Let's Rewind things for just a bit!

I have not abandoned my blog, although I know it may seem like that.  We have been very busy with life that just seems to be keeping me going in many directions lately.  We are in the process of some home renovations.  We are moving our girls to a different room, the room that had previously been owned by  bats storage(another blog post for another day) and was in need of walls, insulation, and windows.  So there has been lots going on to get us ready to bring our sweet girl home.  We are moving Sadie into the girls old room which did not inhabit bats:) Temporarily the girls are in the playroom with their pigs(guinea...ugh)biggest mistake of my life  and all "four" of them are happier then pigs in mud(seriously) for the present moment.

So the nesting has definitely started here in the last month!! We are getting closer and closer yet each day feels like its just not gonna happen soon enough.  Funny, I can remember vividly, how I felt being pregnant with Maggie.  She decided to arrive  6 days late.  And just like every mom out there each time I was preggers I would think, "oh I might go early this time".  Well with this paper pregnancy for our little china doll...it's the same thing!  This fifth little Hirschberg is just following suit with her siblings!

Okay, where was I..oh yeah I wanted to rewind things since I was vacant on here during some really fun happenings with our family!  You know it's either feast or famine...so I apologize ahead of time if I go on to much...but there are lots of pictures ahead!!

In a previous post I mentioned our brother, Eliud coming to stay with us for a bit so I wanted to highlight our time with him and how much we just looooooved having him and how much we just love him!  His life and testimony have God's handprints all over it...it's a beautiful story where God took the hopelessness and despair from life circumstances that were out of his control and placed divine appointments at exactly the right time to breath hope into his life that come only through the love of a Savior.

Our first outing was to take him bowling, he had never been so we thought we would introduce him to this sport.

On his first turn up.....He got a STRIKE!!!! unbeeeeelievable!

This year we decided we were going to have 2 Christmas trees.  The first being the traditional one that we have each year and then the second being a African tree.  We are very passionate about Africa and a organization, Chariots For Hope.  We are partnering with them in sponsoring children in an orphanage. One that none of us have had the opportunity to go to.....yet...someday hopefully.  This orphanage is about 7 hours away from where Bob and the boys have been in the past and making it difficult to travel to. 

 Anyway, in an attempt to slim down and refocus our Christmas I thought we could make a tree with ornaments of the children in our orphanage and the men and women who live at the orphanage and pour into these kiddos.  This project turned into just a wonderful, great time spent together as a family and with Eliud there as well.  I was not prepared for the emotions I would feel.  As we took the pictures of the children and made the ornaments I couldn't help but think of how different our lives are.  Here we sit in our cushy home making ornaments from materials we purchased for a "few bucks" by just simply hopping into our nice van and driving 5 minutes down the road.  I sat around our table looking at how very different my life and the lives of our childrens are compared to these beautiful, happy children.  Why? Why do my kids have parents who can afford to provide for their basic needs plus?  Why are Bob and I able to raise our children here in our home?  Why have we not fallen on hard times where we have to do the hardest thing by giving them over to be cared for by those who can give them their basic needs(water, food). I don't know but I do know that God has laid on my heart and Bob's heart to do something.   All that we have his from Him, by Him and because of Him.  

As we made the tree and prayed for these children I was so full of love....love for children who I have not even met.  How great the Father's love is for us that He fills us up so that we can be poured out into others!  Oh how I pray that I make the most of those opportunities!

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  Psalm 63:3-4

Eliud using the glue gun..

We made a banner of the name of our orphanage

I found the HOPE ornaments at Wal-Mart and scattered them throughout the tree

HOPE....so thankful for the One who is our hope!

can you see why I was filled with tears?

look at these faces....precious!

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  John 14:18