A very merry Christmas

 We kicked the season off with our town's Lighted Parade...free hot chocolate after it was over!

 Our little family Christmas...tucked in before the Christmas travel starts.  The kids love a dinner with some candles and sparkling grape juice...we should do it more often!

 At Grandma's...helping with some fun Christmas treats (too bad this mommy left them in the oven too long)

 Lots of princess fun for this Christmas!

 Cousins and family fun...a wonderful time to be together with immediate family and extended family on Brian's side.

 The gift he had his heart set on.

 Fun gifts and lots of fun with everyone getting to be together!

 A wonderful little gathering with Great-Grandma at the nursing home on Christmas day.  So special to get to see more cousins and aunts & uncles too!

 Pizza after some swim time.

 Getting to catch-up with old friends...wonderful to be together again!

And getting to go out-to-eat the last night...good time together & delicious food...so fun to try new things!

We had been gone 1 week (and very much loved our time) but arrived home and still had over 1 week left of break.  We so much enjoyed our time here too.  Relaxing, staying in PJ's, lots of sledding and snowboarding, having lots of friends in...it was wonderful!  And now we catch our breath and head back into school.

So thankful for getting good time with both families and connecting with friends!  It really was such a Merry Christmas!

Our Number & the Rollercoaster of International adoption

  

We received our official December # and it is #3 again.  We weren't entirely surprised.  We had a long conversation with our caseworker in December and at the end of the phone call my 1st thought was...we are really in it for the long haul! But with lots of incredible things being put in place to care for the children in Ethiopia...we were very encouraged!  So on we go with the twist & turns, ups & downs of this journey!

Catching wind of another referral (happy) or the status of Russian adoptions (so sad) can have my emotions switched in a matter of seconds.  In stepping back from it a bit, it is strange the amazing peace we have.  Its like I am going around on this crazy rollercoaster (as the emotions can change so quickly) but yet the seat feels safe and I feel strapped in by God's faithfulness, His grace and His love. 

So not sure when this ride ends (or actually just begins).  We continue to remain so thankful for the peace we feel.  Thanks for your prayers, they are making a difference!

And here's to how our rollercoaster feels right now...very, very long (with the end not in sight)!

Merry Christmas!

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,

God with us.  Matt 1:23

 

GOD with us.

God WITH us.

God with US.

 

It can't get any better than that!

Blessings to you & yours this amazing season!

Much to be thankful for

 We had a wonderful Thanksgiving...2 families in 4 days, including 2 extended family gathering and 2 home churches and lots of great time with grandparents and cousins!  And Ellyana got to celebrate her birthday with both sets of grandparents!  Here she is thrilled to be getting the princess dolls she had been wanting!

 We got to meet my sister's family as we crossed paths with them on the road.  It was so fun to see them again & we had to say it couldn't have been a better place to meet.  Monical's (one place we do not have around here)...delicious pizza, awesome salad, and free refills at the fountain machine right next to our table.  They even had a caffeine-free diet coke...we thought it was pretty close to a dream come true!

 Ellyana got to celebrate her birthday with her cousin and a beautiful princess cake!

 And out of our extended family gatherings on Thursday and this one on Saturday...getting to see lots of family, the kids having so much fun at both places...this is the only picture I have....snack time at the last event.  Guess it shows we were having too much fun to stop and take pictures ;)

 And it is fun that Thanksgiving rolls into Christmas.  It is a good way to start the season.  The kids are big helpers by now...which is another thing I am thankful for.

 BJ & Zach both won their age-divisions for the Family Free-throw contest.  It helps that their dad's score counts toward theirs. 

 And BJ's class worked hard on their Sweet Shop. 4th grade was such a cute age to do this...they were so enthused.  They each made treats to sell to the other kids in the school.  The best part was that all the money was used to buy gifts for needy families.  Love getting to see the kids so excited to do something for others...they raised over $1000.

 It was cute to see Zach's class come into buy treats.  And here is Ellyana in BJ's teacher's hat...enjoying a treat.

We have much to be thankful for and as we look ahead to a lowly manger, a Star in the East, wisemen, angels...we think of JESUS...so thankful HE is the REASON for the SEASON!

Free to be 3 (again)

However you look at it...we are #3 again.  Yes...September, October and November numbers on the wait list are #3.

After last month's few days of feeling down about our unmoving wait-list numbers...God reminded me of a few things...

#1  I want to purpose in my heart to "Wait Well".  We try to do everything in our lives "well" and waiting can be one of those things.

#2 I have said it many, many times...but I was hugely reminded in it that God has the timing coming together...perfectly...for Him to match us with just the right baby girl for our family.

#3  Expectations come back to bite...everytime...yes, just letting go of the hoping that we would have our referral by Christmas...was actually so freeing.

#4  Those ladies who ask me everyday if we heard anything...the one asks because her daughter in another state...asks her everyday if we have heard anything...the daughter was recently diagnosed with MS and it is a JOY for her to think about us adopting...I was so convicted how is my conversation with that mom? Am I showing the light and hope of Jesus even in the "waiting"?

And here are a few things that showed up to re-ground me in the "waiting" last month...
"Never in our wait is God inactive. We have to trust that if ever He calls us to wait on Him , something is up . Something is happening in the Heavenlies. Things on earth are coming into the will of things in Heaven." "If we are waiting on the "event" we will lose our strength, but if we wait upon the Lord with expectancy and anticipation, our strength will be renewed" taken from Beth Moore's study on Esther

And we had a sermon in church about Mary and Martha thinking Jesus was late because while they waited...Lazarus died...and yet, Jesus had tarried so that His glory would be revealed.  Amazing song was referenced with Mary and Martha's feeling toward the wait...

But You're four days late And all hope is gone

Lord we don't understand why you've waited so long

But His way is God's way Not yours or mine

When He's four days late

He's still on time

So for right now...we are OK with the wait.  I'm sure we will have to work through it all again at some point coming up.  But for this month...there is peace in waiting (because He is working :)

Finishing up Fall

 With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming right up...here's some pics from our fall...all very fun (& not in order)   Above...we tried out another adoption play-group...kids from around-the-world represented.

 Sunday School trip to the Creation Museum...the hotel pool was well-loved and the Museum was AWESOME...our 1st time there.

 Lots of fun with Grandparents visiting

 Enjoying one of our favorite places...Pei Wei

 My mom decorates very well, it was fun to have her show the kids.

 Great fun to have Brian's brother and his new bride here for a weekend.  We tried out the giant Farmer's Market.  We love having her in the family!

 Our local library has Lego-days and Ellyana has completed "fall-storytime"

 And in the midst of it all is updating adoption paperwork...lost track of how many criminal background checks we have done for this adoption.

Last weekend, I took a bus to Chicago & was able to meet my siblings there.  Delicious food and really fun shopping with my sisters...great to be with people who stand with you in the dressing room and talk & laugh whether it looks good or not.  I woke up the next morning and thought...it had to have been a "dream"....it was delightful!

 Lots and lots of leaves

 BJ's Farmer's Market field trip...they used the stroller to help wheel the pumpkin back to school.

Thankful for another season of our lives and the blessing of family, friends and lots of fun!

Growing up so fast...Happy 4th birthday, precious girl!

 

Today we celebrated Ellyana's 4th birthday!  Everything was "Princess" because that is her favorite right now!

 

She had a friend from church over...2 peas in a pod...loving princess stuff!

 Love the thought of being a "beloved princess", daughter of the king, cherished, redeemed, and treasured!

 The boys helping celebrate...we've got more birthdays with Grandparents next week!

 And it is a day of remembering the precious girl she has been and the JOY that she has been in our family!  Here she is at her 1st birthday!

 2nd birthday & 3rd birthdays

 

 And just for fun a few pics from her baby days

We thank the Lord for His amazing gift of Ellyana! And yes precious girl, you are our beautiful princess...cherished and loved!