Well, here is the post I was working on before this blog was hacked. It has been in my heart and soul for weeks. I hope and pray that it comes out the way I want it too, with sincerity as well as a bit of pride.
My brother Bobby, called me once and said that when he listened to this song by Brooks and Dunn that he always thought of Merrill and I. To be honest, I had never even heard of the song before. So Bobby, being the top notch brother that he is, sent it to me. Then he sang with it to me. Gotta love him. Anyway, I fell in love with this song. Every time I hear it I think of him and then of Merrill and I. If you do not know it, please find it and listen to it. (words folloing this post)
Anyway, on with my thoughts. So many of you know Merrill's and my story. I believe with all my heart that we were put on this journey of adopting long ago. I was only 8 years old when I told my mama that I was never going to have children, I was going to adopt. Merrill and I were the perfect couple for that. He really can't produce children, but more than that, I can't concieve a child. So adopting became our way to build our family.
Our children have come to us in many ways. They have come to us as mixed as children can get. They have found their way home no matter how hard the climb. Merrill and I have face obsticals that many would never understand and yet also many that others have faced as well. I felt for years that I had let my parents down because they had owned their own business and here I married just a regular guy. At first my parents really did not get Merrill at all. They had a hard time even liking him. I am so thankful that before my mama died, she really fell in love with Merrill and knew that he was the best person in the entire world for me. My life was not as she had invisioned for me, but it was perfect for me.
Merrill and I are a team. We are one and we are commited to God first, each other second and our family next. Merrill has proudly served his country for 36 years and counting. We are all so proud of his service. While we really do not have a life that is without worry, we have a great life. I have so often wished that we had the money to improve our home, to add on to it, to build that handicap bathroom that I have dreamed of for years. The reality of it all is that it will probably never happen. I can still cling to a dream that it might.
People find it funny that we have saved change in a five gallon jar for years. We call it our Dinseyland fund. We were almost to the top about a year and a half ago when someone took about half of it. I cried for weeks on and off. There went our dream. But you know, we are almost there again. Merrill thinks we might just make it this year, taking all the children to Disenyland. WOW. It will be fun.
You know, I think it is so much more important that our children know God first. That is more important than a home that is added onto. I am so thankful that over all of the years our children have come home from school to a mom at home, waiting for them. I know that is not possible for all parents as many have to work. It has just been a blessing for us that I have been able to be at home for them. They know that their daddy will be home at 4:30 sharp. That is a good feeling for them.
It is great that they now have parents that are together and not hit by divorce. Oh they have known more than their fair share of sadness, but they are survivors and that is what you see when you meet them. Their lights shine rather than having been put out.
As a family we have been critized by many. I really feel that it is because they do not understand how this family works. Face it, I really do not understand it myself many days. All I know is that it does and that is what matters. Merrill and I have always tried to say to ourselves how can we do something with all of the children, rather than we can't do this or that because this child can't do it. So far that works out really pretty good.
People often ask us if we are done now. To be honest, I thought we were done when we only had six children. Then I knew we were done when we had twelve. Now here we are with 18 and I am not going to answer that question any longer. My guess is we may never really know.
Now, this brings me back full circle to the song. Thank You so much Bobby for telling me about this song. A special thanks to Brooks and Dunn for writing the song. You see, I am proud of the House we have built. I want to share it with the world. This is a great place to be.
Love to each of you.
I dropped to my knees in that field on your daddy's farm.
Asked you to marry me, all I had to give was my heart.
While other kids went diving into swimming holes,
You and me dove off into the great unknown.
We were barely gettin' by, takin' care of each other.
Then I became a daddy; you became a mother.
Was an uphill battle nearly every day,
Lookin' back I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
Still workin' our way through the land of milk and honey.
At the end of the day there's always more bills than money.
I close my eyes at night and I still feel
The same fire in my heart I felt out in that field.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
Oh, look at us today.
Oh, we've come such a long long way.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
My brother Bobby, called me once and said that when he listened to this song by Brooks and Dunn that he always thought of Merrill and I. To be honest, I had never even heard of the song before. So Bobby, being the top notch brother that he is, sent it to me. Then he sang with it to me. Gotta love him. Anyway, I fell in love with this song. Every time I hear it I think of him and then of Merrill and I. If you do not know it, please find it and listen to it. (words folloing this post)
Anyway, on with my thoughts. So many of you know Merrill's and my story. I believe with all my heart that we were put on this journey of adopting long ago. I was only 8 years old when I told my mama that I was never going to have children, I was going to adopt. Merrill and I were the perfect couple for that. He really can't produce children, but more than that, I can't concieve a child. So adopting became our way to build our family.
Our children have come to us in many ways. They have come to us as mixed as children can get. They have found their way home no matter how hard the climb. Merrill and I have face obsticals that many would never understand and yet also many that others have faced as well. I felt for years that I had let my parents down because they had owned their own business and here I married just a regular guy. At first my parents really did not get Merrill at all. They had a hard time even liking him. I am so thankful that before my mama died, she really fell in love with Merrill and knew that he was the best person in the entire world for me. My life was not as she had invisioned for me, but it was perfect for me.
Merrill and I are a team. We are one and we are commited to God first, each other second and our family next. Merrill has proudly served his country for 36 years and counting. We are all so proud of his service. While we really do not have a life that is without worry, we have a great life. I have so often wished that we had the money to improve our home, to add on to it, to build that handicap bathroom that I have dreamed of for years. The reality of it all is that it will probably never happen. I can still cling to a dream that it might.
People find it funny that we have saved change in a five gallon jar for years. We call it our Dinseyland fund. We were almost to the top about a year and a half ago when someone took about half of it. I cried for weeks on and off. There went our dream. But you know, we are almost there again. Merrill thinks we might just make it this year, taking all the children to Disenyland. WOW. It will be fun.
You know, I think it is so much more important that our children know God first. That is more important than a home that is added onto. I am so thankful that over all of the years our children have come home from school to a mom at home, waiting for them. I know that is not possible for all parents as many have to work. It has just been a blessing for us that I have been able to be at home for them. They know that their daddy will be home at 4:30 sharp. That is a good feeling for them.
It is great that they now have parents that are together and not hit by divorce. Oh they have known more than their fair share of sadness, but they are survivors and that is what you see when you meet them. Their lights shine rather than having been put out.
As a family we have been critized by many. I really feel that it is because they do not understand how this family works. Face it, I really do not understand it myself many days. All I know is that it does and that is what matters. Merrill and I have always tried to say to ourselves how can we do something with all of the children, rather than we can't do this or that because this child can't do it. So far that works out really pretty good.
People often ask us if we are done now. To be honest, I thought we were done when we only had six children. Then I knew we were done when we had twelve. Now here we are with 18 and I am not going to answer that question any longer. My guess is we may never really know.
Now, this brings me back full circle to the song. Thank You so much Bobby for telling me about this song. A special thanks to Brooks and Dunn for writing the song. You see, I am proud of the House we have built. I want to share it with the world. This is a great place to be.
Love to each of you.
I dropped to my knees in that field on your daddy's farm.
Asked you to marry me, all I had to give was my heart.
While other kids went diving into swimming holes,
You and me dove off into the great unknown.
We were barely gettin' by, takin' care of each other.
Then I became a daddy; you became a mother.
Was an uphill battle nearly every day,
Lookin' back I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
Still workin' our way through the land of milk and honey.
At the end of the day there's always more bills than money.
I close my eyes at night and I still feel
The same fire in my heart I felt out in that field.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
Oh, look at us today.
Oh, we've come such a long long way.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
I'm proud of the house we built.
It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.
It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill.
A lot of things will come and go but love never will.
Oh, I'm proud.
I'm proud of the house we built.
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