.  I think our escapades involving traps have ended.  I'm afraid if we keep setting it we might end up with Cody (aka, Dingleberry) in it again or maybe even one of our kids (they're always in to something).  And who knows what other types of wildlife are out there!!!

We'll call the Sheriff this week and have him come get the trap (without the Possum).  I opened the trap and sent him running so that he didn't have to be "relocated."

Coons, Combines, and Construction

Thought I'd give an update out on what's been happening in our little world.  Let's just say that there's plenty happening.

First, harvest took place this last week in the soybean field in back of our house.  Every other year they switch between corn and soybeans.  Even numbered years are soybeans and odd numbered years are corn.  I always enjoy watching the combine work the fields.  The kids thought it was really cool for the first few years, but now I think they basically just humor me and come out and watch because my excitement scares them.

 Here's the combine starting to come through the field.  T-bird has his Stutzman's Ethiopia Adoption shirt on!

The combine gets right up against our backyard and swingset.  It's very impressive (at least to me it is).

Here's the amazing Eddie Joe....always looking for a camera to smile for!

Once the combine went by and cleaned the field, the leftover wild pumpkins were revealed.  Each year after Halloween we through our leftover pumpkins out in our mulch pile.  The next spring they grow and spread out into the farmer's field.  We then have more pumpkins to carve when fall comes and then throw back in the mulch pile when we're done with them.  Kind of a cool cycle.  That's T-bird and The Big Fella in the picture above.

How's the house coming, you ask?  Well, all of the upstairs is sheetrocked, textured, and primed.  The sheetrock on the basement rooms just finished today.  Taping and texturing will start in the basement tomorrow.  We have had to make about a thousand decisions on everything little detail over the last couple of weeks.

What kind of decisions????

Where exactly will the dining room table sit?  (Exact placement needed for determining location of light above the future table and extent of wood flooring for the dining area.)

What color of paint?

What do those colors look like when they're painted on the walls?

What color of carpet?

What type of vinyl flooring for the basement bathroom?

What type of lighting?

It just goes on and on and on and on.  The addition has certainly filled up our "free time."

Another interesting thing that's been going on?  There's been three baby racoons in the backyard this last week.  They probably got dislodged when the field was harvested.  Anyway our neighbor was concerned because she runs a daycare and together we decided that we should take some action.  Heather called the Sheriff and the Sheriff's office dispatched their finest.

After surveying "the situation," the Sheriff told us we had two options.  He could either trap them.........or shoot them.  His vote was obviously for the latter.  In an effort to protect the little ones in the neighborhood from rogue baby racoons, he felt the best choice was to open fire in our backyard with his, more than likely, rarely used sidearm.  His fingers were likely tingling with the potential delight of feeling the magical recoil of the revolver - relishing the thought of it unleashing a hollow point through the hide of an extremely villainous creature.

Well, needless to say, we opted for the trap.  So, in his disappointment, he set a trap in our backyard and left the scene.  We figured it wouldn't be long until we had some trapped coons.  (We also knew what the likely fate of the trapped coons would be when the Sheriff's office's finest came back to "relocate" the trapped perpetrators.  His tingling fingers would happily whisk away the full trap quickly placing it in the trunk of the squad car for a hastily arranged training session outside of city limits.)

So, later that evening, Heather went out at around 10:00 pm to see if anything was out there.  As she began to walk out in the yard, she shined her flashlight in the direction of the trap.  She could faintly see two eyes looking back at her from the trap.  She inched forward, cautiously trying to make out the details of the creature in the trap.  As she continued to close in on the trap, she realized the trapped critter was light in color.  Inching even closer she tried to make out the details, not sure if the creature was about to somehow rip open the trap and pounce upon her.  To her amazement, she finally recognized what was in the trap.  It was our dog, Cody (aka, Dingleberry).  Cody (aka, Dingleberry) had smelled the bowl of tuna in the trap and couldn't contain himself.  So there he sat in the trap, whimpering, but satisfied from the good meal.  We wrestled him out of there and decided to leave the trap unset.  We knew Cody (aka, Dingleberry) would likely climb right back in and we didn't want the Sheriff's office's finest to "relocate" him.

Well today, Cody (aka, Dingleberry) was barking loudly at one of our apple trees.  It's not completely unusual for him to bark at nothing, but his behavior seemed even strange for him.  I was out watering our newly seeded grass, which is doing quite well I might add, and decided to go take a look.  Up in the tree I spotted what looked like a cat at first.  But then noticed not one, not two, but three baby racoons up in the tree.  Throughout the day we then watched them and spotted them not only in the apple tree, but in the Linden tree, and then scampering out along the edge of the bean field.  I got some great pics of the coons.  They were fun for us all to watch.  Heather wants to adopt these newly orphaned cuties, but I'm certain that we would meet the same fate as Will Ferrell did in "Elf" when he tried to give a racoon a hug.

Tomorrow's activities?  A wedding to go to, Sunshine's marching band competition, the Huskers play Texas, and I get ready to travel to Donaldsonville, Louisiana for the week.  Another busy day!  Hope you have a great weekend.

GO HUSKERS!!!!   BEAT TEXAS!!!!!

Omaha World-Herald Article on Ethiopian Adoption

The Omaha World-Herald has a good article on Ethiopian Adoption.  It's cool to see a relatively positive article in the midst of many articles that focus on the very small percentage of adoptions that don't go well.

Enjoy reading and have a great Friday!  (click on the headline below for a link to the article)

Ethiopia opens door to international adoptions