A Lot of Joy

I hope your family had as much joy and laughter as we have had this Christmas. 

It was simple and wonderful!

-1 Home

Friday night we headed to the airport to watch a the orphan census be ONE LESS!!!  I met Mary over 3 years ago when we started our adoption journey to Taiwan.  Little did we know that we lived in the same town and were seeking to adopt at the same time.  Mary and her husband began their 2nd adoption journey to adopt an older child from Taiwan.  Through the course of their wait it became apparent that it was going to be a great challenge finding an older child in Taiwan.  God had plans for them and their path moved to China.  Their journey began 3 years ago and Desi, is now home with her forever family.  Three years ago there was a little girl in an orphanage in China waiting for her family.  Wow, God has big plans.  Amazing how you think you are going to do one thing and then he guides you somewhere totally different. 

Waiting for Desi's plan

 Finally all together

 I think she is smiling at her audience.

 Olivia, Logan, Carson, and Leia were holding up signs that read

"One Less"  "Welcome Home Desi'  "-1"

Olivia spent the afternoon decorating them herself.

Jenna was sooo ready to see her Mama.

2 weeks was way too long for her : (

You are HOME sweet Desi!

 This was the best kind of Friday night...how mean how often to you get to watch amazing things like this.  Makes me cry just remembering it!!!!!  Welcome home Desi, and we can't wait for some play dates in the future!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

December is just one huge birthday bash at our house.  We have 8 people (5 just in my house alone) in our immediate family that celebrate birthdays beginning December 7th through January 9th.  Some years we have parties for the kids individually, sometime we couple them.  Well, this year we decided to have one big bash with the traditional cake, ice cream, party hats, and lots of family...and then on everyone's actual birthday we would just do something special at home. 

My baby girl turned 2 today.  Her actual birthday is December 11.  She was born in Taiwan and we are 13 hours behind them, so we celebrated today.  Birthdays around our house always start with our traditional homemade donuts...fixed just how each person likes them.  No birthday cake today (we will be doing that all on David's birthday)....but no one seemed disappointed in the banana splits that were served up.  She opened her gift sent from Aunt Lisa and she loved it (a grocery cart that will hold 2 babies).  We went  very simple this year and gave her a cabbage patch doll.  She was one happy little girl with her very own baby doll, grocery cart, and groceries.  She couldn't stop smiling; smiles that made my heart melt.

Like so many days I think of Xio Chi, Leia's birthmother, but today my heart aches for her.  I ache that she doesn't know what a beautiful and sweet baby Leia is.  I pray that she feels a peace as time has passed.  I know nothing of her current life situation but pray that she is protected, loved, and one day will understand God's word and the love that only He can give her.  Leia is one of the most precious things in our life, she is one of four precious beings.  I pray that one day she can look back and say she received the best birthday gift of all, LOVE.  Her birthmother loved her so much that she made a selfless decision to choose us as her family!  We love you so much Leia.  Happy Birthday!

Define Necessity

We are privileged, we are blessed, we are selfish, and we are spoiled.  I have heard so many people say this season, "I want my child to have this...Don't you think you need to buy more for them...I am going broke buying Christmas."  All of these things said are a choice.  You have a choice.  You can go broke, max out your credit cards, give your children things that they do not NEED and that you WANT them to have, or you can choose to show your child what it truly is to give.  There is no better way than by example. I am not saying it is a bad thing to buy people gifts; I love giving people gifts.  But do we really need to spend an insane amount of money on tons of things we don't need while there are humans wasting away because they have no food, while orphans sit in an orphanage with no shoes on their feet and no water.  Is it really necessary for us to HAVE all these THINGS???  No, but is a necessity to KNOW and OBEY the Gospel.  I challenge you to use this season as an opportunity to tell others about Jesus, not just his birth but of his death and sacrifice he gave for you and me.  He is the reason for the season, so tell everyone you know the whole story of Jesus, not just his birth.  Show the greatest gift of all.

Christmas In the Stars

 Ever wander about the Star of Bethlehem? What was it? Where did it go? Can we find it? Lets answer these questions together! Come listen to a presentation centered on looking to the skies to read the story of Jesus. Invite all of your friends and family to come listen to an amazing journey in the skies. It begins with the conception of Christ and ends with his death upon the cross.

I am so excited about this.  I hope if you live close, or not, that you will come and join us in listening to this amazing story.  Tell everyone you know and make this a night to remember with your family.  Merry Christmas to all!!

He Is Mine, and I Am His

Time Flies

How in the world do minutes go by, days, weeks, and years all in a flash before our eyes.  I am reminded of this daily.  Time is fleeting.  I do not have enough time in the day to do all the things that I want.  I really would love to blog everyday and pen the moments that are so precious, but it is just not possible.  The times when I do have a moment I am dead and cannot formulate a coherent sentence....I think the effects of 4 children, maybe.
This weekend we were blessed to spend time with friends, amazing friends....friends you laugh with, remember with, cry with, and most of all LOVE to be with.  Time has flown.  It had been 6 years since we were all together and not just seeing each other in passing.  In six years we have 8 children all together.  Our children had a blast this weekend.  It was beyond great.  We make memories every time we are together.  We laugh so hard we cry and just about wet your pants...hehe.

 

I Smell Fall

I know Fall is coming.  I can smell it in the air.  The air blowing through the windows is so refreshing and crisp.  The weather last week was GREAT...this week has been swell too, but man, last week was breathtaking.  The kids love playing outside in this perfect weather.  They do not come to the door a million times complaining that it is hot, instead they do not want to come in when called.
With Fall comes baking and lots of it.  I love to cook!!  And it is so much more pleasant when the heat from the oven isn't running me out of the kitchen.  On a side note, Logan and  I are being tested for gluten allergies and he is also being tested for casein (milk protein), egg, and soy allergies.  I have been doing tons of recipe research trying to prepare myself for the worst and how this is DRASTICALLY going to change my cooking and the recipes that I know by heart.  I hope the results are negative and I hope they are positive.  Negative means I don't have to change the way we eat (although, we need to eat healthier than we do, but don't most people?), but then positive means something can be fixed, we have some answers,  and I can do that.  Do you really know what all gluten is in????  Just about everything!  If the tests come back positive then eating out will pretty much be a thing of the past.  We shall see...
Last week the boys started DaySchool.  Logan attended last year.  He was hesitant about going back this year but has been loving it so far.  This is Carson's first year and he is LOVING it.  They go on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for a couple hours.  Those couple hours allow me to really get some school done with Olivia.  When the boys are here it takes us every bit of 8-4:00 to get completely finished up.  Olivia is loving school this year and is doing so well.  She is reading fantastically with such expression and emphasis on those sentences with exclamation marks too.  And Leia, well, some days plays in her little kitchen with no complaints at all while we are doing school and other days she thinks she needs a desk with pencils, crayons, and everything else she can't have.  Today was a whiny, "Hold Me!!" day.  So, what did Mommy do while adding fish to the fish tank?  Why of coarse I held the little rascal. 

The Boys on their 1st day of school

Surprise

To catch you up a little.....
I have a new niece!!!  Wow in one year I have 2 nieces and 1 nephew!!  And will soon be adding more!!  Super excited about all these babies.  My hubby worked long hours last week, so he could take off the entire day last Friday.  I had the car loaded and we headed out Thusday night and drove all nigth to Brownfield, Texas.  We made awesome time and arrived at 5:30am, 10.5 hours later.  The kids did awesome and slept the entire way (well Logan and Leia just dozed off and on, but they did great).  We checked into our hotel and caught a little nap, grabbed lunch, and then headed to see that baby.

SURPRISE!!!!

Aaron and Lisa had no idea we were coming.  When we got there David called Lisa and asked her what she was doing.  Then she asked him, "What are you doing?"  He answered, while ringing the doorbell, "Well, I came to see your baby."  She said, "What did you say?"  David laughed, "I said I came to see that baby.  Come answer the door."  She was in complete shock.  I love giving a good surprise.  She probably thought I was completely rude, because ever since she had the baby, I have only texted, not called.  It is super hard for me to keep a surprise a secret.  I want to tell sooo bad....so I didn't call her.  Then there was no temptation to give in and tell her. 
Short version....we had an AWESOME weekend.  And the icing on the top was getting to see Lance, Leslie, and Caysen while we were there.  It had been way too long that is for sure. 
We headed out yesterday morning and arrived home 11.5 hours later.  The kids were complete angels the entire way.  There was no whining, crying, fighting, screaming.....just pure traveling bliss for Mommy and Daddy. 

 Uncle David and that sweet Teneley

 Sleeping Angel

 Hmmmm

 Olivia and her baby cousin

 Mr. Caysen

 Very sleepy little girl

 Logan

 Olivia playing with her horse

 Angle Eyes....Caysen

My 4 Raboins......ready to be tucked in.