Livin' a blessed life

Snow..Snow and more Snow!!!

2011-01-26T21:56:00.003-06:00

We have had no shortage of snow this winter. As of today we have had more than 15 inches so far and the way this winter is going I feel pretty confident that we are not done. I have lost track of our snow days and 2 hour delays. I do know that we have used all of our days plus 2 so our summer break will be at least 2 days shorter;-(.... I must admit the occasional "surprise" snow day and lazy day is great. I LOVE having all my kiddos home but I don't want it to eat away at our summer vacation so....enough already!!!!

This is a sneak peek at one afternoon the fun that the boys and I had while Isabella was napping.

***I should mention that I do realize that the boys look a bit like criminals with their face masks on but hey they are warm!!!!!***

Happy Birthday Our Sweet Isabella Grace!!

2010-12-31T22:08:00.005-06:00

What an amazing year!! We could hardly wait to celebrate your 2nd birthday. It is not possible to put into words how you have blessed our family. You have completed us and we love you dearly. Gods amazing grace brought us all together and made us a family. I had so many emotions come over me as your birthday got closer. I was not there when you were born and I struggle so deeply with that but I am quickly reminded and humbled by the fact that your birth mother was there and she made such a selfless choice...a decision that brought you to us. So...whenever I would begin to get upset or ponder the fact that I wasn't there I decided during those moments I needed to pray for her and be thankful and look forward to the thousands of moments that WE will be there all because of her choice and Gods grace.

Happy 2nd Birthday Isabella Grace!!

Christmas Blessings 2010

2010-12-27T21:48:00.012-06:00

Santa ate his cookies and fed the reindeer their carrots;)

Look what Santa brought...

Christmas Eve with the Smith family...

I sadly took very few pictures on Christmas Eve. Not sure how this happened. I made more of an effort the next few days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas with Auntie Beth & Uncle John...

although I didn't get a picture of Uncle John

(do you see a trend in regards to my camera?)

Christmas cookies at home with Mimi!!!

Making Christmas cookies at Nana and Papaw's

What a FABULOUS Christmas!!!

Gavin's priceless art....

2010-12-15T20:28:00.001-06:00

I believe it speaks for itself....

Polar Express day....

2010-12-15T20:13:00.003-06:00

Last Friday was Polar Express day at school. Oh... how I love Kindergarten. They wore their PJ's to school and watched the now classic movie with their classmates and friends. What a fun way to kick off Christmas!!

All I want for Christmas is....

2010-12-15T19:32:00.003-06:00

Eli just lost his front tooth and he was so excited. Both boys have lost at least one tooth on the bottom but this is the first "front" tooth. The tooth directly beside it is loose as well so who knows maybe by Christmas he can say.."all I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth..."

O Christmas Tree....

2010-12-15T15:59:00.005-06:00

There is nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree! This year we did what I hope will become a new tradition for us. We went to Ahrens Christmas tree farm, in Reo, and pick out our tree which was followed by Derrick cutting it down. It was so much fun searching for the perfect tree. Derrick and I had discussed it beforehand and decided that as long as they picked out a tree that would physically fit in our great-room then whatever the boys chose would be it. I can be a bit OCD so I was secretly struggling with this a bit...(charlie brown). We left Isabella at home with Nana because it was a pretty cold day and we were not exactly sure what to expect. As you can clearly see the boys did a FABULOUS job picking out our family tree. It is beautiful!! Each year as we put up our tree and decorate it we remind the children (and ourselves) that the tree is a symbol that reminds us of Jesus. The cross which was made of wood that came from a tree is the obvious connection we make. We even hang a nail in the very center of the tree to remind us that we are celebrating our Saviors birth. Our Savior that eventually died to save us. Christ is the gift that you receive over and over again throughout your life as he carries you thru the good, bad and all that is in between.

Have a very Merry CHRISTmas!!!!

Mommy and her girl...

2010-12-14T21:05:00.002-06:00

11/23/09....was the first time we were able to hold our precious Isabella. One year later she is home and has blessed us beyond measure!!!

Operation Christmas Child

2010-12-14T20:38:00.005-06:00

Each year we as a family and with our church pack shoeboxes full of goodies to be sent across the world to children who otherwise would have no Christmas gifts. It is such a humbling experience and one that we hope reminds all of us how very blessed we are. The kids fill out a worksheet about themselves and interests. This was the first year the boys were able to write (with help) all that they wanted to say themselves. We had lunch with our church family and then packed the boxes. What a fabulous way to start the Christmas season!!

Friends..Fall and Fun!!

2010-11-04T19:59:00.003-05:00

This is one of our many outing with what started out as the boys preschool friends. They are now their Kindergarten buddies and I am blessed to call each of their mothers my friends. We try to get the kids together at least once a month. I along with the boys look so forward to our time together and am excited about the years of memories ahead of us.

A Sherriff..A Paleontologist and Dorothy...

2010-10-31T21:10:00.003-05:00

Halloween 2010

Chill in CHandler 2010

2010-10-31T20:58:00.003-05:00

New Hope's Annual Chill in Chandler

Hot Dogs, Haystacks, Snow Cones, Inflatables, Trunk or Treat, Crafts and Games

all with our church family....makes for a great Halloween!!!

Smith and Sons Farms 2010...soccer

2010-10-30T13:25:00.005-05:00

Our last game of the season was on Oct 30th at 8am!!!! It was COLD. We broke out our sock hats. The kids were excited..mostly because they knew that after the game they would get their trophy. It was a great season. We may not have been the best team in the league~~But we sure did have fun and I hope the kids did too. I so enjoyed coaching the boys but am thinking this is the last that I will be doing for them...things start to get more serious and competitive from here on out and I just can't seem to take my "Mommy hat" off. It makes me a bit sad that it is over and if they play next year they will move to the BIG field...here we go!!!!

To be totally honest Gavin wasn't real interested in playing but I really wanted him to try. I really think that in the end he did enjoy himself but he did it to get the trophy...which makes this picture priceless..I love you buddy and I am so proud of you for trying and giving it your all!!!

Elijah is quiet proud of his second soccer trophy!!

Rebecca, Eli, Gavin, Carter, Eli M.
and Mackenzie...our team!

Until next year.......

Buddies

2010-10-29T17:25:00.003-05:00

During Red Ribbon week at school each day had a theme. This was twin day...so we made it triplet day and as you can see the boys were so excited to be dressed like Connor. So cool how the small things in life can make a 5 year olds day:-)

Pumpkin Carving...

2010-10-29T16:46:00.006-05:00

This year we let the boys draw the faces on their pumpkins and Derrick (with their help) carved them. They actually turned out quite spooky. I made the "traditional" face for Isabella's pumpkin...I am not the most creative when it comes to pumpkins and we had her color on another pumpkin. The weather was great and we had so much fun. Gotta LOVE my patient hubby...so thankful God chose a man for me that just goes with the flow..after all they are only pumpkins..!!!

Halloween has never been my favorite "holiday" but as the kids get older I find myself getting more excited about it. SOOO..Happy Halloween!!!

Just remember that JESUS was the greatest TOMB RAIDER of all!!!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-26T21:41:00.011-05:00

Isabella with Aunt Deb

Mimi helped Elijah find his pumpkin...he was VERY particular!!

Auntie Beth and Gavin..all smiles!!

Over fall break we went to Huber's Orchard and Winery and we had so much fun. We spent several hours there along with Aunt Deb, Mimi and Auntie Beth. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every second!

Too Sweet!!

2010-10-13T22:56:00.004-05:00

I walked into the great room and this is what I saw. No prompting...no posing just the two of them lovin' on each other. It was a very sweet moment. Elijah was working in the fields with Daddy so Isabella and Gavin had some special time. LOVE..LOVE..LOVE them!!

Early Fall...2010

2010-09-27T20:44:00.013-05:00

Yes..we are still here. I can't believe September is nearly over. We have all settled in to our new routine that gets us up early basically 7 days a week (not complaining just sayin'). The boys love school and are having fun while learning. Isabella and I are staying busy while the boys are in school and she is ready for her afternoon nap each day after lunch which then gives me time with the boys. Derrick started harvesting Labor Day weekend and is moving right along. The yields are doing very well and he seems to be pleased. He is working very long hours and we desperately miss him but are so thankful for his hard work. He hopes to be done by mid October. We are several weeks into soccer and the boys are having a blast. They have each scored at least one goal each game. We are sponsoring the team this year and they are pretty proud to have "Smith and Sons Farms" on their shirts..along with a green tractor. We play thru the end of October. It is all going so fast. We are loving the fall weather and looking forward to what this season brings. Here are a few pictures to get us caught up...

One of Daddy's Co-Pilots...

Our little farm girl..wearing her tutu..of course!!

The boys having fun at the Praise Fest...

Our soccer stars....

Playing at the park on a beautiful afternoon..

Miss Bella with Aunt Deb..I believe she is having fun..

Daddy's other Co-Pilot...

Kindergarten is so COOL!

2010-08-25T18:13:00.007-05:00

We are 2 weeks into kindergarten and everyone is adjusting really well to the new schedule. Every morning Gavin is up (without being prompted) at 6:30 dressed and ready for breakfast. Eli is a bit slower (like his mommy). We lay their clothes out the night before which has made everything so much smoother. Gavin (as you know) has an opinion about what he wears so having this discussion the night before is much easier. Everyone is ready and in the car by 7:35..or so! I then pick them up at 10:45 at which time they are both starving as if they have not eaten in days. We have lunch and then get their homework done so we can have the rest of the day for fun and ..rest. They have been worn out since school started and have (voluntarily) been in bed by about 7:30 each night. They really like their teacher Mrs. Warner. She seems to be very nice and good with the kids. **Tina..if you are reading this--Gavin said "Mom she is nice but I really miss Mrs. Phillips..she is the bestest teacher ever!!" ** I must admit that at that moment I felt sadness knowing that obviously every teacher cannot be Mrs. Phillips but we were so blessed to start with the BESTEST one out there. The boys are excited that they have been given jobs in their classroom. Gavin is the light turner off'er (as he put it). Elijah is in charge of supplies which I think means he organizes all the art boxes at the end of the day. They said as long as they behave they can continue with their jobs..it is a privilege.. Pretty smart! Another incentive is if they answer Mrs. Warner with "Yes, Ma'am" they get a skittle. Gavin is all over this because he LOVES candy. Elijah on the other hand would not eat a skittle if someone offered to pay him!?!? Besides that all I know and hear about daily is how fun recess is. I feel really good about what they went into school knowing and they are having no issue with the material. I am so ready and anxious to get involved at school so I can get to know the people my kiddos are with throughout the day. It is such an odd feeling giving them such independence. They were obviously more ready than I was and I am so proud of them. I pray for them several times during the 3 hour time frame that they are in school. I know our God is taking care of them it is just hard. They are now being dropped off and I am not longer walking them to class. The first day I dropped them off I cried all the way home. The are doing wonderful and Isabella and I are enjoying our much needed time together.

Fall is coming and I am excited for soccer..harvest..pumpkin patch..eating in the field with Derrick ..sweatshirt weather ..and all that Fall brings.

Just the boys....Chicago

2010-08-24T20:27:00.003-05:00

Yes...I am still trying to catch up on some posts from the summer. Derrick, Uncle Lyn, Gavin and Elijah had a boys day and went to the Adler Planetarium and to the Navy Pier Ferris wheel. They had so much fun and I think Daddy may have captured my favorite and most natural pictures of both boys....

so happy!!

so handsome!!
Man how I love my boys!!!

their view from the top...YIKES..I am not so fond of heights..part of why it was worked in on the boys day..

This is a few pics of the "Moon" room at the planetarium. It was supposed to mimic trying to walk the moon. They said they could barely move. How fun!!

What an awesome day with an awesome Daddy!!!

Our adoption article....

2010-08-20T21:49:00.001-05:00

This is the link to the Warrick article about our adoption. The article was in the paper back in April and I just thought to post it.

http://www.tristate-media.com/warrick/news/local_news/article_dd3b9290-52c7-11df-ba07-001cc4c03286.html

Happy Referral Day sweet girl!!

2010-08-19T13:11:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of us getting "the call" from our coordinator, Kathy, at FTIA. We received 3 pictures along with basic medical information on our sweet baby girl. The second we laid eyes on her she became our daughter. She has blessed us beyond belief and made our family complete. In many ways it seems like a lifetime ago and yet only yesterday. We love you so very much sweet Isabella Boo. We are so thankful that the Lord placed you in our hearts..then in our arms and finally in our family.

Loge Wildcats...

2010-08-16T09:59:00.003-05:00

As the school year got closer and closer I began to question the decision to send the boys to Tennyson rather than Loge school. You see Tennyson is very small...which is wonderful and a huge drawing point for us. However..if we ever felt it was necessary to seperate the boys it would not be possible at Tennyson. All summer as I was observing the boys and spending time working on their summer school book I found myself seperating them here at home to do their studies..!?! It has just become all to clear to me that in order to encourage individuality they are eventually going to need to be in seperate classes. I am not worried about it for Kindegarten but I just want the option to be there in the future without having to change schools. So....after many discussions and a lot of prayer we are sending them to Loge. I feel very much at peace about the decision and am excited to become involved in all that Loge has to offer. GO WILDCATS!!

Kindergarten...the Smith boys have arrived!!!

2010-08-15T21:58:00.006-05:00

Eli ready to go...he was so excited and a bit nervous.

Gavin was the first one out of bed and was dressed and ready to go way early. He was so excited!

Best Buddies...they are so blessed to have each other as they begin this new adventure.

Eli at his desk and ready to go!

Gavin was overflowing with excitement..notice they are in the same class as Connor..betcha they won't be sitting together for long...;-)

I cried all the way home after leaving them. I just can't believe how brave they are. We had such an amazing summer full of great memories and I am sad to see it end. Gavin and Elijah are ready for this so it is time for me to jump on board.

As I drove back to school to pick up my boys I was listening to KLove and heard.."Even though you can't be with you children every moment of everyday remember that God can and IS." thank you Jesus for once again reminding me that you never leave us. We so don't deserve your grace.

Kindergarten here we come....

2010-08-10T20:28:00.002-05:00

My emotions are a bit out of control as we get ready to send our boys to Kindergarten. How did we get here? At dinner tonight we talked with the boys about wise choices and to remember to stay focused on Christ. I am not ready for the innocence that they embody to be gone and I feel that "big school" comes with a whole new set of worries but I know that God is with them and we are trusting in Him.

In many ways I want to keep them out of the real world however we need to teach them how to live in that world while staying centered in Christ. So...here we go. My babies are going to school. WOW..this is going to be a tough couple of days.

Gavin and Elijah..we are so very proud of you and are excited to see what the Lord has planned for you. Always remember that Mommy and Daddy are your biggest fans and we are praying you through.

DInner with a view....

2010-08-07T22:24:00.003-05:00

On Monday night, in Chicago, we ate at the "Beachstro" and this was our view...

Uncle Lyn and Eli...Eli was so excited that they were dressed alike.

Isabella with Aunt Deb....

Hanging out at the beach on Lake Michigan.

What a great time eating dinner at the beach in the middle of the city.

nothing beats homemade milkshakes

2010-08-07T21:43:00.003-05:00

The original plan was to take a trip to Tastee Freeze and well...the evening did not work out as planned so.....we make our own milkshakes.

many times the best memories aren't planned!!!

Thank you Daddy......

2010-08-07T21:34:00.003-05:00

...for the yummy sweet corn!!!

We LOVE it!!

This was the first night we had our home grown sweet corn. Gavin ate 6 ears!!!

It was soooo good!

Swimming lessons and so much more.....

2010-07-22T19:02:00.004-05:00

Gavin and Eli FINALLY had swimming lessons..I must admit I was a bit lazy when it came to them learning to swim. I have been "getting ready" to get them lessons since they were 3. I have "water issues" and I now see that I inadvertently put those onto my boys. We were blessed enough to hear about Mrs. Lisa and Mrs. Kristin and I finally made the phone call. They had lessons for 8 days and the change has been amazing. They are so much more comfortable in the water and were actually learning technique's that can now put my mind at ease. I met some wonderful people and the boys had so much fun. We will without a doubt have a refresher course next summer. Here are a few pictures of my little fish enjoying themselves.

Gavin..on the diving board..If I were not there I would not have believed it.

ahhhh..checkout how relaxed Eli is. relief for Momma!!

woohoo...Eli is swimming freestyle!!!!

Gavin learning to put his face...most importantly his eyes under water..he was so brave!

Gavin is so proud of himself...I am proud of you to buddy!

Eli waiting for his turn.

Momma it's HOT!!!

Thanks Mrs. Kristin...!!!

Eli acting shy....she got him anyway.

More summer fun!!! Time is ticking away. I am so proud of you boys! Mommy loves you so much and is grateful for yet another fun memory.

So much summer fun.....

2010-07-18T22:59:00.003-05:00

Here are some random summer photos.....

Swimming...
Swimming...

and more swimming..love it!!

fun times at the spray park with Jacob...

Elijah...

4H fair...hot..hot..hot!!

Eli wasn't as sure as Gavin when it came to the fair rides..Mommy sorta agrees with Eli..;)

Little Miss insisting on feeding herself..even at the pool.

Gavin..Connor and Eli.

Eli telling me how he held his breath for 15 seconds underwater..way to go buddy!!

We are loving summer and can't believe school starts in less than a month. It has gone so fast but I feel good that we have cherished each moment.

Yes I did.....wrestle a PIG!

2010-07-17T21:48:00.004-05:00

It started innocent enough..a friend from church said.."Hey.. hog wrestling at the 4H fair could be fun!!" The next thing I know (24 hours later) I was wearing a shirt with a pig drawn on the front of it and the "slogan"..."New Hope embraces all of God's creatures" on the back. My fellow team-mates were..Sara, Gwen and Michelle. This was my attempt to have fun while showing my kiddos that stepping out of your comfort zone can produce blessing that you may not ever see. Who knows maybe someone will be at church this week simply because of a passing conversation we had with them. God can occasionally place us in what seems to be strange places in order to spread His word. This was by far one of the strangest..most out of character things I have done. It was pretty sweet to hear my boys cheering for me as I was wrestling the pig. Just for the record the pig won but we had so much fun hanging out with him for a minute or so. The icing on the cake was Gavin explaining to me at bedtime that "...it isn't winning that is important it is having fun while showing others God's love that is most important..!!" I don't know about you but I believe THAT is a victory!!

Harbour Town

2010-07-06T21:54:00.005-05:00

Harbour Town Lighthouse

Here we go....

We made it!!! Lovin that smile!

...and that one!

View from the top. Gavin said.."WOW we can see the WHOLE world!"

Eli searching for shells at the beach by the lighthouse...

Eli and his helpers, Pawpaw and Daddy found a bag full.

Gavin rested under the shade tree with Mimi.

We went to Harbour Town on the last day of our vacation. Isabella stayed with Auntie Beth and Uncle John. It was very hot so we went in the morning because we knew the lighthouse was not air conditioned. The boys had so much fun and we can't wait to go back.

Morning Sun...

2010-06-23T20:36:00.004-05:00

Our search for "she" shells (as Eli would say) was not very successful but we had so much fun. The beach was beautiful so early in the morning. It was almost as if we had it all to ourselves. It is amazing the things our God created....simply for us. So thankful!

Beach fun...

2010-06-21T20:25:00.005-05:00

Hilton Head, SC

June 2010

Brotherly love...

Our Sun Princess..check out how tan she is even tho I have been applying 50 SPF.

Pure Joy..I love it!!

Just ridin' the waves..with a smile!

Hanging out with Daddy.

Mommy with her girl.

Mommy..check out my sand dollars..he had to throw them all back. There is a $50 fine for removing sand dollars from the beach.

I am having soooo much fun!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!! We took Daddy out to eat and he had crab legs. He said they were yummy!! We had a great time.

Mommy and Eli..Gavin took this picture~~pretty good..huh!

Say cheese, Beautiful!!!

We spent the first 2 days of vacation at the beach and had so much fun. We spent most of the time in the ocean..All 3 of our kids could not get enough..tomorrow morning we are heading to the beach before breakfast to search for sea shells..more to come on our treasures....

Our stop along the way...

2010-06-21T20:13:00.004-05:00

On our way to Hilton Head we stopped in Macon, Georgia and stayed overnight. The kids loved staying in the hotel and we just took our time and enjoyed each other. Now on to the beach...

two years ago...

2010-06-16T10:56:00.005-05:00

It has been 2 years since we went to the beach. Gavin and Elijah were 3 years old. We are heading back to Hilton Head in a few days and so much had changed. The boys are now 5 years old and we are blessed to have Isabella with us and she is 17 months old. I am so excited to experience the ocean with Isabella for the first time and Gavin and Eli will love all that the beach has to offer now that they are a few years older. I can't help but have a happy heart with all the memories we are making.

Pre K and Good friends!

2010-06-15T22:06:00.011-05:00

I am attempting to play catch up with my blogging with some very overdue posts. So here goes...

Gavin and Eli spent 2 years at Imagination Station Preschool. Their teacher both years was Tina Phillips. We were so pleased with the Christian environment and were amazed with all that they learned.

Mrs' Phillips class picnic.....
Kiersten, Gavin, Jacob, Elijah
& Hudson.

Obviously enjoying the picnic!

Last day of school with BFF Connor....

The kiddos were treated to a movie w/
popcorn and soda.

Anxiously awaiting the doors to open..
time to graduate!!

What handsome and sweet boys!

Elijah, Hudson, Jacob and Gavin.

My boys are now Kindergartner's..how did that happen? Very proud but very bitter-sweet.

I am so excited about the friendships that have blossomed from our experience at Imagination Station. I am so happy and feel so blessed that the Lord led us to such an amazing preschool. I could not have asked for a better introduction to school for my boys.

Kindergarten watch out..here comes the Smith boys!

Breakfast with Uncle J...

2010-06-12T11:52:00.004-05:00

A few times each year Jason comes on Saturday morning and makes pancakes and all the fixins for the kiddos. We had blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes with sausage and bacon. The boys get sooo excited and this year they were very eager to help..

Thanks Uncle J for the yummy breakfast. What a great way to start the day..fun with family!!

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-08T22:47:00.003-05:00

Our first swimming adventure of the summer. We went to our dear friends John and Beth's for Memorial Day and had a ball. Last year the boys could not touch in the shallow end and this year they can walk around with no problem. I can't believe how they have grown. Isabella LOVED the pool which was not a surprise due to how she "swims" in the bathtub. We are still looking for something (other than people she doesn't know) that scares her..a little more fear would be fine with me. It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun celebrating our freedom with family and friends. We made certain to explain to Gavin and Eli what Memorial Day is all about. We were so thankful to be able to have such a great day thanks to those who have given so much. How blessed we are!!!

Learning can be so fun!!!

2010-06-06T22:34:00.007-05:00

Chicago Children's Museum....June 2010

The kids had such a great time they didn't want to leave each area. Don't you love it when learning is FUN!!

Mommy and her boys....

2010-06-04T22:08:00.003-05:00

The boys took turns with the camera and I think they did a great job taking pictures. This was our little trip to the ice cream shoppe in Chicago while Daddy and Isabella were resting. Lovin on my boys and sharing some yummy ice cream!!

Lions..Tigers and Bears..Oh My!

2010-06-03T22:30:00.005-05:00

Our day at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. We were there for hours and we all had a blast. I think the boys could have stayed for a few more hours but we had about 1/2 a mile walk back to Aunt Deb and Uncle Lyn's house so I thought we should call it a day. Daddy and Mimi then took Isabella back to the house and Aunt Deb and I took the boys for some yummy ice cream. Another awesome day of great memories..

Chicago..so much to do..so little time!

2010-06-02T21:31:00.005-05:00

Sweet girl with her new baby...

Gavin..being brave..petting the "very real" dinosaur.

Amazingly real!!

The famous "Sue"..famous at our house anyway!

Gavin.."am I scaring you?"

Eli..ROOAARR!!

This is our annual spring trip to Chicago to visit Aunt Deb and Uncle Lyn. Each spring we come while Derrick is in the field. It helps to pass the time with him working such long hours. However..this year we got a wonderful surprise and Derrick finished in the field about 4 days ago so he was able to come wit us. We were so excited when he finished that last acre. When he told the boys that he was coming they started jumping up and down and screaming. Mimi, my Mom, is also with us. My Dad is working nights so the original plan was for she and I to bring the kids. Needless to say we are blessed to be with so much family this week but we do wish Pawpaw, my Dad, we able to be here instead of working. Today was our first day and Daddy along with Uncle Lyn took the boys to the Field Museum which they love. "Sue" the T-Rex is there and I believe Eli has every possible dinosaur book ever written so he get especially excited. This summer they have a special "living dinosaur" robotics show which Gavin was really excited about because he loves to figure out how things work. I knew that the boys (young and not so young) would want to be there for a while...4 hours..so my Mom, Aunt Deb and I took Isabella shopping. Not just shopping but to American Girl Place on Michigan Avenue. I have waited years to have a reason to go to that store. I realize that Isabella is only 17 months old but yes she now has a new doll. A bitty baby to be specific..she picked it out and it is the Asian doll..too funny. We had a ball and I am sure we will be back. What a great first day!! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!!

Let's Tumble....

2010-05-21T14:21:00.006-05:00

The boys started a tumbling class in mid April at Newburgh Tumbling. It is an all boys class and they love it. We only go once a week for 45 minutes but they always look forward to it. Miss Tammie is their instructor and she is so sweet. They have already learned so much. I am so glad to have found something that Gavin enjoys. I think this is the first "organized type" activity that he has truly looked forward to. I am happy that he has found something that he gets excited about. I am amazed at how quickly he picks it up. Miss Tammie occasionally uses him as an example of how to do something. I am so proud of him and most importantly I can tell he is proud of himself. Of course..Eli enjoys it because he will do pretty much anything that is active. It is perfect because there is a great little play room off the gym that Isabella can play in safely while I watch the boys do their "tricks". The class is month to month so we will probably do it at least until soccer starts this fall.

has it been 2 months?

2010-05-19T22:36:00.003-05:00

Yes..it has!! We stepped of that plane 2 months ago holding our precious daughter and to be honest it is still a blur. The past two months have been jammed packed with questions, memory making moments, milestones and countless blessings. We stepped into the Evansville airport laid eyes on our handsome sons and it was at that moment that I was able to exhale. I can still cry when I take myself back to the emotion and the pain that came with being away from Gavin and Eli for 25 days. I would however do it all again in a second. We are so in love with our beautiful daughter and there is zero doubt in my mind that she was created to be our daughter. It was not easy and there were times that I thought we were crazy but I don't regret a moment of it. She is such a gift and I am amazed at the blessing the Lord has literally placed in our arms. Gavin and Eli are in awe of her and she is their little shadow. The transition has been amazingly easy. Isabella has adjusted so well and it is like she has always been here. She is such a trooper and her brothers have amazed me. They have their moments of "what is going on.." but they are in love with her and are so protective of their baby sister. I am so excited about all the fun we are having and the memories ahead of us. We give all the honor and glory to our Almighty God. He held us up and carried us throughout this entire process.

Goodbye and Thank-You!

2010-03-15T14:20:00.005-05:00

Well..we are outta here. I feel a little guilty for being so excited about leaving. This is Isabella's birth place and her heritage and she may never return and we can't get out of here fast enough. We just need our family together so we can establish our new "normal". There is no way to truly get a feel for what is going on when we move her every few days to a new hotel. Plus there are 2 precious boys at home that can't wait to meet their baby sister. God bless Isabella she has done so well and Gavin and Elijah have been such big boys and we are so proud of them. Derrick and I..not so much. The last few days have been the toughest. It seems odd since we are so close but the home sickness has become consuming. We are aching to see our boys along with everyone else and to be able to finally introduce you to this precious child that the Lord has blessed us with. But..WOW what a ride. We have stepped soooo far out of our comfort zone. I really can't believe that we made it here...and wait until you see the wonderful gift we have received. We are so thankful to God for getting us through this process because there were times when we felt that we could not handle all that we were feeling. I must say that each time the Lord stepped in and pulled us up and on we went. We will never be the same after this and I hope to never forget all that we have seen so we can remember how truly blessed we are. There are no words..and this is something that Derrick and I will always share. It's seems a bit strange to talk as if we have been through something horrible and I don't want it to sound that way but the emotions that are involved are indescribable. So now we head home..sweet home. There is so much about this trip that I need to document for Isabella but I think that should remian between us. So for now I will just say to Russia good-bye and a humble and sincere THANK YOU!

BTW...we arrive in Evansville this Wednesday the 17th at 5:25pm and everyone is welcome join in Isabella's homecoming. You have all helped to hold us up and have prayed endlessly for us so we would not want to leave you out of the best part. We hope to see you there!
Love..and see you REAL soon!
Amber

Moscow

2010-03-12T11:39:00.002-06:00

We arrived in Moscow today at 8am..there is a 4 hour time difference between here and Novokuznetsk. Isabella did wonderful on the flight. It was nearly 5 hours long and the only time she cried was when we had to put her snowsuit on her when we arrived here in Moscow. She is attached to my hip..literally. She and Derrick are making progress daily. God bless him he is trying so hard she is just not used to being around men and with all the changes she is going through it it alot for her to handle. Today was a rough day with the time change and trying to get her on their schedule here. She wanted to go to bed at 4pm..I don't think so!!! So we were able to hold her off until almost 7:00. I can't get over how she just lays down and goes to sleep. She has been through so much the past few days and she is doing so well. It is just such an adjustment for her and Derrick and I are so tired and homesick that many times we take turns being the strong one. In many ways being so close to getting to come home but still being here is harder than it was 2 weeks ago..the home stretch is not as easy as I thought it would be. I keep telling myself that not only does God not give us more than we can handle but also we have a little girl who has to be terrified and 2 precious boys at home who have been angels and so patiently awaiting our return so....WE CAN DO THIS! Tomorrow we are going to venture out and get some pictures of Moscow for Isabella's book and maybe get some "American" food. We are so glad to be this much closer to home and realize that this time next week we will have been home for a whole day. I am starting to worry a little about the flights. Our longest flight going home is from Germany to Chicago which is about 10 hours...YIKES! 10 hours is painful for an adult much less a 1 year old...but like everything else we will deal with that when it is happening and not before. Sunday Isabella will see a Dr. from the embassy and Monday and Tuesday we have business to take care of at the embassy before heading home. We are so close and can't wait to step off that plane with our baby girl and finally have our family together. I haven't mentioned the boys much because to be honest I can't even go there at this point. We are so beyond missing them that it is nearly unbearable but very soon we will be with them and this will be in the past. We love and miss you all and as always we appreciate all the prayers and support. Keep the prayers coming..we are in the final innings and the stress level is high.
Love from Moscow..finally!
Amber

Our first day

2010-03-10T01:13:00.002-06:00

We walked out of the orphanage around 12:30 yesterday..right at naptime. We got back to the hotel and Isabella took a nap laying on her Mommy. Loved it! After nap we gave her a bath..and I use that term lightly. She was not to happy but I had to wash her down. We played and then met our friends for dinner. She did so well. We are giving her baby food and she is getting 2 or so bottles a day. We bought the formula here as to not mix it up on her to much to start with. Last night I held her for awhile and gave her a bottle and then placed her in the crib and she laid down and went right to sleep..NO WAY..can it be this easy? We will see! She slept until about 5:30 this morning and then got in bed with us. She is pretty congested so she may have slept longer in her bed if not for the breathing issue. Get this..she loves the pacifier. We brought some hoping it would help with the plane and she loves it. The boys both took pacifiers so I could go either way if she likes it then great. She also likes her blankie which I love..I am a blankie kind of Mommy. Derrick left at 7:00 this morning to go to Kemerovo City to finalize her birth certificate. It is a 3 hour drive..one way. He has to go back tomorrow to get her Russian passport. I wish he was here today and not missing out on this bonding time but it can't be helped. Right now she is naping and I just finished some laundry..in the bathtub (never thought you'd here me say that did you?!). She stays right with me. She is not very happy when these random people (who are trying to be kind) approach us when we are walking around the hotel...she starts to pucker up and they get the point and move on. Of course I have no idea what they are saying so I just smile. I don't think things could be going any better. I am really feeling the itch to get home now that we have her but only a few more days. We head to Moscow Friday morning which will be a nice change plus it begins our journey home.
I hear her stirring so I better go..I will update more when I can.
Love,
Amber

Thankful!!!

2010-03-08T04:33:00.003-06:00

Today like every other day since we have been here I randomly chose a card from our church family to open and share with Derrick. I want to share with you what the card said:
When you opened your eyes this morning,
God had already seen your day unfold-
He covered each corner of it with His grace...
tucked His love into every moment...
and tenderly wrapped it with the quiet
strength your heart would need.
There is nothing more important
to Him than you...
and I pray He shows you how special
you are through the blessings
He gives you today.
We have been amazed at how each card has said exactly what we needed each day before we even knew we needed it. We are so amazed and humbled by all of our family, church family and friends. I don't know if you honestly realize how your love, prayers and support has carried us through this journey. Our faith has grown tremendously by watching many of you. How can we possibly thank you? Tomorrow we will finally be carrying our daughter out of that orphanage and in our hearts you will each be with us because you have been holding our hands, along with our Lord, the entire time. So at 10am in Russia (about 9pm Monday night at home)know that we are "taking" each of you with us as we begin the next phase of this amazing journey.
All our Love!
Amber

Another geat visit and the plan....

2010-03-04T02:27:00.002-06:00

We had another great visit today (thursday morning in Russia). She comes right to us like it is no big deal. She is a completly different child than we visited a week and a half ago. Today she was running..yes I said running in circles in the room and laughing. She seems so calm and just goes with the flow..we could use some of that at our house..of course we will see if that changes as her personality comes out. Derrick is constantly making some sort of noise (shocking..I know) to get her attention so even if he is quiet she looks at him and laughs. She seems so comfortable with us. They refer to every cargiver at the orpanhage as "Mama" so if you ask her where Mama is she will run to any female in the room. They rarely come in contact with men but when they do they are considered "Papa". We point to ourselves and say Mama and Papa and she just stares at us. So.. with time it will come. We will need to be careful once we get home that she doesn't think everyone is either Mama or Papa...more to come later on that. Another fabulous visit! We found out today that our next and last visit to the orphanage will be on Saturday and we will pick her up on Tuesday the 9th. We were originally told it would be Wednesday so we are getting her a day early. Monday is "Womens's Day" a Russian holiday. I am thinking it is a cross between Mother's Day and Valentine's Day so we won't get to visit on Monday. Tomorrow (Friday) our translator (who has been great)is taking us shopping and out to eat..a change of scenery. We are not sure why we aren't visiting her tomorrow we got the impression something was going on at the orphanage?!? We are just so excited that in less than a week she will finally be with us. Very Surreal! Our boys seem to be doing great. So much so that occasionally when we call they are to "busy" to talk. I am just so thankful that there is not crying in the background along with "Mommy when will you be home." It is unbelievable the "village" that has come together to pull this off. So many people have played some role in making this trip and the entire process go smooth. We are so grateful and thinking you will agree that the payoff is priceless. Derrick and I were talking the other day about the life she would have if we had not chosen to adopt..the what if's. Sure maybe another family would have adopted her..maybe she would have been fine here. We quickly decided not to go down that road in our minds. People have commented on how great it is that we are "saving" an orphan and I guess that is what we are doing however....that was not why we started this. Honestly...we just wanted another child and this is the road God led us down. So we don't think of it as saving her. We just had to come a little farther than some to get our daughter. We believe that from the moment the Lord created her she was meant for our family. This process has changed Derrick and I, changed the way we look at parenting and changed our marriage. The conversation that started on January 27, 2007 has just about come full circle. I can't imagine this journey without the unbelievable man that God has placed by my side. He would admit that this was all me in the beginning but he jumped in with both feet. Amazing! Who would have imagined this journey that the Lord had planned for us. We are so excited about the next phase and hope you will continue the ride with us.
All our Love....
Amber

Sweet Progress

2010-03-02T03:39:00.005-06:00

We have had 2 amazing visits this week. Monday and Tuesday morning we were able to spend about 2 hours each day with Isabella. During Mondays visit she started to cry when I walk away for a moment..this is huge and we were so excited to see her bonding with us. During today's visit she ran right to us and hugged me for a good minute. We did not even have to pull out the puffs immediately for bribery..not that we are those kind of parents..hehe! Each visit has made such a difference. I remind myself that had we gone home for the 10 day waiting period we would have missed out on this precious time. Don't misunderstand I think of the boys about every 30 seconds and in someways I feel as if I left my arms at home because I miss them so desperately but this is her time and Gavin and Elijah are fine. I know they miss us also but they are having fun with all the attention they are getting at home. We will be picked up again at 9am tomorrow (wed) morning for another visit. We are getting so close and I can't wait to for us to walk out of that orphanage for the last time with her in our arms. We can almost taste the excitement. Our days here can be long there is a lot of time from noon until 9am the next morning when we get picked up. We have met a wonderful Christian couple who is helping to pass the time. I am so thankful to God for placing us here with them. The home sickness is very present but I am amazed at how well we are doing. We are very aware that the Lord is carrying us thru this process and thru each second daily. We can feel the prayers it is truly amazing! We love each of you and are thankful for your prayers and support..this journey would have been impossible without you.
Love!!!
Amber

Surprise Visit...

2010-02-27T17:55:00.003-06:00

We were surprised Saturday afternoon at 4:oo with a call stating the driver was waiting downstairs to take us to the orphanage. We quickly grabed our "bag of tricks" and headed out. What a wonderful surprise! Isabella came in with a pink outfit that we had left for her in November. It was 12 mos and fits her perfect. She warmed up to us right away. She actually started digging thru our bag looking for the puffs. Too funny! We were able to visit with her for about 2 hours and then we had to go. It made our day and will get us thru the rest of the weekend. We are going to be picked up at 9:00am Monday morning for our next visit. We have offically started our second week here. I have made my own calendar for our room to count down the days until we have her home.

Sorry..still no pictures. Even though she is legally our daughter they have really cracked down on privacy so we are just being cautious.
Love and Hugs!
Amber

Our room with a view....

2010-02-27T01:21:00.004-06:00

We were not able to have a visit on Friday so we are praying for Monday. This time is huge for bonding so we are hoping for many visits next week. So since I have no Isabella info for you I thought I would give you a sneak peak into our "home away from home" for the next 2 weeks. Let me just say that I did not intend for the bathroom picture to be first. For some reason I am not able to change the order of the pictures. The hotel is very clean and everyone is kind. Obviously there is a language barrior but once we figure out with the other is trying to say it is fine. Once we have Isabella they will move a crib into the room..somewhere.

We have met another couple that is here and it has been nice having people to eat with and just have conversation. It has now been a week since we left home and we are doing pretty good. We finaly spoke to the boys this morning for the first time since we had been gone. Mom said she felt they needed to talk to us. We were waiting as long as we could not knowing if it would backfire. I was afraid I would lose it but I did very well and it was so nice to hear their sweet voices. Derrick of course was strong and was able to talk to them without much trouble. It is Saturday afternoon here and we will probably watch a movie and play cards tonight. Not much of a nightlife here plus it is painfully cold...and I am not exaggerating. Hope all is well at home and please give our boys a hug for us.
Love and Hugs!!
Amber

She is all ours!

2010-02-25T09:58:00.003-06:00

As of 10:15pm, on Wednesday, the 24th (it was 11:15am the 25th here in Russia)we offically and legally became Isabella's parents. Court went very smooth and there was no surprises. We could feel the prayers. We now have to wait 10 days to get custody of her..per Russian law this gives us time to "change our minds"..NOT A CHANCE! We should be picking her up on the 9th and will be back in Moscow the 13th and home on the 17th. Due to all the legal and business stuff we haven't seen her since Tuesday. We are hoping to see her on Friday. We will be taking her shoes and an outfit to be sure we have the right sizes. I will post more after we see her again.
Love from Russia!!
Amber

We saw her!!

2010-02-23T16:04:00.003-06:00

We were able to see Isabella yesterday morning. She is beautiful and healthy and she has grown. She is walking..a little. She does the walk with her arms straight up in the air..too cute! The only time we could get her to walk is if we would brib her with puffs. We have decided Gerber Puffs are universal and like gold. It took her 1/2 an hour or so to take to us. She was scared but Derrick eventually had her laughing and she loved her toys..especially the stacking cups. I would hide puffs in the cups and she would get so excited when she found them. Her face is VERY "full" but I could not tell how much she has grown because she had about 4 layers of clothes on. She has a bad cold w/a cough and runny nose so considering I am sure she did not feel well and she had not seen us in 3 months it was a great visit. Today (wed) we have business to take care of and then court tomorrow. We may not see her again until Friday:(. I am having my moments and in some ways feel like we have been here for weeks already but I am doing my best to take it all in for her so we can share the memories with her when she is older. Snow is everywhere and it is ablout -40F. It is a cold that I can't explain but no worries Derrick has his "Russian" hat. Our Translator about feel out of her chair when she saw him in it. We have found a grocery store that has american type food and we plan on stocking up later today. I have a nasty cold that is not helped by the freezing cold here but our translator took me to a drug store and helped me get some meds.

Hope all is well at home. I know Gavin lost his second tooth yesterday and we have talked to both of our Mom's several times. SKYPE is wonderful and sooo cheap. We have not talked to the boys yet we decided to wait until they ask in an effort to make it easier for everyone. We so appreciate the love an support. The care package from our church family is unbelievable. We have read a few of the cards already and are trying to save them for when we "need" them. We can feel the love and it does make such a difference. I will save every card so one day she can see that so many people had a part in bringing her home. Tina..I did receive your email with pictures of the boys visiting with the tooth fairy while at school. It made my day and was so thoughtful of you to think to do that for us. THANK YOU!! We love you all!
No pictures yet..sorry. We have to be careful. But take my word for it she is beautiful!

BTW..for some reason I can't get spell check to work so bare with me;)
Love and Blessing!!
Amber

We are in Moscow

2010-02-21T13:12:00.002-06:00

After 24 hours of traveling, one missed flight, several delays and quiet a few laughs we are at our hotel in Moscow. We will spend the night here and fly to the region tomorrow evening. We are feeling pretty good. Well Derrick just said he feels as if he has been in a cage for a day..so besides that we are good. We are so excited to be seeing our baby girl in a few days and are relieved to not be traveling back and forth over the next few weeks. I know that we will continue to have a mixture of emotions due to desperately missing our boys. I will post more as soon as I am able. The internet can be tricky. We have an exciting and busy week ahead of us. I never thought this day would get here. We are over the moon!
Talk soon
Love,
Amber

Change of plans..how about Saturday?

2010-02-19T00:00:00.002-06:00

We received a call from our travel agent this morning stating there was a problem with our flight on Lufthansa the German airline. There is a chance that the pilots will go on strike starting Monday for 4 days. If this were to happen we would be stuck in Germany. So....we are leaving Saturday afternoon to avoid the potential strike. Now on to our visa's..after about 3 hours on the phone this morning our visa's are to be delivered to our Fed Ex location by 9:00 Saturday morning for us to pick up. Just like every other time everything is falling into place. Praise God!
I am sad that we are leaving a day early because our plan was to have a family day with the boys on Saturday but now that we are leaving Saturday we are scrambling just to have everything ready. Please continue to pray for our family. I am having such a hard time knowing we will be away from the boys for so long. However I am so thrilled to be going to get our daughter. Such a roller coaster of emotions. I am excited to know that this time next month we will ALL be home and our family will be complete. This will be my last post before we leave so I will talk to you all soon and the next time we see you we will be a proud family of 5;)
Much love and Many Blessing!
Amber

Pray for our Visa's....

2010-02-17T18:43:00.002-06:00

I spoke with the Russian National Group today and they said our Russian Visa's will be overnighted(from New York)to us at 3:00 on Friday. This means we should get them Saturday. Let me re-phrase...we MUST get them on Saturday because our flight leaves at 6:35 Sunday morning and we can't go without. I have faith that they will get here but I must admit I have to keep reminding myself that all will be fine. It is just cutting it so close but remember we didn't receive our call until Sunday so it was Monday before I could get them to New York. So please just say a little prayer that they arrive on Saturday. The Lord did not bring us this far for a piece of paper to slow things down.
Besides that we are plugging along and getting very excited. This time next week we will have seen our baby girl. I can't even believe this is really happening. We truly don't deserve this fairytale life.
talk soon;)
Amber

We are going to get our daughter....

2010-02-16T14:00:00.005-06:00

We leave this Sunday the 21st for Russia. This is the last leg of our journey and we are soooo excited. We will have our baby girl home on March 17th. We are staying for the entire trip rather than returning home. If we came home it was only going to be for 6 days and the cost was outrageous. I am struggling with the thought of being away from the boys for 23 days but she needs us now and they will be fine. We have so much family support and they have lots of fun things planned for the time we are gone. We will get to visit with our daughter most days while we are there which we are very excited about. Thank you to everyone who has prayed and I hope will continue to pray as we complete this journey around the world. We truly could not be more blessed and are humbled by this unbelievable experience. We give all of the praise and glory to God for blessing us with all of you, each other and 3 beautiful children.

I will be posting while in Russia however out of respect for Russia and the process itself there are many details that I won't be able to share until we are home. Please know that I am telling you what I can when the time is appropriate. I ask that you respect that our blog is private and the details should not be shared with others. There are many families going through adoption and each families process is unique so please know there are reasons for being discreet and private.

We love each of you dearly and pray God blesses you as He has blessed us....beyond measure.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27
Love,
Amber

adoption update

2010-02-08T15:08:00.005-06:00
Don't get to excited..no court date yet. Two families received court dates last week both of which traveled on their first trip before us. They are both traveling on their second trip this month. Please keep them in your prayers as they take the final leg of their journey. I spoke with our coordinator today and there are a total of 14 families waiting for a court date...4 families are ahead of us (according to 1st trips). We were told that hopefully we will hear something in about a month. We are anxious but they did tell us when we received Isabella's picture that we would probably travel in November and March. We were just hoping it would happen sooner and it could but.. for sanity purposes I am going to focus on March. We are feeling blessed to have such support surrounding us. We have felt all of the love and prayers . So for now we will wait, we will pray and we will be patient knowing it is in God's hands. He has given us so many gifts one of which is waiting for us, in an orphanage, in Russia, so who are we to question His timing. Please continue to pray along with us as we wait to bring home our Russian angel.

Can they really be 5?

2010-01-28T15:47:00.011-06:00
I can't believe my babies are 5 years old. Their birthday was yesterday and we had a day full of fun. First.. they celebrated with their PreK class with cupcakes and chocolate milk. After school we went to have lunch and then to the bookstore so they could pick put a few new books. For dinner they chose Mr. Gatti's Pizza where we got to play video games (and win some fabulous prizes;). Today we went to the Children's Museum with their best buddy from school "C" along with his Mommy and little brother. They had fun being boys and hanging out together. We are having our family party this weekend which will be the big celebration. Seems like we have celebrated quiet a bit already but I love it!!
It seems so strange that it has been 5 years since they were born. I always have such a hard time with birthdays. I sometimes just wish time would stand still. They are growing up so fast.

My Precious Gavin..you are our first born (by 3 whole minutes). I love you so much you are so sweet and full of energy.

I love that....
..We will be saying our prayer at dinner holding hands, with our heads bowed, and you "secretly" kiss my hand. I never say anything I just wink at you when we are done.
..You are so creative. Daily you have a project you are working on and I get requests for tape or rubber bands. I normally say "Oh honey I don't think that will work.." and sure enough..each time you figure it out.
..Right now you are into "business stuff" and you collect business cards. You even got your own personal business cards for Christmas. You want to wear a neck tie everyday.
Gavin, I love you so much and can't imagine my days without you!

Elijah..my sweet Eli. You were the smallest at birth and have been a fighter ever since. There are so many things about you that I love and that make me smile.

I love that...
..you are so loyal. When you love someone or something it is 110%. There is no in between for you.
..when you think I am ill you bring me "Franklin" your most prized possession. You have such compassion for people.
..you are so kind and soft yet strong when you need to be. You don't say how you feel often but when you do it is so special. Just this morning you came in and said "Mommy, I love you. Thank you for my new dinosaur book."

You boys have such a special bond and I have so loved having the privilege of seeing it grow. You have taken turns "needing" each other and you love each other deeply. You call each other "bubby" and I cherish the love I see between you. You are learning so much but most importantly you are learning to love Jesus. I am so excited to see the plans He has for you. Happy 5th Birthday my big Boys!
Love,
Mommy

And so we wait......

2010-01-20T12:01:00.002-06:00
I spoke with our coordinator today and she says they have heard nothing from our region. The Russian officials returned from their holiday vacation on 1/11 so we were hoping to start hearing about court dates this week. I must admit it is consuming me. I know God has been apart of this process from the beginning and we have had some wonderful surprises. I also know His timing is perfect and His grace is undeniable but I just want her home. I am also feeling guilt as I see the images from Haiti where real pain and suffering is happening. Isabella is being cared for and has her basic needs being provided unlike many of the children in Haiti. So..as we wait I am going to place my trust in my Lord knowing he is caring for her and He has not forgotten us. I am also going to be thankful for the care she is receiving and remember there are people suffering in a way I can't imagine. One story that has sickened me is the story about a mother that lost her husband and all 5 of her children in the earthquake. That is a loss that you don't recover from and it pains me to even try to imagine her grief. So please pray for the families in Haiti and for the families waiting here to finally go and get their children. Our agency has about 15 families in our region waiting for court dates so we are not alone.
Thank you or your prayers and support!

The Birthday Celebrations Begin...

2010-01-18T18:47:00.003-06:00

The weekend began with a wonderful (early) birthday celebration for Gavin and Eli. My Aunt Deb and Uncle Lyn were in town for the weekend and wanted to surprise the boys with a "big boy" dinner. They invited all of the boys favorite people and we had a wonderful dinner. My aunt had reserved a table for 13 at The Evansville Country Club and decorated with balloons and crowns for the boys. The boys did so well and the night was catered to them (and some yummy food for the adults!) My Aunt and Uncle live in Chicago and due to always being home for the holidays they are normally not here for the boys birthday which is jan 27th. We had a wonderful evening that was full of laughter and memories being made. We are so thankful and very blessed to have so many that care for our children so deeply. We will be having a party at the house for the boys later in the month and look forward to having Isabella's (belated) celebration once she is home and settled.

What more could you ask for?

We had our first visit from the Tooth Fairy...

2010-01-13T17:42:00.006-06:00
Gavin lost his first tooth last night. It was helped along by the fact that he and Eli were "playing" and he accidentally got kicked in the mouth. The tooth was very loose and as he was eating pizza he said.."my tooth is gone and I don't know where it went!" It appears he swallowed his tooth so we left a note for the tooth fairy. He was very concerned he would not get credit for the tooth since he swallowed it. I am not sure I am ready for the boys to be loosing teeth. I have also been called "Mom" lately rather than Mommy. What's up with that? Each phase is so bittersweet because something is ending as we begin something new. This is a picture of my handsome Gavin's new smile.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Girl!

2009-12-28T11:45:00.002-06:00
Dear Isabella,
I can't believe that today is your first birthday and we are not able to celebrate with you. It is a very strange feeling. I wonder if they are wishing you happy birthday are they going to sing to you? Does this day get to be special for you at all or is it just another day? I have also thought a great deal today about your birth mother and how she is today. Is she sad? Does she have regrets? Does she feel peace? I will never know or understand the circumstances which led to her very brave decision of choosing adoption for the both of you. I pray she is healthy and safe and that she feels our prayers. She has given us a gift that leaves us speechless. I wish she could know how much we adore you and will work everyday to not take the sacrifice she made for granted. We are so in love with you and can't wait to have you home and have our family complete. There are many "firsts" that we have missed and it saddens me but knowing we are so close to making you our own gives us comfort. We have so many memories ahead of us and before we know it we will all be together and this will all be in the past. We think of you so often and look and your pictures and video daily. We wonder how different you will look and how much you are growing. Are you walking yet? Do you still get a bottle? Do you realize you have us a world away loving and praying for you? Right now it is the middle of the night in Russia and you should be sleeping so...sweet dreams.. sweet girl and Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mommy

Dossier 2..signed, apostilled and delivered!!!!

2009-12-14T18:51:00.008-06:00
We made what was a pleasant and oddly easy trip to Indy to the Sec of States office to have all of our documents appostilled. My mom and friend Beth went along. We left yesterday evening and stayed in a hotel so we could be at the Gov't Building at 8 am and not have to get up at 2am to drive there. Everything went so smooth. There was a parking spot directly in front of the building, the staff was so friendly and we were shopping in Circle Center Mall by 9:30. Did I mention this was a Gov't office and I was prepared to cry if I needed to get our document's done today. Not even close to necessary. Shame on me for not giving people the benefit of the doubt. Anyway we shopped..ate and headed back home and at 4:15 today I handed Inessa everything. She said she would look them over and they would go out in the morning. WOOOHOOO!!! Now we wait. The estimated time frame for a court date from the first trip is 3-5 months. There are currently 9 or 10 families waiting and we are one of them. Russia shuts down from Jan 1st thru the 10th for their winter holiday. Inessa said she expects to start receiving court dates after their break. If I have learned anything with this process is that it rarely goes as planned so the roller coaster continues!

I will keep you updated but for now I must go...because...

Guess what..Christmas is coming!!! Ready or Not;)

Dossier 2 complete!!

2009-12-11T22:40:00.003-06:00
We have everything for dossier 2 (with exception to our FBI background check). On Monday, I am going with Mom and my dear friend Beth to Indianapolis to get it all apostilled. Indy is about a 3 1/2 hour drive so having the company will be nice. I can't wait to actually hand Kathy all the papers and hopefully just wait for our date. The judge can request additional information so we will see. Dossier 2 has not been nearly as painful as dossier 1 but it is just a crazy time of year and that made it a little more difficult. Derrick and I have spent a lot of time talking about trip 2. The second trip can be 21 or so days which is a very long time for us both to be away from the boys. To be honest the thought makes me sick. We both feel really torn. When we began this process this "10 day waiting period" was being waived. We are told the chances of the 10 days being waived is basically zero. We are praying (for all the families) that they begin waiving these days ..but in the meantime we are discussing several options.

So we are celebrating that our final dossier is DONE!!!
So excited!

Have a great weekend!!

Catching up..Fall 2009

2009-12-09T23:09:00.004-06:00

Here are a few photos from fall. I am so behind on blogging anything that is not adoption related. We received our first trip travel dates on Oct. 20th and my brain turned to mush at that point. This is my attempt to get caught up. We had a fabulous fall. Derrick was crazy busy in the fields but the boys and I wasted no time. We had our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. The boys continue to get excited each year about the hay ride and picking their very own pumpkin out of the patch. This was the first year that the boys were pretty opinionated about their costumes. Gavin was a pirate (captain hook) and Eli was Superman. They were so proud to show off their costumes at their Pre-K party. I guess our days of the "cute" costumes are gone. Thank goodness Isabella will be here next Halloween..stay tuned for the over the top girly costume!!

Better late than never...hope you had a Happy Harvest..we sure did!

Saying Goodbye..for now!

2009-12-02T13:37:00.004-06:00
Our last visit with Isabella was on 11/24. We were picked up for the second visit of the day around 3:15 and we were able to visit with her for about 2 hours. She seemed to know us when she was brought into the room and was excited to play with her toys again. The time went very fast and before we knew it they were back to get her. We both quickly kissed her and she was gone. It is so overwhelming and at that very moment I was sad and angry. Why must we make 2 trips? Why do they have us fall in love and then leave our child? It seems very cruel but we will wait and when we get the call we will go back and get her. We are hoping for February and planning for March. I am almost done with dossier 2..yes there is more paperwork!

Thanks to many generous friends, family and even people we don't know we were able to take an entire (way over weight!) suitcase full of donations to the baby home. The director of the baby home was very thankful. She kept thanking us over and over again. A substantial amount of money had also been donated to purchase items needed by the baby home once we got there. We went with the intention of buying diapers but once we spoke to the director she said that they needed medicine. Lena took us took a pharmacy and we bought amoxicillin, Tylenol, vitamin D and stomach medicine. We were able to buy more than I could physically carry. We then purchased a few packages of diapers and took it all with us to our last visit. When we walked in with the medicine the director got so excited and the Doctor came to thank us. Funny how when we were going diapers seemed so important and when we found out that they had no medicine all of a sudden diapers became a luxury. I can't put into words all that we saw and the emotions that followed but it was humbling and sad. There are so many children in need of families. If our house was larger and money was no issue we would be racking up more miles. Please keep all of these children in your prayers because many of them will only know the life inside that orphanage.
Praying with you!
Amber

Day 2 with our angel..

2009-11-25T18:57:00.004-06:00

Here are a few photos. I was finally able to upload them to the blog. We have so many great pictures of her but I had to chose "blog friendly" ones since the adoption is not final. So I was not able to show her beautiful face. At the end of day 1 I had a very hard time. By that point I had been away from Gavin and Eli for several days and after meeting Isabella I was spent. Derrick did amazing. He is an emotional Man and is not afraid to show that but he was so strong for me.
On day 2 we were picked up at 9:15 and headed straight to the baby home. We were rested and very excited. She reached for me when they brought her into the room which was priceless. She warmed up to Derrick and we took turns having special moments with her. He found her tickle spots which prompted the most adorable laugh. That made both of our days. We positioned the video camera on a bench so it captured every moment without one of us having to hold it (..again thanks Dawn for the tip;). We had about a 2 hr visit and then went off to buy things that the orphanage needed along with souvenirs. More on that and our last:( visit with our beautiful girl to come.
Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are overflowing!
Many Blessings!
Amber

We have seen our daughter.

2009-11-23T14:45:00.010-06:00
Here is how the day started..we landed in Novo at 6:30 am our translator Lena (who is a doll!)and driver helped us get our luggage and we then took the 45 minute drive to the hotel. We had 1 hour to rest, shower and gather all of her things to take to our first visit. The exhaustion mixed with excitement at that point was very overwhelming. We were picked up along with another FTIA family and taken to the orphanage..about a 20 min drive from the hotel. Walking into the orphanage was hard. Very poor but very clean. The workers take great care in taking car of these children. We met w/the orphanage director she gave us "social" background on Diana (Isabella). We did learn a little more about her birth mother but not much. No real surprises. We were then given blue booties to wear onto the baby wing. We walked down a very long hall and up stairs. There are stunning murals on the walls that I have taken a few photos of. Looks to be nursery rhymes. We walked into a room and turned the corner and there she was being held by her caregiver Oksana. We immediately recognized her from her pictures. She cried for a moment and then let me hold her. She was a bit more taken aback by Derrick so he kept his distance as to not upset her. I know this was hard for him but we were prepared that this may happen and we know with time that will get better. We played w/her. She loves her little musical instruments we brought for her. She kept trying to keep all the toys in her lap..she wasn't wanting to share. We fed her Gerber puffs and she licked them out of my hand which was pretty cute but we did show her how to pick them up and she quickly learned to feed them to herself. I put a diaper on her that we had brought because she had no diaper on. (thanks Dawn for the tip). I carried her around and Derrick video taped as much as he could and before we knew it our time was over. We then went back to the hotel and slept for 2 hours and prepared for our second trip of the day. Stay tuned for more........ I am having issues down loading pics...

Thanks for all the prayers. I have been emotional from the second we landed in Moscow it is all very overwhelming and as hard as it is...she is so very worth it. We can't believe we have to leave her here...but we WILL be back.

love to all!!

Hello from Moscow....

2009-11-22T11:00:00.002-06:00
Well we have made it to Moscow it is 8 pm and our flight for Novo leaves at 10:20 pm. we have a 7hr layover. Exhausted and very excited is all I can think right now. Our flights have been fine there was a lot of turbulence going to Germany which made sleep difficult. We are relaxing in the Business Lounge now...which is worth every penny! I did just take about a 2 hour nap. I spoke to the boys a few hours ago which made me cry..maybe that wasn't such a good idea. The anticipation and lack of sleep doesn't help I'm sure. Derrick has worked so much lately that is has been nice to just have time to talk. We were met by Anna here at the airport. She was someone I had heard of or was expecting. She told me she was a friend of Visily's (SP)and she was helping out. At first this made me nervous but she was so kind and very helpful. We were only w/her for an hour but I felt the need to hug her when we parted. All of our luggage is over weight(we knew this) but she said something and we were not charged. There is for sure a language barrier but we have managed to this point. I really need to try to learn a few things before we return for our second trip..the best intentions..right??? It is just so surreal and overwhelming being here. At one point Derrick and I looked at each other and just started laughing..we can't believe we are here. So..all is well. I do miss our boys terribly and we have barely been gone 24 hrs but they are in good hands so I am not worried..just miss them!

I will post again after we meet our sweet daughter...can you believe it?!?!
Much love to everyone!
Amber

Here we go....

2009-11-20T21:38:00.002-06:00
We are packed and ready to go. Our flight leaves Saturday morning at 11:45 am and we will land in Novo around 5pm Sunday night (our time) it will be 6am Monday morning in Russia. I think the time difference itself will be exhausting. We are so excited and can't wait to meet Isabella. I must admit I am dreading being away from my boys. This is the longest either one of us has ever been away from them. We will have a fabulous time and they will be fine with Mimi and Pawpaw but it will be hard. My plan is to update the blog daily as a way to keep a journal so we will see how it goes. I am going to bed in an attempt to get a good night sleep before we travel for 29 hours. No worries...she is worth every second!

Talk to you from Russia:-)
Love,
Amber

3 more days.....

2009-11-17T15:59:00.003-06:00
We are on the countdown. I can't believe we leave in 3 days. We are so excited and a bit nervous. Our Russian Visa's arrived today...YEAH..I was worried that they would not make it in time and we can't travel w/o them. We have had such support and so many prayers and we are so thankful.
I have packing to do and want to clean the house since Mom & Dad will be staying here with the boys. So instead of doing any of that today I took the boys to see Astro Boy. I feel like I have been preoccupied (wonder why) and wanted to spend some time with them and they loved it. We were the only ones in the theater which was pretty great! The cleaning and packing will get done but I needed some time w/my boys.
I will send an update before we leave.
Lots of love!!
Amber

National Adoption Awareness Month

2009-11-12T11:55:00.006-06:00

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Please take the time to pray for the birth mothers who are faced with very tough decisions. If we are going to be honest adoption is many times the road less traveled and a very hard decision for both the birth mothers and adoptive parents. There are children both in the United States and around the world that will never have a forever family and may never know the feelings of safety, warmth and unconditional love. All children deserve to have these basic things and we sometimes forget that it is not always the case. These children have the same needs and rights as my 2 sons and they for what ever reason did not get the same start and it is so very sad. Please remember these children in your prayers and to find other ways to help visit http://www.nationaladoptionawarenessmonth.com

The above picture is from a Russian Orphanage.

Praying with you!
Amber

Hurry up and wait......

2009-11-03T14:52:00.003-06:00
We have made our travel arrangements. We are waiting for our Visa's from the Russian Nat'l Group. We are supposed to have them by the 17th and we leave the morning of the 21st. This makes me very nervous but I keep telling myself it will all be fine. My normally obsessively organized self has turned completely wacky. I have lists of my lists.

We are both very overwhelmed at the thought of finally getting to meet this precious child and then leaving her. We have known from the beginning that leaving her was a part of the process but knowing that and living it is going to be two very different things. I have heard wonderful things about the baby homes and am counting on that giving us some peace once we leave. I am thankful for the FTIA yahoo group which has been a wealth of information. It is comforting to hear the experiences of those who have been and are going thru the same process.

Thank you so much for all the prayers. I will keep the updates coming.

Many Blessings!

Amber

Russia here we come.....

2009-10-20T12:13:00.004-05:00
We have travel dates!!! We leave for Moscow on Sat. November 21st and will arrive back home Thurs. November 26th which happens to be Thanksgiving. How is that for something to be thankful for? My head is spinning. To be honest we are thankful to have a month to prepare. Hopefully this way Derrick can get most of the harvest taken care of before we are gone. I have tons of arrangements to make and 2 four year olds who are hungry for lunch so I will update more later.

Love to you all!!
Amber

Pumpkins and Progress

2009-10-16T14:24:00.005-05:00

Can you believe it is October and time to decorate pumpkins? We did our family tradition of decorating our pumpkins like Mr. Potato head. The boys always have a great time and it is fun to see how the pumpkins change from year to year. As you can see we don't do scary!!
Adoption news......3 travel dates were received this week for our region. By my count there are only a few families left to receive travel dates for their first trip and...we are one of them. Our coordinator said that they are hoping to get our travel dates next week and for us to be going to Russia the first week of November. My nerves have really kicked into high gear. I find myself making random lists and I suddenly don't feel organized. I have spent the last day working on my boys scrapbooks...I know it makes no sense!! It is very random especially since I am about 2 years behind so why now? I think it is because I can get "lost" in them. Also...I have decided that once Isabella gets home there is no hope for the boys scrapbooks. (Amber.. just let it go!!!! wink wink*) So...we are nervous, excited and hoping to get out travel dates very soon. We are so thrilled for all the families that get to hold their children in the next few weeks and pray we are right behind them. Please keep lifting our adoption in prayer and I will update you as soon as we know more.

Cute and sooo easy...

2009-10-08T18:00:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Gavin's leader day at school and this weeks theme is "spiders" and I found this sweet and easy snack to send. Gavin and I had so much fun making these little guys. I want to be the Mom that makes everything homemade and does the theme snacks when it is one of the boys turn but it sooo doesn't come easy to me. First of all I try to limit the sugar intake around here and these little spiders are made with ding dongs...yummy!! (I am not to sad that there are a few left over). In the end it was a great little project for the 2 of us on a rainy afternoon and he can show them off to his friends tomorrow. Thanks for the help Buddy!!!

My little soccer star

2009-10-05T23:18:00.005-05:00

Eli is playing soccer for the first time this year and he loves it! I am helping to coach his team and I am enjoying my "special" time with him. He calls me "Coach Mommy"...I love it! It has been fun watching him improve. At first I think he was just happy to be there but he scored his first goal on Saturday and it was worth a million dollars. He was so proud and I just about jumped out of my skin. This is the first time the boys are doing separate activities. I think it is a good thing but it has been a bit of a struggle. It did happen naturally because Eli wanted to play soccer and Gavin wanted to take Karate. I guess they just did not realize that it would be different without the other one there. All apart of growing and being twins. We are having a blast and are very busy. Being a stay at home Mommy is not for everyone but I am loving every second...even when I am screaming inside my head..LOL! These are a few pictures of my little soccer star. Gavin just started karate so more to come on that.....

Blessings!
Amber

Just waiting....

2009-09-28T12:06:00.002-05:00
Just wanted to let everyone know that at this point we are just waiting for travel dates. The last weekly update from our agency stated that there are 10 families waiting and they are expected to get travel dates within the next 2-4 weeks scheduled for mid October thru November. We are probably number 9 or so on the list so if they go in order of referral we should be the latter part of November. I am not as anxious as I expected to be. We are just so thankful that we have moved so far in the process. Isabella's room is pretty close to being done. We have not hung anything on the wall as of yet but it is so adorable..and girly. Not real used to that around here. The boys are doing well. They love PreK and are learning so much. They seem to be dealing fairly well with the upcoming changes. Everytime they do anything out of the ordinary or don't handle something as I think they should I find myself wondering if they are struggling with the idea of baby sister and the changes that are happening. We did bunk their beds as a way to enforce the "big boy" concept since we were making such a big deal working on Isabella's room. So...bed time has not been as easy as normal but we are working thru it. Some days we deal with a 4 1/2 year old attitiude so I now have bible verses taped to my kitchen cabinets to reinforce our goals and to help me in those times that I want to scream. I have also learned that boys can wrestle pretty well any where that they can find the space needed. Just when I think that i may lose my mind then one of the boys surprises me. The other night at dinner it was Eli's turn to pray and he thanked God for the rainbow that he and Daddy had seen and reminded us that Jesus is always watching over us. So... we have very spirited, sometimes opinionated and active 4 1/2 year old boys that love Jesus. What more could we ask for? We are beyond blessed!

Isabella is now 9 months old. Praying she is being cuddled as she waits for us.

Talk soon;)

8 years ago today...

2009-09-11T13:13:00.005-05:00

I was not Derrick's wife or Mommy to Gavin and Elijah and it was the saddest day I can remember. I recall being at my desk at Welborn Clinic when a co-worker came in and said "a plane has hit one of the WTC buildings in New York" the rest of the day was a blur. It seems like a lifetime ago yet the feelings can be stirred back up in a moment. So many were lost that day and I ache for their family members that were left to mourn. The children whose Mommy or Daddy did not come that evening or ever again are heavy on my heart today. Tragedies happen to people everyday but this was on such a large scale and the feelings of safety and security that were lost that day was monumental. So tonight as you kiss your children goodnight and spend time with your spouse think of those who are mourning today. Spend some time in prayer praying for those that are protecting us so that we can play in the backyard with our children and feel safe as we lay our heads down at night. It is so easy to block what happened 8 years ago out of our minds because it is so difficult to think about but... those who lost and were lost deserve us taking a moment.
God Bless America and each of you!

First day of Pre-K

2009-09-09T12:11:00.004-05:00

So....summer has quickly come to an end and my precious boys started Pre-K a few weeks ago(a little behind on blogging!). They were so excited for school to start back up. They have made new friends and are having so much fun. They are going 3 morning a week compared to last year which was only 2. The extra time has been helpful in order to get our paperwork updated for the adoption. I can't hardly believe that they will be in Kindergarten next year. We have been so spoiled with their preschool and I am afraid the reality of grade school will not be the same. However..I have decided not to take myself there and for now simply be grateful to God for leading us to Imagination Station so that Gavin and Eli could have such an awesome, positive and Christian environment to begin their schooling.

We had such a great summer. I just wish time would slow down a bit. It is all going so fast.
Enjoy your blessings today!

Thankful

2009-09-03T15:25:00.003-05:00
Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and continued prayers. We have received such overwhelming feelings of love from our friends and family throughout this process. We still have quite a journey in front of us but are so thankful for all the love and support we are receiving. I can't wait to introduce Isabella to each of you and one day tell her how you each had a part in bringing her home safely. Our joy is so much sweeter being able to share it with all of you. Please know that each day as we are praying for Isabella and our boys we are also thanking God for blessing us with you.

We give Him all the glory!
love,
Amber

We have a referral!!!!

2009-08-27T23:33:00.003-05:00
I can't even believe I am able to say that we have a picture of our future daughter. You will have to bear with us because the program is very strict regarding the details we give out until after our first trip to Russia. I can't comprehend how the Lord is once again blessing us. We received our referral at 10 months and a few days and the family that received their referral a day before us waited (I think) about 13 months. So....the "list" didn't come into play with us. God is so good!! Our agency asked us to be sensitive to those still waiting because there are several families that have waited longer than us. I am hoping going private with our blog with help with this.
Dr. Mary Staat, our international Dr, had absolutely no concerns after reviewing all the medical information and her pictures. She is beautiful and is 8 months old today. We never expected to receive a referral of such a young baby but..we were hopeful. Once again God is sooo good!! I must admit it has not entirely sunk in.
Now..what have I prepared?!? NOTHING!!!! First, we were not even sure we would receive a referral this year so in order to avoid staring at an empty nursery for months I did nothing! I am in the process of updating our mounds of paperwork so that is something..right! I could fit all of our "girl" stuff into a grocery sack. Saying "referral" sounds so impersonal so from here on out it is Isabella. So..now the preparation for travel and for Isabella to enter our family is now in high gear. I am doing my best to maintain normalcy for the boys amongst the chaos. We are told to expect to travel this fall for our first trip and we should have her home by March. Since nothing with this process has gone as expected we are hoping this all happens soon. BTW..our region changed to Kemerovo.

I am going to blame the craziness of this post on the fact that it is midnight. Those of you that know me well are probably laughing knowing that has nothing to do with it..LOL!

Please!!! keep praying and I will keep the updates coming.

Happy 8 months sweet girl. Daddy and I are coming as fast as we can!
Love to ALL!
Amber

Privacy Please...

2009-08-19T09:41:00.002-05:00
We are going to go private with our blog. Please email me at twinmommie05@yahoo.com if you would like to continue to follow our blog. I want to thank everyone for their prayers, support and being apart of our journey to this point. We are so blessed and can't believe all the love and prayers we have received. I have said before that I am amazed at all that the Lord as blessed us with and He continues to amaze me. We are overflowing!
Many Blessings and Love!

Icky Virus..round 2

2009-08-04T13:59:00.002-05:00
Our house has been attacked by a virus that has just about gotten on my last nerve. Last Tuesday Gavin started with a headache, fever and sore throat. The culture came back negative for strep throat so they said the dreaded words..."it is just a virus that has to run its course..probably 4-5 days." Before it was all said and done he was vomiting and we had to make a trip to the ER late Friday night because the poor guy could not even keep ice chips down. Gavin thankfully was finally back to himself by Sunday. Here it is Tuesday (again) and Eli is now on the couch with a headache, fever and sore throat. I just finished disinfecting the house yesterday and now my poor little guy is sick. I am praying he does not have to go through all that his brother did and doesn't end of being sick for 5 days. Pre-K starts 3 weeks from yesterday and our summer is quickly winding down and I not real fond of the idea of this virus hanging around.
Say a little prayer for my Eli. It is no fun to be sick when you want to be outside playing with your brother.
Also..if you have an extra second say a little prayer for Mommy too;)

We have a region!!!!

2009-08-03T16:47:00.002-05:00
We found out this morning that we have been assigned to the region of Bryansk. This is just another step in the process. I am so excited to have a region to research. We were told to expect another 4 months or so before we receive a referral.

Map of Russia. Bryansk highlighted in red.

Church in Bryansk.....

I just know there is a precious little girl waiting for us. It makes me both sad and excited. There are so many similarities between the feeling I have with the adoption and what we went through with the infertility. I can't imagine going through this without the faith that we have in Jesus. I know He is walking beside us every step of the way and holding her as she waits for us.
Thank you so much for all of the prayers and please continue to lift up our family and the others who are also going through this process and waiting.

This was a great day!
Many Blessings!!

Threshermens yearly tradition

2009-07-28T10:25:00.004-05:00
Every year we go as a family to Threshermen's Antique Tractor Show. Papa takes his 1949 Farmall and we always get a picture with the Smith men. We have done this every summer since we have had the boys. The boys love it!! I am amazed at their knowledge of farm equipment. I enjoy it because my boys love it but to be honest my job is to keep track of all the drinks. I try but can't seem to get real interested in antique farm equipment.

We had a great time and will be back next year...maybe with Isabella?!?! I guess we will see if it is God's plan.
Many Blessings;)

It tastes so much better.....

2009-07-25T22:38:00.005-05:00
..when you grow it yourself. Spoken like a true farmer's wife..Derrick would be so proud. The boys and I have had so much fun working in the garden this summer. Eli won't actually (willingly) eat anything out of the garden and Gavin is my "salad" eater. Gavin has his own grape tomato plant and he has taken it very seriously. He waters his plant..often. I should mention I don't water the garden..at all. I leave it up to good ole mother nature. Anyway..Gavin checks on his plant at least once a day and will talk and sing to it and most importantly his tries to convince the bugs to leave his tomatoes alone. Priceless!!

Eli had to pick a tomato..and then got mad because no one would eat his hard as a rock very green tomato. Thankfully he wasn't upset for long. Daddy managed to find another (almost ripe) one for him to pick.

Proud Gavin with his (very deserving) first red tomato. Gotta love the outfit!!!

My little gardeners..UUMM I mean farmers.

Yet another reason I love living in the country. Sweet memories!!

ATTENTION:The very long line forms to the left..Adoption Update

2009-07-02T10:35:00.005-05:00
Well I finally did it I asked our coordinator how many families are in front of us. Are you ready for this.....we are in the top 20. AAAGGGHHH. I will do my best to explain. We are in the top 20 of families requesting girls regardless of age etc.. So if a family is requesting a 3-4 year old little girl they are on the same list however realistically we should not be considered for the same child. I do not know how many of these families are requesting (like us) an 8-24 mo old little girl which still makes it a little vague. Keep in mind there are about 5 families waiting to travel and if they officially accept their referral (once they meet the child) our number would change to 15. Also keep in mind that these 5 referrals have been received in the last month or so. The program seems to have been moving fairly rapidly lately but it does seem to go thru phases which makes predicting anything impossible. I have to admit hearing the number 20 was a bit like being punched in the gut. I still however feel like knowing is better than not knowing. I am the type of person who needs goals. I reached my goal of not asking until July. My new goal is November. I am not going to pretend that the waiting is easy because it can be so very difficult but I remind myself that I am not the one in the orphanage. We tell the boys that God will let us know when she is ready and we will go and get her. She is simply not ready yet. Please continue to pray as we wait and mostly please keep our Isabella and all the other children waiting for their forever families in your prayers.

Many Blessing!!

Chicago 2009

2009-06-22T11:44:00.002-05:00

Chicago will never be the same...

2009-06-20T23:42:00.009-05:00

The train at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The boys had this whole car to themselves but look how close they are sitting to each other. Gotta love it!

Mommy with her handsome boys at the end of a fun week.

Mimi, Pawpaw and the boys.

Thanks Aunt Deb and Uncle Lyn for a great week. love you bunches!!

Happy Daddy's Day!!

2009-06-20T21:45:00.004-05:00

Happy Daddy's Day to my unbelievable husband. You are an amazing man of God and I could not ask for a better role model for our boys. You work so hard so that we can have what we need and then some and I am so grateful! God has been so good to us and I am so blessed to have you on this amazing..sometimes crazy..never boring journey with me. Enjoy your day. You deserve it..and then some ;)

Happy Father's Day... Dad! The love and support that you have given my family and I cannot be measured. I love you dearly and cherish the close relationship we share. You are truly a blessing!

8 months today.....

2009-06-10T08:28:00.002-05:00
Today has been 8 months since our dossier was sent to Russia (DTR). I have no idea what this means. According to the weekly updates, the estimated time to travel from your DTR is 9-15 months. I am hoping for a referral this year. I have not asked our coordinator how many families are in front of us. I remember telling myself that I would ask in April and I never did. I am not sure at this point I want to know. I am still feeling positive about the process however, I feel badly for the families who were quoted 5-7 months and are approaching their year mark. The process is just so unpredictable.

In the meantime....we have had a great start to our summer. The boys and I went to Chicago, with my parents, to visit my aunt & uncle last week. We had a great time but, we did miss Derrick. He stayed home to plant and he got so much accomplished. Once I weed through all of my pictures I will post details of our trip. I am in the process of painting the den that was once the playroom and have plans to paint most of the house. We built our home about 6 years ago so most of the walls are in desperate need of paint but, it is also a way to keep me busy (because two 4 year olds isn't enough). I think I am going to wait and work on Isabella's room in between trips to Russia.

Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the sunshine. Please continue to pray and I will keep you updated.

Many Blessing!!!

Fresh veggies???...maybe

2009-06-09T22:29:00.004-05:00
We planted the garden several weeks ago. This is the first time that I had the boys help me throughout the whole process. We had so much fun and are hoping to get some veggies out of it.

Here is Derrick digging the holes for the tomatoes. The garden is "mine" as he would say (which is fine because I love gardening) but, he insists on planting the tomatoes. He is so laid back however, very particular when it comes to planting anything..hence the farmer thing.

Eli helping to ensure our row of green beans is straight. It's O.K. for a 4 year old to use a hammer..right? This was promptly taken away after the picture.

Gavin just wanted to dig a hole...Done!

Max taking it easy.
Me hoping and praying that we get this finished w/o injury.

I should mention that right after this picture was taken Gavin got several (deep) splinters, in his hand, which occupied the remainder of the evening. Fresh veggies from your own backyard do not come cheap!

2009-05-27T19:20:00.001-05:00

Spring-time fun

2009-05-21T15:55:00.002-05:00

FINALLY... the sunshine has arrived. Daddy is able to in the fields and we are so thankful!! This picture was before our most recent t-ball game. Due to all the rain we have only had 2 games ;-(
Eli loves bubbles he can entertain himself for so with these simple little things. Gavin could care less.

Here is my Eli (again) without his glasses. He has suddenly decided he doesn't need them. I think he has finally figured out that not everyone wears glasses and we are having a bit of a 4 year old power struggle.

Here are my handsome boys having lunch on our front porch. I LOVE our front porch and it happens to be the only place on our land with shade. Thanks Daddy for giving in on the front porch 6 years ago..we are using now!

We are having so much fun so far this summer. Our blessings are so obvious, and we are so thankful for a God that loves us so deeply that he gives us so much more than we deserve.

I must go Eli just told me it is time for our soccer game in the backyard?!? I better go put my tennis shoes on.....
Many Blessings!!!

Prayers needed!!!!

2009-05-14T15:41:00.005-05:00
Two families received referrals of little girls this week and are reviewing the information. All adoptive families are required to have the medical info and child's picture reviewed by an international Doctor. This helps the family to make an educated decision, regarding health issues and what they are capable and willing to parent. This does occasionally end in the referral being declined. I realize it is hard to imagine declining a referral of a child, but we all have to be realistic regarding what we are capable of parenting. I often have to remind myself (daily) that the goal is not only to get a daughter but also for these children to find their forever families that God has chosen for them. Please keep these families in your prayers, as they make very tough decisions.

Kisses in the wind

2009-05-12T21:19:00.006-05:00
I came across this poem tonight on another blog and thought it was precious and I wanted to share it with you:

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullaby)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.
I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.
Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.
Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.
--- Pamela Durkota