Taking Back Our Family...

With all the political frenzy going on right now, and the slogans being flung around, "Taking back our Country" it got me thinking....what if we would simply take back our families?  Would that be enough to make a difference?  I don't know if it would solve all the problems in America, but it sure would be a good place to start.

I will be the first to admit that we have been just as guilty as a lot of families out there.  My husband and I have worked hard to climb the corporate ladder, with the hopes and dreams of providing our children with even more than what we had as children growing up.

For me personally, I was working 40....50....sometimes even 60 hours a week in order to help provide for our children.  We built our dream home, our children attended a private school, we drove a mini van with all the bells and whistles (can't forget the leather and the DVD player with gaming system).  We took our children on nice vacations to Disney World.  We make sure that our children did not want or need for anything.

But at the end of the day I found myself exhausted and stretched both physically and emotionally.  My children would get whatever was left of me by the end of the day--which I have to confess was not much.

The alarms would go off at 5:30am and we were out the door by 6:45am. The kids would go to before school day care where they would eat a quick bowl of cereal just so I could get to work on time.  At the end of the school day my kids would go to after school care which they would be given a quick snack and helped with their homework.  After I got off work I would pick them up, come home and fix dinner while the kids finished their homework and got their showers.

Most of the time my husband would come rolling in while the kids were in the middle of dinner.  Most of the time I would be folding a load of clothes or putting another load in the washer while the kids were eating their supper.  I would then clean up the dishes, as well as wrapping up my husband's supper in an attempt for it to be kept warm until he was finally able to eat.

It is now about 6:30 or 7:00 pm and the TV is turned on.  The kids would watch TV while my husband and I would continue to do chores.  On a good night, we would be able to sit down and watch some TV with the kids.  At 8:00 pm, it was time for our children to go to bed.  They give their dad a kiss goodnight, take their vitamins, brush their teeth and off to bed they'd go.  I was never too far behind them because when this time of day rolled around I was completely spent!!  There just was never a whole lot left of this mama bear.

The next morning at 5:30am the alarms would go off and we'd start our day all over again.  On a good night we would have about an hour and a half of time together, but most of the time it was about an hour--and that doesn't include the nights there were practices or games the kids had to be at.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else who may be reading this?  For those who are lucky, you may get four or five weeks vacation, some may only get two or three....some may not get any.  While family vacations are nice, have you ever thought about how much time you actually have to spend together as a family during the rest of the year? 

Last October my husband and I traveled to Florida to celebrate our 25 year anniversary.  We stayed at a condo right on the ocean and it was a wonderful, relaxing time away just the two of us.  We slept in everyday, stayed up as late as we wanted in the evenings.  No cell phones, no Internet, no children.  It was a wonderful break away for us to spend time together alone as a couple.

I spent many hours sitting on the deck which overlooked the ocean.  I spent hours and hours praying and reading God's Word.  I had also taken along a book which my sister gave me called "Heaven is for Real".  I'll be honest with you, I couldn't tell you when was the last time I actually sat down and read a book other than the Bible.  I just did not have time for leisurely reading.

This book is about a little boy named Colton who had a near death experience while on the operating table.  He didn't die, but in the days and weeks after his release from the hospital he started to share bits and pieces of information to his parents about going to heaven and the time he spent there.

As I got further into the book Colton started to share more and more about Jesus' love for us, but especially His love for children.  "Jesus loves the little children."  He would say.  "Jesus love the little children so much."  His words hit me like a ton of bricks.  I thought, yeah Jesus loves the little children and here I am, the mother of three beautiful little children whom we've adopted from China and I doing nothing more than giving them my leftovers at the end of the day.  I felt so ashamed and so convicted.

I started to pray and ask God for His forgiveness--of course I tried to follow up with my excuses as to WHY my kids were getting my leftovers each day.  "But Lord, I argued, I am in my upper 40's raising three small children.  I'm exhausted at the end of the day.  I get up extra early just to have time alone with you, so it's not like I'm wasting away my days.  And I have to work because if I didn't how would we provide our kids with all the things we want to give to them....all the things we didn't have as kids growing up."

The Lord stopped me dead in my words and reminded me of the one thing that both my husband and I had as children growing up were our moms at home.  Neither of our mothers worked outside the home.  "Okay, so we're not giving them THAT...but how are we suppose to provide for them and give them everything we want them to have if I don't work?  How are we suppose to pay for a private christian education for them?"

I will tell you right here and right now that you had better be careful what you pray for because God DOES and God WILL answer your prayers.  I could feel Him pressing in on me so hard at this point and then came His answer.  'Vickie, you are to quit your job and home school those children.'

You could have knocked me over with a feather.  Are you kidding me?  I'm a workaholic!  I've worked from the day I got out of school.  I have a success career, I make a good salary, I've worked hard to get to where I am.    I. I. I. I. I. I. I.  Everything was about I and nothing was about them.

On the last day we were in Florida I finally shared with Jim what God had spoke to me about.  Little did I know God had already prepared Jim's heart for what I was about to tell him.  I said, "Jim, I think God wants me to quit working and home school the kids."  As I waited for him to start into a rant I was surprised when he said, "I think that is a good idea, I've told you for years you needed to home school those kids."

Fast forward and here we are eleven months later.  Jim and I have forged forward to TAKE BACK OUR FAMILY!!  I quit a high paying job, I turned my home office into a classroom complete with school desks, chairs, a dry erase board and of course my teacher's desk.  But that's not all....

I now cook three hot meals a day for my family.  I have time to bake and try out new recipes for them.  I have the household chores done by time my husband walks through the door in the evenings.  I have more time to read and study God's word.  And I even have time to pick up a book and read each evening.

I am getting ready to turn 49 years of age and for the first time in my life I feel like I have finally discovered who I really am.  I am God's chosen daughter, I am my husband soul mate, I am my children's role model as a christian and a mother, and most importantly I have found my fullness of joy and my forevermore.  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Psalm 16:11

As for Jim....he has committed to work less hours and get home earlier each evening.  We sit down together as a family to eat supper.  We do not answer emails or talk on the phone until the children have gone to bed in the evenings.  And just this past week we called the cable company and had our TV shut completely off.

As for our children.....they are only allowed to participate in one extra-curricular activity per year, plus they are all taking Chinese class as their foreign language for school.  The Wii and Nintendo DS systems are turned off and can only be played on the weekends, and even then they are limited.  They go outside for recess each day and they go outside after school is over so they can get sunshine and fresh air just like we did when we were kids growing up.  They go to the library each week and check out books and family friendly DVD's.

As for our entertainment....we watch family friendly movies together, we have family game night, we do a lot of baking and cooking together and we make sure we are in church every Sunday morning and our children are involved in church activities every Wednesday evening.  And then there are many times where we sit on our screened in porch and just talk and spend time together.

As for our finances.....we have more money left over now than we ever have and God has continued to provide for every single need our family has had since I quit working in January.

We, the Bennetts, have taken back our family and this is what it looks like.  I went from spending 30 hours per week with my children to about 90 hours per week with them--triple the time.  Jim has gone from spending 25 hours per week with his family to now spending about 40 hours per week with us--about double the time.

What if others would consider taking back their families.....what would our society look like?  I know there are many who would say, Vickie, we can't afford to not have two incomes.  Then start working on the things you DO have control over to cut back.  Not going out to eat so often, cutting your cell phone package to text and messaging only, taking your cable package down to the basic, or turn it off altogether.  Then take that extra money and start paying off your debt--pay off that car, pay off those credit cards.

Also, Make the most of your time when you are home with your kids. Turn off the TV, cook meals together, make it a priority to sit down and have dinner together every evening.  Don't answer the phone in the evenings.  Plan and make it a priority to have date nights with your spouse and family game nights with your kids.  The possibilities are endless...........

There are countless things you can do to begin to take back your family.  Step by step, little by little, it can be done if you would will just make a commitment to make your time together as a family a priority.  What about you?  Are you ready to take back your family?!
Jim and Vickie

"I Am Abraham"

Ho-Ho-Ho.......that is going to be about the time Abraham will be coming home to his forever family!  It looks like the Bennett family will be spending the holidays in China this year!!

While we originally thought we would be traveling some time this fall to bring Abraham home, God had other plans.  Yes, we were disappointed, but we also have to trust in the knowledge that God's ways are higher than ours.  We cannot look at this as a delay, but rather God's perfect timing!

We also received some wonderful news today!  Our family was awarded a grant through the ShoHope organization, founded by Steven Curtis Chapman and his family.  What a blessing!!  Check out our totals on our home page!

God never ceases to amaze us with His provisions throughout this process.  Every time we had a fee due, the money was there.  We have not had one single delay because of waiting on funds.  As a testimony to God's grace and provision, we started out this process with a $100 donation from a dear friend of ours.  We have just crossed over the $20,000 mark in just five short months!  God's display of love and compassion for this little boy is just amazing!

Amber and I were sitting here waiting for the kids to finish their lunch when I heard my cell phone deliver a message.  When I opened the message, there was another recording of our sweet Abraham's voice.  I just had to share this with the rest of you.  His English is really coming along.  His teacher tells him what to say in Chinese and then he repeats it in English.  In the beginning he says, "What is your name?  I am Abraham!"  To hear Abraham say his name for the first time...there are just no words to describe how happy my heart is today.

Again, sorry for the blurry video, but we had to video tape the audio recording.

Abraham's Love

We have the very rare privilege of receiving regular updates on Abraham.  This can also be a bittersweet.  While I love getting updates on him, it can make the wait harder at times.

His tutor sent us an update last week.  She had to miss two weeks of Abraham's English lessons because she was traveling to the countryside to visit her family.  Upon her return she was told by the orphanage staff that Abraham's spirits were low and he had been very sad.

When she asked him about this, he told her that he missed me very much and was sad because it was taking so long for us to get him.  My heart just broke in two.  I cannot imagine how hard the wait has to be for these children.  They do not have any calendars, or have any concept of time in relation to the days or weeks--they just wait..........day after day after day.

She spoke with him and reassured him that we were doing everything we can to come and get him as soon as possible.  She told him to just keep working hard on his English so he would be able to talk to us when he finally gets to go home to his new family.

She has placed a picture of our family on her laptop and after each of his lessons she will ask him to to point to each person and name who they are in English.  She said he smiles while he is naming off our names.

She asked him if he wanted to send me a message and he smiled and nodded yes.  Here is the message Abraham sent.  His teacher  said, "This is Abraham sending his love to you."  I had to video tape this audio recording, so please excuse the fuzzy picture.  This will melt your heart!!

 

Here is the most recent picture we have of Abraham as he is recording this message for us.

 

 

 

Keep Abraham in your prayers and that his health continues to do well.  He is one sweet little boy!

Blessings!

Vickie

 

 

THANK YOU!!!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in our Silent Auction!  This was a great success and we were able to reach our goal!!  For those who won your bids, be on the lookout for an email from us letting you know that item(s) you won and how you can pay for them.

We received an email from Abraham's tutor over the weekend telling us he is doing well in his English lessons, but is very anxious for us to bring him home.  Please keep Abraham in your prayers as we continue to wait for our paperwork to be processed.  The wait is so hard for us, so I cannot imagine how much harder it is on him as he waits in the orphanage for his family.

Hang on sweet little Abraham........

The Silent Auction is now LIVE!!!

Time to Shop!!

The Auction items are now live! I wanted to get this up early enough to allow people time to shop.  You are now free to begin placing your bid.

The Auction will end at 11:59 EST on Wednesday August 15th. 

How do I Participate?

Anyone can bid on an item by posting your name and your bid.  If you would like to place bids in privacy, you can register for a bidder #.  Simply email me at vbennett123@yahoo.com  I will email you back with your bidder #.  But this is not necessary in order to participate unless you do not have a google account (gmail).

How will the online auction work?

·         You can begin shopping now!  Each item has its own post.  Just hit the comment button and you will see another person’s bid unless you are the first person to bid on an item. You need to bid higher than the current bid or the minimum bid that is noted. Remember this will be real time so as soon as you hit “Post” the bid will appear.  If you are bidding with a bidder #, in the profile section please select Anoy. and then include your bidder # and the dollar amount of your bid in the comment section.

·         Each item has a minimum bid listed, as well as how much will be added to the item for shipping.  Please bid mindfully and remember that the proceeds of this auction will be going towards Abraham’s funds which will not only provide assistance for our final in-country China fees, but medical costs for his open heart surgery once he is home.

·         You can bid on as many items as you would like, there are no limits.

·         When a bid has already been posted and you would like to also bid on the item, your bid will need to be higher than the last bid listed, and has to be at least a $1 increments.  i.e. if an item has been bid on for $10, then the next bid has to be at least $11.

·         At 11:59 pm est SHARP the bidding will end.  I will be posting online about a half hour before the auction ends to let you know what time I have on my clock.

·         The person with the highest bid on each item is the winner!

How do I pay for my items if I win

An invoice will be sent to you via email confirming the item you won and the amount owed based on your winning bid and the established shipping amount.  You will have 48 hours to pay for your item, which can be done online via Paypal.  Instructions on how to do this will be included with your invoice.

If payment has not been received within 48 hours, or if you have not contacted me to make other arrangements for your items, then the items will go to the second highest bidder.

For additional information on this event, or if you have any questions, please contact Vickie at vbennett123@yahoo.com

Item #53 Blue Freshwater Pearl Necklace

This pendant showcases a shimmering blue freshwater pearl accentuated by a row of icy white diamond accents. The necklace is crafted of gleaming sterling silver and includes a matching18” cable chain.  Pearl measures 9-10mm.  Donated by Dave & Loretta Phalen

Min.  bid $50, plus $5 shipping

Grand Auction Item ~ 7 Night Florida condo

9/23 - 9/30/12

3 BR/2BA Ocean Front Cocoa Beach Condo

Sleeps 7 people

This condo sits right on Cocoa Beach and overlooks the private pool and private beach area.  The condo boasts 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room, dining room, kitchen and 2 decks which overlook the pool area and the ocean.  This picture was taken from the deck off the living room.

The condo is located only 45 minutes away from Disney World, Sea World and MGM Studios.  Cape Canaveral is only located 10 minutes away.  Located close to golf, deep sea fishing and lots of other outdoor activities.  Lots of restaurants and shopping only blocks away.

Perfect for either a family vacation or a romantic getaway. Condos of this location and size rent for $2,000 a week. 

Donated by Falcon Realty, Don and Pat Simms

Min. Bid $500



Item #60 Vera Bradley Designer Tote

Vera Bradley Designer Tote ~ This tote  is boast beautiful sage and tan colors and measures 15”x12” and has a 4” base insert on the bottom.  Besides its’ spacious size, this tote has pockets galore!  The front features an open pocket, along with another pocket with a Velcro closure.  Inside you will find a total of six interior pockets.  This tote has a zipper closure and generous sized straps..

Donated by Tenney Family

Min. bid $30, plus $5 shipping

Item #59 Vera Bradley Call Me Coral Reversable Tote

Vera Bradley Call Me Coral Reversable Tote ~ Reversable total with two outer side pockets for cell phone or keys.  Top has quick closing mechanism to your items are secure.  Tote measures 12”x10” and has a 4” bottom.

Donated by Tenney Family

Min. bid $25, plus $5 shipping

Item #56 Canon Powershot A2300 Digital Camera

Canon PowerShot A2300 Digital Camera ~ 16.0 Mega Pixels; 28mm wide 5X

Includes:  Digital Camera, Wrist Strap, Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Interface Cable and Software (CD-ROM)  *Memory card is not included.

Donated by Jerry & Laura Cuddy and family

Min. bid $50, plus $10 shipping

Item #55 Geneva Platinum Beaded Watch

Geneva Platinum Women's Rhinestone-accented Beaded Toggle Watch.  Bracelet is approximately 9” long.  This bracelet watch has a variety of multi-colored beads. The Czech rhinestones add sparkle, while the mother of pearl face adds luxurious detail to this timepiece.   Donated by Dave & Loretta Phalen

Min. bid $30, plus $5 shipping

Item #54 Asian Artglass Cube Bracelet

8” Asian Art Glass cube bracelet.  Bracelet showcases designs of flowers and Chinese characters.  Jewelry is crafted of goldtone pewter, green freshwater pearl, jade beads, wood, and smokey quartz.

Donated by Anoymous

Minimum bid $30, plus $5 shipping

Item #52 Amazon $50 Gift Card

$50 gift card from Amazon

Donated by Jerry and Debbie Bennett

Min. bid $45, plus $1 shipping

Item #51 Panera Bread $25 Gift Certificate

$25 gift card from Panera Bread

Donated by Jerry and Debbie Bennett

Min. bid $20, plus $1 shipping

Item #50 Cracker Barrel $25 Gift Certificate

$25 gift card from Cracker Barrel

Donated by Jerry and Debbie Bennett

Min. bid $20, plus $1 shipping

Item #49 Cabela's $25 Gift Card

$25 gift card from Cabela’s

Donated by the Winfield family.  Brad and his wife Debbie have 3 children adopted from China, with their oldest being from Zhanjiang orphanage, the same as Abraham.

Min. bid $10, plus $1 shipping

Item #48 Starbucks $25 Gift Card

$25 gift card from Starbucks

Donated by the Winfield family.  Brad and his wife Debbie have 3 children adopted from China, with their oldest being from Zhanjiang orphanage, the same as Abraham.

Min. Bid $20, plus $1 shipping

Item #47 Sonic $10 Gift Card

$10 gift card from Sonic

Donated by the Mahathy family.  Mike and his wife Kathie have 2 children adopted from China, with their oldest being from Zhanjiang orphanage, the same as Abraham.

Min. Bid $7, plus $1 shipping

Item #46 Handmade Chinese Note Cards

These handmade note cards come in a set of 6 cards and envelopes, and include a variety of Chinese pinyin such as “Thank you”, “Love”, etc.   The inside is blank for your personalized message.

These were made by Chinese adoptee Josiah Lansford, from Liaoning Province China.  Josiah was adopted at the age of 9 ½ and is now 13 years old.  Josiah wanted to donate these cards to help with the efforts to bring another Chinese child home to their forever family.  Thank you Josiah for your wonderful heart!!

Min. bid $5, plus $3 shipping

Item #45Private Collection Barbie 8th Edition

This Barbie holds her Chinese baby as they prepare to travel home and begin their life together as a family.   These dolls were made by Matel in Hong Kong and this is a 8^th Edition, made in 2008.  These dolls were specially made and presented as gifts for families traveling to China to adopt their children and who stayed at the famous White Swan Hotel while processing their adoption paperwork.  This box has never been opened.

Not sold Retail

Minimum bid $100, plus $7 shipping

Item #44 Private Collection Barbie 4th Edition

This Barbie holds her Chinese baby as they prepare to travel home and begin their life together as a family.   These dolls were made by Matel in Hong Kong and this is a 4^th Edition, made in 2004.  These dolls were specially made and presented as gifts for families traveling to China to adopt their children and who stayed at the famous White Swan Hotel while processing their adoption paperwork.  This box has never been opened.

Not sold Retail

Minimum bid $100, plus $7 shipping

Item #43 4QT Family Roaster

This Stoneware Berry Family Roaster is Cranberry in color with a clear glass lid. Its’ dimensions are 18.7x13.6x8.46” and holds up to 8 quarts.  It is microwave, dishwasher and oven safe.  Donated by the Raymer family.

Min. bid $15, plus $15 shipping

Item #39 Child's 4 strand necklace

This blue, green and aqua necklace was handmade by the big sister of a China adoptee.   The beads are strung throughout 4 transparent necklaces, giving the illusion of “floating”.   This necklace can be work on a small woman or a teen/tween/child.  Donated by the Queen family.

Min. bid $3, plus 2 shipping

Item #38 Handmade Bangle Bracelet

This blue, white and silver bangle bracelet was handmade by a Zhanjiang adoptee, Michele Juskowitz.  It is a stunning piece and is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry Michele has ever made!

 Michele was adopted from Zhanjiang as a baby and is now living in Florida with her mom, Lisa.  Michele makes lots of different necklaces, bracelets and earrings and donates the proceeds to various charities, include Zhanjiang Kids Organization which funds the programs in the Zhanjiang orphanage.  Michele has a huge heart for the children left behind and was excited to donate some of her handmade items to help another Zhanjiang child, Abraham, to find his forever family.  Thank you Michele for your beautiful heart!

Min. bid $15, plus $2 shipping

Item #31 16 pc. Grilling Set

This 16 piece grilling kit comes with an aluminum storage case.  The kit includes a 4 in 1 spatula with serrated edge, fork point and bottle opener.  A thermometer fork, basting brush, 4 skewers, 8 corn holders and a grill light.  Donated by the Raymer Family.

Min. bid $13, plus $8 shipping

Item #26 Solid Jade Disc Necklace

Round disc jade necklace ~ This disc jade necklace is shown with a red thread necklace with a traditional Chinese closure.   It can be transferred to any type of chain if you desire.  This necklace came from the Guangdong Province and is considered a higher quality of jade with its’ light color and marbling of darker green.  Donated by the Wehrman Family.

Min. bid $15, plus $5 shipping

Item #21 Ethnic Chinese Playing Cards

This deck of playing cards comes in a plastic storage case.  The cards are designed with ancient Chinese women in their traditional ethnic dresses.

Min. bid $2, plus $2 shipping



Item #20 Carved Fish Pearl Necklace

This necklace comes with an 18” black rope chain that holds a hand carved fish made of fresh water pearl which was harvested from the South China Sea and comes from the Guangdong Province of China.

Min. bid $8, plus $5 shipping

Item #19 Sterling Silver "Believe" Necklace

This ladies necklace comes with an 18” chain that forms into tear drop style necklace that holds a brushed nickel finish charm which says “Believe”.  Beautifully packaged in a Red Thread box.

Min. bid $5, plus $5 shipping

Item #18 Chinese Wooden Comb

This Chinese comb is made of natural wood material.  The chop represents The Chongqing Carpenter Tea Handicrafts Co.  They are a professional woodwork company that handcrafts grooming supplies.

Inheriting the essence of Chinese traditional carpentry crafts and abiding by the quality policy of “finest wood craftsmanship”, the company is dedicated to the development, fabrication and sales of natural high-quality hand-made woodworks that combine the charm of traditional ethnic cultures with modern fashionable styles.

 Min. bid $7, plus $5 shipping



Item #17 Pearl Braclet from South China Sea



This pearl bracelet is made up of pearls harvested from the South China Sea near the Guangdong Province.  It displays different colors and shapes of fresh water pearls and has a gold clasp.  The bracelet can fit a small woman’s wrist or a teenager.

Min. bid $30, plus $10 shipping

Item #16 Wooden China Puzzle



This puzzle of China is made of wooden pieces.  Each province is written in both Chinese and English.  Some provinces display colorful pictures representing what the province is famous for.  This is a fun way for your child to learn more about China!

Min. bid $3, plus $5 shipping

Item #10 Chinese Boys 2pc Suit 8/10

Black 2 pc. Boys Chinese Suit, Size 8/10 – The traditional suit is in a solid black silk material.  The top is a jacket type style with Chinese buttons and features a stunning gold embroidered Chinese disk.  The back of this jacket will take your breath away with a gold 12” embroidered dragon!  The pants have an elastic waist and they feature a small version of the dragon embroidered on the side of one of the pant legs.  You can normally wear this up to a size 12 depending on your child’s height.

Min. Bid $18, plus $5 shipping



Item #6 Red Girls Formal Party Dress 6

Girls Size 6 Formal Party Dress ~ Dress includes built in tulle over a silk lining to give the dress as much fullness as you would like, but keeping it soft on the skin.  The dress includes weaved silk ribbon throughout with sequins for that added sparkle.  Dress has a bow on the front of the waistline and a tie bow on the back.

Min. bid $12, plus shipping $5