Funny Things

When I was a little girl and my mom would often laugh at the funny things Rebecca and I said and did. I would get so mad! She always told me that she was only, "smiling out loud." We do a lot of REALLY LOUD smiling around our house these days!

• Danny and Jacob have nick-names for each other. Danny is "milk" and Jacob is "chocolate milk" These names have nothing to do with skin color... Danny came out to recess the other day with a big milk mustache and Jacob (who has been practically gagging on the WORD milk) started LOVING chocolate milk and drinks 2 a day! :)


• Jacob wanted me to remember that tomorrow was his snack day but kept telling me, "Show and Tell, snake." We figured it out


• The kids are the best laundry folders around, they even fold the dryer sheets!

Tell Me the Good Things

Several months ago I asked some web-friends about the Good Things that adoption has taught and showed them... it was during a period of doubting and wondering if we really were supposed to DO THIS! :) I loved the responses and looked forward to my creating my own list of THE GOOD THINGS... so here it goes!

• Ben asked the kids about their favorite part of America - they said Mom and Dad


• watching Lilly introduce her brother Joseph to the neighbors while holding his hand


• cuddling in bed with 6 kids!


• watching the kids light up when they like a new food


• watching the 6 kids play together with Polly Pockets


• listening to the kids giggle and whisper from their bunk beds when they are supposed to be sleeping


• knowing, without any doubt, that God had this planned for us from the beginning


• getting a phone call from a kid who doesn't speak English and still thinks talking on the phone is so cool


• watching the kids with their own friends at school


• teaching the kids songs in English
• Watching the kids argue because I know that they have bonded

The Toothless Wonder

This is my sweet Lilly Bean after her (very wiggly) tooth was pulled out last night. She is so proud to hold the honor of being the FIRST KINDERGARTNER to lose a tooth!

She also holds the honor of being the first Schuldheisz to have their hair cut because of gum. She was playing last night and somehow got gum in her hair. A lot of gum. I cut her hair last night... she is now sporting a very cute and very short hairdo... We will be going to the salon to get it fixed up afterschool today. :)

Can you hear them???

For those of you who live close by and want to know what it is like having 6 kids... just walk out to your street and turn your ear towards our house. You will know you are hearing our kids when you hear the hysterical giggles coming from my boys as they watch football with Ben. Why they are giggling like girls over football I cannot say... but they sure are loud. My house is ALWAYS loud. It was loud before Ethiopia - it is even louder now. EVERYTHING around here is a production. Dinner, laundry, brushing teeth, making beds, playing with blocks... even quiet time. There is always laughter, often tears (from Addy who is going through a "stage"), discussions, arguments, more laughter and lots of singing.

So if you wonder what my house sounds like - try this experiment. Call your mom on your cell phone and have her tell you a long story. Then call your grandma on another phone and have her tell you a different story. Play a laugh track on your computer speakers. Turn your radio up really loud. Let your dogs in the house, preferably muddy. Ask your husband to take apart your dishwasher while you ask one of the kids to start making dinner. Then just sit back and watch... you might feel like you are going crazy at first. But after a few minutes your lips will start to twitch into a smile and before you know it you will be grinning at the craziness of it all.

OK seriously, it isn't that bad... most of the time! :)

My idea of a GOOD time

I am so sad that I will be missing it! I can't believe that I can't go. And no, I am not joking. But since I have already paid to see it twice and bought the soundtrack... I just can't justify going again. Boo Hoo! Tonight there is a sing a long version of Mama Mia at our local movie theater! I danced through the last 10 minutes of the movie while singing quietly under my breath the last 2 times... tonight I could sing for the whole theater! Rats!

So if YOU haven't seen it yet and are looking for a good time - I suggest heading to your local movie theater for an Abba Fest! :)

Enjoy!

First Day of School

I love this day!  I loved the smiles on the kids faces!  I loved chapel at school!  I loved their nervous giggle when they were ready to go!  Hope your first day is great too!

Recent Pictures

These pictures are from our trip to the beach. Too bad you can't see the one of ME trying to body surf. I thought it was easy right BEFORE I fell flat on my face!

So You Want to adopt... maybe????

This post is for all the people out there who are thinking that maybe one day they want to do this too. Maybe you have always felt the call to adopt but needed a little push. Maybe you are ready and your spouse isn't. Maybe you THINK you are supposed to adopt but really can't afford it! Maybe you are terrified! Maybe you think it will be too hard! Maybe you just don't know how to get started!



We have been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ben and I got to go on a date last night. We used to go at least once a month. Now we go every 6 weeks or so (if Grandma and Grandpa are available). So last night we got to talk about all the changes that have happened in our home. We talked about the last month and how hard and emotionally exhausting it has been. We talked about the pile of parenting books we bought and need to read. We talked about if we would do it again... knowing what we know now. We both said absolutely. Our kids are not perfect, not a single one of the 6! But we know that God had them picked out for us and for that we are so thankful!

We do not think that you must be a perfect parent to adopt. (Obviously, we are far from perfect). One of the best bits of advice we got as we began this journey was to suspend ALL expectations of what you HOPE for. Give them up and pray for peace and joy and love for the children God has for you!

So if you think you want to adopt I have attached some scripture to pray over.

"Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."James 1:27

Psalm 68:5, “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation.”2. God considers spiritual service the purest when His people are taking care of orphans. (and) A religion that does not care for orphans is no religion at all.·

Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”·

Isaiah 1:23, “Your rulers are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless.”

Deuteronomy 10:18, “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”·

Psalm 10:14, “But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”·

Matthew 18:5, “Whoever receives a child in My name, receives Me.”·

Matthew 25: 45, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto Me.”

I have also linked a websites for you to inquire about children. Kingdom Vision International. is a newer orphanage and the director is a "web friend" who adopted from Ethiopia and felt led to go back and start an orphanage. You can request a photolist of available older children if you think you would like to go that route.

Student Loans - Boo HISS

I am so grouchy right now I could scream!!!!!!!!!!! Ben and I both took out student loans so that we could teach kids! We are certainly not getting rich doing it! 2 years ago the govt. passed a law that said that public employees (teachers, nurses etc) could have their loans forgiven after 10 years of payments. The 10 years had to come AFTER October 1, 2007 but the monthly payment would be reduced to accomodate family size and income! Hooray we thought! What a blessing!

Today I called to find out exactly what we needed to do because we were told that since we had consolidated our loans when we got married 12 years ago we had to wait until July 1st for a new program so that we could REconsolidate! We were told we would begin making approximately $300 payments each month for the next 10 years! Hooray!

I just got off the phone and basically we don't qualify because we consolidated our loans together and they don't "support joint consolidated loans". I am so mad! So now we will begin making our $600 payments for the next 22 years! I was really hoping to have OUR college loans paid before Marti graduated!

Now I just want to clarify that I am not angry that I have to repay my loan. I am angry because the ONLY agency given the ability to support the Public Employee Loan Forgiveness Program has arbitrarily decided to not allow "joint (married) consolidations". That seems very wrong to me!


Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Relaxing!

No, I am not relaxing but Marti's hair is! We took her in yesterday and had her hair relaxed. Oh, it is beautiful! She has so much hair and the curls just got lost in the mass of hair. Now you can see each gorgeous curl and she loves it! I love it too! I can actually run my fingers through her hair and comb it without tears (my tears not hers). Hooray!



The boys hair is causing us problems and I am currently searching for a barber who knows how to "shape" African hair. The boys have some VERY STRONG OPINIONS about their hair and my cuttings with the clippers is not up to their standard! I have the name of someone close by and will be calling at lunchtime today!