Have I given up?

I have been asked if I have given up on this blog?

Hmmmmm…

I have developed a love/hate relationship with the blog. First of all I would love to blog all of the time – put my thoughts down – be helpful to others – etc. The reality of it is that I just can’t find the time or seem to make it a priority. So therefore I hate that it hangs over my head as one more thing that needs (or I want) to get done and it doesn’t happen. I think of posts all of the time that I intend to publish but they all stay in my cluttered mind and never make it to the computer screen. Amy Casey encouraged us to do a ‘we are not the Cleavers” post and it was all planned out in my mind as I was working around the house but now the time has passed and so have many of my thoughts.

If I am being honest with myself, I will probably let this blog ‘go’ or just use it to update very randomly and with very little photos. I will attempt to be more diligent about getting things on our private blog. The intention of that one is to be an electronic scrapbook of sorts for the kids when they get older. I don’t mind if people want to have access to it (just leave a comment or send me an email -jnhoverstreet@yahoo.com-with your email address). But we choose to have it private now that Brady is 10 and going into the 5th grade as it is not necessarily comfortable for children to have their friends seeing things about them. Remember that around that age or shortly after EVERYTHING is so embarrassing!

I love being a support to other adopting families, but for me I will mentor/encourage/support families through personal emails or phone calls rather than through this blog. Honestly it comes down to a time factor. I really did not think it would be that big of an adjustment going from 3 kids to 4 kids. Wow was I wrong! Things are going very well and we really are very happy and are grateful – but - I don’t know if it is that we have one additional person to care for or if it is more that that new addition is still a toddler and not as independent as the other three. Whatever the reason, many days I am in survival mode.

And now this post could go on and on because I would like to share about Boston’s progress and how everyone in the family is adjusting to their sibling and tons of other details but I am being beckoned by the little ones to join them outside….

So who knows when my next post will be? I still want to share about our orphanage donation as well as some exciting news about an organization called Orphans at Play. I also want share about making choices to serve in Christ’s name and what that means to me and on and on and on…..

And the love/hate relationship continues between me and blogging…..

Brothers

Before we left for Russia we received the cutest frame that has the word 'Brothers' etched on it. I thought on Sunday before church I could just snap the perfect picture of the boys and finally get the frame filled. Here is are a few of my frustrating attempts. Big B had a headache and was a complainer. Little B would make funny faces or squint his eyes. Baby B thought it was funny to purposely not look at the camera.  The second one of just Blake and Boston is kinda cute, but I really would like a decent one with Brady in the picture too! I have no idea how we are going to get a cute family photo taken especially when we add our drama queen plus Justin and me. I was frustrated and gave up after just a few attempts. I think photographers that shoot children's pictures must be blessed with a little extra dose of patience!