Over the past few months Greg and I have been working on a Vruggink Family Mission Statement.  Our family mission statement is our vision for who we want to be as a family and encompasses the values we cherish. 

Greg and I want to deliberately parent, meaning we have a set of core values we are constantly seeking to instil in our children.  You can hear us often say to our children "Vrugginks don't do that" or "This is what Vrugginks do" because we want our children to understand who we are and how we behave as a Christian family.

Our statement hangs in our living room as a constant reminder of the purpose of the Vruggink family.  During our family devotions each evening we have been working on memorizing the mission statement, and each week we are focusing on one of our twelve core values and memorizing a Bible verse that corresponds to each statement.

It's so important not to just consider ourselves successful parents because we made it through the day without injuries and ensured that vegetables and fruits entered our children's stomachs.  A successful parents instills values and morals intentionally into their children.  We can only stick to our values if our family knows what our values are because they've been communicated clearly to them over and over again.

May God grant Greg and I the wisdom to make our family miss

I just wanted to let you all know that I have two blogs.  The first blog is obviously this one - The Vs - where I update about my family and life in Long Island.  This is where I post lots of cute pictures and videos of the kiddos. :)

The second blog is - Rachel's Reflections - where I share what I'm learning through studying God's Word, teaching lessons to youth and women, and reading Christian books.  There are three separate RSS Feeds available for Devotions, Lessons, and Book Reviews, so you can decide which ones you would like to follow.  Devotions is updated updated regularly, and Lessons and Book Reviews are updated occasionally.

This year Greg, our youth, our church, and I are reading through the New Testament in a Year (check out the NT in a Year details to the right), and I've been learning so much and posting some good thoughts on the Rachel's Reflections Devotions Page.  Occasionally I've posted these ideas on this blog, but I'm going to stop doing that since I made separate blogs for a reason and it's redundant to repost the devotion thoughts here too.  So I would be honored if you would check out my recent posts and follow my Rachel's Reflections Devotions Page.  Below are a few recent posts to give you a sampling:

"How can you move to China and then New York - so far away from your family?"

"Am I still in a wheelchair because I lack faith?"

"Needs vs. Wants"

My little Abbie has wanted to be just like Mommy recently.

Exercising just like Mommy

What a challenge to be the woman I want my little girl to become.

_ Friday night Greg and I wore nerdy...I mean cool...I mean stereotypical youth pastor and wife shirts.

My shirt says "Modest Is Hottest."

Greg's shirt is a John Owen quote, "Kill sin or sin will be killing you."  Greg got this and several other shirts from MissionalWear.com for Christmas.

We're awesome and you know it.

This week I stumbled across a wonderful book in the library called "God Found Us You."  "God Found Us You" is the story of a Mommy Fox telling her Little Fox his adoption story.  Our whole family loved the book so I purchased it, and also purchased the counterpart "God Gave Us You."  God Gave Us You is the story of a Mommy Polar Bear telling her Little Cub her birth story.  I highly recommend these books - particularly to those friends of mine who have or are planning on adopting.  They show the hardships and beauties of both processes, and are brimming with positive messages.

"God Found Us You" favorite sections:

"I'd go up to the cliffs and watch for you.  I stood there day...after day...after day."

"Did you ever want to give up" Little Fox asked.

"Sometimes," Mamma said, rubbing Little Fox's cheek with hers.  "But I trusted that God knew you, and knew me, and knew when we'd fit perfectly together."



Little Fox paused, "How come I couldn't stay with the mother who had me?"

"She must have had very big reasons to give you up.  She must have thought it was best for you."

"Did she have fur like mine?  Eyes like mine?"

"Most likely." Mama smiled softly.  "She mas have been as beautiful as you are handsome.  I think she prayed like crazy that you would be safe , Little Fox.  I think she prayed for me as much as I prayed for her."  Mama's voice got all whispery.  "And God answered both our prayers"



Little Fox smiled and then thought for a moment.  "Mama, will you be my forever mama?"

"Always and forever.  No matter what," she promised.  "This is where you belong.  Here, with me, my sweet child.  You are mine.  The best gift in the whole wide world.  I will always love you and treasure you and celeb rate the day you came, the day that God found us you."

"God Gave Us You" favorite sections:

"Every night, I prayed for you, my special child.  I prayed that your bones would be straight and your heart would be strong.  But most of all I prayed that someday you would love God."



"We had to wait and wait and wait," she said.  "It seemed like forever.  We got your nursery ready, and I made up your crib.  But still, no baby."

"Did you wonder if God would every give me to you?"  Little Cub asked.  "On the outside, I mean"

Mama laughed.  "I wondered.  But I knew you would come soon."



"Umm, Mama?  I was wondering...Did you ever want a different baby?  One like Samuel the seal or Fredrika the fox?"

"Never," Mama said. "Never, ever, ever.  Your papa and I wouldn't trade you for the world."

"Why?" Little Cub asked.

"Why?  Because God gave us you."

_I discovered Abbie wearing my tennis shoes and riding my exercise bike this morning.  "I exercise like Mommy!" she kept saying with a huge smile.

Abbie pedaling without Mommy's tennis shoes on
and with Buddy (the penguin) on the backseat for moral support