Hello All! I am sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I can't imagine what I have been doing with my time! Yesterday was a great day to play in the snow. During Luke's nap time the girl's and I went out in the snow and played in 20 degree temperatures for over an hour. This is a great example of how adequate clothing when it is below freezing works. Before I hear from my-in-laws on how Luke is missing out. In my defense, Luke can usually barely make it twenty minutes outside and he is crying because he truly does get cold quicker. I knew the girls would enjoy much longer than that. Luke has had and will have many snow opportunities. So when Daddy is home, Luke gets his turn. It actually takes longer to get him dressed in his snow garb than the time he spends in the snow. So back to the Briden ladies snow time. Both Grace and Faith loved it. They were swinging on the swing set, making many snow angels and throwing "snow balls" at each other and of course mommy dearest. I say "snow balls" loosely because it was snow and sometimes it formed a ball. Often though it was a snow sprinkling. The snow yesterday was not good for packing. But they love to throw snow, so who wants to disappoint them. Faith kept saying as she threw the snow, " It's the first day of summer." I looked around the first time and said "do we have snow in summer?" Grace just kept giggling, which encourages our little comedian Faith. Faith just kept right on welcoming summer. Who knows maybe summer is right around the corner in February, but I doubt it. After we picked Grace up from Pre-school, we partook in a time honored Michigan tradition. The Slurpee. We get a Slurpee commonly from the 7-11 up the road. Not just in summer, but when it is twenty degrees with a wind chill of five as well. I can remember more winter Slurpee runs in high school than anything else. So today's flavor was purple cream. The kids love them and they have learned while drinking them in the car in subfreezing temperatures it is always best to rotate hands. First you hold the Slurpee with one hand then when you can't feel it anymore rotate hands and allow hand number one to warm up while hand number two freezes. It is just one of those many things you learn quick before frost bite sets in. So next time you enjoy a Slurpee please think of us. All my Love- Crystal

Hello All! Well today I have wondered who is my child Lord? What road do we need to take to arrive at the place where we meet the child you have for us? Or is it children? Could it be more than one child? What is your dream for us Lord? I have fears, insecurities and confusion. SHHHH, I think the Lord says to me, wait and listen. I will reveal my will to you in my time, I will be glorified and I am at work. When we started the process in Sierra Leone in September of 2004 we had a referral for an 18 month old toddler girl and in the end we switched countries and genders. So we know God will let us know how to proceed from here. I just don't want any second guessing. I ask for clarity and wisdom in discerning steps to take or when not to take a step at all. I still feel a loss for the little girl with the big brown eyes from Sierra Leone and I think I always will. God doesn't promise a pain free and care free life does he?
2 Corinthians 4 : 7-10 --But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to GOD and not us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.-- Wow, that is powerful!! God you are magnificent!! Love, Crystal

Hello All! Well this morning has been quite eventful. We are all sick. Faith, Luke, Kelly and I have some upper respiatory thing going on. Grace also has that on top of vomitting six times this morning. So, you see we are the house of nasty smells and yucky winter viruses. I knew it was coming. With all the snow, cold and exposure to other children at church and pre-school it was a ticking time bomb. So now it is literally exploding all over the living room. So, who wants to come visit us today? No, takers? I am amazed!! Please pray for health and maybe a body size antiviral and antibacterial wipe for children. Thanks!! God Bless- Crystal

PS the picture is of one of our local Lighthouses on Lake Michigan in winter.

Hello all! Well today we had the interview process of our home study. The second time around is so much less painful then the first. Because we had typed up our autobiographies that made it easier as well. Our social worker was very nice and she did very well at putting us at ease. She interviewed Kelly and I as a couple, Kelly by himself, me by myself and the kids. I actually really enjoyed it this time, so I guess you could say it was quick and painless. Now they compile the home study and approve or deny us. We have given them ever piece of identifying information we have ever held. They now know more about us than some of our closest friends. Not because we wouldn't want to tell our friends. Frankly I think it would bore them to tears. Faith kept saying to the social worker " I want the baby" and "Where is the new baby?" So I had to explain the whole "you have to be patient babies take time" thing. That is the same for having a biological child or for adopting. Adopting can be more stressful in that there is no definite time line. For a three year old though there is no time like the present for everything!! : ) I loved the picture I found of this baby. Luke looks at me like this quite often and this little guy is cute. We continue to pray for God to lead us to our baby boy. God Bless, Crystal

Hello to all! What a gorgeous Sunday we are having today. I love this weather. Snow falling, 20 degrees outside, Pro football championship games, hot coffee and comfortable sweat pants. As I watch the snow falling I think of the place I am from, the state I currently live in, Michigan. I was reading in Genesis this week and enjoying the time line of the beginning of the world. I read about the tower of babel. Something hit me and really sank in. It was something I have read many times before, but this time held new meaning. In Genesis Chapter 11 verse 8 it says, So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth. All the people created up until that point lived on one continent and shared a common language. When God confused their language and scattered them, they ending up living all over the globe. In the snows of the north, the humidity of the tropics and the heat of the desert southwest. My ancestors came to America and eventually Michigan from what is now Germany and possibly some from the British Isles. It is part of who I am my origin, but it doesn't define me. My value is in Christ and who he can mold me into. The builders of the tower of Babel wanted their identity separate from God they wanted to "build a name for themselves", they in essence wanted to be God. I am a Michigander, an American, a citizen of the world, a wife, a mother, I drive a used Ford mini van, I have three beautiful kids, I love watching birds, I am an R.N. and I love good coffee. More importantly than any of these things I am an adopted daughter of the King of Kings. I pray that it is that fact that defines me and how I define others. I don't need a name for myself. I have a name I am a Christian. He is my all in all. My definition is in him. All that is good in my life is from him. The world may define me as one thing, a mom and a stay at home wife. I ask you to look at Christ first and then see me through him. Michigan is a great place to be from, but that also doesn't define me. At least not the real me. That Crystal is hidden in Christ and longs for him to continue to shape me into the Crystal he would have me to be. One dictionary definition for the word define is - to give form or meaning to- an example being "For Crystal life is defined by Christ". Just some food for thought on a snowy winter day. God Bless, Crystal

Hello to all! Well yesterday was a fun day as we had some sun and we played in the snow with Daddy. We have a "snowman kit" that a coworker of Kelly's from Missouri gave us for Christmas one year. It comes complete with a scarf, coal for eyes (not real coal), button nose and a corn cob pipe. The container that holds all the goodies is a plastic coffee can painted black and it has the Frosty painted on it. The coffee can also doubles as frosty's hat. It is complete with a black craft foam brim that goes around it to look like a top hat. It was so much fun and the kids could hardly wait to build him. Yesterday it was sunny, but only 15 degrees outside so that can make it hard to build a snowman. But as you can see from the pictures we were successful!! Luke came in after a short time from the snow crying. He was shaking his hands and seemed almost irritated. I held him and told him you will get used to this feeling. I guess he doesn't like the feeling of his hands warming up again. This morning as we were pulling out of the driveway Faith said " oh no, Frosty is going to melt!" I said Faith he is definitely not going to melt, but if he does I will eat my hat. She thought that was quite funny. Don't worry about the hat eating it is still only a balmy 22 degrees here today. God Bless- Crystal

Hello to all! Well winter has come back to Michigan. I am glad. I much prefer the snow to gray days, with rain and no sun. So I have included a picture of the snow and the view from our family room. I love this view, it is from our sliding glass doors. Today I feel like God has blanketed the ground in white just for me to enjoy. Looking out this view and enjoying what God has created is how I connect with God. I believe different people connect with God in many unique ways. I am a nature girl !! I always feel my strongest connection to him while enjoying the wonderful world he created. My dad came to visit yesterday and we went to see "Charlotte's Web" with him at the local movie theatre. In the movie when Wilbur enjoys his first snow of winter the narrator says " It was as if Charlotte had shaken the snow out of the sky just for him." Grace and Faith were looking out their bedroom window while getting dressed this morning and Faith said " Look, Grace, we have snow on our window, How cool." Grace replied " Yeah, God shook it out of the sky just for us." I had to smile at the truth in the statement. I am commonly quite impressed though at the willingness of children to believe the truth. They accept God is real and that he created the snow. It may have a scientific explanation, but ultimately who makes the snow!! Who is in control of coating the dead brown landscape with glorious, clean, refreshing white? Job 37:6 reads -He says to the snow "Fall on the earth" and to the rain shower "be a mighty downpour"-. God is good !! Thank you Lord for the snow : ) Blessings to you all- Crystal

Now it begins. I have started answering question after question for our second home study yesterday. It is really quite amazing all the information that is needed for this process. Questions like " Discuss the strengths in your marriage.-- Discuss the adjustment period when you first married.--How are household responsibilities distributed.-- If you and your spouse were to have an argument this month, what would it most likely be about?." Interesting, very interesting! I am sure enquiring minds want to know: )

I am praying for God to guide us regarding the child that he wants to add to our family. I feel such peace this time. Primarily because the child is not identified as of yet, at least not by us. I have no question in my mind that God has had this little guy in mind for some time now. So it is with that confidence that we proceed. God is going to reveal to us at the perfect time the little guy. It was so hard to be going through these preliminary steps last time with a child already identified. You think of them so often. I used to gaze at the picture of Sarah (the little girl we tried so hard to adopt from Sierra Leone) and wonder what she sounded like, what her smile looked like, even what she smelled like. So after experiencing that I am glad to have the luxury of not having a picture and name to look at. That was so hard. Especially with the adoption not succeeding. I still pray for Sarah, I think I always will. I am aware though that there will come a time when we do have the name and picture of our new child. Then it becomes more real. That is when the mother bear attitude in me tends to come out. Don't mess with my cub, I want to be between them and trouble. I at the very least want them on the same continent!! God Bless- Crystal

Hello to all my friends and family! Well we are loving our basment. While we lived in Missouri this was probably the thing I missed the most. O.K. you're right it was the Great Lakes. But, the basement was a close second! These pictures were taken last evening and the kids love riding bikes in a circle in our basement. Faith is a big girl now as we bought her a bicycle. She loves it!! Luke rides his push tractor like he is a NASCAR driver. He can move his feet so fast that he rides equally as fast as the bicycle girlies. I thought you would all like to see the pictures of our families raceway.


Well, winter has found us. Right now we have a temperature with the windchill of 15 degrees. So the basement becomes are all purpose room perfect for crafts and wild playtime. Thank God for a big unfinished basement!!!

Last evening we had some friends over two of which are Liberian nationals. One is a Physician studying ultrasound here in the U.S. , the second is attending a seminary to be come a pastor. What interesting after dinner conversation. It is neat to see how God brings people with common callings together. He is definitely given us a heart for West Africa, more specifically Liberia. He keeps pointing us that direction. After Kelly shared about his recent mission trip, we talked about the great need in Liberia. I was able to ask these two gentlemen about the movie "Blood Diamond" and their perspective of it. The seminary student said he had already seen it twice and that it was an accurate portrayal of Sierra Leone's bloody war and how the diamonds were trafficked through Liberia. The physician agreed and said he thought it was violent, but true to the events. We then started to talk about forgiveness and when you have lived through such horrific events. How does one begin to forgive the people who have murdered your children, raped your wives, and mutilated your bodies? The doctor then stated something that sums up the truth of the civil wars in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. He said "they were just children, forced by drugs to fight, many were just children." Wow, I could hear the forgiveness in his voice in this statement. I have attached a picture of a Liberian child solider to this post. I thought it was a touching photo in that you can see how young he is. Pray for this boy, the army of young men who have had to grow up amidst this terrible bloodshed, pray for Liberia and their healing- Crystal

I am aware New Mexico and Colorado have been buried in snow lately. It is hard to believe that we live in Michigan though, this week. It has been so warm, today it was 47 degrees. Can you believe that? Nobody in the state is wearing a coat anymore. People have even cracked their















car windows while driving. I thought I had forgotten sunshine until I actually had to wear sunglasses while outside today. I think I would have even attempted to swim in Lake Michigan today if I had my bathing suit with me. : ) I even went to the beach to get some pictures of the rare warm January day. The downhill skiers and snowmobile owners are ready so bring it on. I personally love the snow at this time of year. It coats everything in such a beautiful white as opposed to grey and brown.

Kelly and I are going away for our seventh anniversary the third weekend in February. We are headed "up north" to some of our breathtaking wineries near Traverse City. We are going on a wine tasting tour. Part of the package is a "snowshoe stomp". This will entail walking the grounds of one of the wineries on snowshoes, of course. It is not sounding like too much fun without the snow. But if we have to much snow we may never make it up to the weekend of "Wine, Chocolate and Love" put on by the Leelanau County Vintners Association. So please pray for snow, but not too much!! God Bless- Crystal

Well I am observant if nothing else. From the lack of posted comments on my "must read" blog, I have decided to announce some rather big news! We are starting the process of adopting number two from Liberia. Now when I say starting the process I mean we need to send in the cash to start our home study. So we are very much still in the beginning stages. To be honest the time involved in the process of adopting overwhelms me. If not for this I would be very excited and screaming it from the rooftops so all would know about this decision. But, alas I am a realist. This will be a long process, it will entail many things I don't like. Collecting tons of documentation, writing about my childhood and how I thought my parents got it wrong and right, having heated conversations with USCIS ( formerly INS) officers, and waiting, waiting and more waiting. I know it is all worth it for the life a child, my child. But I must admit I wish the process of international adoption on the U.S. side of things could be streamlined. Maybe someday that will be God's call for my life. For now I anticipate a battle for this little guys life, I am ready! May God be glorified as we pursue the Briden Families newest addition! Love, Crystal

Hello and a good evening to all! I am so enthralled with a book series I had to include it in my blogging today. I am reading a series of books written by Tracie Peterson. She is a Christian historical fiction author. The series is the Heirs of Montana series and it is very well written and from what I can tell so far historically accurate. I greatly enjoy historical fiction especially romance. To be transported to a different time and picture how you would adapt to the events and circumstances of the time period. It is fun to dream! My hope is that in Heaven we will experience different periods of Earth's recorded history. It would be neat to see what it would be like to own a ranch in Montana, ride a wagon train across the wild untamed west and come to this country as an original colonist. I know, I know I am a hopeless romantic!I highly recommend this series and this author. Have a great night! God Bless- Crystal

Hello to all and Happy New Year! What a blessed Christmas season we have had and we are thankful for who our Lord is and all our Lord has done for us. Thank you most importantly to all our friends and family for your love and friendship to us in 2006.

Well, we had a great weekend that started with a fun family time. We went up to the Double JJ Ranch, golf resort and indoor water park. The indoor water park is called the "Gold Rush". We went as a family and stayed both Friday and Saturday nights. We had access to the water park both Friday night and all Saturday. My siblings and my father met us there and it was a fun time for our extended family as well. I was able to see my youngest brother, Jeff, who is in the Navy. He had not met Luke and hadn't visited us since Faith was 5 days old. So it was so great to watch him bond with the kids! He is an excellent uncle and they loved playing with Uncle Jeff. I have attached a picture of the whole extended clan as well as a picture of me with my three siblings.

Today we took down Christmas decorations. It is not near as much fun as putting them up. But nice to remember that the decorations aren't the real meaning of Christmas. You can have decorations a plenty, but if you do not surrender your life to Christ, the babe in the manger, you have missed the Lord's love for you. I pray all who read this will know and love the truth of Christ. God Bless- Crystal