December 6th

December 6th, 2010
-Left Armenia
-Packed all our things and our dog
-Flew over the ocean
-30 some hours in airplanes/airports
-Left home to come back home
-Left Autumn to come back to winter
-Reunited with family
-Bestamor died
-Given money to adopt!
-Hellos, Goodbyes...
-Coming, Going
-Highs, Lows

-Happy, Sad, Lonely, Excited, Confused, Nervous, Thankful, Blessed, Broke, Hurt, Encouraged,  Exhausted...

December 6th, 2011
-Living in our hometown, 2 bedroom house
-Settled but squished
-Daily routines, school, work, ministries...
-Baby on the way (no adoption yet)
-Still paying off the flight home...
-Working like 5 jobs
-Church family of believers
-Immediate family close by
-Missing family/friends in Armenia
-Surrounded by snow, thinking of Autumn

-Happy, Sad, Lonely, Excited, Confused, Nervous, Thankful, Blessed, Broke, Hurt, Encouraged,  Exhausted...  :)  We are still a lot of the same things although now at different stages...?!

We have been so blessed this year.  And so needy.  Can both of those things happen at the same time?  This year, it seems to be so.  We are thankful that we serve a God who knows what we need and knows how we feel...  and LOVES us.  He has provided for us in wild ways this year.  We are learning what it is to be content in every situation...  even when the situation holds both plenty and want at the same time.  (Phil 4:12)  We have a home, food, vans (someone just gave us their old van!!), family, the kids are at the Christian school...!  Sometimes we just shake our heads...  even when it seems like we're just getting by - we're always getting by!  And then along come surprises and blessings!  Like the gift of a van!  Or the gift of a check in the mail.  Or food at the door.  Or baby things!  Or a friend's encouragement.  Or a Word spoken to us in quiet time...  We are learning to trust the One who knows.  And to wait for His timing...  (that's hard... why is He always trying to teach me to wait...  that seems like a theme...  maybe it will always be my theme until we're actually "Home"?  Hum...)

Thankful to be "home" in North Dakota and missing our "home" in Yerevan.  Thankful for the abundant life God has ordained for us!  (John 10:10)  (Psalm 139:16)  Today I am pondering the past and looking ahead... Lord, go before and behind.  I'm so glad you are Immanuel, God with us!

One Year ago today...

...we were getting ready to leave Armenia behind...

Daddy and the kids walking around our block in Armenia.
-I'm standing on our front porch taking the pic...

This is part of a quick email I just found that I'd written to my Mom on Nov. 29th, 2010...

Had our last devotions at the office.

Kev sold some music gear to a church in Hrazdon... yea. About half price or
less and now will use that money to get some guitars for some church planters
here...

I haven't read that Karon book yet! I saved the Christmas book for on the
plane!

Trying to get the right kennel for Rocky. We went to check on a bigger one
today to see if we could trade (I think the airline wants it bigger than what we
have...). Vet was closed for today! Sigh. :) Again, tomorrow.

Iren is a penguin in a school Christmas program tomorrow. 

Band is coming over for one last time tomorrow. (They'll buy the drums.)
The international church will buy a few things, too... :) (money to buy
guitars...)
Last day of school tomorrow...
Mark and Kim might come on Wed. They bought our homeschooling desks!
Marine bought our big wardrobe. Hopefully she'll get that this week! heh! :)
The girls from the office are coming on Friday, I think.
Hakob is done working this week but wants to come say goodbye on Sunday!
Packing all throughout that! :)
Finishing up!

the day before we left,
we went downtown
one last time...

Reading all that makes me want to take a deep breath.  It was so hard to say good-bye to everyone!  Whew.  What a blessing that we were able to be a part of life and missions in Armenia.  What good friends we left behind there.  We are still in touch with most of then because of the internet.  Yea.  But it's still just not the same and being together.  Quite often now, especially when we sing songs about the nations, etc...  I think how great it'll be to be reunited forever in heaven.  God stretched open our thoughts of heaven, first when Joshua went before us, and now with a hint of understanding of what it will be like to celebrate Him together with the nations!  And with our good friends...  Whoo!  :)

Loving, and missing, Armenia this week...  xo

(what pics to I choose of everyone...  go back in the blog to a year ago and I think all of those are the ones I looked at just now!!)

Gestational Diabetes... or maybe not?

My blood sugar numbers were a little high for the routine gestational diabetes tests.  Hum.  So now I have the poker/tester thing.  But my numbers have all been fine for over a week...  (except for Thanksgiving day, I had a higher number after eating pie(s)!  Heh.)  So this week, we'll see what the doctor thinks of that.  Maybe I won't have to poke as often?  But I have learned some about diabetes!  Since it runs in my family, I guess it's good info to know, right?

Other than that...  Baby's doing great and is super active.  They'll keep their eye on him and me to be sure all is well.  Crazy to think that in less than two months, we'll be holding another little one.  The kids are all excited!  I told them we'd get to see the baby in the next few weeks...  "You mean, face to face!!??"  Yup.  Exciting days are ahead!

-I'll have to post a pic later...  :)  I must be getting bigger because everyone's been asking me, when are you due?!  Heh...  not too much longer!  January 18th.

Emotional week

I am not the type that is extremely emotional.  But this week, man, what's up with me?  Whew.  I am just feeling...  feeling.  Ha.  I know women say sometimes they just need a good cry.  Really?  I guess maybe this week?  I dunno.  I keep thinking, what's that all about?  Then realizing...  well, first of all I'm in the 8th month of pregnancy.  That alone could be it.  Heh!  Then, you know what, having your husband working 5 jobs is stressful, not just for him, but for me/us, too...  whew.  Lord, give us strength to pull tight when we're so busy and tired.  Four busy kids...  that could be it.  Another huge thing on my mind is my aging parents. Anyone have experience and encouragement?  Watching them need help and not knowing what to do...  whew.  Then, our four room house...  not four bedroom.  Four rooms.  Total.  We have no space.  Squished.  I'm blessed (for another month or so) with quiet time when everyone's in school but the other five who live here don't have that luxury.  We've decided that everyone (and some more than others) need that alone time to function well.  Hannie stays out in the van after school to do homework because there's just too much going on in the house!  Girlie.  She and her daddy.  Our doctor said that he's seeing more people suffer with anxiety these days instead of depression...  housing situations??  Squished can be stressful.  Possibly, we could be stressed over money, or lack there of...  not even gonna go there!  Bah.  Heh!

Anyway.  While I'm pondering all this, I'm like...  okay so then what?  In the middle of all that, we are incredibly blessed and provided for.  We have a house, when many in our area don't even have that!  There are lots of people around here living in cars and campers!  Crazy.  God has been meeting our needs even when we still feel like we have more needs.  He knows our NEEDS.  And He is teaching us things in the middle of whatever it is we're going through.  When we're stressed...   He is not.  He is in control and is always going to be.  I picked up my Bible the other day like, Lord...  tell me something!  And I read Psalm 42 that says (a few times),

Why are you downcast, O my soul? 
Why so disturbed within me? 
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, 
my Savior and my God.

I felt better about talking to myself (and our dog) during the day, when I read that David did it, too!  Do you ever talk to your own soul?  Heh...  And he asked the same question - What's up with me?  Well, like David, I will tell myself today...  "Put your Hope in God and praise Him."  Thanks for the reminder, Lord.  I will do just that.  You are my Hope.  You are the same always.  You have good plans.  You lead us beside still waters, give us rest.  You are my Prince.  My Prince of Peace.  Im Der Jan...  my sweet Lord...

Commercials

Being overseas taught us many things.  One thing that I've noticed in the past year back in the states is that we don't watch TV.  And if we do, it's purposeful...  something we've decided to do.  We hardly ever just turn on the TV to see what's on.  We got used to choosing a movie or watching an old TV series.  The kids love the Cosby show and Kev and I have been watching Monk!  (Thanks instant NetFlix.)

Charlie Brown and Squanto!  :)

On Thanksgiving day we saw Charlie Brown had two shows airing.  Every time a commercial cut in, the kids were surprised and moaned!  Ha.  I thought it was really funny.  They totally are not used to commercials interrupting their shows!  After about the 4th or 5th commercial, Benjamin says sarcastically, "So it's Black Friday tomorrow..."  Hi, repeat yourself much?!  Ha.

Besides it being interesting to me, and funny, too, I got to thinking...  really we've spared them from so much wanting this and needing that.  They are pretty content with what they have.  They're surprised at all that other friends have.  They don't see all the images of what you should do and what you should look like and what you should have.  They just are.  Nice.  (They do want IPods...  heh!  Music is big at our house...)

Our family devotions this week was about commercials and how we should watch what we put in our head and watch what we think we need...  One of the questions was something like, Why do you want what you want?  The kids said because it was something that we've talked about.  Because Mom mentioned it!  (Nothing to do with commercials...)

I like that our family is the desire maker right now for our kids!  Heh.  And hopefully we can stay grounded in what the Lord desires for us.  He is the One who meets our needs and delights us with our desires, too!  What are we letting repeat itself until it becomes our desire?  Let us hunger and thirst for You, Lord, surround ourselves with You...  choose what we tell ourselves we need...

Our October birthday girl

Hannah Christine turned 11 years old in October!  Crazy girlie, growing so fast!  She continues to be a compassionate, delightful, quiet, silly girlie.  She's an encourager and a great memorizer.  It's so easy for her to get memory verses to stay in her head!  She knows her Bible and is kind to her friends.  She was even told by friends at school that they don't think she ever gets mad.  (Sometimes she does...)  :)  She likes baking and dancing and singing and drawing...



Hannie is the one out of our four who would most like to be homeschooled again.  She's our homebody.  She says she has a great teacher, is making friends, and getting good grades...  but that doesn't mean she'd rather be in school!!  Heh.  Being home is nice.  I'm glad she's doing well there and that she loves being home with family, too!

For her birthday this year, she had two girl friends over for the afternoon.  She wanted the party to be at home so we had to keep it small.  They went to the park to play and came home to play.  Of course, we did cake and presents and played some more.  I think it was a good celebration!

Then the next day on her actual birthday, all the grandparents come over to celebrate their first granddaughter!  We had her traditional pumpkin cake and talked about how strange it was that we're not in Yerevan to go to Republic Square to watch the lights and the fountains!  But we were thankful that we were surrounded by family!  What a treat.  I know not every child has both sets of grandparents so close and so in love with them and with Jesus.  We are blessed.  Blessed with family.  And blessed with Hannie!  So thankful that God gave us this beautiful young lady.

Happy Birthday, Hannie girl!!

Waiting for little BOY Crawford!

Baby Boy Crawford

 This week was our routine ultrasound at 21 weeks and the tech said she is 100% sure that our littlest Crawford is a BOY!  Pretty exciting.  I love seeing our babies on an ultrasound.  He was a busy little guy!  Wonder if he'll keep us on our toes!?  :)  The kids are all happy.  One of our girls is still warming to the idea of a boy since she was really hoping for a girl...  but I think in the end she will be very in love with her baby brother!  Now we've got 4 months to pick out the perfect boy Bible name!  We'll see what the six of us can agree on!!  Thankful for our little guy!

18 weeks

Daniel 10

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them."  -Daniel 10:12

until it snows...  this is my morning devotion spot!
Chai tea, Bible and study, patio... and Rocky!  :)

-Don't be Afraid
-Set your Mind
-Gain Understanding
-Humble Yourself


Daniel 10 has an awesome story of how much goes on in the unseen world of angels when we pray.  The angel tells Daniel that he was on his way ever since Daniel first prayed but was detained by the Prince of Persia until another angel came and helped him!  Wow...  do you ever imagine all that is happening in the heavenlies when you pray?  Crazy!  I honestly don't think about that too often!  Persevere in your prayers!  Daniel had been fasting and praying for three weeks!  Who knows what your angel is up to in the unseen realm!  What a challenge!  


I like the basics the angel pointed out that Daniel did.  He set his mind and focused. His prayer was to gain understanding.  And he stayed humble.  In response, his prayer was heard and the angel came!  What a faithful man of God Daniel was all throughout his life.  And what awesome power is all around us!  Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord!  Help us fix our eyes on You and seek You faithfully!  

Back to school... after three years!

All ready to head back to school!!
We're in the front yard about to get in the van and goooo!

After three years of homeschooling, our kiddos are back to the world of the school classroom!  We always thought when we got back to the states we'd get them back in a Christian school but then we all loved the world of homeschooling so we did have some second thoughts.  In the end, heading back to school won out and there they go!  They're at Trinity Christian School in Williston where Kevin teaches Bible for 7th through 12th grade and where their Papa Eddie is the administrator/principal.  So they're practically at home!?  Heh.  My biggest baby is in 7th grade!  with the younger ones following him at 5th, 3rd, and 1st grades.

They've been going to school for about two weeks now and we've mostly heard positive things.  The biggest thing that they don't like is that it's long and early.  They're tired!  :)  But they all have good teachers and are making friends.  From what I've seen, their grades are good.  I think they're settling in well.  Benjamin and Hannah are taking band and are both starting to learn the trumpet!  I think we'll hear that sound a lot around here in the next few years!!

I'm glad they're back now and that first day is over!  We were all a little excited/nervous about it.  Now we can just move forward into the new routine we're discovering.

People keep asking what I'll do all day.  What have I been up to?  My house must be quiet.  Well, so far, I don't feel like I've really had any boring days.  I wanted to get a few projects done around our little house and haven't even really done tons of that yet!  I've been doing lunch recess duty several times, as well as having doctor apts for me and the kids, and trying to prepare the year of Rainbows (Wed night preschool class) and MOPS/MOPPETS.  I thought I'd have all the homeschooling stuff put away this summer but didn't get that finished, either, so that project is almost done now...

I'm thinking it'll be quite the juggle keeping track of four different busy kids' schedules!  We've always kind of made up our own family schedule...  I'm already asking, "Wait-when do YOU have your spelling tests?  Wed or Fri??"  And, "When do you need the trumpet for band?"  "Science project, what?"  "When do I need to be there for reading time?"  I think my planner will get filled up more this year than it ever has!   The girls are going to do dance and Benjamin is looking pretty sporty...

We are happy to be busy with a great school and a great group of people!  And off we go!  Hopefully I will get organized enough to keep up with it all!  Here's to a good school year at TCS!

This is outside the side door of the school.
-Kev's classroom is on the top right

I am trying to get into a routine of morning devotions/quiet time again instead of just quick prayers/studies here and there when I can!  Just finished up the Beth Moore study of Daniel and am  thinking I'll start the Creative Correction Bible study about raising kids.  Rocky, our puppy, thinks I'm  home just to play with him so he keeps trying to get my attention when I'm sitting down!  Heh... but he's learning that I'm just not as exciting as four busy kids!!  

So here's to some good quiet time, as well!

Happy Birthday, Blake!!

love my big brotha!  :)

15 years of being married to my sweetheart

dating

August 17, 1996

our honeymoon, old time pic

Five years

Ten years 

Fifteen years!  :)

Everlasting God

http://youtu.be/bdVpXFanxHg

When we first came back to the states last winter, we left behind an orphan (or a few) that held our hearts.  We spent time every week at a lovely little orphanage and would have taken a few of those kids home with us, if we could have.  One in particular held our hearts.  So after we got back to the states knowing those kids were still in their orphanage waiting for families, it was kinda tough.  There they are, here we are.

We settled back in our home church and as we got to know some of the new songs being sung, this one stood out to me.

Everlasting God:
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord...
You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God.
You do not faint; You don't grow weary...

You're the defender of the weak.
You comfort those in need.
You lift us up on wings like eagles.


I just felt like the Lord was whispering to me...  "wait on Me for My timing".  I know He's put adoption on our hearts for a reason.  But waiting, ach...

Then as I sang about how He's the defender of the weak, comforting those in need, I was just kinda hit with the idea...   you know what, He is the one defending those kids and being their comfort.  He will take care of them even when we cannot.  As much as I want to, He is!  They will have to wait on Him and His timing just like we will, but He is in control.  He knows the beginning from the end and is preparing them and us for His good purpose.  Our paths may have crossed just for us to encourage us for a time.  He has the best plans for all of us, if we can wait.  And as we wait, strength will rise!

Now as we sing that song in church, I thank Him that He's defending the weak as I picture their faces and I pray that they know His comfort as they are in need.  So glad He loves them and cares for them.  And for us.

More pics from June

Also in June, we got to visit Grand Forks and spend time with our best friends who happen to be my brother and his wife along with their busy little honey girl, Emma:

And some other friends in GF...

And another one of my close friends, Anne, in SD:

And I gotta share one of Kev's favorite pics from our time in MO...  Roller coaster!  The kids with their uncles and Papa Eddie...  :)

Lilacs from my Mom's and Dad's back yard:

Father's day:

And there you have it!  A month of pics from Crawford land!  Hopefully I'll have a few minutes to type up a few more thoughts in the next week or two!

May Wedding/June update!

Well, I missed my June post!  Oops!  We were busy traveling around and then I got this bad ear infection...  that about sums up June!  Ha!

Let me share pictures of Scott and Saralyn's wedding.  Kev's older brother got married the end of May in Springfield, MO.  Turned out to be a good day for an outdoor wedding.  We had some sick kids going down but we all made it to the wedding and had a good time celebrating.  Kev was the best man, Benjamin-a jr usher, Elijah-the ring bearer, and the girls handed out bulletins.

Congratulations to Scott and Saralyn!  Auntie #2 for the kids!  (They only had uncles for a few years there...)  :)

Crawfords

Verses that are often repeated around our house...

Okay, so the other day I said a Bible verse as I was talking to the kids and they said something to the effect of ...  yeah, Mom, we hear that alllll the time!  Well, then...

We started thinking of the top verses that are repeated around our house:

Seek peace and pursue it.  Psalm 34:14

Encourage one another and build each other up.  Eph 4:29

Let your words be sweet like honeycomb.  Prov 16:24

A friend loves at all times.  Prov 17:17

Do to others what you want them to do to you...  Matt 7:12

Fix  your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  Hebrews 12:2

Fear not.  (all over the Bible!)  Isaiah 41:10 is a good one...

God always loves you and will never leave you  (I guess it's not a direct quote in one verse but...)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made  Psalm 139

God has good plans for you.  Jeremiah 29:11

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  James 1:19

Do everything without complaining so that you shine like stars...  Phil 1:15

These are some of our top verses to live by right now in the Crawford house!  :)

Johny Apple Seed

Well, surprise, surprise:  We're pregnant!  :)  We knew that maybe someday we'd have another one this way, but we really thought it'd be a few months down the road!  God had better plans!   We're due January 18, 2012, Elijah's 7th birthday!

It's really early and the last thing I read said that the baby is now the size of an apple seed!  So small and such a miracle.  I told the kids...  you were all once tiny apple seeds!  :)

The kids are all pumped!  Elijah told us that the Lord has answered his prayers!  They think eight months is far too long to wait.  Some hope it's a boy, some hope it's a girl...  guess which ones wish which?  :)  Lijah's already talked to my tummy!  We're all thinking about good baby names!  Hannie called that she gets the car seat by the baby!  Exciting times at the Crawford house.

When we were in Armenia, we started to realize that God might not send us back overseas for ministry!?  At least not right away.  And we started praying, What is it You'd have us to do?  Where do you want us?  What have you placed in our hearts that we can use for Your glory.  We kept coming back to:  we love kids!  And:  Kev loves to teach and write.  Well, here we are.  Kev's teaching Bible and we're on our way to a bigger family.  I guess since God's opened those doors, we'll happily walk through them!  Kev's doing something meaningful at work as well as at home!  God has plans!  Of course I'm excited to be doing something meaningful at home, too!  God's tug on my heart for kids started out when I was just a kid myself!  I thought I'd end up teaching preschool (and I still might!) but right now, home is where I get to stay!  Excited to see where God will take us.  Following close to Him!

It's such a fine line between, this is what I want and HE is what I want.  We always want to lean way more heavily to the You-are-all-I-want side.  Can't go wrong with your eyes fixed on Him!  Then the rest will be added, right?  So as we pursue what we think He wants, we keep our eyes open and fixed on Him more than on the plan.

We will continue to pursue adoption and to pray for a bigger house (and possibly a bigger van?)!

And we will rejoice in the blessing of NEW LIFE growing as we wait for more open doors!!

Trusting the Lord is exciting!  A little crazy and wild, too!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Came across this last week and LOVED it!  :)
Anyone who works with small children has the same opportunity as a foreign missionary -- to tell someone about Jesus for the first time.


Also came across this this week in the book Crazy Love:
"Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy.  Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."  (and sometimes even believers?)
a few pages later...  "This place of trust isn't a comfortable place to be;  in fact, it flies in the face of everything we've been taught about proper planning..."

Social Worker

I called a social worker last week.  We wanted to ask a few starter questions about adopting.

First of all, since Kevin is working as a teacher now it is pretty obvious that we won't be making the needed $40,000ish a year to meet the minimum requirements for us to adopt from overseas.  So.  What's it like to adopt from the states?  There isn't the same income requirement.  That's cool.

Second, what do we need to have in place to do a homestudy?  Right now we're living in my grandma's little two bedroom, one bathroom house.  The kids are in bunk beds in the same room and we take turns in the bathroom!  :)  We're thankful to have a home right now in Williston, ND.  Housing is crazy here with the big oil boom!  So, yeah, housing is a problem for us to adopt.  The social worker told us that we should have space for two children in each room.  Okay, so as it is we'd need to be in a three bedroom house, and if we want to adopt we'd at least have to have a four (five??) bedroom house to put the additional kids in!

Then, I asked if we should start the paperwork process now or wait until we have the bigger house?  She said we should wait so that we won't have to pay again to have things redone or renewed.  She also said I should contact AASK, Adults Adopting Special Kids, because they might have a waiting list that's up to a year. We could at least get on that.  So hopefully I'll find a quiet minute or two to do that tomorrow?

So there's our prayer request as of right now.  We need a miracle of a big house, for little money!  (Remember, Kev's job as a teacher...)

We saw God direct and open the doors for Kev to get this job.  He's been feeling more and more like he is a teacher and obviously he loves to study the Bible (just check out his 100+ page thesis on Luke/Acts)...  then this job opens up in front of us and there he is, a Bible teacher.  So we're thankful and feel like God has him where he wants him.

We also have seen doors start to open up for us to adopt.  One of those doors is that we both feel strongly about it!  (Comon couples, you know that's huge!)  And we've been given over $6000 toward adopting.  Waiting for the next open door so that we can use it!  It seems like adoption pops out to us everywhere.  Books, TV, sermons...  hello!

Our hearts are to be a family for a lonely orphan(s) who needs a home.  Psalm 68:6

God knows our hearts and our situation.
His heart is also for the orphan.
He is huge and nothing is impossible for Him.
We wait in expectation as we thankfully lay our requests before Him.

Remembering Joshua...  He would have been 13 on May 3rd.

Two special Birthday kids...

I was planning to update this in April... before it was too late!!  Heh!  Two of our beautiful babies were born in March. Ruth was born on March 5th and Benjamin on March 31st. Benjamin was due in April and I was sure Ruth would come a little early and be born in February... Nope, they both came in March. :) And we're glad they did! Our two red haired blessings!

playing some ball
for his birthday!

Benjamin is in his last year before being a teenager! So crazy. Our baby! We see him growing fast but he's still likes to sit close and snuggle a little bit once in a while.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts!  He's funny, and clever, and smart. He knows his Bible, loves facts, and has a great memory. He's still into sports and likes basketball and baseball. When we thank the Lord for things, Benjamin usually thanks Him for books and technology!

Ruthie is still our spunky girl. She just turned eight years old! She keeps us on our toes! She loves music and dancing. She really loves moving of any kind! This spring, after three years away from bikes, she pulled out a two wheeler and started riding it! Before we went overseas she had only ridden her little bike with training wheels. Now we're back and she's off!  (Check out the previous blog about her bike/rock adventure!)  Everyday when we thank the Lord for something, she usually picks "nature"! She likes being outside digging up worms or catching ladybugs.

There's my two March sweeties! I'm so glad God's given them life and purpose and put them in our care!

Roo!!  :)

things are always changing but don't be sad and blue...

We found this Sesame Street video before we moved overseas to Armenia two/three years ago and thought that it was appropriate for the kids.  Big changes are a comin'.  We went and came back and things have changed a lot, several times!  Coming back to the US was also a big change!  Settling down, new place, new friends...  After two years we had settled in pretty well, just in time to move back to the states!  Heh.

Well now this mama had this song come to mind and I was thinking as much as me as I was of the kids.  We started homeschooling just before we left and have continued through until now.  We've got about a month left of school this year and that will mark three years of homeschooling for the Crawford family!  We'd planned to homeschool while we were overseas and then go back to a Christian school in the states.  But we all ended up liking schooling together that after two years we thought maybe we'd keep it up for a while after we got back...  Now that we're here the kids are all leaning toward heading back to school!  Kev is teaching at the Christian school here in town so we've already been around the school and are getting comfortable with the place...  Hum...

So now I'm thinking, next fall, it might just be lil' old me at home while all my babies are off!  Even little Elijah will be in first grade!  Six years old...  Crazy!  The other day I told Kevin I wonder if I'll freak out or just enjoy a little bit of quiet?  Both?  It'll be a huge change... for me!  :)  For three years I've had four little chickadees stuck to my side coming and going.  In a few months, I could have no one by my side for a large part of the day?!  Strange. Wonder what God has in store next?!

Things are always changing...

Ruth's Rock

Ruth is learning to ride a bike and she's doing great!  When we went to Armenia two years ago she just rode with training wheels and while we were there we didn't have any bikes!  We pulled some bikes out of the garage and off she went!  Crazy!  We're so proud of her!  We all went for a family ride and she just had to practice stopping and turning but she can ride straight pretty easily!

this is her hand making the OK sign...
the rock is on the left below her thumb...

The next morning the kids wanted to ride again at recess time...  Lijah and I were slow to get out and just as I was about to head out in came Ruth holding her hand and crying.  She fell off the bike!  After trying to get her cleaned up, I realized I wasn't going to get the rock out so I called Kev.  He took her to the Walk-In clinic...  they tried and took an X-ray...



Then they sent us to Minot to the doctors there!  They were worried about the bone and tendens/blood vessels!  We drove 2 hours and waited some more...  did all the needles and shots for the numbing.  The first nurse/doctor didn't get it out, either...  the next doctor came and tried to get it, push it, pull it, turn it...  in the end he had to cut a little and dig a little!  Finally...  it's out! He said he just delivered a rock!  Heh.

It's OUT!

What a day!  

Ruth screamed and kicked and said she'd never ride a bike again and that rocks shouldn't be anywhere...  When the rock finally came out she said she didn't even want to LOOK at it...  The next day she was already talking about riding the bike and looking at the rock...  :)

Locks of Love

Hannie grew her hair out and this month she was ready for the chop!  

She had 10/11 inches that she's ready to donate to Locks of Love...

before

After

Such a sweetie!

books

My mom has her own Christian Fiction library of sorts at her house!  And I'm reaping all the benefits!  So since we got back to Williston in January, I've been helping myself.  We are book lovers at our house so it's such a treat to be back where it's easy to find English books!!  As a matter of fact, we're all headed to the public library in a few hours!  Friday tradition!

I think out of these books to your left, I enjoyed the Silent Governess by Klassen and the Marta books by Rivers best!  But the were all good...  Right now I'm reading one by Susan Meissner.  She wrote The Shape of Mercy and I read that one before we went to Armenia...  she weaves the past and the present together...  kind cool!

Alrighty!  I'm off to finish schooling stuff!  But maybe I'll try to read a page or two, first...  ;)  Happy reading!

Christmas in March?

I was just looking back through my blog...  and realized I hadn't even written about Christmas this year?!  Crazy.  I guess I wrote about Bestamor instead??  But we were so glad to be home with family for Christmas.

Last year in Armenia was our first year to not see any family for Christmas.  We still had a lovely Christmas together as a family.  It was really laid back and quiet and we hung out together playing and reading and enjoying Christmas time.  We even saw a shepherd by our house, tending his flock!  Later, for the Armenian Christmas (Jan 6th), we went out to celebrate with some friends.  This year we jumped back into our old routine of trying to see every member of our family and driving for a few days to do it.  It was busy and a little crazy and we were pooped, but we are thankful for the family God's given us and the chance to celebrate and laugh with them!  Let me share just a couple pictures...

Word of God Speak

When you need to hear from God, listen.

We're really trying to spend more time reading and applying God's Word to our lives and our situations lately.  Something that we should do every day, huh?!  We're learning...  And we're trying to make more time to pray and be still with the Lord.  Kinda hard to do with a tiny house full of kids!  But...  press on, right?!  

Let me share some verses the Lord has put before our eyes the last couple weeks.

Kevin found out about a job teaching Bible at Trinity Christian School here in Williston, ND.  He's always loved studying the Word of God and has a mind for theology, etc.  As Kev spent some time in prayer and reading, he came across this verse.  We read it as a family at bedtime that night.

1 Timothy 4:13-16

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 

14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 

16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Kev is teaching at Trinity now and still praying!  :)

My prayers tend to lean heavily toward our family.  For Kev to have wisdom as a leader and to be strong and courageous as he follows Christ and leads his family.  And for our children...  the ones we have and the ones that might be yet to come.  Sometimes we really feel like God is pushing us forward to adopt and have more kids and then, when we have no money, we wonder...  how will that work?  "Lord, what do you have in mind for our family?" I prayed before I read His Word...

Jeremiah 30:19-22

19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving
   and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
   and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
   and they will not be disdained.
20 Their children will be as in days of old,
   and their community will be established before me;
   I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their leader will be one of their own;
   their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me—
   for who is he who will devote himself
   to be close to me?’
            declares the LORD.
22 “‘So you will be my people,
   and I will be your God.’”

In church recently, I prayed,  "Lord, I will give up what you want me to give up and go after what you want me to go after, just tell me!  Even if it's hard to let go of my own dreams for Your plans...  help me do that!"  About 5 minutes later our pastor started talking from the book of Genesis and asked what God's command was?  To be fruitful and increase in number!  Heh.  Sweet.

Even though we don't see the whole picture, it's nice to hear from the Lord once in a while.  Love His Word!  Word of God speak; open our ears to listen!

100 Bible Story

I forgot to share my favorite part of our 100 Day Party...  Our Bible time!!  :)  I thought that there must be a story in the Bible that has to do with 100 of something...  what is it?  So I searched one hundred on biblegateway.com.  There were lots of verses about offering 100 bulls, etc, which I decided not to use. Then I found one in the New Testament that I thought, "Oh, Duh!"  This is the perfect Bible story about 100:  The shepherd and his 100 sheep...  With the one little lost lamb.  He leaves 99 behind and goes to find the one that 's lost.  When we're "lost" or away from Jesus, He comes looking for us so that we'll be found and safe with Him.  He loves us so much that He comes for us.

Perfect story, huh?  I had wanted to get a bag of cotton balls and count out 100 of them as an intro to our story, but didn't find any at Walmart the night before...  boo!  But the story was still a good one even without the cotton balls!!  (Then of course, I found some here at our place a week or two after our party!  Of course...  :)  Maybe we'll re-tell the story today!?)

So, if you wonder if Jesus loves you...  Know that He does and when you're lost or stuck He's looking for you!


Audio A's Leaving 99

I'm lost and broken all alone on this road
The wheels keep turning but the feeling is gone
when I fear I'm on my own
You remind me i am not alone

when You say..

I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you

It's dark and lonely and the path is unclear
Can't move my feet because I'm frozen with fear
then you say, my child, my child
i am always here, i'm at your side

I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you

you're never too far down
I promise you'll be found,
i'll reach into the mud,
the miry clay
pursue you to the end,
like a faithful friend,
nothing in this world,
can keep me away,

I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I'd leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you...
to find you.. 

One Hundred Day Part-A!

one hundred noodle necklace

100 noodle beads

100 heart stamps

lots of different ways to make 100 cents...

Lijah found a 100 Armenian dram in with our American change!  :)

They worked to build a big 100 lego block tower!

100 puzzle, change, stamps, necklaces

We also did 100 minutes of school, 100 jumping jacks, 100 bites of ice cream at Dairy Queen with Grandma and Papa, 100 seconds of exercise, 100 minutes of free time, 100 hugs and kisses...  

We finished the sentence:  "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times..."  and I was pleasantly surprised to have the second one they thought of was:  "I love you!"  We also had things like "sit in your chair" "get in and buckle up" "be kind to each other"...  you get the idea!

All together we figured out we've done 440 days of homeschooling so far!  70 left for this year!  Whoo!!  Sandwiched between swimming in the morning and church in the evening, we had ourselves a Part-A!