Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Happy Birthday
Today is Boss' birthday, and I want him to know how much his girls love and appreciate him! Last year, turning thirty was a bit hard for him, so I hope that this birthday is a bit easier! Boss, thank you for all that you are and all that you do. I hope your day is a special one. I love you to moons on sticks and back again! Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Journey Begins
On January 1st, 2008, Boss and I began what will be one of the most important journeys in our lifetime. The journey to our third child! And while I am not carrying a child inside of my womb, our entire family is carrying this child in their hearts. It is the most amazing feeling!
I am not sure when my desire to adopt began, but I believe that it has been growing in my heart for a very long time. I have always loved Lifetime movies, and the ones about adoption were always my favorite. When I was in high school,l I decided I wanted to be an adoption caseworker when I grew up. And while I am not an adoption caseworker at this point in my life, I do work with adopted children every day, and beginning this journey to my own child is like nothing I have ever experienced before!
Boss honestly says that he never really thought much about adoption until he married me. He also never thought he would be a houseparent, and look how AWESOME he is at it now! I think his dream of adoption grew very slowly, but nevertheless he is as ready as I am to hold our baby! I feel so blessed to have a Godly husband who desires the same type of family life that I have always dreamed of.
We talked about adoption shortly after we had Emma, and we even went to a couple of adoption fairs, but at that point in our live,s I was either too young or we did not have the financial means to adopt a child. So we patiently began waiting until the time was right. We tried again to start the adoption process after Emma turned one, but the day we were going to mail in our application was the day we found out that Kate was on her way. So we decided to enjoy the two miracles God had given us, and the subject of adoption went on hold again.
Yet here we are a year and a half later, and the time finally feels right. We began talking seriously about adoption and researching agencies a few months ago, but I was waiting for Boss to take the lead. He did this in a very romantic way! We had been talking about trading in our two cars for a 12 passenger van, and on the night we were driving our new van home he said, You know what this means, don't you? The time is right. Now you can fill this van full of babies! Okay, he didn't really say we could fill it full of babies, but he did say we could start the process for number three. I'm telling you...it was better than a proposal! He just asked that we wait until the first of the year. So, I filled out our basic information form and left it on my desk until after New Years Eve.Then bright and early on January 1st, I marched over and faxed in our very first adoption form to our agency of choice! I smiled all the way to the fax machine! Since then we have found an agency to do our home study and we are being mailed the actual application to begin the program.
Adoption can be quite a lengthy process, and I know we have only just begun, but I am already thinking of our new little one daily. At this point we don't care if our baby is a boy or girl, or if he or she is red, yellow, black, or white. Emma wants rainbow! We are completely open to whatever baby God has for our family! Though this journey will be a long one and I am sure we will encounter many bumps along the way, I am positive that when we hold that little miracle in our arms it will all be worth it.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Holidays Are Over
The holidays are over and we are back to our regular school and work schedules. The Christmas decorations are packed away, the sweets are almost gone, and I am trying desperately to unspoil my children after a month of too many presents! Life is good. We enjoyed having my brother and his wife visit from Texas, and these last few pictures are from things we did during their visit. We had several game nights, went to the Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights, and had a smashing New Years Eve party. We had a great time, but this mama is ready to settle down and catch her breath!
Holiday Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Holidays! The holiday season has come to an end, and we hope that you are enjoying the beginning of a brand new year! This year was a first for us, as we got to celebrate with ALL of our immidiate family members (on both sides!), and a good time was had by all. Our girls are growing and changing every day and 2007 was full of wonderful moments that we will remember for years to come.
In January, we took a trip to Colorado with Kendra's family, where we enjoyed many wintery outdoor activities. We loved every minute of it, and that is a good thing, because we had no idea that it would be our last vacation for a very long time!
In February, we loaded up a U-Haul (again). This time, we left the children's home in Albuquerque and headed for Miamisburg, Ohio, where Boss had accepted a management position with Golf Galaxy. Little did we know that this would be his first of three new jobs this year! Due to financial reasons, Boss left Golf Galaxy after the first month and began working as a manager for Lady Foot Locker. While Foot Locker paid the bills, Boss was unhappy, and for the next five months we prayed fervently that the Lord would lead him to a better career path. While times were definitely hard during those months, there were some good times, too!
At the end of June we celebrated Emma's third and Kate's first birthday. We had a JoJo's circus party and they both had a wonderful time. I can't believe how big my babies are getting!
In August, our prayers were answered. We heard through the grapevine at church that Village Christian School was looking to hire a PE teacher. Boss really wanted to interview, but we knew private schools did not pay enough to support our family. So, we prayed about it, and decided that Boss should at least go interview. During the interview, after talking with him and looking at his resume, the administrator of the school offered Boss the PE position, AS WELL AS the position of Athletic Director....Boss' dream job! Boss really wanted the job, but we were still unsure of the financial aspects. A few days later, we were told there were also positions open for houseparents at the children's home under the same umbrella as the school, and everything fell into place after that! September first, we loaded up another U-Haul and moved out to begin another new chapter in our lives at the children's home in Pleasant Plain.
Things did not go the way that we planned this year, but many frusterated tears and prayers later, they have turned out better than we could have ever imagined. We have a cozy home in the country and Boss loves every minute of his job. Emma is a very smart and beautiful three and a half year old who loves ballet and Dora the Explorer. She will be starting pre school this year! Kate is an ornery, yet adorable, eighteen month old who keeps our family laughing. I am learning what it means to be the keeper of the home, and I am actually enjoying myself! I enjoy working with the foster girls in our care, and I have found great purpose in our work here. God is good and we are very thankful for the lessons we have learned along the way! May God bless each of you in 2008. Thank you for sharing in our journey!
Happy Holidays! The holiday season has come to an end, and we hope that you are enjoying the beginning of a brand new year! This year was a first for us, as we got to celebrate with ALL of our immidiate family members (on both sides!), and a good time was had by all. Our girls are growing and changing every day and 2007 was full of wonderful moments that we will remember for years to come.
In January, we took a trip to Colorado with Kendra's family, where we enjoyed many wintery outdoor activities. We loved every minute of it, and that is a good thing, because we had no idea that it would be our last vacation for a very long time!
In February, we loaded up a U-Haul (again). This time, we left the children's home in Albuquerque and headed for Miamisburg, Ohio, where Boss had accepted a management position with Golf Galaxy. Little did we know that this would be his first of three new jobs this year! Due to financial reasons, Boss left Golf Galaxy after the first month and began working as a manager for Lady Foot Locker. While Foot Locker paid the bills, Boss was unhappy, and for the next five months we prayed fervently that the Lord would lead him to a better career path. While times were definitely hard during those months, there were some good times, too!
At the end of June we celebrated Emma's third and Kate's first birthday. We had a JoJo's circus party and they both had a wonderful time. I can't believe how big my babies are getting!
In August, our prayers were answered. We heard through the grapevine at church that Village Christian School was looking to hire a PE teacher. Boss really wanted to interview, but we knew private schools did not pay enough to support our family. So, we prayed about it, and decided that Boss should at least go interview. During the interview, after talking with him and looking at his resume, the administrator of the school offered Boss the PE position, AS WELL AS the position of Athletic Director....Boss' dream job! Boss really wanted the job, but we were still unsure of the financial aspects. A few days later, we were told there were also positions open for houseparents at the children's home under the same umbrella as the school, and everything fell into place after that! September first, we loaded up another U-Haul and moved out to begin another new chapter in our lives at the children's home in Pleasant Plain.
Things did not go the way that we planned this year, but many frusterated tears and prayers later, they have turned out better than we could have ever imagined. We have a cozy home in the country and Boss loves every minute of his job. Emma is a very smart and beautiful three and a half year old who loves ballet and Dora the Explorer. She will be starting pre school this year! Kate is an ornery, yet adorable, eighteen month old who keeps our family laughing. I am learning what it means to be the keeper of the home, and I am actually enjoying myself! I enjoy working with the foster girls in our care, and I have found great purpose in our work here. God is good and we are very thankful for the lessons we have learned along the way! May God bless each of you in 2008. Thank you for sharing in our journey!
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