Blog Makeover

A blog makeover was far overdue and I owe all the credit and creativity to Jamie she is fabulous and so great to work with. Go visit and follow her journey to her precious son Sawyer at http://stompinginmudpuddles.blogspot.com/.

Prayer Needed

My Nephew is 4 years old and needs prayer. He has been having 40 plus seizures a day for the past week. The doctors at first thought he had a brain tumor Praise God that was ruled out on Tuesday morning after the MRI was completed. He has been in the hospital for the last week and they have been working to get them under control but the medicines take some time to work and not always do the first medicines they try work. Please pray for this little man. I can not tell you how it has taken a toll on his mom and dad. I spent some time over there helping them and I will tell you he is a brave little man. Please pray for him and his family.

We are out of Review

CCAA has finally posted that March 2007 is out of review. What a great day!!!


2/2/2009 CCAA

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before March 31, 2007.

Yes, that is us. Well now when we get a referral we will move a little faster for CA and TA that is all in reference to traveling.

One year since......

Well it has officially been a year since we submitted our medical checklist. At this point we still do not have a referral. We are actually OK with this because we have so much going on right now. We would love a reefrral but all in time. God has had the perfect timelines for us so I know he has her cared for well.


Beth and I just finished the nursery it is so cute (pink, brown, polka dots, and chair rail). Steve and I will be putting the crib in the next week and then we still need to purchase a bed but we still have time for that.

I am in the process of getting a promotion at work and changing some other responsibilities so right now things are hectic.

We are hoping for a Spring referral they are telling us 15 months so maybe 3 more months. I am anxious but still have many patients. God has well equipped me in this waiting process. I always think the sooner we get this referral the sooner we can start again and that makes my heart just beam. According to the WC staff that the acceptance of a referral of a boy is much shorter but you know how things work by the time we are in line again everyone we be in line for boys (ha ha).

Will pictures of her room soon.

New Year Resolutions

I am not one to make new year resolutions but I decided this year I would attempt to try to make a change. Two things I wanted to see different in my life. First, I want to become more organized. I plan to accomplish this by: Using an organizer, I got a World Blackberry, started to clean out every closet and cupboard in the house and donate everything we do not use, categorize our stuff. Even Steve has cleaned out his treasures :)
Second, I decided to get in shape. After the accident I have not done a thing. Between my hip, shoulder and the constant headaches I have not wanted to really do much but with prayer and good doctors I am starting to feel human again. I am going to take a christian aerobics/yoga class taught by a dear friend who teaches at a local gym.
If this proves to work I will continue to make resolutions year after year. I am dedicated to get in shape I have a child on the way and I need to get back to where I was a year and a half ago or better.

Our Ham

She loves to pose for pictures. She was wearing her friend Abagail's antlers. Thanks to Angela always catching the pose.

Accountability Partner

Do you have an Christian Accountability Partner? I am very lucky to have a great friend who keeps me accountable. Just recently I have been faced with a dilemma and I have prayed and wondered how I need to make this just disappear. After being frustrated with this I asked for help and of course she was a great help and reminded me why I made the choices I made. If you have a friend that you can count on for anything you are truly blessed.

Christian accountability partner is someone that actively listens, has a non-judgemental attitude, encouraging, and very caring. We are helpful to one another and allow us to remember the fundamentals as to Christians are accountable to one another. This is my friend and I thank her for all the times she is there for me :)

More Christmas Pictures

These are from my SIL she loves to take pictures of the kids and they love posing for her.

Christmas

A little Kung Fu Christmas Style

Daddy and me

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve "M" got to visit with all her grandparents then it was back to my parents for Christmas. We all sat around the tree and read the story Twas the Night Before Christmas, drank egg nog, cracked an assortment of mixed nut. Steve and I have a tradition where we always open a present on Christmas Eve. I could hardly wait to let "M" open all her presents this was a great Christmas and the last Christmas she would have with us without siblings so we made it a Christmas to remember. She was so excited about Santa coming we did not even have to tell her it was time for bed she was ready to sprinkle the reindeer food and put out cookies, milk and carrots then she ran into the bedroom and jumped into bed. She said her prayers that night and asked God to keep Santa safe and to please bring her baby sister with her presents Amen.

Truly Blessed

The other day I received a phone call from one of my dearest friends. She said I have something for you. I was was excited I said thanks what is it she said I do not really know. I became a little puzzled. If you got it for me (giggling) how could you not know what it is. She said it is not from me. I said who is it from she said she could not tell me. What I said. This is where the blessing comes in..... She told me it was an envolpe for Steve and I and they took up a love offering at our church for baby "K". (I have tears when I am typing this) I was speachless on the phone then the tears began. She proceeded to tell me that so many people have been touched by what Steve and I have been doing and how hard we have worked. (more tears still speachless)

Words can not even define to you how greatful we are. Over the past year and half to two years Steve and I have met the most incredible people. We have been truly blessed with great freindships it is amazing what God can do in your life when you let him take control and remove obstacles in your life.

Getting ready for Santa

Christmas a wonderful time of the year baking cookies, unwrapping tons of ornaments, shopping like little elves, parties, decorating, friends and family get together. This year was a little different then the past 3 years as if we did not have Audrey with us we were somewhat sad when we were decorating but remembered that she chose a family to love her. In that we found comfort and realized God was good. We were also hoping that baby "K" would have been home you would think after more than 20 months of waiting we would have a least a referral.

On with the festivities!!! We went to go get our tree and I vowed that this year I did not need a 12 foot tree that I would cut back and go smaller more economical (Dave Ramsey style). Well I tried but I love picking real trees. Steve has tried for the last 2 years to get me to convert to an artificial tree but I will not could even think about it. Family traditions are very important to me. So we get the real tree and it is fat and 12 feet tall. All I can say is "M" picked it out this year so I was in the clear with daddy he could not say no to his princess :)

Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving full of magical dreams that came true for a little 4 year old. We spent 5 fun filled days at Disney's Magic Kingdom and had a Thanksgiving feast with Mickey and the gang. Wow is all I can say. Disney can put on a dinner and a show. "M" got to dance with all the characters. I do not know who had more fun me or "M". Steve always said I am nothing but a big kid. This was so much fun and no mess to clean up I think we will do it again next year. "M" had so much fun she said this was the "bestest" time in her whole life. Memories are priceless I love the holidays. Can't wait for 2009 when the girls will be together for the holidays! Bring on 2009!!!!

Happy Anniversary

This past year has been another wonderful year of marriage to a great man. This anniversary was a little different I had to fly out to Chicago early in the morning for a week so we will celebrate when I get back. We have had such a great year. God has blessed our marriage so much and we so thankful for all he has done. I had wished for the referral of our daughter but I know that Gods plan for her was not ready yet so we will continue to be patient. His plan for our lives has been far better than ours.

Happy Sweet 16!!!!!

Audrey turned Sweet 16 today. We could not be more proud of this sweet young lady. Yes, she is growing up right before our eyes. It is hard to believe that 3 ½ years ago she was not even a teenage and now she is learning to drive. We love you Audrey!!!!!

Halloween

It turned out to be a beautiful night for princesses and fairies to dress up and run all around. Kids look forward to this night all year long. Little “M” was Princess Belle this year and wanted to go out only with mom and dad this year which really surprised the both of us. She is really about her friends most of the time. We really did not mind we enjoyed having her all to ourselves and just walking and walking and walking did I mention that we walked. Yes, we walked probably close to 3 miles now little “M” of course did not she had a coach to ride in unlike her parent who need the exercise.

She loved the talking part when she went to the door she would just carry on conversations and tell the people in our neighborhood all kinds of stories. You can tell she is my daughter. We called it quits around 10:00 and headed home we were exhausted I am sure she would have kept going if we would have let her.

Pumpkin Carving

The night before Halloween we had a pumpkin carving contest. It was mom and “M” against Daddy. Let the carving begin. The girls decided to use a pattern of a cute face and daddy went for the free style. We had so much fun. “M” decided when she was gutting the pumpkin she was removing all the sins from the pumpkin. She told us we were making the pumpkin clean.

Later that night we washed the seeds there were hundreds and hundreds and then laid them all out to dry. We were going to attempt to roast the seeds she loves nuts and seeds sometimes we think she is a bird. We got a good recipe from the web. I have to admit this was the first pumpkin I have ever carved and I have to say it was great fun I can not wait till next year to do it again. This time it will be with two girls and many more pumpkins we will have our own patch.

Pony Days

Fall days are so much fun at school and “M” is in Pre-K and her school has such great fun activities this time of year. For Fall they do a festival, pumpkin patch trip and pony days. The kids all dress up in jeans and hats and get to ride ponies. We had a great time. I volunteer a lot in class this year I love working with the kids. I guess that is one of the gifts God gave me is working with kids I just love it especially craft time as long as I do not have to come up with the idea. “M” loves me to come into her class and help.

Also, we took a field trip to the pumpkin patch at a local church that sells pumpkins to raise money for missions. The children had a great time. They had face painting and heard pumpkin stories, but I think the best time they had was seeing who could pick up the biggest pumpkin it was quite funny to see the little arms try to hug these huge pumpkins :)

Dad took her to the Fall festival I was in Pennsylvania at a conference, but I had a little fun of my own starting Christmas shopping but I sure missed them.

Dinner and a Movie

Our girl’s mission group hosted an outreach event for all of our girls in action and their friends who do not attend our church. Miss “M” wants to be a GA so bad she can’t stand it. (she has to wait 2 more years) I take her to a lot of my events because she loves to be with mom and wants to be with the older girls (she thinks she is 10). She is a fabulous helper and the older girls just love all over her and of course she loves the attention. These events are really good for her because they teach her about serving, girls fellowship, and mom’s participating in Christian based events other than scheduled church times.

Shopping

Shopping is a bad habit of mine. I love to shop. I am a BIG bargain shopper especially since we are on the Dave Ramsey budget. Since we are almost completely debt free and China is saved and paid for I decided to go shopping for new clothes today. I have been needing to do this for some time. I am behind in styles and so on. Well I knew I need to plan and search for the sales. My two favorite places to shop are Chico's and TJ Maxx. Both have great deals. Well today Chico's had a blowout sale so I stocked up. I had the best time I have never tried on so many clothes and everything fit and looked great so guess what I bought it all. That is so not me. I guess I went a little over board but I will tell I will be in style. The best part Steve will like is I will no longer be sporting my signature color of all black. This is a change for me, but it is time for a new look he has been begging for a year now and I have taken him up on the offer.

Even though I bought a ton of stuff it was on major clearance and Anna was so sweet she gave me an additional discount. What a fun day!!!