If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

He's my Little Nugget and I don't think that will change with him turning 8 today.  First thing this morning he crawled in bed to snuggle with his mom. . .and then left to negotiate a great birthday day with his Dad.  He's a sweet and smart little (getting bigger) guy and I just adore him!  Happy Birthday, Dax!  I love you so so so so very much!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I want to share the Braner Family THANKFUL wall with you all.  We have this right outside of the kids' rooms by the kitchen.  I have Post It notes and Sharpies near by and the kids can write whatever they want whenever they want.  I love to walk by and see the new things they are thankful for! The most recent "thankful" from last night was Butterfingers.  I agree, Gabby!  There are all kinds of things on that wall from all 4 grandparents and great grandparents to friends and stuffed animals and snow and Tigers.  I love our THANKFUL wall!

Yesterday was a TEN!  We met the Dobesh family for an afternoon of bowling and it was so much fun!  The Dobesh family is from Durango and they have 2 adopted children.  Our families really enjoyed the day and we even had to extend it to an impromptu dinner at our house afterwards.  It was probably one of the best days we've had in Durango in a very long time.  Andy and Jeff are good friends.  I really love Danica and Hannah and Micah get along great with Gabby (especially) and the rest of my kids.  What a great time it was to laugh and play with friends! As a side note, we ran into three Rwandans at the bowling alley.  Small world.  They are living in Silverton for a month doing an exchange program.  I am hoping that we can all get together again for dinner or something before they go home next month!

Tomorrow is National Adoption Day.  Everyone needs to be involved in adoption and there are many ways to get involved even if you don't feel called to adopt.  You can help a family financially, you can foster a child or two or three, you can support a pregnant mom who will be giving her baby up.  You can support a family who has chosen to adopt by babysitting or bringing a meal when they seem overwhelmed.  Get involved in adoption in one way or another and YOU will be the one who is blessed! Here is a video our agency (America World Adoption www.awaa.org) shared with us in their blog today.  So, Happy National Adoption Day!

Today was a great ride to school!  (Note that we were a car divided about who we wanted to win the election.)  We had the best discussion about the election and what a MESS Facebook is today as a result of the election.  My kids are wise beyond their years and they have such better perspective than most of the adults on Facebook.  I love it.  The spewing  on Facebook is both disappointing and hysterical and it made for a great talk with my kids this morning!  Here is what we came up with (this was the result of a lengthy discussion by six equal people ages five to thirty-seven): 1.  God is still in control.  The kids were hysterical about this point.  They were laughing about all of the things people were writing that made you believe that God hopped off the throne yesterday (went on vacation maybe?) and then came back to "work" only to realize that everything falls apart with Him.  Nope.  He was on the throne yesterday and He is on the throne today.  He is s

Six years ago today was a gigantic milestone.  After thirteen months of paperwork and research and reading and finger prints and home studies and biographies, our dossier (adoption paperwork) made it to China and we were finally logged in.  Wow!  Log in dates are so important in Chinese adoption because it is officially your place in line. . .and on this day six years ago we got one: we got an LID! I was so wide-eyed with adoption and orphan care and "the little red thread" that connects all of us according to a Chinese proverb.  I thought that the seven month projected wait would seem like eternity and I spent my waiting time reading Chinese adoption stories and writing in my journal to my daughter who I would be holding in my arms before Christmas (2007). My journal is so fun to read from 2005 & 2006.  Of course it is red because everything Chinese adoption seemed to be red.  And the inside cover is plastered with quotes from Chinese proverbs quotes about adopti