Fort Lauderdale Fire Station

After our visit to the Ronald McDonald House (below) we took the kids to the FTL Fire Station where Dale once worked.

The fire fighters were so welcoming, warm and hospitable!! They gave us a full tour of the station, fed us, gave us water. Let us touch, feel and explorer all that was there.

We ALL had a blast. THANK YOU Station 13.


Hanging out by the fire truck

Then in it --of course

Then the beach rescuer

Madison even got put work ;-)

Posing with the real hero's of today!

Saying good bye as they head to a real call that came in during our visit.

Ronald McDonald House

As you know from my post yesterday - the kids and I along with the Zimmerman's made a trip to Fort Lauderdale this past weekend.

Here are the pics from our time at the Ronald McDonald House.


The RMH allows families to stay free of charge while their children are being cared for in a near by hospital. These little tabs "pay the tab" for the families so they can concentrate their concerns on their children rather than their finances. What a beautiful ministry!!

Here are the kids with their MANY jugs of tabs.

Here they are again - with Ronald

And again - poor Ronald ;-)

Me and the kids with Ronald

Ethan - the man- carrying more than he weighs.

Notice the empty drum

Get ready

POUR!

Here is a very FULL drum. In fact the sides were bulging and the bottom had to taped!!

Again, I just want to THANK ALL OF YOU that support the kids and I and the Zimmerman's in this FABULOUS community service project.

It has been a blessing to see the kids so dedicated and committed and it has been pure joy to watch others embrace their efforts.

We couldn't have done this with out you...SO THANK YOU!!!

7-year-old pops up with thousands of tabs for Fort Lauderdale's Ronald McDonald House

As many of you know we collect MANY things for the many different causes we support.

One of those "things" is pull tabs from soda cans.

The kids have earned the reputation of being the tab police. Snatching all the tabs from all of the cans. The have also recruited friends and families to help.

Well yesterday we had the privilege of going to the Ronald McDonald House with the Zimmerman's to drop off 70+ pounds of soda tabs.

Watching the kids pour and pour and pour their containers into a large drum was remarkable!!

The director of the RMH came out to see the kids and praise their efforts. And the Sun-Sentinel even came out to run a story on Cody.

******here is the story they ran today***********

April 26, 2009

When he was just 2 years old, Cody Zimmerman spent a week at the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Lauderdale as he recovered from major surgery to stop internal bleeding. Five years later, Cody is doing just fine. Saturday, he returned to the house bringing thousands of pull-tabs from cans to donate to the center. He and his friends have collected the tabs for the past year as part of the Ronald McDonald House's Pop-Tab Program, in which the tabs are sold to aluminum scrap dealers, with the money helping the center. "There must be a trillion of them," Cody said as he poured the tabs into a donation jug at the house Saturday. Cody's father, Dale Zimmerman, a Fort Lauderdale firefighter, said his son first thought of collecting the tabs after he told him about his stay at the house. "We are giving back what was given to us," Zimmerman, who lives in Port St. Lucie, said. "It's awesome."

— Rachel Hatzipanagos

**********************

For those of you that do not know, the RMH allows families to stay free of charge while their children are being cared for in a near by hospital. These little tabs "pay the tab" for the families so they can concentrate their concerns on their children rather than their finances.

To those of you who already support us and this amazing ministry THANK YOU!!! For those of you who are interested is partnering with us we welcome you.

My Graduates

My "babies" are Graduating Kindergarten in just a few short weeks.

I'm every bit as much SAD as I am overjoyed and proud!

They have worked SO hard, learned SO much and grown SO big this year.

It is with bitter sweet emotion that I share with you my 2009 Graduates:


Madison

Ethan

Welcome Home Daddy

Brian just got home from a 4 day "business trip"....

Apparantly more "work" gets done while fishing, hunting or golfing than actually at the office.

So Brian who ALWAYS makes "work" a priority sought out to get some work done this past weekend.

And the kids and I REALLY REALLY missed him this trip.

To show him we made this cute cake for his homecoming :-)


A simple white cake with a GREAT BIG heart

Say "cake"

And a peice for everyone.

*Double for Sadie since it was her idea :-)

Why then, does it hurt?

Brian and I have been earnestly pursuing growing our family through the miracle of adoption since January 2007.

Although, we LOVE our life and we LOVE our children and we are SO thankful for our MANY blessings -which by the way are COUNTLESS.

We still feel incomplete. We still feel like God has a little more...a little some one for us.

But 27 months, 4 "potential" children, 2 home studies, numerous countries, too many agencies and endless prayer requests...

All of which we felt were at His prompting yet they led us only to to closed doors, crushed dreams and broken hearts.

It has been our sole desire to be in the center of Gods will. To be in the palm of His hand. And to submit to His leading....

We have asked Him to guide our path, to lead us to "our" child, to close doors that are not of Him.

Yet, when He does, I ache. I hurt. I mourn the loss of another child. I'm sad. Sick. Confused.

If I trust Him...if I believe His ways are better than mine...if I claim I want to be in the center of His will...

Why then does it hurt?

The 80's REALLY???

They're making a come back!!



"Arm Socks" the newest in Fashion Must Haves :-)

A day with the family

My Uncle Dick and Aunt Sue DROVE from far away New Hampshire to spend some time with my folks (and us) in Sunny South Florida...

It's been way too long since they've been down for a visit and even longer since we've made the trip North.

It was a much welcomed treat.

Here are a few treasured moments from today.

On your mark..get set...GO! Sorry Uncle Dick, I don't think you are as fast as you once were. Now that you are a GREAT Uncle and all :-)

Madison "flying" with a little help from Uncle Dick.

Ethan, remember to pose for the camera mid flight.

Yeah, that's Sadie doing a CARTWHEEL!! into the pool.

Then a CANNON BALL.

And my dad with his babies. Hey wait! Those are MY BABIES!!!

Like Mother...Like Daughter

Madison...my mommy in training

has learned very early in life....

that the best way to start and end each day...

is with a big cup of COFFEE!!!

Ethan asked Jesus to be his Personal Lord and Savior tonight!!

Ethan asked Jesus to be his Personal Lord and Savior tonight!!

Ethan is our "thinker". He is our analytical, cautious and detailed child. He doesn't just take things at face value. He needs to understand how and why. It's a character trait I truly value because when all these things come together for him he is a SOLD OUT believer in them. All things including his recent decision to ask Jesus to be His personal Lord and Savior!

He has been asking lots of heaven related questions. He's been requesting Brian to lead specific Bible studies at bed time. We knew he was ripe but we had NO IDEA how ripe!

A little side note, last Sunday our Pastor asked those who were physically able to join the Leadership in a 24 hour fast. The fast began Thursday night at sun down and ended tonight at sun down. Our Pastor suggested that each time we felt a hunger pain that we lift up those we knew who were unsaved and those who would be hearing the gospel message this Easter season. Well I participated in this fast. And with each hunger pain I lifted a prayer to the Lord for the unsaved. (I never named my son - but the Lord knew).

At church tonight, the worship was AWESOME! The message was FANTASTIC! And the service ended with a clip from the Passion of the Christ. I saw my sons heart transform before my very eyes, I saw him melt and feel repentance. His eyes welled up and I squeezed his hand and prayed for his sweet little heart and the transformation I was witnessing.

When Brian joined us (he was helping with communion) he saw what I saw and he asked Ethan what he was thinking.

Ethan said "I'm ready Daddy"
Brian: "for what Ethan"
Ethan: "to ask Jesus to be my Personal Lord and Savior"
Brian: "why do you want to do that Ethan"
Ethan: "because I want to go to heaven"
Brian "do you think you can go to heaven if you don't ask Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior"
Ethan: "No daddy"
Brian: "Why"
Ethan "because I am a sinner"
Brian "you are right son, would you like to pray now and ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to ask Him to be your Personal Lord and Savior?"
Ethan: "yes daddy"

Brian prayed with Ethan and then he asked me to get our friend and family Pastor (Teddy) so Ethan could publicly profess his decision. Pastor Teddy had a very similar conversation with Ethan and then welcomed to the "family"

What a GREAT good Friday!

Rejoicing,

Spring Break 2009

Ok, so there are LOTS of details below but for those of you that prefer cliff notes I created this side show our Spring Break .

At the park

No pictures or posts from yesterday. Can you believe it?

It was raining and we were lazy!!! We watched a bunch of movies, took a nap and enjoyed a visit from Grandma, Grandpa and cousin Cheryl Ann.

They left this morning as did Brian and so the kids and I decided we'd come home too - it's 3 days early but we'd rather all be together.

BUT...we couldn't head home before hitting this neat park just a block from the beach house.