Our Boatload of Dreams.....

Welcome to Our Place Called Simplicity.

We invite you into our lives with one goal in mind: that you would be encouraged to live simply and truly love one another.

Married for 33 years, we are the parents of many. Eleven {so far} children. Eight of whom are adopted. We also have four sons and a daughter that we are parents of in Uganda as well. They were raised on the streets and had no parents until we "adopted" them 3+ years ago. So we really have sixteen children total {with more on the way}.

After 7+ weeks in Uganda, Emma {18} and I recently returned to the United States with our newest addition - a baby girl named Ruby Grace. Dw and Emma were leading a missions team in June 2011 where they had the privilege of meeting Ruby - a tiny 11 month old gem weighing only 6 lbs.

Our oldest daughter Abigail and her husband finally{!} allowed us the privilege of being Mimi and Jaja by bringing us our very first grand baby {from Uganda}...making us now, officially, a multi-generational adoptive family. Proof that adoption is a very, very good thing!

We've had the privilege of adopting our treasures from all over the world, some dubbed "special needs" we are convinced that the only TRUE special need a child has is to have a family.

Our peers are empty nesters, but we are certain that given this option to any orphan - "old mom and dad" or "no mom and dad", all would still vote for the old ones. So here we are - the old ones....doing it again....

If you are need of encouragement or wonder if God is able to move your mountain, please head over to the sidebar where Special Posts are listed. Start at Our Wild Adventure Part 1. You will be reminded of Almighty God's deep love for the orphan and how He will move mountains on their behalf....we call Him the Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God!! Yippee Jesus!!

I am humbled beyond words and ever so grateful that the Lord is fulfilling a promise He gave me way back in 1982..."making the barren woman to be at home - the joyful mother of children" (Psalms 113:9). How I praise His name!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

News From the Boss-man


 After seeing and reading many of your comments

the boss-man made an announcement:

"Linny, you cannot possibly give away just one Memorial Box....

You have to give away a few...."

So there you have it.

He's forcing me to scour Phoenix for Memorial Boxes

and 

well,

I couldn't be happier.

So the hunt is on, praying already, as I go this week-end

I will choose the winners on Monday.

And can I just say, the smile has lingered as I have read through your comments....

Love that 

Jane - you de-lurked cause I asked so nicely.
{I had a hunch that gun-point thing wasn't gonna' work, so I'm glad I tried the nice approach.}


Alicia - Hold your hubby to that trackin' down thing....cause it sounds like fun!

Jolene - *HA* your comment truly made me laugh out loud.

GA Foster Mom - hoping to make it over to your neck of the woods this summer and so I'll be holding you to what you said!

PatientlyWaiting - so glad you two went with them...and look forward to the day you can see what the Lord has done in Ruby's life!  You will stand a.m.a.z.e.d!  Faithful God!

DeAnna - thankful the persistence paid off!  xo

Sarah {Megan's sister}- love your sissy so much, look forward to meeting you one day...Grandma's here, right? 

Michelle:  Sounds to me like you and Diane will both just have to 
mosey over for a visit with your sissy....

Rachel!  - Finally coming out of lurkdom and you are my 'neighbor'.  It is about time! what in the world have you been waiting for? =)

PAfarmgirlinCT - One day I will lead a team again - please come!

Abigail - I love your name and I love that you love white!

Deana - Thank you for serving our country.  Thank your husband as well.  So grateful for our military!  No one really gets the sacrifices they daily make unless they are 'up close' to one in service.

Jimena - your English is beautiful - you can't stay quiet girlfriend - so thankful you are out there - please talk to us!!

Mark & Melanie -A testimony to the power of prayer - 
2 treasures h.o.m.e.
 Yippee Jesus!

Amanda going to foster care classes: 
rock the world friend - rock the world!

Yes, steph, THAT WAS FOR YOU.  haha.

Tammy T. - one day I am so gonna' make you 
make good on your promise!  My mouth waters at the thought.

Cinnamon - I LOVE your name!

DeAnna - HIS promises never, ever fail.  He does make.....the joyful mother of children.  And I love your blog name!  So cute!

Ruby - love your name so very much!

Emily - your pink comment stuck with me and  I looked at my closet today as I was getting ready.  For as much as I love purple, I could not find one purple piece of clothing.  Now that's messed up!  I'm not a big shopper, but I will have to buy something purple someday to wear when I shop again.   With as much as I love it, you'd think I'd have a closet full!  Seriously, just never noticed before until you left your comment. 

and from beautiful and exotic lands:

Welcome:

Adriana from Germany
Sabine from Wiesbaden, Germany
Nat's from Johannesburg, South Africa
Donna from Brisbane, Australia
yellowgirl - missionary to the Philippines
Susan from the West Coast of Ireland
{Susan - did you see the movie 'Leap Year'? Sooooo cute! One of my all-time favorites!}


Off to make a birthday cake and make pizza for dinner.  It's a special birthday here....and so I'll be back later to ask for some birthday wishes for a really special birthday treasure!

I am sure that all you de-lurkers, realizing the extra special fun it is to 'talk' to us will want to leave a birthday comment!
I just know you will. 
haha 

12 Simply Sweet Words:

Momof2Es said...

Thanks for the shout out--Here is a piece of trivia for you. My father was a fan of the original "Mission Impossible" television show--Barbara Baines character on the show was--Cinnamon. Have a Blessed Day!!!!!

Karyn said...

Okay, okay, coming out of lurkdom to ask if you could post some pictures of ideas of what you use for memorial boxes. You (and God in my quiet times!) have inspired me to finally start a memorial box, but I'm not quite sure where to start.

Karyn in IL
Mom to four treasures (a one-pound micro preemie bio, and three "older" SN kiddos from China, one of whom may soon be sporting a BAHA--ot two--like Jubilee).

Jolene said...

While I might have made you laugh out loud I truly do mean that I am inspired by you (and often humbled) and, whether you like it or not, your an awesome woman! So, HA, laugh at that! ~wink~

Mallory said...

Happy birthday Elijah! (Oh yes, I even remember that.)

Hope you have a great night celebrating your darling boy! He is a precious gift from God!

stephanie said...

Whose bday??? Today is my Bella's she's 10~

HURRY BACK!!

Chad Candace said...

Geesh! Waaaaaay too much fun stuff going ion here at APCS!! :)

Jan said...

Well if you travel to GA via I 10 you gotta!! Let me know. We have a great kid friendly destress place just a few blocks ftom the highway right over the LA border! We make you lunch. Count me in i love colors lots of them. Live in Sulphur LA
Jan H

Sarah Kuhner said...

This is Sarah, Megan's sister. I would love, love, love to meet you and your family. I'm flying with my family to Durango in March and was so sad to see that you would not be there. I was going to drag Megan over to your house to say hi. If I am in Phoenix to visit my grandma, I will for sure stop by and say hi. Love your family and pray for you all the time.

Eve Stein said...

Oooh... who's birthday is it? I can't wait to find out! :)

Timothy said...

Hi Linny. Refering to a comment in your previous post, Timothy from Malaysia should have been signed off as Timothy's Mummy from Malaysia. Sorry, I had to borrow my son's Gmail account to sign in since I am one of the remaining few in this planet who are have still not signed up with Gmail. About the few bold men delurking, my prayer for Timothy is someday he too will be sensitive, bold, and godly enough to love a blog such as yours.

Blessings,
Lynn

Susan said...

Oh Linny, you are so bad, you are really not going to let us all disappear back into Lurkdom are you? I haven't seen Leap Year but will look out for it. God Bless, Susan

Deb said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!!! FIVE YEARS OLD IS SO SPECIAL!! I THINK YOUR BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST OF PIZZA AND ICE CREAM SOUNDS JUST PERFECT AND SO YUMMY!
IT'S A PERFECT TIME TO CELEBRATE YOUR SPECIAL DAY AND PLAY OUTSIDE IN THE SUNSHINE OF A LOVELY ARIZONA WINTER DAY!
HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!