Pics from Joseph's birthd

I know it's taken a few days for me to download the pics. So sorry. I've started a new exercise routine and started back homeschooling with Joseph, so time is a commodity around here. ; )

We had a wonderful party! We invited some of Joseph's Thai friends over, played games, ate Issan food(Eastern Thai food), ate cake and opened presents. He had a wonderful day despite the fact that Lily(his new friend), and the Stubenrauchs weren't here. 

At first, I thought we'd have a low key party and just have our family, however, when I asked Joseph what he thought about that, he was almost indignant. He said, "No, Mommy, I want ALL my friends here" 

I said, "Joseph, who are ALL your friends?" 

He replied, "You know! Everyone." 

I questioned, "Like who?"

He said, "Lily, the Stubenrauchs.... everyone" 

Me: "Oh I see. Everyone. But there's just one problem, Joe, the Stubenrauch's don't live here anymore and Lily doesn't live here either." 

Jo: "Mommy! Lily was just at my house. She can come for sure." 

After much explanation, I convinced him that none of those people could make it but that his Thai friends could come. He was happy with that idea. 

He's our social butterfly! He loves lots of people and lots of action. 

This first pic is of him and his cake. However, in all my craziness, I forgot to put the long awaited for sprinkles on the cake. He talked about those sprinkles for days, but in all the preparation we BOTh forgot! 

This sign was on the table with a piece of candy for when Joseph woke up. Because Clinton leaves before Joseph gets up he wanted him to have a little something special. Sweet Daddy!

I'm not sure why I added this picture exactly! Except for the fact that I love pink lemonade and it was so pretty in this glass container, but my picture didn't turn out near as cute as the real deal. 

Joseph's friends. They're all within 6 months of each other. The little girl in red, Ice, is just 15 days younger than Joeseph, then Neuy who is only 3 months younger, then S who is 6 months younger.And our Joseph is smaller than all of them. sigh.

New fishing pole! He loves it!

Our dinner. So Yummy.

All the big kids where there too.

Daddy made pin the tale on the donkey. They had so much fun!

Cayden wanted to give it a try too.

And bean bag toss. Only ours were with socks that were folded inside one another. ; )

Last but NOT least the light sabers! Daddy hit the jackpot with these! He's gone to sleep with them every night since. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH! OUR LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE YOUR'RE IN IT!

Joseph Clinton turns 5

Our Joseph Clinton turns 5 today. His order was for a chocolate cake with chocolate icing with chocolate chips and sprinkles. ; )

He's his mother's child!!

Flowers in the vase. Check

Balloons hung. Check

Streamers hung. Check

Cake baked. Check

Icing made. Check

House cleaned. Check

Okay, good! We can have our party now!

I'll have pictures of the party later on tonight.

love you
Amber

Joy

For most of my life, even saved, I've thought that joy was found in a destination, in a person, a new something and I've always ended up disappointed. Walked away empty.

I ebbed and flowed with circumstances.  In those peak moments living excited. Fully alive... only to crash into depression, or disappointment when back home or familiar or old. 

I lived for the when. When these boys grow up, when I'm finished homeschooling, when i move to the mission field, when my children love the Lord with all their hearts, when we go on furlough, when I get pregnant, when the baby's born, when the adoptions are finished, when i get a bigger house, when I loose weight, when they're all married, when we go on vacation, when when when...... always "when" 

I've missed chunks of life always looking. The hand positioned at the forehead in search.

It wasn't until recently that I've realized that joy is a condition of your heart, it's a disposition that you can attain through having a thankful heart in ALL THINGS and a heart that trusts Him in ALL THINGS. It's living in His grace. Soaking up the rain, embracing adversity, seeing Him in your dry circumstances. Seeing that there's always a well. For those in search of water, there's always a well. 

"Oh the joys of those who trust the Lord" Ps 40:4

"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy as you trust in Him, SO THAT YOU MAY OVERFLOW" Romans 15:13

One author says, "The secret to JOY is to keep seeking Him in the place we doubt He is" She adds, "Inserting VERBAL gratitude into stressful situations is almost like being healed of mental blindness. I've begun to see again! The human experience is the sum of what the soul sees and I see exactly what I attend to and what the eyes focus on is what the life is"  (emphasis added)

Our lives are what we make of them.  "We don't have to change what we see, we have to change the way we see." 

Oh to live on higher ground. I've started an ascent. I've not arrived there yet, but my vision has been lifted. There are lights on all around me. Scriptures written on my bare walls brings life to my soul. Trusting Him. Giving verbal gratitude in the most ridiculously hard situations. My husband looked at me in awe  last week as I gave thanks out loud to a rebellious heart that was spewing out hurtful words. He began giving thanks too. It's contagious. 

Do you need to come up with me? Do you want to come up? Try it. Try to give thanks as many times a day as you can remember. Give thanks when things are hard. Look for Him in your laundry. Look for him in your messy house. Look for him in the face of your crying baby. Look for him in the face of those who are hard to live with. Your dirty, hot house. Your squabbling children. In your lonliness. In your empty bank account. You fill in the blank.

Look for Him and thank Him in the ugly and messy situations of life. Thank Him instead of complain. See what will happen. 

Give thanks in ALL things today.

Love Amber

A wedding

Well, it took me long enough to figure out how to actually get this many pictures up on a post, BUT I DID IT.

 Spent the entire day, had babies running around with dirty diapers, house a mess, pj's on until noon..... but i did it! Oh the sweet feeling of accomplishment!

The only problem is that the pictures aren't in order how they happened. You have to look at the first three pics and then go to the end of the pictures and work your way backwards OR you could go to my flicker site and go to Sets "Colton's Wedding"

Not sure why they are from last to first but that's for another time. ; )

Hope you enjoy looking through them. I would love for you to leave a comment.

love
amber

Colton's wedding pics

ambergarsee's photostream on Flickr.