We've Got the Adoption Bug!

I will be doing a regular post soon - but I just have to announce that something very very exciting has happened.

WE'RE ADOPTING AGAIN!!!

Courtney will be posting a picture of this little guy (yes, it's a boy!) on her blog thisafternoon, so stay tuned!

Read more...

A giveaway at Regan Family Farm!

A giveaway! That's right - I love giveaways. They're especially fun when you win one. :)

This particular giveaway is for a beautiful customized skirt from marie madeline studio. By the way, if you haven't checked out any of their stuff yet, please do. They make very beautiful things!!

For the skirt giveaway, all you have to do is go to Regan Family Farm (click here) and do what her instructions say.

Don't pass up this opportunity to win a beautiful skirt!

Read more...

Questions answered, part 2

~Hmm... I'd like to know how tall you are.I feel short and am the shortest with all my friends. I always like to see how tall people are. (BTW-I am 5 feet 1 inch AND a 1/2.) :D~Have you and your family always lived on a farm? What led your parents and your family to farm life? :)~ One more! How do you enjoy spending your free time?

I am five foot three and a half. That extra half inch is so important since it makes me taller than my older sister. :) Although I don't think about it that much, I am shorter than most of my friends who are several years younger than me! Oh well. I am a normal height, so I'm thankful for that.

No, we haven't always lived on a farm. Of course, when we we were all toddlers we lived in the city, and then we moved to a small acreage just on the outskirts of town. Then we moved to 21 acres. And then we went back to the city - and now we're on a farm again! We have 140 acres now, which probably seems enormous to most of you; but it doesn't seem all that big since I live here all the time. :)

One reason, among others, that we are on a farm right now is because my parents firmly believe that boys NEED hard physical labor and lots of work to do on a daily basis. Family Boot Camp you could call it. Girls need hard work too, of course. But there's something about a boy and a farm that just go together! Plus, Dad has always wanted to have a family business that we could all be involved in, and he thought we might be able to do something agriculturally. And the last reason is because living out of town does provide a measure of security from a future national crisis of some sort.

The reason I love living on a farm, though, are a little different - I LOVE being able to wake up each morning and watch the sunrise from my bedroom window each morning. I love waking to the sound of birds chirping at dawn (that sounded quite poetic, didn't it?), and I also really enjoy having animals. Although I get quite a bit of teasing about being the "goat shepardess" of the family, I love the privilege of milking each morning.....and then there's my baby, Willie. (Actually, he's a dog. But he's my baby, too.) Beside this, farm life provides a lot of interesting and sometimes unplanned events.

Like yesterday when one of our kittens almost died because of the 108* heat.

And that time when a rabid gopher (according to the boys) attacked the handle of our garden shovel.

Oh, and then there was that day when Jonathan shot a jack rabbit and then fried it up for dinner.

You know, I love livin' on a farm.

By the way, look for pictures of Pearl's baby goats in the next few days! She is due to kid on the 10th, so we're getting close. And I'm getting excited.

Please Lord, let them (or it) be girls!!!!!

Read more...

Questions answered, part 1

Hi Rachel,I have also been silently reading your blog. I enjoy reading about Isaac, because I also have a brother adopted from China. Could you write about you're/his adjustments to life in America? You're family's story is probably quite different from ours since our family is Chinese.

Let me first say that adoption is something that is truly amazing. God has definitely laid it on my heart since two of my sweet brothers are adopted, and I really hope I can adopt children of my own someday. Orphans will always exist, whether we "choose" to adopt or not; so giving even one child a home and a family makes a huge difference.

As far as Isaac's adjustments to life in America, he has done surprisingly well. God really blessed us with a GREAT and very smooth transistion when we adopted David, and although Isaac's transition has been just a tiny bit harder, it has still been really easy compared to what many adoptive families experience.

Obviously, he hasn't been attached to us from day #1. No way. When Mom first carried him away from his nanny and into a busy street in China, Isaac's only response was silent tears rolling down his cheeks. I will always remember this. And when we got to the hotel and decided it was time for his first diaper change, he let us know in no uncertain terms that he didn't agree!

But after the first day or two, he quickly latched on to us, and we've had no problems in that area ever since. He has done great with the boys and loves to wrestle on the floor - it's surprising how much energy is tucked into that little body! He will eat most any food and loves to sing and clap his hands to the rythm of a song. Of course, he's brought home a few habits from China....such as smoking. (Yes, it's true - he rolled up a sticker and started puffing a few days ago. Apparently a LOT of people - even the nannies - smoke in China; we saw that firsthand. )

So.....how is he doing? GREAT. (Except for his daily tantrums, of course. But what 3-year old doesn't have them?) Thankfully, he is steadily improving, and they are becoming shorter and shorter.

And my transition? Well....can I be honest here? I wasn't totally in favor of a new little brother at first. I wanted to be, and I knew he would be cute, but I don't like change, and this was going to be a BIG change. A MAJOR one. I wasn't sure if I was ready for it - but thankfully, God really changed my heart about it. As we saw his picture and got closer to the end, He was slowly but surely changing my heart about Isaac and I am so thankful. What a blessing Isaac is! God, as always, knows best, and I am so glad He helped me to trust Him about this. I cannot imagine life without Isaac.

When we were in China, the very first night we had Isaac, Mom was in tears because she had a throbbing headache. Courtney was moaning in the bed because of her nausea that lasted several days.

And I?....was on the floor laying on bath towels and cuddling my new little brother. And eating leftover chocolate doughnuts at 4 o'clock in the morning. Now that is a memory that will never leave me.

Some of you may have your mouths open at this point. Lying on the floor of a hotel in the middle of a massive city in a *seemingly* third world country? Traveling across the world to adopt a child from a dirty orphanage? Who later infested our whole family with scabies? Which meant ripping apart our house and washing every piece of clothing we owned to get rid of them?

Just what kind of weirdos are we, anyway?

Ah, good question. Adoption is not about doing something to make you feel good and righteous and generous. If that were true, where would that leave us?

With a lot less money and a lot more pride.

Adoption is about carrying out God's command to care for the orphans and make disciples of all nations. It's about sharing HIS love with a lost child. It's about making a difference in the life of a boy or girl who doesn't have a family. It's about giving someone what every child deserves - a family that loves them.

And most importantly? The chance to learn about Jesus.

Read more...

If there's anything you ever wanted to ask me...

Hi everyone!

So, you're probably wondering why I haven't posted for nearly 2 weeks.

Can you guess???

Busy. As usual. And we really are busy! In an email to a friend, my mom summed it up like this:

School, lots of company, huge garden, behavior issues, never having enough time, scabies, dentist appointments, goat birth, wisdom teeth extraction, another goat birth coming up, watering all of the new trees, massive laundry, huge meals for children that never seem to be full, and the list goes on and on........................

Can any of you relate? But just so you know, I am going to be posting soon. Really.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But now for today's post. Since I am blank on what to write here, I am going to let all of you do the talking.

Is there anything you ever wanted to ask me? Any questions you have? Any curiosities about our family or daily life?

I know you must have them because I have them too. (About other blogs, that is.) So ask away - don't be shy!


And for all you silent lurkers who read my blog but don't comment, now's your chance! Please comment and ask what you've always wanted to.

"Why does she do that?" "How come she...." "I wonder if...."

Ask away.

Read more...