Please click on this if you are interested in doing some holiday shopping and making a donation to some very worthy causes.  One of the receiving organizations is Pearl River Outreach.  This group of caring individuals help find sponsors for children, many who are from Sierra's orphanage.  Through Pearl River Outreach, we sponsor a sweet little boy named Aiden!!!

How great is my love...

During the past month or so I have been thinking about and rejoicing over the wonderful family that God has blessed me with.  The day of Paul and Jenn's wedding was a day I will never forget.  A I watched my sons and my precious daughter...my heart over flowed with love for them all.  Our family also officially grew that day with Jenn becoming our daughter in law...but she had already been included in our hearts.  Many people came to me that day..telling me how special the relationship between my boys is.  And how sweetly they treat their little sister.  The love I feel for them is like nothing else.  The unconditional, no matter what, even though you are all so different, kind of love.  As I look at pictures from that day...I see it...I feel it ...all over again...an amazing love I feel for my family.

I used to wonder about the idea of God sacrificing his child for us.  I thought I wasn't Christian enough because I knew I could never sacrifice any of my children for anything.  I would give my life for them in an instant but I could never send them to die.  Well this 52 year old brain finally had her light bulb moment!!  I was at our church Women's group meeting the other night and we start with a  devotional.  My friend was reading scriptures that told us how  much God loved us.  "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son"   And then..... I ...finally...got...it!  God doesn't want us to sacrifice our children.  What he saying is this'''Hey you parents...you know how much you love your children...you love them so much you would do anything for them???  You put them first ...you protect them, guide them, teach them etc.   Well guess what...I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE THAN THAT!!!!"  All of us...every day...every hour...every minute...every second of our lives  God loves us... more than we can ever imagine.  Wow...and so to my children I say this...you all know how much I love you...how you have blessed me every day of your lives...how parenting all of you has been my greatest joy..how I have been so proud of what you have accomplished..but you know what...God loves you even more!!!!

Check out Leslie's blog.  I have been bloggy friends with her for over three years!!

http://roomforatleastonemore.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/postcard-special/#more-7186

Sunday Snapshot

It was a beautiful fall today here in upstate NY,  although the colors are not as vivid as usual due to all the rain we have had since summer.  Still it was fun to drive up and over the mountains and see the beauty down below!!

Dear Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad,
There have been many days during the last years that I have missed you both so much.  But none as much as yesterday the day of your grandson Paul's wedding  .  Friday night we sat at the restaurant at the rehearsal dinner and we talked about how it would have been  your 55th wedding anniversary.
I woke up yesterday morning....and immediately thought how I wished you were here.  Remember Mom, when I used to take you for your radiation treatments and I would bring Paul along.  He was less than a year old but he made everyone around him his friend, the doctors, the nurses , the waitresses when we stopped for lunch.  He was a people person then and he still is. It was evident yesterday by the amount of people who came to celebrate his joyous day.
Paul stopped by yesterday morning to tell me that he had gone to the cemetery. He wanted to know that he was thinking of you on his special day!!  He told me that he knows you would have been proud of what he has accomplished. He wanted you to know how much he loved his soon to be wife..  To tell  you the truth , it was me who was so proud of him.
The wedding was beautiful. Tim and David were the best men, Sierra was the flower girl. Beth my sister and Deb sat next to us at the church.  Dave  my brother played his guitar and sang a beautiful song. The wedding party started coming in.  Sara , Tim's girlfriend led the way.  Your granddaughter Jamie and our god son Jeremy were also in the party. Jenn was stunningly beautiful as she walked down the aisle. And at the altar waited Paul.  I watched his face...saw him smile when he saw how beautiful she was.  He looked so  happy.
  And Mom...as he walked back down the aisle,when the ceremony was over, he stopped to give me a hug .  It was an incredible moment and so greatly appreciated by me!I can't begin to tell you how  much fun the reception was.  All Paul and Jenn's friends, and family dancing the night away. Dad, your brother Perry was there  dancing away even though he just turned 85 a few days before! Many people mentioned how much you both would have enjoyed it.  We remember how much you liked to dance!!  And the food...OH MY!!  Simply delicious!!!!!!!!

Mom and Dad...I so wish you were there to see it all.  I have to believe you did...somehow you witnessed the absolute joy of the day,...  somehow you saw what wonderful men my boys have grown up to be......  somehow you saw the granddaughter you never met, who got to ride in a limo and had the time of her life.  Somehow you  could feel the love that Paul and Jenn have for each other......and somehow you knew how very much I missed you and wished you were there!! It was a day I will never forget and I so wished I could have shared it with you!

Love you always,

Kathie

Paul and Jenn

Sierra with Mohonk in the background

Sara and Jamie

Love this picture! 

My three special sons!

On the way to our room at the end of the night!!!

Wedding bells.......

So things are getting pretty exciting around here.  On Saturday my middle son, Paul, is getting married!!!
It is going to be a beautiful wedding and a great party after!!  I can't wait to post pictures.  The other two boys are in the wedding and Sierra is the flower girl.  I can't wait to see how beautiful Jenn will look walking down the aisle!!  And all my guys in tuxes.......WOW!!!  What a joyous day it will be!!

Moments to treasure

A few years ago, before we traveled to China to bring Sierra home,  I went to visit my sister for a long weekend.  One of the things we did was to  go kayaking near her home.  I had been in canoes and rowboats but never a kayak.  I had so much fun.  I loved being so close to the water.  I loved how silently the kayaks moved you through the water, so silently that you were able to see creatures that otherwise might have been scared away.  I came home and told Scott how much I enjoyed kayaking.  We live in an area that has m any water ways so i knew I wanted to get one.  Scott surprised me a few months later with my own kayak.  And since then, my one requirement for camping, is that the place must have a lake that I can kayak on.
  About 5 months after bringing Sierra home. we went camping.  She loved climbing in the kayak with me and going for a ride.  She is tiny so she could sit right in front of me!

Every time we went camping she came kayaking with me.   But as she got bigger it was getting a l ittle tight.  She s aid "its OK Mommy" every time I hit her in the head with the paddle.  I started researching kayaks for children and found one the seemed perfect. I ordered it from Dicks.  It was small, but could hold up to 135 pounds, it didn't tip easily and.....it....came....in....PINK!!!

So over the weekend , we went camping.  Sierra got to try out her new kayak.  And oh my,....I was not prepared for the strength of the feeling of joy that came over me as I looked to my side and saw my daughter paddling next to me.  She did awesome.  She had perfect control..... and she loved it!! 

I so look forward to many more enjoyable times on the lake!!!!  I am so blessed to have this girl in my life!!!!