Tuesday, May 29, 2012

HUGE, Happy surprise!!!!!!

So we received the BEST surprise in the mail today.  A little CD with 33 photos of Avery sent to us by her foster mom!!!!!  I was so, so happy!!!!  When I saw the package from Holt I thought, "Oh no, they've decided to keep her and this is "the letter."  But instead, I saw that her foster mom had been SO SO thoughtful and taken a ton of photos (almost all of them incude Avery wearing the clothes we've sent or playing with the things we've mailed) and sent them to me!  I couldn't believe it!!  I can't even tell you how incredibly encouraging this was!!!  I can't even describe it!  I'm so thrilled.  She is absolutely adorable too!    




 I LOVE this one!!!!  She looks so cute with her little backpack...like she's going to school.  Addison saw this photo and said, "Mama, Sissy not a baby.  She tall.  She big."  That makes me sad! :(   She is big though.  The clothes she's wearing are 18-24 months already!








Thank you for the photos foster family!


Saturday, May 26, 2012

A Little Bit About My Boys!

Nick

Nick is in the top singing group at his high school (Let this mama brag a little!).  The participants must audition to make this group.  Its called New Generations and they are a show chior.  He has loved this experience.  They had  their last concert of the year a couple weeks ago and here are some photos from that event. 








Nick also completed his lifeguarding certification & training and is now employed as a lifeguard at the local YMCA!  I think he's such a cute lifeguard!!   (I love his sunglasses!!)



Drew

Drew plays basketball year-round.  This means we go to quite a bit of basketball.  He's currently in his summer league.  Here are some photos from his last tournament.  I will say, its quite difficult to get photos at basketball.  They didn't turn out very well! 








Jack

Jack is playing baseball again this summer.  He's the catcher for his team which he is thrilled about!  Here are some photos from his last baseball game.









 This photo is interesting.  You can see Jack running to 1st base, and yet you can see the pitcher in the background about to throw the ball to get him out.  (Jack didn't make in time either!)

Addison

Addison has been toted along to many, many games (as you can see!!!)  Before you feel too sorry for her please note; she loves going to the games.  She always has little kids to play with and she actually cries if she doesn't get to go!  The proof is in the photos below.


 Her "basball friend" named Ivy.

 Hand on the hip...this is how she poses for pictures!!


Here she is posing for yet another picture!  Looks  abit litke a cheerleading stance!?!
So, we are in full gear for summer, and LOVING it!  Yay!  


 

Thursday, May 24, 2012

New Photos!!!

 Here is Avery with her May care package.  She is actually wearing clothes we sent her earlier!  I love seeing her in the clothes I bought her!  This photo was taken on May 10th, so she was 20 months old in these photos.  She is already wearing 24 month clothing so nothing I've bought her already will fit her. :(    She still isn't talking.  The report stated she said only said two words, so she's definitely delayed in her speech, but she's so adorable I don't really care right now!!!
Looks like she's eating.  She's also wearing the bracelets I sent!  So cute! 
Come home soon baby!!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Crushed, yet drawn

This was post which I published previously on March 17, 2010. 
I felt it was worth reposting.  


Christians are people who always have hope. God never leaves his children alone and we will never find ourselves beyond his grip, out of his divine control and hopeless. But what does this look like? I've always had the misconception that this somehow meant you could always find some morsel of happiness regardless of the circumstance; that no matter how bad, there was always something to smile about. This may be true, certainly God has poured out many undeserved blessings upon his children, but there are times that the road is hard; and God allows it to be hard and finding a smile is cliché, shallow, and meaningless. There are times that tears and frustration overwhelm you and the hope you know is there is just a faint flicker in the distance; It's not that you're hopeless, it's just hard to grasp it.

There are those times you feel like God is crushing you, and yet He is the only One who understands you; the only One who can speak any amount of tangible comfort into your soul through the pages of His word. It's an odd dichotomy; to feel crushed and yet drawn all at once. I don't know if that's normal; its certainly nothing I hear about in the shallow, cliché "Christianity" I often see used to draw crowds, sell books, or increase giving. No, this is completely different. It's a difficult thing. It consumes you, it isolates you, it breaks you, but in that place you hear the words of your Saviour saying, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise." He will not despise my brokenness. That is the sacrifice he wants. He leads all of His children down that path; at different times, through different methods.

The Bible has countless examples of this; The woman who suffered for 12 years with an illness that caused bleeding, spent all her money on doctors and yet was worse after the treatments than before; God brought her to a place of brokenness before she met Jesus who instantly healed her. (Mark 5:15-34) Or take for example Jarius' 12 year old daughter who became gravely ill, and even died before Jesus went His home and raised her form the dead. (Luke 8:49-56) Twelve years of futile, expensive medical treatments, watching your daughter fall gravely ill and die; do we really believe these individuals didn't crumble emotionally; Of course they did, and God says that broken spirit is what he wants. He wants our brokenness.

Read the words of David in Psalm 88, "You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the depths. Your wrath has rested on me and you have afflicted me with all your waves." David is broken, he is crying out. And this Psalm doesn't end in rejoicing. It ends with David lamenting that God has removed his "lover, friends, and acquaintances." He is alone, he is crushed, and God hears him. God doesn't look at Him and say, "Don't feel that way", or "Smile because I love you." God doesn't do that to his children. He instead, picks us up, holds us in his hands, and listens to us cry. He is the source of all good, and although I don't understand His ways, I do know that in His grip is the only place where true comfort is found, near His side is the only place I find the any consolation that calms my soul, and in his grip I will eventually find hope even if I can't see it today.
"Though He slay me, I will trust Him." Job 13:15

Monday, May 7, 2012

Addison is 3!!

 
My family, as well as Mark's family all got together to celebrate Addison's third birthday!  I can't believe she's so big already!!  Here are my dad and older brother talking.
Addison got an umbrella from my mom! 
Here's my younger bother and his girlfriend.  (This first "blog-worthy" girlfriend)
Addison and her playdough set!  She loves playdough!
Here are my neices: Cecelia & Corinne (4 & 5 years old)
Opening more gifts.
...and more!
It was a beautiful day so all the cousins were able to play outside.
Here is Addison on the slide were her younger cousin Owen.
Cutie!
Addison eating the icing off of the cake!!!
Airyn going down the slide.  I love his lopsided smile!!
More of Owen
Addison lounging on the deck after eating her cake.  Her stomach was very full!
Airyn cheesin'


Eating more cake


All the cousins seemed to love the cake
Maybe she got tired of all og my photos?!?!?
Blowing out candles
Addison blowing out her candles with Daddy's help.
Daddy and his girl on her birthday!  So Sweet!!