Thankful Thursday

Today is a perfect day for Thankful Thursday. Today we have our very last visit from our social worker to check up on Jaxson. She is doing our one year update to send to Ch*na. His adoption date is May 26 but she comes now so that she can have the report in by then.
We love our social worker and the agency she is with. They have been a true gift from God because other agencies wouldn't allow us to adopt Jaxson because of there only being 7 months difference in age between Paige and Jaxson. We lost the first child we started to adopt 6 years ago because of me getting pregnant and that child and Amaya would have been about 7 months apart and the agency wouldn't let us go through with the adoption.

The agency we have now is a very strong Christian agency that believes that if God called us to adopt him then who are they to say no. Everyone should have an agency like this. I am so thankful God led us to this incredible agency and I truly hope we will be able to use them again if God brings us more kiddos.

I am also so very thankful for the family God has given us. We have been blessed by 3 amazing children!

Spring Rain

This morning I walked Chris to the front door to kiss him goodbye. I know some of you think that's sappy but I don't care I love my hubby. This is something I have done for 10 1/2 years and I also wait at the door for him when he comes home.

Anyway I opened the door this morning and it's raining and it was sooooo beautiful outside. The colors of the grass, flowers and trees are just amazing.
I had to actually just stand there for a minute and look at how beautiful it was outside. So many times I gripe about the rain because the kids can't go out and play or I have to take the puppy out in the rain but not today. I love a good spring rain and how it brings everything to life and fills my yard with beautiful colors.

Dance Recital

Here are our little tappers right before they went into dance. They just love dressing up in their costumes and are very excited now that they will be play clothes.
It was a long weekend with very tired kids but they did a good job. Friday night we didn't get home until 11:15PM and they were soooo very tired. Today the recital was during nap time so they were tired but not as bad.

They have to do the recital 2 days because so many kids are in it that they can't get everyone in to see it in one night. You would not believe how many kids there are in a little country town.

So we are done for this year and next year we will have 3 dancers. Jaxson asks me everyday when he gets to go to dance class. Jaxson knows all the steps the girls do and he LOVES it. I would have never dreamed in a million years of putting a boy in dance but he is good and loves it. I'm glad I won't have to curl his hair though.

Today is a Big Day

Well, the girls have been practicing since September and the big recital day is today and Sunday. Both of the girls take tap, this is Amaya's 2nd year and Paige's first.
Paige is very excited because she gets to wear a tutu and gloves that go up to the top of her arms. Amaya says she feels like a princess in her dress.

At the very last practice on Monday let's just say Amaya wasn't doing the best that she could. I very nicely went back stage and gave her a little pep talk reminding her this was her last practice and I wanted her to show me the best job she could do (I didn't say anything about how she was really doing). About 4-5 minutes later a girl comes out carrying Amaya and Amaya is crying like crazy. The girl said she had no idea what was wrong with her. I sat Amaya down and ask what was wrong and she said "I'm hungry, I am soooooo hungry". OK, I gave this child 2 snacks that afternoon just so that wouldn't happen.

The recital starts at 7 tonight and lasts about 3 1/2 hours so I'm hoping for no meltdowns and I can't wait to see my cuties on stage.

So after nap today we begin the 2-2/12 hour process of little tiny curls in 2 girls hair and make-up.

I'll post pictures in the next couple of days.

Thankful Thursday

This Thankful Thursday I am so very thankful for the beauty God brings to my yard in the spring.

I am thankful that my dentist canceled our appointments for Amaya and I as we were on our way this morning. We were able to have a very special time together and go out for lunch.

I am thankful that I have a husband that I wish I could be with every second of the day. Chris and I get so sad when we see couples that fight, argue all the time, put each other down and would prefer to not be together. Marriage is a very special gift from God and I'm thankful my husband feels that way too.

I'm also thankful for nap time and that's what I'm going to go do right now.

Storms

As Christians we know that life brings storms. I once watched a Rob Bell video that I don't think I will ever forget. The video talked about how his family went camping. Rob decided to take his baby son out on a hike and they had walked a long way. They ended up walking in the woods in a storm.

Rob said that his son got very scared and just clung very tightly. Rob said he just knew he needed to do whatever he had to do to protect his son and make him feel safe. He said even though it was one of the scariest times in his son's life for him it was one of the most precious times. It was precious to Rob because he was able to hold his son so tightly and to protect him. He said that God must feel that way to when we go through a storm. Even though all we can see ahead of us is the storm and how scary it is God is holding us close and protecting us.

You know I have seen people go through storms. I have gone through many storms in my life. I have never, ever seen anyone go through a storm as big as the Saunder's though. All I keep thinking is that Satan must be scared to death of these people to bring this much heartache to them. The Saunder's were hit with more horrible news yesterday about their daughter.

I really wish I lived closer and I would find everyone I knew to just stand around their home and pray Satan out and tell him to leave them alone. We can't be there to do it but we can do it from our homes wherever that might be. Would you please pray with me that God would calm the storm they have been going through non-stop for way too long now. Pray that Satan would see that God has one this fight and it's time to leave them alone. Pray for complete healing of their daughter Autumn. Also just pray for strength for them.

Please drop by their blog by clicking here and let them know they are being lifted in prayer.

PRAISE GOD!!!

This morning I have tears of joy. Very soon after we started the adoption process of Jaxson in the fall of 2007 a little boy came up on the waiting child list. When I first saw his face he just touched my heart sooooo much. If Jaxson would have been home already I think I would have had to convince Chris that this precious child needed to come home to our home.

I started praying and praying that a good family would come forward to adopt this precious boy. One day on one of my yahoo groups a lady posted for prayer about a little boy they wanted to bring home so very badly but the agency wouldn't let them move forward yet because they hadn't been home with their other child long enough. I can understand why agencies have this rule but at the same time when God says go who are they to say no. I knew in my heart it was this little boy she was talking about and I even emailed her to see because I was so excited for him that a family wanted him. I cried and prayed over the fact that this family wanted him so very bad but couldn't move forward.

Finally after what seemed like forever the agency told them they could move forward with him. I was so excited, finally this precious beautiful child had a family working to bring him home.

After they got the OK to move forward with him she posted one day that they had named him Gideon. She explained about Gideon in the Bible and how Gideon meant Mighty Warrior. This is one story I will not forget because this family could see past everything that scared so many others and knew that he was a mighty warrior.

I can't even write this post without tears running down my face because this child has touched me so much and finally he has a home.

The process has been anything but fast for them but FINALLY Gideon is in the arms of his mommy and daddy! If only all orphans had people that would fight so hard for them.

Please go check out their blog here and tell them congratulations.