Wow where did the years go??

I'm serious friends if I'd waited just a few weeks to make a post it would have been over three years since my last post! Seriously time has flown and so much has changed I didn't know whether to start a new blog or just to try and pick up where I left off! We currently are still only a family of five only older and bigger and busier then ever. We've not been able to follow through with a international adoption but have recently hen through GPS glasses with our local DHR. Since are last post we've gained extended family and lost dear loved ones. The most influential person we've lost has been my father in law. June 27th will be a year and in some ways it seems it's only been a day! There have been so many emotions we know he's with his Heavenly Father and in the best health ever, no pain, no sorrow, but we all miss him! So many stories to share and memories to be recorded and not forgotten. He was my father figure sine we married when we were young and my father had been absent since I was like 10. My sons have no clue how lucky they are to have a father, that's present and loving. Let alone a believer in our Heavenly Father, and who has a personal relationship with Christ. I feel so torn in what to tell you and how to catch you up! The boys are now 12, 10 ,and 9! They all enjoy playing football and the two youngest swim on our local swim team. Riley just finished spring training for middle school football, yes I said middle school(pause) do you know how old I feel to have a upcoming middle schooler! Yikes! The younger two Brody and Emerson are now swimming for the spring and summer that makes for a busy summer! We have enjoyed swimming and with my work schedule as a preschool teacher we've made it work. They both swim after school for now until schools out and summer season begins! Then the early morning practices start and hopefully this old lady can get in the gym! I've fallen apart since I last posted and have had multiple blocks and physical therapy sessions for neck and back from a incident a few years back. So trying to join the old ladies in the pool for water therapy and hopefully regain some strength. Oh and there's more to come soon we will have puppies! Yes you heard me puppies are two precious Golden's have been busy obviously. Keep you ear out if you know of anyone interested! 

The so called leader of the house hold...

Hello all.. This is the leader of the Schaefer tribe. Meg took the kids to school today like always and she let me sleep in. I love getting on her page and reading her post. She is the real deal as she writes and it's interesting sometimes I have a chance to understand her true feelings on issues we are going through. Meg is great she does take care of her household and puts her stress aside just to keep things from derailing off the tracks. I, as her husband try my best to take care of her, yet sometimes fail. The last 12 years of my life have most certainly been a learning experence. The most important part of my life is my relationship with our maker. The second most is Meg and then my family. Sounds pretty basic and ordinary I know. I want to share for a moment the depth of our relationship with God, should be. Most of you may know and be at a much deeper point, but I'm a slow learner, very slow. I'm to be the leader of this tribe, at first I was gun ho about the role. We just got married and she was hot (still is) we had a plan and a new carreer only thing is the plan had just enough of God in it to satisfy the world. Leadership was the task I have learned in the last 12 years, and still learning. To serve my God and my wife. I'll share more soon. I think true leadership and real men of God are the only hope for this world. I'm trying to get there..

It's a wrap.... At least it is for spring break!

Well I know it is ridiculous but this wraps up are spring break week!! I know it's late, you ask why even have it when we literally only have three school weeks left for the school year! Their reasoning was test scores but I'm afraid the kids brains were totally fried while testing I know at least this momma, teacher and wife's brains were not functioning, my entire body was in survival mode and it was barely coasting.. So I can say better late than never ill take it when I can get it I guess I don't have a choice in the matter so I might as well get over myself ha!! See I work for a private church preschool but we follow the Cullman City's school schedule which makes my life's easier considering the boys go to city schools.. It's been a blessing working this year after being home for ten+ years and I'm loving being out of the house but guys my house is not going to survive next year, you see I'm only teaching two to three days a week right now and on my off days I keep my girlfriends kids for her at my house but I'm barely treading water now, with laundry, ball season and dinner which I never cook who would be there to eat it not us! Oh well something has to give and for now it has to be the house which if you knew me it is not an easy task somedays I want to hyperventilate and run out screaming, I don't but some days I do just leave because I'm overwhelmed and need to call in the reinforcement aka(hubby) he's a real life saver most of the time... Oh well here's the kicker next year I go back full time which I'm excited about but nervous my family will take of residence else where because they don't like messes but also don't like to clean.. I take that back if the hubs has time he loves to help out and Brody are middle child loves helping with whatever task your doing!! He's gonna be a big help when little sis gets here from China and I also think Riley and Emerson will step up to they're all excited to have gotten are first call from our SW yesterday.. Me to this momma is tickeled pink and can not wait to be matched.. Here's to the future may God give us strength and mercy through this process!! Then to add to the caus we call life, are house is on the market so we've been on the search for a house in the city limits with more bedrooms, pray friends please pray we put in a offer and haven't sold our home that makes this momma nervous but I'm just trying to give it to God and let him decide and wrestle with the decision! It would give us a lot more room see now we have a 3 bedroom 2 bath with about 2 acres of land and the house we put an offer on has 6 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and we plan to turn one of the bedrooms into the laundry because the hook ups are in the basement which I hate.. I have good reason on my hind end massive bruises from falling down them, its lovely and sore I'd show you but it's to close to the crack ha!! I don't have a modest bone in my body since having kids and could honestly be just as comfortable naked as fully dressed but the boys think I'm crazy and so I have to hide ha ha.. Don't want to scar my boys for life you know. Well I can say this we've done nothing productive all week but have played and relaxed at the house and around town we call it are staycation and it's becoming are ultimate favorite there's no packing involved or stressing over $!!! So today were enjoying are last day of fun before the week starts back!! As they say in the movies it's a wrap!

It's Official....

Yes for those of you who are unaware it's official....what's official you ask? Well we've finally made the first step and have turn in our application to adopt with Lifeline Children's Services! Can I tell you how excited I am to make it official it already seems real and it's just the start of our journey to adopt our daughter from China. I mailed in our packet yesterday and of course had to overnight it, then today I missed our very first phone call from the agency but luckily they reached Scott and he handled the first of many mistakes I'm sure I'll make! Ha we forgot to put our names on our personal testimonies really what were we thinking..Oh well if that's the worst of what I mess up on I'll be doing great in my book!! As I sit here typing were enjoying a quiet evening at home, due to the lovely rain,ball was canceled for the night..Can I get a hip hip hooray? I needed this night off and time to just relax with the boys and zone out while they enjoy the movie Adventures of Tin Tin. It's allowed me to catch up on reading blogs, cook dinner(yes I cooked), and actually attempt to blog today. Don't get me wrong I'm loving ball season but with three boys playing and three teams that means three different ballparks, times and equipment and I'm struggling keeping this act afloat. Thanks to my hubby for being such a trooper and never complaining about ballpark duty!! You are my rock and comfort. I can't imagine it yet but I do know that in twelve to fifteen months we will have our daughter home.. The thought alone makes me smile. I'm going to try my best to be positive and continue to pray that God gives me strength and patience thru this process of adoption. We are a family of five but will be a family of six, how exciting soon we will have a daughter, another blessing from God. I long for the day we get her referral and actually get to meet her! Until then I've got three boys that keep me on my toes and running! God bless and good night all!!!

Informative Adoption Meeting!

Tonight we made plans for the grandparents to come up and take over ball practice and evening duties, so we could attend Lifeline children services informational meeting. While I felt aware most of the information what we did learn was we were at the right place to begin our journey and that along with God, Lifeline would be by our side to guide us and answer questions. This is where we are being led by God and our hearts, can we say China here we come! It was so neat to here that the couples who had sat in the same seats we were sitting had already traveled to China and were now home with their children. What a blessing knowing we are on this journey with other couples everyone's stories a little different but still the same as we all desire to do what God has commanded us to love his children and to reach ours and make a difference in a unwanted child's life. We're driving home as I text my dear friend, Kelly to share our news and I feel so blessed to know she truly is sharing joy in our decision. I can't wait for our daughters to meet one day soon we will be there Kelly thanks for the support and encouragement.. I know I'll need more so bring it on friends and family as we being our journey of adoption!!!..

Pics of the cruise...

Carnival... Do I need to say anymore!

The last week of January was a dream at least once we made it on the ship! My dear sweet in-laws gave us a trip for Christmas and boy was it nice..Can we say Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, and Cozumel! I'm still dreaming of the sleep I experienced let's just say I've never slept better I don't know if it was the ship rocking me to sleep or being away from the real world but I slept all night every night with no neck or back pain.. Now thinking back I wish I had of checked the pillows because once we came home my neck began killing me again if only I had looked at the tag to see what kind of pillow.. Sigh.... Oh well! Don't get me wrong but preparing for the trip was the worst, packing for a family of five is not an easy task especially for seven days including two formal dinners, ha my boys think jeans and polo shirts are formal so polo shirts and izod kahkis will have to do! I became more and more resistant to going dreading packing and finalizing the trip then comes the sickness and I'm mean it was relentless first Scott came down with a cold virus, then he came down with the most horrific stomach virus. To say I was scared was the understatement of the year I was petrified that we would all get it or get it on the ship, then I got sick with an upper respiratory infection and tried to self treat until I gave up and went in to see our dear friend Richard who gave me two shots antibiotic and cough medicine. Now that I was on the mend I was trying to pack and work and deal with the kids school about being out for a week. Which was not easy by the way until this year it had never been an issue so I was caught off guard at the resistance I mean really they are only in second and third grade and they can do the make up work. I won't bore you with the details but I know why so many people are choosing to homeschool their children. To top the list the boys came down sick the night before we left with fever and congestion and I was distraught so the next morning were running with our heads cut off so now do we run to birmingham just to go to the pediatrician or urgent care here in town..? Decisions so urgent care here we come with our oldest begging for no shots and me praying that they would give them two but boy did he get lucky we rolled out with antibiotics and cough medicine! Now were on the road fever and all here we come no turning back now... Well here we come Carnival sorry we lied the first question they ask is have you experienced any fever or flu like symptoms oh no were all fine with the load of medicine we have were good for two weeks! Well they were so excited to be there and I was relieved and so glad to sit back and breath! Can we say haleilugh praise Jesus we made it here and we are going! Scott's parents, my mom and our family friends Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Jim and Matthew, along with a few other friends we were crusing to paradise! I'll hopefully add some pictures later when I get around to downloading them! I'm so tech challenged it's not even funny, if only I had known I could have turned my phone on airplane mode and could have used my camera on my iPhone but that info came a little late like our last day in port! I was so worried about international rates that they kept texting us that we turned off our phones and put them in our room safes. The trip flew bye and was a blast in Jamacia we went to Doctors Cave Beach in Montego Bay and visited margaritaville for lunch..can we say cheeseburgers in paradise are expensive Jimmy Buffet is making a killing but I still had to have a tshirt! Who could resist no shoes, no shirt, no problem I could live my entire life on the beach. Then we were off to Grand Cayman and boy was it nice I would love to relive that day so relaxing but way to short. Scott and myself laid on the beach at Royal Palms for a total cost of $14.00 instead of paying a ridiculous excursion fee and it paid off. The boys however visited the turtle farm with their grandparents and I think it was the highlight of their trip also! We met a wonderful group of ladies who were cruising on Carnivals Liberty ship out of Miami it was their last port of their trip, but I truly believe God placed them in our path and what a blessing they were their encouragement in our decision to adopt and our discussions on faith were without a doubt one of the best parts of the trip for me strangers who became friends in only a couple of hours. I pray for these sweet ladies and can't wait to get in contact with them and see our pictures we took that day! Then our day in port was over we were on one of the last tenders to the ship barely making it on the ship opps, we were going by their time Miami time oh well we made it back just in time! Now we were off to the Cozumel for what we thought would be a day in the sun on our private island in paradise but the sun forgot to shine that day but it was relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.. Mexican buffet, open bar, and playhouses and trampolines for the boys we were all enjoying our time but it sure flew bye and it was time to take the catamaran back to Cozumel then straight to the ship with a quick stop bye the Ron Jon Shop at the shops at port! Now we were back on the ship for a ride back to the real world with a few more dinners and meals.. I think I gained ten pounds easy but it was well worth it I ate everything even dessert almost every night and it was heaven. Now I'm crying cause my jeans are to tight maybe having this tooth extracted this past Friday will aide in my weight loss ha who am I kidding I doubt it has helped I've drank my weight in liquids and soup. Oh well were officially back to reality along with my tooth extraction this past Friday, Scott was diagnosed with the flu and had to take off work for two days but he was able to take tamiflu and is doing much better and Richard also started me on it and we all stay away from him I slept with Riley and did everything we made him stay in the bedroom and sleep so I'd like to think were in the clear but your never know so say a prayer that were in the clear and can stay healthy for a while. Now I'm resting and the boys and Scott are at church I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life and can not wait to start the official adoption process with him! While off this week he took the time to feel out his paperwork and answer the questions that lifeline asks us parents doctrinal questions on our faith and beliefs. I'm so excited to be on the same page with him on adoption and that God is leading uson our journey. If only adoption wasn't so expensive why and how are the questions that keep me from moving forward I know God is with us we just have to tighten our belts and do whatever it takes to get the ball rolling to bring our baby girl home wherever she may be, God will show her to us he will lead her home and that I truly believe! I ask that anyone and everyone pray for our journey of adoption and that God will lead the way! I pray that God will allow that to be our last trip as a family of five and next time we will be a family of six with our little girl in tow! God bless you all!