Last Year At This Time...

Last year at this time I was flying over the ocean going on the biggest journey of my life. The journey to get our little girl. I know I was terrified as turbulence hit while flying over that ocean. I did a lot of praying, and as he had promised God got me through it, the airports, checkpoints and eventually to Liberia where the best gift of all was waiting for me. I will never forget as long as I live the moment that she walked around the corner of the dining room at the guesthouse. I seen those big brown eyes that captured my heart many months before and they never let go. I looked at Josie many times today and thought, oh how this year has flown by. It seems like she has always been with me. As I hold her today (she has a double ear infection:( ), I rubbed my finger on her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose and I think of how blessed I am to have her, and our two sons for that matter. Josie is part of my heart, a part that I didn't know was missing until I seen her picture, a part of my heart that I was searching for for so long, a part of my heart that was filled a year ago tomorrow. I thank God for her everyday and that I was so blessed for him to have chosen me to be her mommy! We love you Josie, my beautiful baby girl!

It's Been Awhile

Well, I know that it has been awhile since I last posted. I must confess that I post quite a bit on Facebook. I have just found that with the kids and going back to work, that just a quick post is a lot easier than logging in and thinking of a new blog. Since I last posted, we have started back to school. Josie has started school, and can I say, she absolutely loves it. Thomas is really liking school too. His teacher and class are great and he actually enjoys going to school. He actually comes home and wants to play school. He is working very hard and it shows. Steven is the same as always, liking school and reading, reading, reading:). I am back to school and have to admit that I like the routine. Now, I need to tell myself that of a morning, but I really like having the routine. I also love the group of people that I work with, and I know that that makes things a lot easier. I am very grateful for my job.
Steven has started football. He didn't really like it much at first, but once he got going he has liked it a lot better. Mike is one of his coaches, so I know that he enjoys that. His team is in first place.
Thomas has started soccer again. He is doing well and enjoying playing again. He has also been doing a lot of playing in the yard. Most of the summer consisted of him putting on a baseball uniform and playing his own game of baseball in the front yard (homemade dugout and consession stand and all). He loves to play outside.
Josie is just flurishing in school. She is so eager to learn and loves her teacher. Her teacher said that she is one of her best students.
We have made one major change in the last few months. We have started to attend another church. This was not an easy decision, but one the God has stood beside us and helped us through. We were invited to a church a few months ago by a friend. One day at the end of July, we decided that we would visit. Well, one Sunday led into the next Sunday and so on. They have been so welcoming and we just feel like one of the family there. It was hard to leave a church that I have attended for most all of my life. Many people there knew my parents and knew me when I was little, but I felt that God was leading us somewhere else. I see such a difference in our family and in myself. What I also love about this church is they are so supportive to fostering and adopting. They understand the call to adopt and they welcome our kids with open arms. Though our other church will always hold a special place in our hearts, God has taught me that he wants us where he does for a reason, and I trust him that he will guide us right where he wants us. I have learned a lot since my trip to Liberia last year. I have learned more about trusting God and stepping out of my comfort zone, because when you do, he has so many great things planned for you.

You will notice quite a few pictures. Some are of the kids on their first day of school (the boys started a few days before Josie). Then you can see the boys plays their sports and then a couple of our vacation to Kings Island before school started. Hope you enjoy seeing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

New Pictures

Well, I got back the pictures that my brother took of the kids a few weeks ago. They turned out very good and have already ordered mine (yes Pam, I am sending some home with Micheal for you:)). There is also a couple of my nephew who is visiting with his girlfriend from Florida. I haven't seen him in 2+ years (way too long). I sure have missed him. I would have liked it if everyone else in his family could have come too, but we will take what we can get:) It has been so nice to visit with him and spend time with him and meet his girlfriend. He had never met Thomas and Josie before, but they have sure enjoyed him being here. They all acted like they had been together all of their lives, but I guess that is what family does, no matter how many miles separate us, once you are back together it was like you just pick up where you left off (I just wish that there were a little less miles between us).

Judge Not

Those are strong words, but a command given by God. I have thought a lot about those two words lately and how easily it is to do the opposite and in fact judge others. In two recent situations, I have had the opportunity to be the person on the "outside looking in". Now, it is very easy to judge and say that "I wouldn't do that", or "I can't believe that they would do such a thing". Have I ever judged someone, well I am human so I would have to say yes, but was it wrong, again I would have to say yes. God has laid upon my heart lately not to be so judgemental with others. I have been on the other end and have been judged before and it is not fun at all, in fact it is a pretty lonely place. God did not intend for us to be the judge or the jury, he just intended for us to be him to those people that need it. Being judged is a lonely and scary place to be, but it is also a place where that person so much needs God and Godly people. You don't have to agree with what the person did necessarily, but to turn your back entirely is not what God wants either. He wants us to reach out our hand and be him to those people. Whether they did right or wrong is God's job not ours'. Judging them doesn't make God happy, just remember how you felt when other's have judged you. God is the judge not us!

Father's Day

First of all, Happy Father's Day!! I want to especially thank my Heavenly Father for his love and acceptance of me. I also want to say how blessed I was to have a wonderful earthly father. He truly showed me what it was to have a wonderful father and showed me what a real dad was and showed me what to demand in a father for my children. He loved us and put us way before himself. He showed us what hard work and love was for your family. He provided for us even when our mom and him had to do without. I know now how lucky and blessed we were to have him, even if it was for just a short while, the lessons I learned and the time he spent with me will be with me the rest of my life.
Now for my husband, the father of our children. I really couldn't ask for a better man. He has given so much of himself for our family. He has went without, just so our children could have what they needed and a lot of what they wanted:). He has sacrificed so that our children could even have a life, period. He has taught them that his love is there no matter what. He volunteers as coaches, in their school, he takes time to go places with us and play games with them. In fact, he had the opportunity to go to the Cincinnati Reds games and pregames festivities this past Saturday. The ticket was free and he would have had an awesome seat. He tried to get at least 3 tickets (one for him and our two boys--I would have liked to went, but as long as they went that was what was important). Well, all he could get was 2 and he told them that he couldn't unless there were at least 3 so both boys could go, he said that he couldn't take one without the other and he wouldn't go without them. Now, what kind of dad would do that and stay home so he could coach his son's baseball team? Not a lot, and this isn't the first time he passed up a wonderful opportunity with pro. athletes (that he would have loved) to be with his children--whom he loves much more! I told him that little things like that will come back to him one day:). This is just one of the things that he does to show how much he loves us. He spends all of his nonworking time with us. God did bless me with a wonderful husband and father for our children. I just want to tell my husband thanks for everything that he does for our family. Being a good father is not always easy, but you never give up, we know that we are always your top priority! Happy Father's Day, thanks for being a great dad to our kids!

A Day At The Pool

Well, we went to the pool today. It was just too nice of a day to stay in, so we went to the pool. This was our second trip, but our first with warmer temps. and also batteries in the camera. Josie just loved the pool, she jumped in, went under and loved being in the water. Thomas is already a little fish, he loves the water too, he still loves to play with mom in the pool. Steven has always loved the water, but now I have noticed that time with mom is a little shorter than before, friends are now cool to play with at the pool, but mom always has an eye out for where he is and who he is hanging out with. Here are a few pictures of our time at the pool. You can see in the pictures of the kids getting ready to go, Steven isn't as excited as the other two are about getting pictures, but he still enjoys it every now and then. You can see Thomas wrapped up in the towel by the food stand (his favorite place), Steven with his friends, and Josie just having fun(she also looks so cute with all of her swimming stuff).

Happy 2 Year Gotcha Day Thomas!

Well it is hard to believe that it has been 2 years today that Thomas has come home to us! But, the more I think about it, I can't remember what our life was like without him, it just seems like he has always been here. You have grown in so many ways Thomas, size wise, maturity and your love. I remember a boy who wouldn't talk for 2 days, now we can't get you to stop talking:). I can't even imagine the journey that you have been through Thomas, and I look up to you. I gave you a yellow bracelet not to long ago that said strength on it. I told you that it just reminded me of you. Not only are you physically strong, but emotionally to go through what you have in your short life, you are one of the strongest people I know. God gave you to us and knew from the moment your life began that we were to be your parents. May 29 will always be a wonderful day for us, it was the day my baby came home!! Happy 2 Year Gotcha Day my baby boy!
(You can see in pictures from his homecoming how much he has grown, the last picture was taken yesterday--he has gotten big and even more handsome each day)