Who we are...

I know we have a few new readers who are curious about our family. I have received several emails full of questions about who we are, what we stand for, how to adopt.  Questions about special needs.  And our thoughts about this or that.  

After going through the thousands of pictures on my computer I have decided to include many in this post, answer a few questions and save the rest for several different posts. 

First, who are we?

We are sinners.  It's true.  We sin daily yet over and over we receive the perfect love, forgiveness and grace from our Heavenly Father that we so do not deserve.  

We are a Christian, homeschooling, kid lovin' family of 8 living on some beautiful property complete with goats and chickens.  We have 3 incredible home grown daughters and 3 treasures who have blessed our family through the miracle of adoption.

Charlie and his chicken, "Pot Pie", and Moe the goat.

A couple of years ago we felt the Lord urging us to simplify.  We felt as if we had allowed the world and all the stuff we had accumulated to take the place of the things God holds closest.  And so, we began renovating a 60+ year old family farmhouse.  In the process, we rid ourselves of the overwhelming accumulation and began to truly feel lighter.  Is our home smaller?  Oh yes.  We lost about 1000 square feet and a basement when we moved here.  Do we have enough space?  I look at it like this- I have seen pictures of 10 people who all live in one cardboard home the size of my laundry room with dirt floors and a roof that leak.  We live in a mansion.  Some of our children do share rooms (gasp!!).  Our oldest has her own room but she knows that if/when more children join our family, children will shift and that luxury will go by the wayside.  We are abundantly blessed.

Because our family is larger than the average American family, people sometimes think that we may have less time to spend with each other but really the opposite is true.  There are more hands to hold, more hugs to share and more opportunities to serve.  Through each of our children, God has shown us that our lives are to be about service.  And cheering each other on.  It's about being passionate about and nurturing the gifts God has given each of us and celebrating those gifts!!  And we have fun!

God has chosen us to leave a legacy of love...and we do love deeply.  A legacy that is color blind and doesn't see disability.  A legacy that we try with every part of us to instill in our children and live out.

July 4th celebration 2011 under the 100 year old oaks on "The Hill" in South Carolina.

We value tradition and hold close our time spent with family.  We are blessed that most of our families live close by and actually like to still spend time with us.:)

 We are intentional about making memories for our children.  

Braves game with some cousins.

An evening meal with cousins.

While going through all the pictures, I realized that many things have blossomed into traditions that we all look forward to.  Gatherings with friends in the Down Syndrome community, July 4th celebrations both here at home and in SC, strawberry picking in the beautiful North GA mountains, birthday celebrations, Love Letters, Tuesday night ballgames, pumpkin patch excursions....

Sisters at the Braves game

This girl.  I love her.  I was worried that one day she may lose her carefree spirit, but at 16 she still has it!  She is standing over an air vent just like she did when she was 2.

What love looks like.

Just because I love baby toes.

This had to have been my favorite birthday.  The day was so laid back.  The kids poured love into foot and hand prints for me.  Then, what could be better than....dessert BEFORE dinner?!?!  We all went to our local frozen yogurt shop before stopping by a deli for sandwiches.  

I will treasure these handmade cards forever.  

And we finished the night at the pool.  A perfect day.

My window- spreading the word and advocating for all treasure with Designer Genes!!

Where the littles spend most of the summer.

This is one of my favorites, and no, I did not make this one myself.

I'm not sure when Love Letters became such an important part of who we are as a family, but I am so glad they did. I love that at any moment you can walk through my home and see a letter left for someone special.   

If they are left for a while, I will gather them up and keep them in a special box for the recipient.

This really should be in my earlier post.  Oops.  Homeschool projects need always to include food!!

We are so blessed to have a place where people can gather and foster friendships.

Learning to hola hoop at the DS gathering.

Charlie and his new friend chatting about something quite important at a Down Syndrome community gathering.  :)

Also at the DS event

We have gone to Daddy's Tuesday night ballgames for as long as I can remember.  The big girls grew up going and now the littles are following in the same tradition.  I love the dirt these games bring to my home each Tuesday night.  This is one night that the littles are allowed to sometimes stay up past bedtime.  

Sweet, sweet children of a friend just spending time with Charlie.

He's got skills.:)

Boys at the ball field looking at ants.

My granddad with all of his great grandchildren.  I adore this man.

And even though she may not know it yet, he loves her.  Sorry, Kate, for the tortuous photo shoot.

One of our most favorite places and times of year- springtime strawberry pickin' in the beautiful North Georgia mountains.  Mimi always tags along- we are usually finished WAY before she is.

A Mimi who is intentional about spending time with her grandkids....even if it means getting in the baby pool.

We do things a little different around here.  Like the "Redneck Slip-n-Slide" in the above photo. 

And Mimis jumping on trampolines in the below photo.:)

The shoes were kicked to the side early.

July 4th Fish Fry at hubby's family's land.  We hope this, too, becomes a tradition.

First catch of the day.

She cracks me up!

Oldest and youngest before Kate

We hope this will be a new annual tradition

His first fish.  Thanks for the help, Uncle Mark.

Cousins chatting by the pond after a long day of fishing

With family on a mountain retreat

What's better than fort making?

An impromptu Bible study between sister and a friend. Makes my heart happy!!

Just because I think it's funny- cousin had a "spy" birthday party and Charlie joined in.

In Him,

E