Spring

I am amazed at quickly life is speeding by me. My little ones are big ones now and the school year will be ending in over a month!

I read a wonderful blog that gave me an idea for a Memorial Box. Right now, it is just a shoe box but it will become much more once I find the appropriate receptacle. It is based on Joshua 4: The Lord told the Israelites to take twelve stones from the bottom of the Jordan as they passed through its waters to make a memorial. For generations it would stand to remind them of the faithfulness and greatness of God.

21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

So, in our family box will go small articles that serve as reminders of how God has worked in our family - an amazing wedding, an emergency C-section, a journey of faith to a daughter on the other side of the world...

There is no excuse for not believing and persevering through times when we can't see what the future holds when we hold in our hands the tangible reminders that God's Hand holds us always.

Mama

National Adoption Awareness Month - November, 2010

And Orphan Sunday - November 7, 2010

I am hoping to find a way to host an adoption event here in Bolivar in the month of November with a local group of adoptive parents. Also, as God's infinite wisdom would allow, I pray He'd let us open our home to one more child sometime in the next 2 - 4 years. Hang in there, Riley, if it's God's will, we'll find you!!

Love,
Mama

Check out www.cryoftheorphan.org for more information.

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

School Times

School is going great! I'm in third grade, Alex is in kindergarten, and Katie is in MWF Preschool. Daddy is me and Alex's computer teacher, and he works at the front desk 11:30-3:30. He has done so much for us! Thank you Daddy!




Just a quick little update.

Ryan

Summer Fun

We have been so busy! Ryan is disgusted that we haven't posted a blog entry in so long. Therefore, a quick Cohen update. Last school year ended well and our summer has been great. We celebrated Alex's and Ryan's birthdays. We went down to Branson for a long weekend with wonderful friends - the Clarksons. We had an amazing vacation to South Dakota - hiking, staying in cabins, seeing wildlife and Mount Rushmore. It was a total dream come true for me. We had breakfast with SpongeBob and Patrick at Silver Dollar City. This week Aiya has been visiting and we went to the Republic Aquatic Center and had a party at Play-4-Fun.

School starts this Thursday. Ryan is in third grade, Alex is my BIG KINDERGARTNER, and Katie is in MWF Preschool!! Eric also will be in school -- he is teaching computers and working at the office at PCCS (Polk County Christian School).
We will have a wonderful, busy, blessed year. We are very thankful.

Love,
Mom

Recent News from January-March!

How does time speed? Seems to me like everything that recently happened had happened 2 hours ago! Not really, but time does seem to hurry. Many recent events, including my dentist appointment to take my teeth out, the 100th day of school, Valentine's Day, cousin Samantha's birthday, Groundhog Day, President's Day (no school on President's Day, go figure!), Katie's birthday, Valentine's Day Parties, our trip to St. Louis, my Grandma Rose's funeral, Zaide's birthday, etc. Many days, many things. Well, goodbye.






Ryan

Recent News In The Cohen Household!

Well, our St. Louis trip was tough and fun. On Saturday, we arrived at our hotel at about 8:10-8:15.
We had a 2 hour swim after unpacking, and then went back for a snooze. Sunday was fun-filled day for us Cohens. We headed to the Science Museum. The hit was the limited "Dinosaurs Unearthed" with over 15 models of dinosaurs that moved, and 5 complete skelitons. Alex liked the Triceratops model, Katie was impressed by the Build-A-Bear dog Mei Mei she got, as well as my Horno, and Alex's Rebel (Star Wars talk!) . I was amazed by the 62-foot-long skeliton of an Omeisaurus. As well as the Discovery Center, I pretty much covered all our Sunday. But wait! There's more! When we got back, we hung back at the hotel for awhile. We watched SpongeBob for a few minutes, and Mama headed to a 4-hour meeting. Then we went swimming and back to bed. Monday was my great Grandma Rose's funeral. Then back home. I am sitting here typing this at 9:93pm while Alex is playing a Star Wars Wii Game, and Mama, Daddy, and Katie are hanging out. Well, that's all for today. Gonna see if I can watch SpongeBob. Bye!

:( Not So Happy

Dad is sick. I'm not happy so please keep him in your prayers. In fact, we had to leave school early so..