Merry Christmas!

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"

The girls performed last night with our homeschool co-op . . .

Mia as Lucy . . .

 

 

Joy as Woodstock . . .

 

 

 Lindy as a sheep in the nativity . . .

 

 

and somehow I ended up co-directing! It was so much fun to have this experience together, and the girls were all absolutely wonderful and adorable!

 

 

A classic come to life all about the true meaning of Christmas!

 

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."

 

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

 

 

 



Joy's Character Trait Award

Here is a picture of Joy receiving her award in chapel at our homeschool co-op. And wouldn't you know it . . . the character trait was "joy"! How perfect! It was extra special because  I am her kindergarten teacher, so I got to present her award.

God gave us the name "Joy" for this precious daughter . . . it truly stemmed from the joy that we felt in adopting her into our family. And of course the Lord knew that it would be a perfect fit for this joyful little girl. She brings joy to everyone she meets! Congratulations, Joy, you did it!

Last Day at Disneyland

Well, our annual passes have expired . . . a whole year of trips to Disneyland has come to a close. We made many happy memories at the "happiest place on earth"! A highlight for our final visit was the fact that Joy now measured in at 40 inches! After several failed attempts at hitting the mark, she finally made it . . . and boy was she proud!

She has been waiting and waiting to ride "the fast train" a.k.a. Big Thunder Mountain. One time she was even measured at the front of the line and told that she was tall enough. However, once we reached the landing, she was denied . . . disappointment and tears! :( But not this time . . . this time she made it! She and Lindy were ready to ride!

They were all squeals of glee as Daddy wrapped them both in his arms and journeyed across the "Big Thunder Mountain"! It turns out these two are a couple of thrill seekers! It was so fun to enjoy new rides together as well as good old favorites.

We waved a last "good-bye" to the princesses . . . at least for now!

I will always hold these special times in my mind and heart! Wonderful memories of childhood laughter, our family all together, and the magic of Disneyland!

Two Lil' Indians!

Indian vests and headbands made out of a brown grocery bag and a necklace made out of color dyed pasta . . . . these are the moments!

Today we celebrated this wonderful season of thanksgiving with our homeschool co-op! What fun it was to feast with our friends and give thanks to our God for all that He has done for us!

Winter Jam!

Last night our family participated in an awesome event!

 

Multiple Christian artists joined forces to deliver a completely God honoring evening. The concert was intended to lead people in worship of our wonderful Lord, to share the Gospel message, and also to raise awareness about vulnerable children and adoption. It was sponsored by Holt International which is the adoption agency we used to adopt Lindy. She's a Holt Kid helping Holt Kids!

 



 

I heard about the event through an email from Holt asking for volunteers. I saw it as a great opportunity for our family to serve, and it was just a bonus to get to see some of our favorite musicians.

 

 

We didn't know exactly what to expect, but it turned out to be the most amazing opportunity! First of all, we got to go into the event early allowing us to choose seats which were quite close to the stage. Then during intermission a speaker talked about children who need sponsorship donors for just $30 a month which provides for their basic necessities as well as healthcare and hospital stays. Adoption was also promoted as numerous children around the world are in need of loving forever families. Each member of the volunteer team stood in the aisles passing out packets to people who were willing to sign up to sponsor a child. I was so proud of our kiddos for their willingness to serve in this way. They all did an amazing job talking to people and helping them get signed up. It was an added benefit to have our two littlest family members smiling and waving to the crowds. We pray that God will use our family's story to encourage others!

 

 "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory because of Your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1

 

The concert itself was such a blessing and a great reward for simply saying "yes" to serving Christ in this way. We got to see some of our favorite artists . . .

 

Colton Dixon

 

Jeremy Camp

 

 

Francessca Batistelli (the girls' favorite!)

 

 

And finishing off the evening . . . Hillsong United

 

 

We sang along to "Oceans" and got a glimpse into what it will be like to worship with the multitudes around the throne for all eternity! What an incredible and memorable night!

"Goodnight, Sleep Tight!"



Bea and Beck

We have been talking about them and praying for them for months! We are so excited to share that we have two new precious members of our extended family . . . Bea and Beck! They are finally home! We were thrilled to get to meet them at the airport when they arrived from China. They are joining the most wonderful, loving family, and we are just so happy to be a part of it and welcome these little ones home! And here they all are . . .

It is my dream come true that my sister and I now both have China dolls!

 

God has done amazing things in our family, and we are so thankful to be a part of His plan for these precious kiddos! What a crew!!!

 

"Behold, children are a gift from the Lord!" Psalm 127:3

 

 

Gotcha Day Celebration!

So, to celebrate Joy's 2 years . . . she had big ideas (as usual)! She got to pick out a special Ariel doll at the store for her present . . . so exciting! She wanted to go to Disneyland and dress up like a princess, including a fancy princess bun (of course Lindy was included in the festivities). First we took a special trip to the candy store for fresh cotton candy . . . Joy's treat of choice! Then we were off to a fun filled family day at Disneyland! Joy got to pick what we did which included some shows, a few rides, and ending the night with the parade. We loved celebrating our little sweet and spicy girl!

Happy Gotcha Day, Joy Joy!!! xoxo We love you soooo much!!!

Happy 2 Years, Joy!

Today is the day we met our little Joy Joy 2 years ago! She is the most precious gift to our family, and our lives are brighter because of her! We love you soooo much, our special girl!

 

"You were meant to be!"

 

Long before you drew your first breath
A dream was coming true

God wanted to give a gift to the world
So he wrapped it up in you

Every step that you've taken
Every move that you make
Is part of his plan

You were meant to be touching
The lives that you touch
And meant to be here
Making this world so much more
Than it would be without you in it

You were meant to be bringing
The gifts that you bring
And singing the songs
You've been given to sing

You are perfectly, wonderfully,
Beautifully meant to be
You were meant to be

Long before you took your first fall
You stumbled to the ground
God started telling the story of you to the angles around
Every failure and victory
Everything in between
It's all in his hands

You were meant to be touching
The lives that you touch
And meant to be here
Making this world so much more
Than it would be without you in it

You were meant to be bringing
The gifts that you bring
And singing the songs
You've been given to sing

You are perfectly, wonderfully,
Beautifully meant to be
  You are meant to be

For every breath that you're taking
And every move that you make
It's a meaningful life you've been given
Live it well!