18 Months!!

Today marks 18 months that we have been in the adoption process.  When I look back at this long and difficult journey and why it has happened like this, I have many unanswered questions.  The one thing I am sure of is that, more than ever, I know that adoption is God's plan for us. In many ways this journey has changed us. We are a little more careful now.  We are still very much in the middle of uncertainty-- with long time lines ahead of us and still many unknowns.  What is different now is that we have a precious little boy waiting on us. We still have a long way to go and in some ways are much more cautious about the information we share.  What we do know and are glad to share; is that God is good, He is growing us in every step of this, and He will be with us every step of the way!!! 

April/May photo dump

Painting over spring break

more painting

Enjoying the go cart

 

Muffins for mom 



 

Hanging with E

Field Day!

Field day!

Market Day

M and her championship trophy

First swim of the summer!

K5 Graduation

Market Day!

Created For Care

 

So thankful to spend a wonderful weekend with these special ladies. Created for Care weekend retreat was a gift from the Lord and His timing was perfect. The Lord used that weekend to encourage and uplift me concerning the call to adoption for our family.  So thankful that He has put so many wonderful people in my path that are also answering similar calls--makes it so much sweeter!!!!   

Feb/March: The Abbreviated Version



Wow what fun!  Are we dreaming??

Visit with lifelong friends.

Sick kiddos, almost the entire 2 months.

Great Basketball Season for Ethan

Great Basketball Season for Syd.

Syd received the honor of induction to Jr Beta Club

Shamrock Showdown with my favorite cuz!

Crazy weather, including a hail storm!

Easter Egg hunt at school.

 

So that's the short version.  February and March have flown by.  Glad I posted this, it just felt like I took care of sick kids for the past two months, we really did a lot more. 

Ready to Go!

 

 

This is S and her friend getting ready for their big performance at the Variety show at school.  S's friends mom made their skirts, she is so talented.  When S told me she wanted to do a dance in the Variety show, I must admit I wasn't too sure about it.  I am very shy and reserved and sometimes I tend to pass that onto my kids.  The thoughts of S dancing on stage with everyone watching, made ME really nervous.  She has never taken dance and the routine was made up between S and her friend.  I definitely had my reservations and I knew there would be some really talented acts at the Variety Show.   I must admit, I tried to talk her out of it... she would not hear of it and was not concerned at all about being nervous or other acts being better than hers. On a side note, I realized after they had already made plans that I could not be there that night.  I hated, hated, that... but I could not change either event and so I just had to be happy to watch the dress rehearsal and video that Syd's friend  and Zach recorded.   S and her friends did their dance and it turned out very cute!!  I was so proud of them and so glad that she decided--despite me-- to go ahead with it.   I learned a valuable lesson after that event.  My kiddos are not me, they have totally different personalities than I do and if I try and push my personality on them, it is not good for them.  I so want to stay in my comfort zone, even when it comes to my kiddos.  Sometimes I want to stay there so bad, that I am willing to push my wants and desires onto them.  My Syd is spunky and spirited and low self confidence is not even in her vocabulary.  I am so glad for that and I need to foster that in her and not try and change her in any way.  So thankful for all my kids and the great personalities that they have.  God has given me the huge job of helping me develop those personalities and character traits in my kiddos.  He has big plans for them and made each of them the way they are for a purpose!!!!  So proud of you Syd!  Don't ever lose that confidence and spunkiness that God has given you! 

Christmas 2012

I Cannot believe that Christmas has come and gone. I was telling Zach, that I can't believe we have had 12 Christmas seasons with children. That is unbelievable to me, seems like maybe it should be 5 or 6. Anyway, once again here is my hodge podge of Christmas photos...

A Lesson from my Kiddos

Ok, I guess this is confession time... my poor 3 children have been sleeping in the floor, all together in one room, for the past week.  I know that sounds like something you would hear about a family in extreme poverty or living in a very poor country in a tiny house.  But before you send DFACS or come investigate our living conditions, please understand that they choose this!!  I think it so funny, that they each have their owns rooms and their own beds but yet they want to be together and could care less if they sleep on the floor.  They love having a big slumber party in the floor all together and as long as they go to sleep at a decent hour, it is fine with me.  As I look at all their bedrooms and empty  beds I think about how happy my kids are just being together.  WE put pressure on ourselves as parents to provide all this STUFF for our kids.  We think that somehow our kids are missing out if they don't have their own rooms and each their own stuff.  Maybe they think they want their own rooms, because they hear other kids at school talking...but at home when they are away from outside influences they just want to be together.  Maybe by separating our kids in their own rooms, with their own stuff, do we rob them of truly learning how to relate to one another?  Are we making it more difficult for them to learn to share STUFF and SPACE, something they will need to do their whole lives? So, we don't have the house on the market yet... but the kids have truly given me a different perspective this week.  We put so much pressure on ourselves as parents to provide so much for our kids and think that somehow they are missing out when they don't have those things.  My children have taught me a valuable lesson this week in what really makes them happy.