These are a Few of My Favorite Things.....

I got some very clever (and wonderful) Christmas gifts this year...

These are some of my very favorites....

Sink Strainer - And I daresay it will save many of our spoons too!  Drains MUCH better than the one we had before and this one is quite pretty too!

I LOVE this one SO much - that I think I need more than one...one for home, one for work, one for the car - oh my!!!  Fuzzy Fingers

I have this "thing" for Vera Bradley - yep, she is just classy!!  So when my husband found a Bible cover in Vera - that was impressive!!

Yep, my Mom found this new scent that I just LOVE!!!  Throw out the perfumes and just wear the lotion - yummmmm!!

I've hardly met a coffee I don't like - but WOW - this one is pretty amazing!!!  Winter Carnival - and yes, it fits so nicely in my Keurig - another gift that I am just not sure how I survived without!!





Now if only I got a kick-back for my advertising - maybe when they get word of this post going viral.....

Starfish Project

When I shop for Christmas, I also like to support worthwhile causes when I can! So I was thrilled when I saw this fabulous jewelry line a couple of weekends ago. The Starfish Project is near and dear to me having two daughters born in China. This is a project that helps to support women in Asia that might have been in the sex trade - it teaches them a skill and gets them out of their bad situations. I LOVE that - because it is not an easy life for many women in Asia. I just highly encourage you to look at their beautiful jewelry - and if you'd like to order - just email myself or my consultant, Emily Moret. Here is her Facebook Page.

Don't miss their adorable children's items!! The jewelry is quality - I've seen it in person and LOVE it! Just a few of my favorites!!! SO if you are interested - just email me or Emily and place an order through my show - I am hoping to support a great cause AND Christmas shop too!! (There is no way to order online and it go toward the party so just make sure to email your order!! Thanks!)

joeb382 AT orangecitycomm DOT net or

emily DOT moret AT yahoo DOT com

Haiti Trip

Our oldest son, Micah, will be taking a short term missions trip to Haiti this summer. He is excited to go and we are already praying that God works in him and uses him mightily while he is there. We covet your prayers with us, and, if you felt so led, you can also contribute financially as well. He has worked hard to help finance this trip, but there are still funds needed to get him there! I am attaching his support letter in case you would be interested.

ANOTHER way you could help him is through my Scentsy business. I have set up a fundraiser that is called - Micah- Haiti Missions Trip off of my site - if you click on that fundraiser, all of the profits will go toward his trip! (Just make sure to click on "Ship directly to Me" when checking out so that your order goes to your house and not ours!!) If you have wanted to try Scentsy or need more product, this is a great way to do it! You are supporting missions at the same time!

Thanks so much for caring for our family - we are truly blessed!

support letter

It's You and Me, God - oh yes, and Jada AND Chloe!

There are certain things that God knows I struggle with - one of those is waking up early. Case in point - yesterday we headed to our doctor appt. almost 2 hrs. away and we had to be there by 8 am - yep, you get the picture. It was EARLY for me. I know some people enjoy that, but I do not. I try to be kind at least, but you aren't going to get any deep conversation - Chloe tried, just ask Joe - it didn't work too well. Nope, not until that coffee has gone to my toes and my eyes can stay open without wishing they were still closing - THEN, I become who you know on a day-to-day basis! SO, getting up early to read the Bible - I think God knows my heart - it just doesn't work the best for me. God and I have discussed this - if He calls me to it - I will give it all I've got, but until then......I sleep! So then one must find another time to find that time alone with God - but, as many moms know, that can be a challenge. There is only one of me - but with 5 kids - they take every ounce of me - time included. I know that I need to be in the Word daily though - that is what keeps me going - so I make time everyday to spend time alone with Him.

The other day, the girls were watching TV, and I thought - this is it - this is my 30 min. - here I go. I quietly snuck into my bedroom - I mean, I was quiet - I don't even think the dog heard me. I opened my Bible and my new study book - and I smiled - yep Lord, I did it! But I hadn't even finished one paragraph when I heard feet. Now really, Moms help me here - why is the room no longer fun when Mom leaves?? It's true - you know what I'm talking about - it was all ok until Mom disappeared and then it isn't any fun anymore and so off they go to find Mom. And that is just what happened!

I looked up and Jada was attempting to crawl up onto our bed. I made the "shh" sign to her - I was ok if she wanted to join me, but it had to be quiet. I guess I should have told her to stop wiggling too - my Bible now has lines that are not as straight as I'd like (that's a whole different post!!) due to her inability to sit still! But she sat there for a bit and then disappeared. When she came back she had her notebook and a pencil and came back up by me. She never took her eyes off of me - when I wrote, she wrote. When I read, she pretended to read. When I moved my hand, she moved her hand. (I know, I was getting a lot out of my reading, wasn't I!!??!) It wasn't very long thereafter that Chloe appeared and sat down by me as well. Neither made a peep - Chloe was reading to herself and Jada was continuing to draw in her notebook. I was tempted to think - OH MY WORD - I can not even get 10 min. alone - but I stopped - I really did -

I stopped and thanked God for two little girls that love their momma! And I hope they remember seeing Mom read her Bible often. I am glad I can show them how important it is to me - even with two little girls trying to distract me!

How Can I Keep From Singing?

I am not a very good gift-giver. I'll admit that right up front. I have thought it through MANY times and I can't put my finger on it, but as close as I can figure - I think I am just too practical. I want to surprise people and give them something they'll love, but practicality always wins out! Take Joe on the other hand - the guy is the master of gift giving - he starts his spreadsheet in May and plans out what he is going to give and yes, he saves those spreadsheets - he has them from years past just to keep track! And he's so great at coming up with ideas - I mean, really, THIS will go down in infamy!!!

So this year, for Christmas, I really tried hard NOT to be practical. Ok, the upside down map that Joe asked for - that was probably practical, but the tickets for tonight's big show in Sioux Falls - not practical!! And boy was he surprised! I made a puzzle he had to put together, yep, that's the other problem with Joe - you just CAN NOT surprise that man - he always figures it out. SO as he's doing his puzzle - he is just clueless. He gets it done - and he's STILL clueless because I only listed date, time, and place - not the performer! But really, he lives and breathes the music of this man, I thought he'd know he was coming and the exact date and time!! But no, and then when I told him - yep, he was a little teary! I LOVED that - I surprised him - and I was NOT practical.

(I know, patting myself on the back here - but after 18 years, I think I deserve one pat!!)

And, I needed to post this today in case Chris was reading - I don't want to offend him at all, but I really won't be watching him so much tonight - nope, my eyes will be on my husband - he'll be WAY more fun to watch!!

Livestock Ramblings....

We are always looking for ways to show our kids that God is at work. So, when we started our adoption of Chloe, I heard a speaker share how her family said that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills - so whenever they got a grant or a sum of money they told their kids, "God sold another cow." We LOVED that and I came right home and shared with our kids that that would be how we would watch God provide for us. And we did. Every time we received a grant, we'd say, "God sold another cow!" We loved it - it was a tangible way to show His constant care for us.

When we began our adoption to Jada, and stepped out again in faith financially, our kids said, "Well, God just has to sell a lot of cows!" And that is just what He did for us - cow after cow, we made our way to China and brought Jada home. That isn't to say he provided every penny the way we thought He would - some of it we received by taking a second mortgage (right or wrong financially - we felt it was the way God was providing for us since that was our last option before we traveled).

Now that we are home with both girls - AND I felt God leading me to quit my job at the library (for a number of reasons - some good, some bad - I am still glad to be home) we are tighter than ever financially. Our stepping out in faith was good for us, and still continues to be - God keeps us right on the edge to watch Him provide. (I hope this doesn't sound like complaining - nope, I see right where God has us and I am just grateful that He provides for us enough to pay the bills each month!) So, a few weeks ago we get a call from a meat locker near here and the gal shares with us that someone purchased a portion of a cow for us and how would we like it processed?? Can you just see how great God is??? Once again, we had to smile - He provided a COW for us to show us He's still watching out and providing for us!! I love that - I wanted to share with everyone how God will NOT let you flounder on your own when you follow Him. I think the poor gal on the other end of the line thought I had lost it - I said a couple of times, "A Cow?? How awesome is that??" Yep, the cow is home - in our freezer and we feel so blessed. It was an anonymous gift - we can't even appropriately say thank you - but that is just how God likes to do it sometimes. I know, some are shaking their heads and saying, "Becky, it's a cow - really!!" But God just does not drop cows on you everyday and to us it was a great big hug from Him!

The Citrus Sisters

There really are NO words for this:

To My Kids....

I LOVE this song - I pray this for each of my kids -

THE STORM

Two nights this past week we have had sirens - possible tornadoes - which resulted in the flood of the century to which many of us spent hours shop vac-cing our basements. Last night, no sirens, but it sounded horrible outside - quarter size hail, high winds, you get the picture. Well, maybe you don't until you see these:

Our Backyard - part of it anyway....

Notice the neighbor's tree across the street - you can almost see the path the wind was on!

Joe's poor corn - and he had just said the day before how great it was looking....

Neighbor's tree that fell into our flower bed, bushes, and trees. This was a very tall tree - it was a ton of work to get out of there!

Close up of neighbor's tree.

Neighbor's Mailbox -

Trampoline down the road a block.
All in all - what a mess our city is at the moment - an impressive storm, to say the least.

Being a Mom

I am feeling VERY inadequate. There is nothing easy about being a mom - nothing easy about being a mom to five kids - and nothing easy when you throw in one child that needs a lot of extra time and attention. We had no idea that when we brought little Jada home that our world would literally turn upside-down. My time is consumed by Jada and her appointments right now. In a good week, we can have 5-6 different appointments just for Jada and that doesn't include running our boys back and forth to band, running the girls to their weekly Kindermusik, our jobs, church commitments, etc. I have to say that sometimes I literally run from one thing to the next and leave at 9 in the morning and do not get home until 3 or 4 in the afternoon - for this mom that has thrived on tranquility, orderliness, and a routine - this is pushing me to the limit!!! But what I love is how God provides. (I am not trying to complain - I realize TONS of Moms do this regularly, but so far, God has not made this our lifestyle and I have been grateful for that- so when He turned our world and our running began, it took me a bit of "getting used to!")

Today was one of those days - 9:00 speech appt, 11:00 therapist (a half hour away), and 2:00 dentist - all for Jada today - I was, once again, feeling bad that my other kids don't get Mom most of the day. So when I ran home between two appts. and found my boys sitting in the living room playing Pick Up Sticks with Chloe I was nearly brought to tears. I don't know too many 13, 14, and 15 year old boys that would play games with their 5 year old sister. When I praised them and told them how much it meant to me, one of the boys said, "Well Mom, we noticed how you were very busy and we were afraid Chloe might feel kind of left out. So we asked her what games she would like to play to help cheer up her day." I tell you what - I was left speechless. I share it to say that, once again, God fills in the gaps. He leaves me speechless sometimes - where I am weak, He is strong.

Great Words

I  am so challenged by a book I read for part of my devotions - Jesus Calling by Sarah Young just says it like it is....  Here is today's - it hit me where I am and wanted to share it.

"Come to Me with all your weaknesses:  physical, emotional, and spiritual.  Rest in the comfort of My Presence, remembering that nothing is impossible for Me.

Pry your mind away from your problems so that you can focus your attention on Me.  Recall that I am able to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine.  Instead of trying to direct Me to do this and that, seek to attune yourself to what I am already doing.

When anxiety attempts to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself that I am your Shepherd.  The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therefore, you needn't be afraid of anything.  Rather than trying to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will.  Though this may feel scary and dangerous, the safest place to be is in My will."

Eph. 3:20-21, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever."

If You Give Becky a Hair Dryer....

If you give Becky a hairdryer, she will start to dry her hair and then realize she needs her cup of coffee. (One CAN NOT dry one's hair without coffee!) Once she gets her cup of coffee, she sees that the coffee filters are almost gone so she needs to add that to the grocery list. Seeing the grocery list posted on the fridge reminds her that she has not cleaned off all of the notes on the fridge lately NOR has she worked on cleaning off the top of the fridge. So, she begins the task of organizing and pitching notes on the fridge and washing the top off. Once she wipes the top of the fridge off, she takes the washcloth down to the basement to wash and see LOADS of laundry that need to be switched, washed, folded, etc. and begins to make her way through those. Seeing the laundry reminds her that she hasn't gone through the girls clothes in awhile to see what fits so she proceeds to sort through drawers and closets to clean out clothes to take to the consignment shop. Sorting through clothes reminds Becky that the girls never got their hair brushed this morning, so she takes the girls into the bathroom to style their hair and sees the VERY smudgey glasses that are surely not helping her girls see!! As she is washing glasses for two girls, she sees her hairdryer and remembers that she was going to dry her hair. 3 hours later she thinks is it finally time to dry her hair and then she remembers she REALLY needs coffee to dry her hair. SEE WHY I DON'T GET MY HAIR DRIED UNTIL NOON!?!?!?!?
(If this resembles If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at all - it is purely coincidental.)

Bilby Recap

Chloe comes to me this morning and says, "Mom, I sure hope today is better than yesterday." I ask her why she said that and she said, "Because yesterday was VERY bad. I spilled all of Micah's BB's (airsoft BB's) and then I had to run upstairs and cry." I was left to ponder that one - so did that make Micah's day bad or Chloe's???

Chloe on Tuesday night at the band concert, "Mom, it is SWELTERING in here." (Yes, Chloe I firmly agreed - but thank you WORD GIRL for the big word!!!)

We took Jada in to the dentist this week - she sat like a champ - even had x-rays!! The girl is just not phased by doctors - she is quite compliant for them! (Maybe I should get a white coat!) However, at the end of the appt. we got the GREAT news - out of her little 20 teeth - 19 need work - that girl's mouth is just FULL of cavities. So my one glimmer of a smile came that it WASN'T MY FAULT this time!!! (I always feel guilty when my kids get cavities!) The bad news - she will be into the dentist EVERY Wednesday in January for an hour and a half at a time. Poor girl - if she liked the dentist now - she may not then!

In case you missed it - we had a bit of drama over the H1N1 vaccines this week too. We decided to get them for the kids and we were driving to the clinic. The boys were discussing the horrors of shots (thanks a lot guys) and Chloe pipes up, "Mom, how come you aren't scared?" I proceeded to TRY to explain that shots weren't THAT bad and that I was too old - they wouldn't let me get the shot yet. She sat quietly for a bit - biting her fingernails - and then said, "Mom, can you just tell them I'm 500?!!" The boys got a kick out of that!! But all ended well - they were all eligible for the nasal mist - life is good!

Dad's been gone again here - we are waiting for him to come home! We survive but it is always good to have him home again!

So there you have it - the exciting Bilby news in a nutshell. Stay tuned until next time.....

Saturday Night Fun

What do the Bilby's do on a Saturday night???

Well - play games, of course!

Oh yes, AND act just a little bit silly!
(We are battling BIG colds over here - gotta excuse the red nose!!)

Beth and I

Beth Moore and I - we are TIGHT!! She doesn't know it - but we are!! SO when I had to miss the simulcast this past weekend - it hurt. (I'm sure she was devastated too!) :) But a dear friend sent me this from the end of the conference and it SO touched my heart. Even though I wasn't there - I pray it right along with the many women that did attend. I was told by more than one person that SO much of the conference would have spoken to me - I am sure I could have used that right now!

My Dear Sister
God has not overlooked you
He has not ignored you
He hears every petition
And intimately knows
The heart beneath it.
Give Him full access
To all your longings
Pray every single day
To become a person who delights in Him.
When it seems to disappear
Remember to check your JAW
Are you jealous?
Are you angry?
Are you worried?
Roll it all on Jesus
He's strong enough to carry it
Big enough to handle it.
Trust God with all your heart
Now leave this place
And go into the world
And do some GOOD.

Told you it was appropriate!! I pray I am doing some GOOD!!

Running Water

I had a meeting yesterday afternoon, so I had to leave home for a bit. When I returned I heard water running somewhere. That seemed odd to me - my first thought was a toilet running - but nope, wasn't that. So I kept searching. I just could not locate it - but two things caught my eye - a sweatshirt lying in the toy room - odd for a 90 degree day AND a watering can. Hmmm.....

I peeked outside through the bedroom window and found the water - the hose had been left on and there was water gushing on our back patio. I FIRST, wasted more water and called the kids up to see who the culprit was (I know, I know, should have turned the water off first!!) and then sent the culprit out to turn it off. It was one of those stories where you are furious - I mean how much water we just wasted I have no clue - but the story was quite comical.

Apparently Chloe told the boys that she went outside and she could not see the flowers growing so she wanted to water them. The boys saw that as a wonderful activity for her and allowed her to venture out. She wore her sweatshirt - since that is what people do when they water (even in 90 degrees????) and took her watering can and watered VERY important plants - one by one. When she was done - she went inside - never worrying about the water.....

There you have it - "How the Bilby's Wasted 85 Gallons of Water in one Day" OR "When the Cat's Away...."

What are we up to?

Not so much to share on the home front, but I will say - we are closer to Jada than we were yesterday!! That's what I cling to over here. Are we tired of waiting? Yep! Are we wondering what in the world China is up to? Yep! Can we do anything about any of it? Nope! So we continue to wait and pray. We have been following other families that are on our I-800 track and we are encouraged - a couple of other families that sent their paperwork in about the same time to China have their Travel Approval (TA) and that is what we are waiting for! Once we get that - then we wait for a consulate appointment and we can FLY - literally!

The whole TB immunization issue is now a concern since the CDC came down with some new rules. That is one more thing to cover in prayer - we DO NOT wish to go through anything like this brave family.

I took Chloe in for her Kindergarten physical yesterday - the girl is in the 90% percentile for height - she just keeps growing! People tell us she is tall and that proved it! She had to get four shots though - she kept asking me all the way there, "Do you think they will decide I don't need the shots?" Hated to let her down, but I said I doubted they'd do that. So no, she got them all - didn't cry out loud, but those silent tears running down her cheeks about did me in. Glad that's done!!

In the meantime, since I have nothing more of excitement to share - enjoy our new favorite!
Oh, and for this SUPER HOT weather - you might need my other new favorite - that was sent to me as a sample - one of the best I've tried yet! (Do you see a fruity theme going on here??)
And Chloe won't let me leave off one of our favorite new games - Hey, we may even learn some Mandarin while we play - Don't worry Jada - at least we'll be able to count with you!
So there you have it - nothing exciting but you can count on me to keep you informed.

Our Stories

Some days you just need to hear words from God - and then He does just that. Lately, Joe and I have felt we need more than usual!! We are so grateful for the friends and family that hold us up in prayer and encourage us. We need that. Continue to pray with our family that God moves mightily in China - we pray he moves papers and hearts to get us there soon.

A friend sent me this in an email - she took it from Joanna Weaver's Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Here's what Joanna Weaver says, and I think it is so good:

"God wraps up my good with your good and the good of both of us with the good of others. The plot lines of our individual stories weave together to form his master plan. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is left out. There are no dead ends or red herrings; every story line is given his greatest attention, his diligent care. Your story matters to Jesus, just as the individual stories of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus mattered to him. But he always has the big picture in mind as he handles the stories of our lives. He knows the beginning from the end, and he operates accordingly.
So don't be surprised if your personal plot takes a couple of twists now and then. Don't get upset when point A doesn't automatically lead to point B. There are no detours in God's story line, not really. Just complications that he's more than able to resolve....God always has a play. But it may not follow human logic. In fact, it may often seem to go directly against what we believe about God"

Thank you, Sue - that was JUST what I needed today!! We needed to hear it and maybe others will as well. People ask why I blog - well this is why - I've been encouraged over and over, and I've met wonderful people on this blogging journey!

The Pits

When friends give you a HUGE box of cherries - here's what the Bilby's do:

(yes, Joe used G**gle to find this ingenious idea!)
We have frozen cherries, cherry muffins, cherry jam - AND HIVES!!
(Talk to Becky about that one. Guess fresh cherries and Becky don't get along!)

Bilby Tidbits

Three years ago today I posted our first "And Chloe Makes 6" post - and here it is, three years later and we are now "And Jada Makes 7" - amazing what God does! Had to share the "blogoversary" though!!!!

In other news - Robin at Red Thread Stitches is having an auction for a WONDERFUL item this month and all proceeds go to our family. Robin is a dear - she has been so encouraging to us during this whole process and her own story is powerful as well. We are grateful for her in so many ways.

Our Pizza Ranch fundraiser is tomorrow night in Orange City - we are so excited, grateful, and waiting to watch God work. He never ceases to amaze us.

Lastly, my blog business - Busy Mama Blog Design - is featured today on Give Away Today - another great blog that focuses on online businesses and helping them spread the word.

Oh - can't quit now - I must share such an encouraging phone call from my morning - our local elementary school speech pathologist called me this morning - she is just such a blessing to us - she has worked with two of our boys with speech issues and now is so helpful in preparing for Jada to come home. She was telling me that the school is ready and willing to assess Jada when she comes home so that they are able/ready to help her in the fall. They so graciously offered to stop by when we get her home and are adjusted and play with her a bit to see in what areas they will be able to help her. I just see that as another God-thing - we are a homeschooling family - and yet they bend over backwards to make sure we know we can get any help we want or need. I feel truly blessed by that - it's just another thing that God does to show us his "Smile." He truly cares. Do I know best how to care for Jada or what she will need? No - but God does and He is clearing the path for her. I love that.