Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

With his favorite candy...a gift from his grandparents
Today marks 17 years since our oldest son Jonathan was born.  We didn't meet him until he was almost 7 years old, but we will forever be grateful that his birthmother chose life for her son.  While some might say that life dealt Jonathan a lousy hand, we know that God was in control of his life from the moment he was conceived.  Our prayer for Jonathan is that he will understand God's purpose for all that has happened in his life, and that, ultimately, Jonathan will give God the glory for ALL of it.

We are keenly aware that we only have a couple of years more to instill in Jonathan the values and morals that we want him to learn, as, Lord willing, he will graduate from high school in 2013 and move on to what God has for him in the future.  We pray that this new year of life will bring profound direction to Jonathan's life and that he will allow God to direct his every path.

We love you, Jonathan David Fisher!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

"The Littles"

Photo by Naomi Atkins from Inspired and Enchanted Photography
(copyrighted...for personal use only...please do not copy w/out permission!)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

English Muffin Pizzas

We have been sans internet at home for a little bit, so I haven't been able to post in awhile...but a lot has been happening in the Fisher house!  Last week we had the privilege of having Aunt Sharon Metzger with us for the week.  She was such a huge blessing and help with the kids while Dave was away!  One day for lunch we made English muffin pizzas.  They turned out really yummy, and Benjamin and Nathaniel did all the work!  Here's the proof:

First the sauce...

and more sauce...

then the cheese...

and finally, the pepperoni...yum!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Happy 14th Birthday, Sabastian!

Today is an extra special day in our house...not only is it Sabastian's 14th birthday, but ten years ago today, we met Sabastian and Jonathan for the very first time!  It's hard to believe that the rambunctious four year old who changed our lives forever ten years ago is now a handsome young man of 14.  Where has the time gone?

Sabastian has been great with Sophia from the very beginning...I think she finds him handsome, too!

Sabastian is great with all the younger kids, when he wants to be!

This is an early photo when Sabastian was earning Sophia's trust and adoration!

And this is the fruit of his labor all these months later!!
We love you Sabastian James Fisher!!!!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Happy 4th Birthday, Nathaniel!



Where have the last four years gone?
My little man is a bundle of energy and love, strong-will and compassion, humor and fun.
We thank Jesus for you, Nathaniel!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Apple Picking



On a whim, we went apple picking today!  There is an orchard near our home and we want to make and freeze applesauce, so Benjamin, Nathaniel, and I each grabbed a red basket and a bag and headed to the grove.  It was a lot of fun and went pretty quickly.  It was great for the boys to be involved and see where apples actually come from--not the bin at the grocery store--and they were a whole lot cheaper, too!  Now to find time to make the applesauce...

Monday, September 19, 2011

Homeschooling Benjamin

This year I am homeschooling Benjamin for First Grade.  We have been going for almost a month now, and, for the most part, we are having a lot of fun.  We have set up shop in our dining room area, where we usually work together at the table, but Benjamin also has his own desk area, which he loves to use.


We have been using Five in a Row materials which consist of reading a picture book for five days in a row, and doing all kinds of other curricular activities that piggyback off of the book.  Additionally, we use Horizons math from Alpha and Omega, and Benjamin's Word of Life Quiet Time and memory verses for Bible.  I throw in a lot of odds and ends from my years of teaching, too, so it is quite eclectic.  This is the map we hung on the dining room wall to use of geography and also to map the settings of the stories that we read.


I have also been doing some little workbooks on basic skills with Nathaniel each day, as he never wants to be left out!  He enjoys listening to our stories, too, and is gaining a lot by just being around when I work with Benjamin.  Sophia usually occupies herself, but when she gets bored, she makes enough noise to let us know!  All in all, it has been a good experience thus far.  Benjamin is a little sponge right now, so when he gets interested in something we touch on, we can take the time to investigate it further.  Last week it was electricity, and the week before was Paris, France.  Who knows what it will be this week!  That's the fun of homeschooling!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

I'm Baaaack!

It's been four months since I took a break from blogging on this family blog.  I guess it's time to catch everyone up on our family's happenings.  Here's the bulleted version:


  • The end of May Benjamin graduated from Kindergarten, and I finished my second year of teaching K5 at Blue Mountain Christian School.

  • On June 9, Dave and I left for Taiwan to adopt our daughter, Sophia Elizabeth Chia-Lin Fisher!  After almost three years of waiting and praying, we finally met our daughter and began a new chapter in her life and ours!  (You can catch up on all those happenings at my other blog, Our Silk Road.)

  • Since March, Dave had been commuting to Indiana for a new job.  We were scheduled to move there the end of July in order for our older boys to begin school.  Two weeks before our move, we found out that Dave's company changed their mind--we weren't moving after all!  Time to unpack the boxes and resettle in our Jonestown home!
  • Due to the impending move, we didn't really take any vacation time this summer as a family.  Hopefully we will get around to that next year...I could use a vacation after this crazy year!
  • The end of August brought Hurricane Irene and the beginning of the school year.  This year Jonathan is a Junior at the Northern Lebanon High School and is studying carpentry at the Lebanon Career and Technology Center.  Sabastian is in 8th grade at Blue Mountain Christian School and enjoying being back with his friends.  Benjamin is being homeschooled by Yours Truly for 1st grade...we are having a blast!  Nathaniel and Sophia, both 3 1/2 years old, are along for the ride.  My days are full!

I'm sure I've forgotten something in the craziness of the last four months, but there's a synopsis to catch everyone up!  I will attempt to post some fun photos from the summer soon...Happy Fall, Ya'll!!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Adoption Break

I will be taking a break from this blog for a couple of months in anticipation of our upcoming adoption.  Stay current with all of our adoption news at http://www.oursilkroad.blogspot.com/.  I'll return to blogging about our family's antics once our family is complete!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Adoption Donation Opportunity

Up until now, we have not had any way to offer a tax deductible receipt to anyone who wished to make a donation to our adoption fund.  However, for the next month or so, our church is taking up a special offering for our travel expenses--the final amount needed to bring Sophia home--and is willing to add any additional gifts that might come from people outside the church.  The church will then issue you a receipt.  If you would like more information on how to do this, please e-mail me at tfisher83@myexcel.com.  You can follow our fundraising progress on the sidebar of our adoption blog...thanks!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

These Days

These days I am a single parent as Dave learns the ropes to his new job in Indiana.  It will be like this until we move...two weeks away, a weekend home.  All four boys have done a pretty good job of adjusting thus far, but I think it will get old for all of us very soon.  However, this is what we are called to do at this point, so we do it.  I am again reminded that God gives us the strength to do what we need to do when we need to do it.  And I am grateful.

This coming Wednesday is our first court date in Taiwan.  A judge will be hearing our case and subsequently deciding whether or not we can proceed with the adoption of our daughter.  Please pray that all goes quickly and smoothly and that we are not required to jump through any more hoops.  I'm too tired to jump very high...

I've been mulling over the story of Samson this past week as I have taught it to my kindergarten class.  Samson was set apart by God for His service before he was even born.  He was given superhuman strength and really could do anything when God's Spirit was upon him.  However, he chose to follow the lust of the flesh and the desires of his heart instead of God's.  This resulted in his demise.  I was reminded that when we choose to sin, we are choosing the consequences that go with that sin.  Samson could have done so much more for God.  I wonder how much of my own fleshly desires have gotten in the way of what God would have liked for me to accomplish in my own life.  Oh, to be like HIM and not me!

These days, God is stretching me and our family, but still showing His faithfulness and goodness in so many ways.  I will choose to thank Him in the midst of it all.  (Just remind me that I said that when it gets old, okay?)

:)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A Whirlwind!

I'm stressed.  Life is crazy hectic.  We are trying to get our house ready to list and sell, while still going about our daily business.  I feel pulled in ten million directions.  When it gets this bad, I end up not doing anything because there is just too much to do.  I don't even know where to start, and so much is outside of my control.  Why did God decide that this was the time we needed to do this?  We will be traveling half way across the world and moving half way across the country most likely in the same month???  Yikes!  For those who know me well, you know I don't usually get too stressed out about things, but this is different.  I'm feeling the stress in the pit of my stomach and in my chest.  I don't like it.  But there's nothing I can do.  It's out of my control.  God will have to do it...to Him will be ALL the glory!  And the saga continues...

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Movie Party

For Benjamin's 6th birthday, we invited classmates over and watched Toy Story 3.  During intermission, we sang and he blew out his candle.  It was fun!

Here's the crew, waiting patiently for their cupcakes!

This many kids made a lot of crumbs, let me tell you!  But they enjoyed their cupcakes and ice cream!

Nathaniel really liked being a part of the group for his big brother's party.  He thought he was pretty cool!


This photo pretty much sums it up!  I can't believe he is six years old already!  I love this kid!

Six Years Old


Six years ago today, our lives were blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby boy...

Benjamin Phillip Fisher




Today he is six years old.
He loves to draw, play with trains and cars, and learn new things.
Most importantly, he loves Jesus with all his heart.

And we continue to be blessed.


Happy Birthday, Sweet Benjamin!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

My Sickies

We've been battling some sickness around our house for quite some time now.  Nathaniel had a bacterial infection that took two different types of antibiotics to kick out, and now Benjamin has a doozy of a viral infection that is affecting his eyes in a weird way.  I'm kind of glad for the snow days so that I can be home with them and try to get them on their feet again.  We are eating homemade chicken noodle soup, eating raw honey, and taking it easy.  Ah, the joys!

Snuggling with Daddy

Look at his poor eyes!

Can you tell Nathaniel is on the mend?  What an imp!

The View From Here







We are on our second snow day of the school year...we made it until February, unlike a lot of other districts around the country...

Happy Groundhog Day!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Snow Fun

Nathaniel couldn't wait to get out in the snow we got last week.

He had been talking all winter about wanting to make a snow angel.

Here he goes...

Mission accomplished...except he lost a boot in the process!

Benjamin is our builder.  He started working on a snow fort in the corner of the yard.

He really got into his work!

This is the face of pure joy, don't you think?

Still building...with wood from the deck!  He's committed!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Happy (Very Belated!) New Year!

Wow!  Where has the month of January gone?  The first month of 2011 is almost history, and I haven't posted one thing on this lonely, little blog.  I really must do better when we move to Indiana this summer.  That will be one of my new year's resolutions, I guess!

Yes, we are moving to Indiana.  Dave was given a promotion at work (Good job, Honey!) and with it came a transfer to the Evansville, Indiana, area.  I'm excited about it on most days, but it's also the biggest move we have ever made as a family, so it's quite daunting.  Thank the Lord for the internet, where we can research housing and schools before actually setting foot in the area.  We are praying for direction and wisdom in all aspects of this big change for our family.

Today we got our first court date for Sophia's adoption:  March 24.  I wish it were sooner, but I'm glad to have a date.  Hopefully that will still put our travel sometime in May or June, as we are hoping to move in June, provided Sophia is home by then.  Lots of unknowns, but since I can't do anything about any of it, I'm choosing to commit it to God and leave it in His capable hands!

Thanks for following along in our little corner of the internet...I promise more faithful blog posts as we move forward with our move!