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!

Christmas Shopping with a Purpose

Sseko sandals...these are my black summer sandals...there are tons of very interesting fabrics and ways to tie them...looks like they just came out with a handbag line also  http://ssekodesigns.com/

           

Fashionable...beautiful scarves...so neat that they are enabling women...the perfect Christmas gift!  The one we ordered was BEAUTIFUL and each one comes with a personal note!  http://livefashionable.com/

ShowHope...we will forever feel thankful for this ministry as we got a grant for Zach's adoption...precious items for sale for kids  http://store.showhope.org/

We have done TOMS before...this company is different they have a huge variety of shoes handcrafted in Ethiopia...extra special  http://www.solerebelsfootwear.co/

      

  

147 Million Orphans t-shirts and magazine beads...lots of other options for raising awareness and for gift giving  https://www.147millionorphans.com/

This blog has LOTS more ideas...these are just the ones that hit home with us.  Enjoy shopping with a purpose
http://leigh-onedayatatime.blogspot.com/

Kings and Queens

 Heard this song today...powerful message, powerful song!

Little hands, shoeless feet, lonely eyes looking back at me
Will we leave behind the innocent too brief
On their own, on the run when their lives have only begun
These could be our daughters and our sons
And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating
I know my God won’t let them be defeated
Every child has a dream to belong and be loved

Chorus:
Boys become kings, girls will be queens
Wrapped in Your majesty
When we love, when we love the least of these
Then they will be brave and free
Shout your name in victory
When we love when we love the least of these
When we love the least of these

Break our hearts once again
Help us to remember when
We were only children hoping for a friend
Won’t you look around these are the lives that the world has forgotten
Waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open

If not us who will be like Jesus
To the least of these
If not us tell me who will be like Jesus
Like Jesus to the least of these

Boys become kings, girls will be queens
Wrapped in your majesty
When we love, when we love the least of these
Then they will be brave and free shout your name in victory
We will love we will love the least of these
We will love the least of these

Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline
The song was inspired by the band's passion for orphan care and their Hands & Feet Project."It's just an incredible song about this idea of when we love the least of these, God wraps these little orphans in his majesty and they can become kings and queens".

And so another Orphan Sunday snuck up on me...

yes, I was sitting in church today and it dawned on me...IT IS ORPHAN SUNDAY!!!

It wasn't that I hadn't thought of it before...multiple things had communicated it to me well-ahead of time.  The point was...today was the day and I once again had been meaning to do something special.  Organize a time of prayer, raise awareness, something, anything...but I didn't.

So I thought of our day...what could I "pull-off" yet today (my natural thought;)...nope...the day is full.  International Students coming for a full Thanksgiving dinner.

And then I smiled...fine. 

Deuteronomy 10:18  He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.

God cares for the orphans, widows and strangers...EVERY DAY. 

It is a special day.  Our hearts break under the thought of 147 million orphans.  And the question comes up...are we doing all we can?  Not just with adoption... but in sponsoring kids, praying like crazy for them and supporting them in any way we can...and not just today but all throughout the year?

Are we reaching out to the widows and strangers in our land?

God has any mix of these people near us or not so near us.

So today looked a little different than maybe what I would have dreamed up...but it was just right.  Serving and loving people who just within the past few months who have come to the US from Nigeria and China.  We were so thankful to have a wonderful family from our church join with us in this effort. 

God answered prayers today.  Silly ones...like "please help the turkey not be raw or burnt".  And continued ones for the orphans struggling around the world...may we never ever truly forget.

Redeeming Halloween!

 The past few years our family has tried "Redeeming Halloween"...and this was another year of great blessing!   This is Ellyana and a friend getting ready for a "Kiddie Parade" at our church's nursing home.

 To say the residents LOVED getting to see the little ones in costume would be a huge understatement.  Some had been waiting for an hour not to miss the kids. They brought great JOY wherever they went!

 Ellyana & I had to leave a little early from the parading to get back to the boys' school for a parade & parties.  The kids looked so cute, the games were fun & it was a great opportunity to connect with kids, parents & teachers for the 1st big school event for the year.

 Ellyana enjoyed being old enough to get to participate in bingo & other games.

 This is BJ cracking up at his teacher...people brought in silly things to have the teacher dress in...I have to say the teacher was a very good sport & got lots of laughs.

 The school day was shortened because of a teacher in service...so I loved getting the kids home in the afternoon for some "down" time.

 And here they are in their costumes...BJ picked out the Monkeys in a Barrel (it is adult size, so it will probably be around for many more years).  Everyone got quite a kick-out of it, especially with the squeaking monkey puppets.  Zach had dreamed of being Spiderman...must be the age but as Brian said..."superheros were a dime a dozen".  And Ellyana was Princess Tiana...everything is princess with her!  The kids play around the house in costume quite a bit...it always cracks me up to come downstairs in the morning & see various characters running around!

We visited a few houses, we have quite a few elderly neighbors who LOVE to see the kids each year.  It is a nice evening getting to visit with the people that you just see drive by & wave to usually.  They love to see the kids, always say how much they have grown & give them some treats.  Seemed like each house gave out a lot this year...we do ration it so it should last for a long time!

Praying we were a blessing to each one we were with throughout the day, we were blessed!