A get away with the bigs!!

We were so blessed a couple of weeks back to get away for a very short and quick weekend with our four big kids.  We know adopting four kids has added an abundant amount of blessings to our family... but also an abundant amount of babysitting, diaper changes, bottles, messes etc. for our bigger kids to help with.  So after some talking we decided to give it a shot and try to find some special help to watch the 4 littles! It worked out great!

Caleb spent the previous night with his cousins and best buddy Logan and went and did a college visit with them. We met them all, including my sweet friend Kimmey Sue when we picked him up in Milwaukee!  What a treat to see Kim after so long.  We spent the 5 weeks in AZ while we were adopting Kaliyah with them in their home... (MOST GRACIOUS HOSTS EVER!!! And oh how I miss her!)

Then it was off to Door County Wisconsin!  Eating out was even a treat with out the littler guys:)

We were blessed to stay at the farm home of some friends from church:)

Lake Michigan is really beautiful... You really feel like you are on the edge of the ocean at times.  We stopped at a lot of shops, a lighthouse, let the kids skip rocks, and really took in the beautiful creation God has made:)

Anna and I ended the weekend hanging out in the hammock!  Talk about a beautiful day enjoying a beautiful property.  I was blessed to not have to cook all weekend!  HUGE TREAT! It was really a gift to hang with the 4 biggest kids!

When we got home these beautiful ladies had cleaned the whole house!  It was incredible!  Seriously, my heart was so blessed to come home and have the kids well taken care of and the bonus was a clean home!  It was awesome!  I didn't want these girls to leave:)

I am so thankful for each and every single one of my kids!  What a treat to have the big kids all to ourselves for a few days!

New beginnings...

And so it is...

As Louis moves on from the FMSC site here to mobilepack... 

I actually took his place at the site...

and I LOVE IT!!!

(Here Louis and I were wrapping and strapping a pallet during a packing session last week... he was subbing at the site... I was trying to get him to wear matching T-shirts... he wouldn't go for it:)

It has been a blast... There is a lot to remember and there is definitely a learning curve for me... but the people are kind, we make a great team, and I love feeding God's kids who are in great need...

It is the perfect way for me to take my love of missions and serving the vulnerable children of the world... and make it a part of my every day life right here in my own back yard!

The kids were packing a few weeks ago when we had company... nice hair nets friends!

Louis in front of the huge semi parked right in the convention center last weekend for the FMSC gala and auction... What a special time... Seriously, I am so honored and privileged to work part time for such a great organization!  

Here is a part of our team here at the site with the CEO of Feed My Starving Children, Mark Crea... What a down to earth fella...

It was a great night and a WHOLE LOT OF CHILDREN are going to be fed because of the generosity of the People in the Chicagoland area!  Go GOD!!!

Our boy... Louie

Growing up and finding the path God has for you can be hard...
Especially when maybe you aren't following the typical path for a person your age...
(Let me tell you as a home school mom... I feel the pressure....and I am sure Louis has as well...)

But God is mapping out a wonderful path for our son Louis... at this point it isn't exactly typical...
But beautiful and inspiring none the less...

Louis began his job with Feed My Starving Children (AMAZING ORGANIZATION!!!) in their mobile pack division just a couple of weeks ago...

He is no longer just working at the Feed My Starving Children site, he is taking a gap year and working with their mobile pack division as a Team Leader traveling around the US helping at different mobile pack events.

Depending on the event, they may be packing anywhere from 100,000 meals to a 5.5 million meal packing event in May that will be in Virginia... 

Talk about amazing!  Can you imagine helping thousands of Volunteers pack over 5.5 million meals for starving children around the world?  

He works really hard when he is out of town and comes home exhausted... He comes home having made a difference in the lives of 1,000s of volunteers and 1,000's of kids around the world.  

We are so thankful that the Lord brought Louis to Feed My Starving Children... 

It is a perfect fit for him... 

He is able to use the gifts God has given him to serve, love, help kids in needs, share the love of Jesus with volunteers, and in turn to help heal kids all around the world who are struggling with malnutrition and starvation... All in the name of Jesus...

Above is Louis leading an orientation for volunteers at a FEED the NEED event in Indiana just last weekend...

And below... the team and volunteers are praying over the boxes that have been packed... Food packed with a lot of Love and Jesus...

Nothing better to heal God's precious kids in need...

Oh the journey of parenting the kids God gives you.... For me there are many moments I wonder, I worry, and I maybe even doubt that we have given them everything they will need for the journey God has ahead of them... There are so many different places, ideas, and people clamoring for the attention and devotion of our kids... 

While myself and every single one of my kids is so flawed... It has been so special to watch Louis find this niche... Never in a million years at his age would I have been comfortable getting up in front of hundreds of people to speak and share Feed My Starving Children's mission.  He does it boldly and does a GREAT JOB!  You can tell he is passionate about it and loves it! So often people are shocked that he is only 18... Put him in certain situations like wrestling with his brothers and he is like any other 18 year old...  (or 10 year old LOL!! ) 

But put him in at FMSC and leading and he shines.  I am really proud of him.  

It is a gift to watch the Lord open doors (maybe not even the ones you were expecting HIM to open) for your children...

And it is even more of a gift to watch your kids kick those doors open and walk right through with excitement in their heart... Right into the spot the Lord can use them with the gifts He has already equipped them with... 

We are thrilled for Louis and the exciting things that God will show him, teach him, and use him for in the coming year... 

We would love you to pray for him and all the other Mobile pack workers... There is much travel and many long days... Pray they will serve and lead with Joy and the light and love of Jesus shining through them each step of the way...

Family pics

Easter Sunday Hintz family pictures out behind the old historic school:)

I can not believe I get to be the mom of this crew!  Truthfully they can be a challenge, but even more so they are a HUGE blessing

to my heart!

And leave it to precious Isaiah to make a good family picture even better with the finger up the nose... He is too much! :) 

Brother Louis and Anna!  Louis started his mobile pack job last weekend.  So he is traveling the states with Feed My Starving Children to their mobile pack events.  

He is off to New Jersey in a few hours... and even has an event in May where they will pack 5.5 million meals for hungry kids around the world.  We are really proud of him and thankful that he loves his job so much! It is a perfect fit for him!

We are blessed by his heart to serve!

Enjoying baby Kaliyah...

Louis and Emma with Kaliyah 2 days old:)

Mom and Anna enjoying snuggles with this little sweetie...

She loves Jojo so much... and he is so good with her:)

She is just the sweetest, softest, most wonderful Christmas gift ever!!!

I have gotten behind on blogging since we got home 2 1/2 weeks ago...

That was mostly due to the fact that I came home to the crew sharing a stomach bug, literally days after we were clear of that one, almost everyone got a really bad respiratory bug... Dad and mom included.  

I think we are all on the mend and praising God for that! Thankfully Kaliyah is the only one who didn't get either bug!  I still am in shock!  I think the sanitizing and donated breast milk have had a lot to do with her staying healthy!  So grateful!

We are enjoying every second with her... She is a really easy baby and is so sweet!

Don't blink... They will be all grown up...

And the College visits begin for my boys...
How can we honestly be anywhere near this point in life...
I think I was one of the only moms with a little guy in the back pack on a college tour for the oldest 2 boys... Oh my!!!


The Lake front at the Concordia University campus is beautiful!   It has changed a lot since the days G and I were there together!  I remember many a day studying on a blanket overlooking the lake:)

 Lake Michigan is gorgeous and honestly looked like the carribean that day... Beautiful!

And now we have 2 kids interested in attending school there:)

I think at first they thought that because we had gone there that it wouldn't be super COOL... They were so pleasantly surprised and loved it!  They loved the dorms, the food, the activities...
And now we wait!:)

They both have to finish this year and I think Caleb another year at home as well! I am so proud of them... not that all kids don't all have their own issues and situations to deal with, and mine are no different... But all in all through the tough and beautiful times, I am really proud of them... 

Emma and her mom came to visit CUW and Moody Bible Institute with us.  She was sold on Moody, Which is super exciting, but we will see what God has planned for her and the boys.  It was really fun to get to have them look at schools together.  My nieces from Wisconsin even joined us at Concordia:)  

Louis said he really liked both schools, but I think Concordia has an edge for him, from what he said:)  We had such a nice time with Emma and her mom... I miss them already... 

Off to Haiti...

The St. Peter Mission team to Haiti June 2015

Last Sunday Morning 24 teens and adults form St. Peter and 3 other churches left bright and early for Haiti... 

I think their smiles say it all...

They were ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people of Haiti...

Some of the youngsters on the plane getting ready to take off:)  We were super excited that Louis' girlfriend was able to make the trip with the group as well... Those 2 are both in their element serving abroad...  :) 

Louis is my social media updater... I usually know that if they have Internet access, I can count on him to touch base with us back home and keep us updated on things... 

I have a feeling that they haven't had any decent Internet since the very first night...  We haven't heard a word from Caleb or Greg and... 

Louis texted me this picture the first night saying, "I am adopting him:)!!"  Totally my son!

So I can take it that they are probably all falling in love with the kids, adults, and country of Haiti...

Hopefully we will get some updates, but I always figure not news is good news... 

They had a jam packed schedule of working with a couple of orphanages, doing VBS, the women to do some women's ministry while the men built a roof for a church, as well as working on some farming in some villages... I can't wait to hear all about it when they return...

I am especially excited to hear Louis' perspective... He has felt like he would like to go into missions as a career... He has loved Uganda, loved South Dakota and the work they did on an Indian reservation there last summer, and loves doing disaster relief.  

I am so thankful that he is getting an opportunity to see another county.  While we would 100% support him heading to Africa in missions at some point, I think it is great to see another place and really surrender to what God is calling him to and where... I am praying that God is making His way for Louis clear on if missions is really what God is calling him to do and maybe even a direction that maybe he is pointing him... 

We will support him wherever God calls him... It sure is exciting...  We shall see how the Lord unfolds his plans for him and all of us:)

Mother's Day 2015

This year my heart was torn in two on mothers Day...

I have girls from my MEND group that were experiencing their very first Mother's Day without their baby here with them... Oh the hurt and sorrow...

I watched kids at church whose mother passed away years ago...

I looked into the eyes of my adopted kids and couldn't help but think of their very first mommies that gave them life... And then made probably the hardest decision of their lives to hand those precious babies over to someone else to raise...

There are moms who are close to their children and moms who are estranged from their kids...

I remembered the mothers days I really wanted so desperately to be a mom, but wasn't sure if it would ever come to be... Oh the longing and hurt of women struggling with infertility...

There are so many who hurt on Mother's Day, yet so many reasons to rejoice... 

I would not trade my job as a mom for anything in the world... NOTHING!  It is my greatest JOY in life!!!

I awoke to the kids bringing me breakfast In bed... It was Super yummy and super sweet of them...

Oh the sacrifice our sweet birth moms and donor mom (for Levi), made to bless us with the amazing priviledge of raising their sweet amazing babies... 

I am overcome with gratefulness!!!

My heart bursts with love for these seven amazing gifts from God...

And my heart rejoices that one day when ALL THINGS ARE MADE RIGHT... I will have eternity with all of my kids...

God was so good to make my dream of being a mommy a reality... My heart OVERFLOWS!!

Thankful hearts...

Moving your teenagers is NOT an easy thing...
Waiting on the Lord to provide them with new friends can be hard...
But God has showed up and provided friends near and far for our kids...
And my heart is so so very thankful!

Louis, Jordan, Megs, and Caleb all dressed up to serve at the youth spaghetti dinner, a fundraiser for their youth mission trip to South Dakota this summer.
The food was great, servers all decked out... and the kids testimonies were so great!

I don't think that there are too many things that touch my heart more than seeing and hearing about young men and women living out their faith in Jesus!  It was AWESOME!!

Teenagers tie dying  before the dinner!

The BIG boys stand in for dad at the daddy daughter dance...

With Greg being gone in Haiti still, the boys said that they would be happy to take Anna and Hope to the daddy daugther dance up at our churches school.

The boys  were really sweet about it... They even expressed that they had wanted to bring them flowers ahead of time if they get to go again next year... And as you can tell from Hope's facial she was pretty jazzed about it as well!

This is TOTALLY a typical expression for our Hopie girl... Apparently, she really had the moves on the dance floor! I don't doubt that for one second:)

Can not believe out grown up my Anna is looking... My years with them are passing by far too quickly!

I am so thankful for big brothers who are willing to put their little sisters first...

I am so thankful for big brothers who really didn't mind being their sister's dates...

I am so thankful for little sisters who look up to their big brothers...

I am so thankful for the love of family...

I am so thankful to Jesus who makes this all possible...

Back for "Moore"

And the St. Peter crew goes back for "Moore"...

Our precious friend Emma from AZ who came with us to Uganda last year, came a few days early to hang with the family... 

(Lou and Emma when we picked her up at the airport...  Sweet Friends reunited :)

And off she, the boys, Greg, and about 10 others headed last week.  

I am always amazed at the amount of fun they have while serving... this trip was no different as you will well be able to see in the following pictures...

They did some minor building and strangely were able to abundantly help out a family who had some hoarding issues...

They were able to help this gentleman make some really big progress...

Which in the end will help reunite a family that has been torn apart...

They were a part of changing lives and changing the future for this family... and they loved every second of it...scorpions and all... YIKES!

It warms my heart to see how the Lord can unite His willing servants into an unstoppable team from HIM... being His hands and feet and showing HIS great love to others!

Can you see the evidence of God's love poured out on this homeowner by the group?  Makes my heart smile!  No judgement... just the love of Jesus poured out on HIM...

So thankful to God for this willing team of teens and adults...
So thankful for all that God can do with willing hearts...
He is so good and so able...