Sunday, July 31, 2011

Minivan Mayhem....

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Bullock Family UPdate......

Hey guys, we are certainly trying to leave MM at the top of the list for the next few weeks but I just had to get on and say hello. I am doing one of those posts where I have about 1,000 things I should be doing but I am overwhelmed so I shut down. When that happens I like to do something like blogging which can be tied in a nice publish post bow and all is well with the world for a bit. I feel caught up in at least one portion of life. I know this is an illusion but let's just enjoy it for now.

So, what are we up to these day and I promise pictures too because I read a blog the other day about a certain twin birthday party and there were NO pictures and I was so sad and thought I would try not to repeat such a sin. So here goes.....

J, good looking as ever and just about to hit the road to Ethiopia to serve a slew of people which in turn makes him just about the sexiest man on earth and I get to be married to the man. THAT is grace my friends. You will not waste one single prayer on this trip as we (I am trying to be his side kick on the planning of things) have literally what feels like a jillion things to do between now and then. God has graced the trip already so I have no reason on earth not to trust Him. It is just difficult to plan for a third world country where they will see more needs than they can ever remotely meet. Type A doesn't work well there either and we happen to be a family of them so just pray for us to "let go and let God". I always thought that was a bit of a dorky saying but it seems to fit here perfectly.

Ok, K (me), God currently has me out on a limb holding on for dear life and I am just praying (and begging) that He will come through and save my rear. I like to have my to-do list all nicely marked off at least once a month and until this ET trip is over and MM is up and running, that is not humanly possible. I have more to do and no hopes on earth of ever getting it all done unless God comes through and does an amazing miracle. I will say this, I am bound and determined not to keep any of this from me raising my sweet babies so that is one priority I have actually kept. We are hitting the road this week, just the three of us, to do one last summer hoo-rah before it comes to an end and I may have to say "no" to a lot of things but it ain't gonna be them! I mess up every single day in the littles but one of my greatest prayers is to not miss the bigs. I wanna date my man and love on these babies and spend time not just serving but loving my Jesus and the rest will all fall into place.

Now on to Cross, could the boy be any more handsome....I think not. We shaved his head again a few nights ago and he is now an 8 year old and more than I can bare. He needs about 8 hours of physical activity a day and I need about 1 so prayers there will be taken as well. We had an awesome time at the beach and I saw just how much he thrives when he can get ALL of that boy energy out. I will include those pics as well. He and M are both absolute fishes and had the best time ever.

And last but not least, Mercy girl. There are honestly no words and I could get choked up just trying to type. We are starting her immunizations this week and she got a perfect report from the doctor. She is an angel. She did amazing on vacation. Never really phased her that we were off-site and off schedule for an entire week and she thought the sand and the ocean were both amazing. I will take this moment to brag just a bit. She had never even seen a swimming pool 4 months ago and on vacation she swam 1/2 the length of the pool, under water, all by herself, no floaties. I was in shock and just about the proudest mama in the whole wide world. She is really a princess in every sort of way. She turned 3 this month so certainly pics and the girl opened presents for an hour and then looked for more. Americanized for certain.

So that in a nut (literally) shell is the Bullock Family. It will probably be after this crazy month comes and goes before I will get to say hi again but in the mean time please update your blogs (hint hint) and add pics (more hints) and pray for us and share Minivan Mayhem with all the local ladies that you know and keep in mind that you are the greatest friends a gal could have. We are BLESSED beyond measure!

K









Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday Mercy Girl....

Hello Blog Friends, I just had to get on and add one more post as I know time will get away and this could very easily never happen. However, I think it simply must happen and it must happen on this blog because most of you have paved the way in prayer and support for this sweet girl to come to our home and I want to use this post as another THANK YOU! Thank you for every prayer and every dollar. I am still amazed at God's grace.

Last night as we sat and ate dinner I became so emotional watching Mercy eat. That is a BIG deal for a starving child, food. When I first spent time with Mercy in a guest house in Ethiopia as I visited for court, she looked and acted like an orphan. She would "beg" for food with her eyes. She would eat and eat and eat anything I put in front of her. She would awake every morning and look into my eyes as if today I might say no to food. It crushed my heart then and it crushes it now even as I type. But not last night, last night my girl chattered and ate and said it was good and smiled and laughed and talked and said "fork and spoon and plate and eggs and bread and chocolate and potatoes". She drank from her sippy like she owned this house and she then politely said "all done mommy" with a good heaping of potatoes still on her plate. Oh how my heart danced. In just 4 short months of being home my baby girl is NOT an orphan any more. She is a child of God (she was then but now I think she is starting to know it). She is a Bullock girl, she is a princess in all ways and in all forms. She is our pride and joy, she is finally free.

So in 48 short hours, Mercy girl will get the day of all days, her very first ever birthday. Her birth mother did not know her actual birth day. She didn't keep track because in those dark conditions there would have been nothing to celebrate with, but what her mother did know was her approximate age, 2.5 (at the time of our meeting). So it was with great honor and joy that we got to chose her birthday and in keeping with her age it fell perfectly (as God Himself could only allow). Her Birthday is the exact day I first laid eyes upon my child. So we plan to spoil her rotten, we plan to have cupcakes numerous times throughout the day and we plan to throw her a party and let her open 101 presents and I am certain that her eyes will forever tell it all.

So Happy Birthday Mercy Girl, one year later and my my have things changed. Your Mommy and Daddy love you more than life itself and your precious brother will never remember life without his forever side kick. We love you and we are honored you are ours!!!!!!!!!

I just had to throw in a few more pics, this is Mercy and Mommy on a date Friday night. She sure does look like a princess if I do say so myself!



Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Quick Hello

Hello Dear Friends,

I wanted to say a quick hello because sometime, hopefully sooner than later, Minivan Mayhem will take over the Bullock Family Blog for a bit and I won't be able to say hey as sign ups will certainly be underway. I wouldn't turn down a single prayer for this venture as I had completely forgotten what a start up takes out of you. I think God had me forget so that I wouldn't run for dear life. I am also getting ready for a much needed vacation get-a-way and I am planning to UNPLUG from everything else but my family. I want them all to myself, not sharing them nor them having to share me and I wanna laugh and play and read and pray and think and NOT DO LAUNDRY! hahhaha

The Bullocks haven't been "busy" in several years as life has been so much at what seemed like a stand still. Now I feel like I would pay a small fortune for a stand still and I am praying this vacation will be a taste. On top of MM launching in August my good looking man is taking a team of 10 back to Ethiopia so that is no small task on our plate as well. I am not going with them due to two small fries that need their mama right now, but I am helping with some admin stuff so I still feel like I am a part. I will certainly be a jealous mess when they board that plane without me. How true that it gets in your blood, I miss the smell (even when it is bad) and I miss the people more than I can explain. I am so proud of my man and the other members of the team who are obeying Jesus and going into the Nations with the love of Christ. Please pray that his entire journey is anointed and that God will go before them 100% of the way.

I've had cute blog posts in mind with adorable pictures all grouped in themes but the realities of this thing called life will be a random smorgasbord of snapshots but none without proof of God's great grace on this family. We are blessed beyond measure, our cup is running over, and we are amazed at how much greater God's plan is than our own. Today as we ran around getting ready for church I laughed and thought to myself as J said "skip the ironing", my my have things changed. When I had Cross I wanted to dress him up and color coordinate our family. He quickly ruined that by spitting up on everything. Today I am always tempted to do the same, but someone may pitch a fit right in the middle of the road or hurl a sippy through a crowd and I am constantly reminded no one likes those families anyways.

Our family may not be a lot of things but we are hopefully always going to be real. We are real sinners who were in great need of a Savior and we have two babies who are also real sinners greatly in need of a Savior. Hopefully our walk with Him will always be my greatest plea and hopefully I'll skip the matching, outrageously priced wardrobe, along the way. Those things are fine as long as they don't compete with our focus for the hurting, the hungry and the ones in need, the ones 1/2 way across the earth and the ones right here in our back doors. May we always serve the King that so graciously saved our tails!

K

Our baby girl dancing the night away at a wedding...

This double stroller is our new bff...

Mercy girl's first 4th of July...

BLAST Ball...