My Precious and Pleasant Riches

I took the title of my blog from the book of Proverbs, chapter 24, verses 3 and 4.

                       By wisdom a house is built,
                          And by understanding it is established;
                       By knowledge the rooms are filled
                           with all precious and pleasant riches. 

   I am blessed with beautiful, precious and pleasant riches that fill my house with laughter and joy and music.

When I was little, I always had something in mind when someone would ask "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I can distinctly remember wanting to be an astronaut and a firefighter...though there was many others, as well.  One thing I never considered was being a mother.  I rarely played with baby dolls, and did not give much thought to being a mother.  Even as I got older, motherhood was far from my mind.  I wanted to do something big, something that made a difference!  I loved children!  I just did not consider having my own.  By the time I was 14, I was settled on being a pediatric physical therapist.  I wanted to help kids with special needs.  I felt a strong draw to them, and my mom had got me a summer volunteer job at the local special needs preschool.  I adored my job and the kids.  I also knew then I wanted to be a mother to a child with special needs, but who would come right out and say that, especially a teenager?

Now that I am a mother (and not a PT...yet), I wouldn't trade this for any degree!! My Precious and Pleasant Riches make me smile every day and I know this is my first calling.  My girls are my life.  I am so blessed to have easy children!

Bug is my oldest (12), she is so sweet and compassionate and very outgoing!  She is very smart, especially in math and science, and talks about being a vet or a baby doctor (neonatologist).  She is sarcastic and sardonic like her daddy.  She has the voice of an angel.  Bug like to be motherly, even though her sisters don't appreciate it much.  She likes to help and know she is helpful.  She likes to volunteer with the children's ministry at church.

Dot is my second (almost 9), and my only blondie! She is introverted by nature but you wouldn't know it by meeting her!  She is bubbly and personable and fun.  She is gifted and has the attention span of a fruit fly, which makes her my most demanding child! But she has a heart of gold and she wears it on her sleeve for all to see.

May May is 4, and as most 4 yr olds are, she is very inquisitive.  She is a talker at home, but does not talk to people she isn't sure of.  She is incredibly smart and, like her big sister Dot, she is very literal and serious, so conversations can be very deep with her (for a 4 yr old, anyway).  One surefire way to get the girl to talk is to ask her about her farm.  She wants a farm when she grows up.  She talks about it every day, what animals will be on her farm, what kind of food she'll have there, what kind of house... I love every minute of it.  I even have a board on pinterest devoted to her farm!

Dee Dee is my youngest (almost 2).  She is our "surprise" baby, the one we didn't intentionally conceive but wanted and loved nonetheless.  She was a surprise from conception and has kept us on our toes, wondering what's next ever since!  She was a preemie and has had a hard time catching up in size, but boy howdy does she pack a big punch in that tiny frame!  She is full of life and joy and personality.  We all love her so much and I have to constantly remind my other three (mostly the two big'uns) that she is a person with feelings and not a baby doll!  She was born while my husband was deployed, and her birth was scary and traumatic and she is literally a miracle.

Most would say four is enough.  "You have your hands full!" is the most common way I get told that.  ("Better than having them empty."  is my most common answer to that statement...) But I still have a seat in the van, a chair at the table and room in my heart.  So, we're going to fill it.  But not in a conventional way...

Who Am I?

       I read lots of blogs; mostly adoption related blogs, but some that are about families who have children with special needs.  I always look in the archives to see if I can get a gist of who this family is, what they are about , and if I can at least get the "characters" straight in the story they are telling.  So, I thought I'd start my blog off with a post like that!  If you are beginning my blogging journey with me, great! Welcome!  I hope I'm not too boring, I hope I can captivate you at least once.  If you are coming into our story in the middle, Welcome!  I hope we have already captivated you enough to keep you coming back for more!

      My name is Carissa (pronounced like Teresa, but with a K sound at the beginning, instead of a T...my parents spelled my name wrong ;-) ). I am first and foremost a child of God, beloved and chosen by the Most High for His glory.  (If you want to know more about Jesus, just ask!!)  I am happily married to my husband of 14 years, Jonathan.  He is active duty in the U.S Air Force.  We have four extremely beautiful, smart, and talented girls, ranging in age from 12 to 2.
     As for me, I love to learn.  My favorite subjects have to do with  The Bible, biology, and human anatomy.  I aspire to be a pediatric physical therapist some day.  But I chose to be a mom first.   I LOVE being a mom.  I didn't know I'd love it this much when I started!  I also like to read, and sew, and craft when I have the time.  My favorite way to get outside is to ride my TerraTrike Cruiser.  I love to bake yummy things for my girls. I can be a bit sarcastic, but I am usually too quiet for anyone to know that about me.  I am very much an introvert.  I need my quiet time to recoup and think.
     I am an Orphan Advocate Coordinator for Grace Haven Ministries.  Jesus broke my heart for the unloved and I want to do anything I am able to ensure that as many of His children are set in families as I can advocate for.  It is very important to me that the organizations I advocate with and for value integrity and honesty, so you can be sure that if you are interested in advocating or adopting, the organizations I mention here are filled with  godly, honest people who will help you.
    Music is a HUGE part of my life.  I played violin in school and loved it.  I met my husband because of his love for music, and many of our dates were to concerts, one he was performing in or just a good show to go to.  God blesses me with songs quite frequently (you know, when you turn on the radio and that song comes on and you just it was meant for you to hear?), and has given me special songs for important events in my life.  My kids have all started singing very early and have proven to be quite talented at it.  Two of them play instruments.  I would not know what to do without music in my life!! I call my life a musical because there is always music in my ears!  At least one of my kids or my husband is always singing!!
     My husband wouldn't want much mention here, he deems social networking to be "evil" even though he has seen the things accomplished through social networking and blogging.  He is a cyber-intel geek, so to him blogs and social media are security risks!  He is into Star Wars and motorcycles and Jesus.  He has the voice of an angel and sings for the worship team at church. He likes to shoot guns and work out...he is quite the "manly man".  He is also tender and compassionate, a protector and a helper.  He loves children, especially his own.  He is snarky and fun-loving and adventurous.
      Maybe I should continue with the girls in another post ... this is getting long!! I hope you stick around, we are getting ready to embark on a HUGE adventure!  You don't want to miss this!