Sunday, December 14, 2014

Breakfast with Santa 2014



Annual Breakfast with Santa 2014





Annual Breakfast with Santa 2013





I love that I have these photos, same place, exactly one year part. It is amazing to see how much they have grown. Can you believe our little Lexi finally has hair?! It has taken 6 years (Lexi turned 6 yesterday) to grow that little bit and my oh my, is she ever proud of it. 
And Ivy..... look how big she is getting. 4 1/2 years old has never looked so good!!! 























Thursday, December 4, 2014

My soul is awake








For the Lords plans were bigger than my biggest dreams!



                     Without rain, there would never be rainbows




This little girl doesn't see rain, she see's a place to jump and dance and fill with her sunshine!



I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.  Isaiah 48:4
Yes He does!
Ivy Joy, 4 1/2 years old! Thank you God, for every day!!!!!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Lexi's 5 year forever family day

5 years ago in Changsha China, our hearts gave birth to a love so deep and so wide that I can hardly explain the joy and the peace we felt at that moment. Bryan and I took turns holding and kissing and singing and playing and tickling and staring at this beautiful child God blessed us with. She was so tiny and so scared. She was starving for a bottle and for love. It only took a few hours to get a smile out of her, and it was followed by the most adorable giggle I had ever heard in my life. She still has that same giggle today. 


Today our little girl spent the day asking questions and being told stories of our first days together. She loves to hear about those days and look at pictures of our first week together. We will celebrate our forever family day sharing memories, stories, extra hugs and kisses, prayers for her birth mom and a sleep over in mommy and daddy's bed just like the night we first met 5 years ago 


It's hard to believe she will be 6 in just a month!       

                                   A little bit about our girl
                                       She loves horses
                                            She is shy


                   She is beautiful and not afraid to be herself


She is quiet most of the time (unless she is singing or laughing, then she can get pretty loud :)
She is cautious and a deep thinker
She is a great listener, a rule follower



She loves school
Her love language is time
She is a dreamer


Thank you God for this child! We love her SO





Sunday, October 5, 2014

On the range


Living every day like it is our last will be the way I live out my life. Thanks to difficult circumstances and times of clinging to God, waiting to see what His will would be, and holding on to the hope that it would involve making memories with 2 little girls here on earth. Well, we sure are making memories! And we sure are giving all the glory to our creator. 


















Is't it amazing, all the beauty we have to explore and experience during our time on earth? And can you just imagine the magnitude of the real beauty we will see once we enter heaven?
Lexi speaks of heaven all the time. She tells me she can't wait to get there. Today, however, she experienced what she called a little heaven on earth. Her first solo ride! She was in control of her horse and she was beaming ear to ear. 







All saddled up and ready to ride!



                                   Heading to the woods

                                       And off she goes!! 
(yes, I am on a horse behind her. She laughed at me for almost 2 hours because Sunflower and I had a hard time keeping up with her.)






This little colt is only 3 months old


                           
                 She and Ivy couldn't get enough of each other!





And to Ivy's complete delight, she was able to take a first time  pony ride, on a real horse, all by herself!






Tonight the girls are snuggled up in their bed dreaming of tomorrow. Ivy is needing oxygen, the altitude is too much for her and this trip was a test for that. Her cardiologist has wanted us to do a close by trip for a while now to see how she handled it, knowing we would be so close to home and flat ground. We came with lots of oxygen in tow. She hates it. She protests it. But we have been here long enough now that tonight I am seeing the need for it more and more. I am so thankful that this is only temporary and being attached to a cord is not the new norm. 

Earlier today, Lexi wished on a handful of dandelions. I asked her what she wished for. She said, I wished that I could watch the sun rise and watch the sun set with you mommy. Will you wake me up for it? Oh how sweet these girls are! Thank you Jesus for making us a family!