My Joyful Texas Winter Day

Today Texas had 75 degree weather, and everyone who could, went out to enjoy it.  I went fishing with my hubby at one lake, then met my step-daughter and her family for another fishing outing at our local pond.  I put the photos on my youtube account.  If you want to watch the day, click here.  I just wanted to share the joy of the blended family, and the wonderful winter day I got to enjoy today!  Hope you enjoy it also.

A Unique Kind of Blend - Open Adoption!

Another wonderful part of my life is that of an Open Adoption in our family.  One of my daughters gave a child up for adoption at birth.  She interviewed families and wanted to find a family who shared her desire to have an open adoption,.  She felt that it would be better for her daughter if she never had to wonder where she came from, and had open access to her birth family.   My daughter decided she would only have contact with the child if it came from the adoptive family, as she was totally aware that the adoptive family is the child's "real" family.  


Her desire for an open adoption came true and we have had a great experience with the adoptive family.  The adoptive family contacts her once or twice a year - usually on the child's birthday, and maybe in summer.  Yesterday we celebrated the daughter's 12th birthday together at a dinner party.  The birth mom was there with a son (by the same Father the adoptive daughter is from), the birth mom's husband, both birth grandparents, and of course her adoptive mom, dad, brother and sister.  


I never considered this as a blended family until today.  I was thinking more about all the step-children and grandchildren in my life, but you know, an open adoption blends yet another two families.  It has been a huge blessing. And I am so thankful to be a part of yet another blended family situation.


Does anyone out there want to comment about their open adoption??

Simplify - Trying it out!

My ONE WORD for this year is SIMPLIFY, so I decided to take some action on it yesterday!  I decided to quit playing Farmville on Facebook!  I know that may not sound like much to many of you who have never gotten addicted to a game online, but I have to say I was addicted to playing that game.  I would come in and go straight to the computer to see if my crops were ready, or if I had any nice gifts to use on the farm.  It was CRAZY!!  I couldn't seem to stop, and I would spend hours on it.  I realized it was just cutting into good quality "real" time activities, so I deleted the game from my Facebook.  


I am looking forward to seeing what creative and purposeful activities I can do with that time!!


Has anyone else had this problem of playing a game waaaaya too much???  

Joyful "blended family" phone call

Since I named this blog, "Happy Blended Family" I feel I should tell as much as I can about how my blended family is working these days.  One thing that has been making me so happy the last couple of weeks, is that my two oldest grandsons have been wanting to go to church with me.  This is a "new" thing, and an answer to many years of prayer.  I just wanted to write this to encourage any of you out there who feeling like your step-kids don't really want to go to church with you.  Keep praying.  God is so faithful, and will answer your prayers for your blended family.  I Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."  Believe.  Hope.  Trust.

Friday Afternoon Fellowship

I just want to thank the Lord for my friend, Sandra.  Sandra and I used to work together, and she is the person who introduced me to blogs, and CNNi Reporting.  Today is our second time to meet at an internet cafe, and share what we have done and learned this week.  We are here laughing, snacking, smiling and unwinding from our week.  We both have the Lord Jesus in common, we both love teaching children to read, we love photography, we love to learn things on the internet, from Youtube, to facebook, blogs, to CNNiReports.  We want to be an encouragement to each other, and to you, our readers.  Just wanted to say, hi, and hope you are having a great day, and have a great weekend!

Already Three Days into 2011

It is midnight, the start of day 4, of 2011.  Time, going fast again.... "How am I doing so far?"  Well, I have not started my resolution to de-clutter yet, but I have begun my resolution to memorize scripture.  I have learned two verses.  Well, I can't say I really "learned" them totally, but I can say them without looking, so I've made a start.  


I am enjoying memorizing because it is keeping me in the Word of God.  With our busy lives, getting into the Word, is a challenge.  I found a really great new way to do it.  I downloaded it into my PHONE!  Yes, the entire Bible, in two versions...in my phone!!  So, it is always with me, and I can just read it anywhere I have a free moment.  Isn't that the greatest!!!!


Tomorrow, I am going to do something on my de-clutter resolution.  I'm telling myself - oh I procrastinate that!  "Don't wait, Mary....it is already day 4!!"