Anniversary...

It has been two years (and a few days) since bringing J home from Ghana. My oh my how life has changed for her....for us all...we have all grown so much. This is one of my favorite pictures, taken in the parking garage of the airport right after we landed, with 'Miss(y) America'

UGH! I wish someone would have told us that the anniversary date needs to be in the middle of NOTHING - as in pick a month when you have no other events/changes/etc to adopt your child. Whatever you do don't pick the month your oldest has a birthday (that is shared with Papa -grandfather), school gets out for 2 weeks, Christmas (all the hoopla of events that goes with that) throw in some presents and parties, extra work for Mom working at a church.....and what do you have.....a RAD in fine form. Now please don't go lecturing me, just venting a bit.

Of course at the time, we were just thinking "wow, do you really think we can bring her home before Christmas?!? yes we will miss performances, birthdays, etc".

In all seriousness, we wouldn't change a thing knowing what we do now.....well except for trying even harder to speed the process up and maybe bring her home in November ;-)

All that to say, those of you living with RAD or at least understanding it a bit, this month has been TOUGH. We knew going into to December that life will be hard, way too many triggers, way to many stressors, and too many distractions for us all. That being said, we also have been working really hard to provide the most therapeutic environment possible, while still celebrating another siblings birthday and the birth of our Savior. I could write a long list of crazy behaviors that have been going on but that is putting too much 'out there' for our family, times like this I wish this blog was a bit more anonymous for communicating with other RAD families. Because I know how much hope, encouragement, and strength I gain from reading other's stories-knowing that I am not alone in this parenting journey. Reading the everyday norms for those parenting kids from tough places, has helped me so much. I wish I could share more, in hopes that our stories would bring encouragement to others or at least the feeling of 'you are not alone' in this journey.

Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts. Anyone out there reading who has some ideas they would like to share during this extra crazy time-I WOULD LOVE TO READ THEM!

Man's Best Friend...

Not sure who is enjoying our winter break 'togetherness' more-

Boss makes a good pillow and his fur gives something for Brother to mess with while laying 'still'.

She is such an animal lover. Love the contentment on her face, if Boss weren't so cozy and sleepy I bet he would be smiling too. Our other furry friend, Emma was at my feet thinking my phone I was taking pictures with was going to be handing out treats, needless to say she was a bit disappointed-good thing she cant access the blog to be disappointed again for a lack of an appearance.

Catch up...

What a whirlwind couple of weeks-for the most part full of lots of fun and memory making. Hence, the lack of blogging. Currently, two are playing with a new craft set putting on a fashion show and two are playing the game Life....and I am enjoying the moments of peace while we spend the day in our pj's. So I thought I should post a little update.

Here are a few pictures of the goings on of the last few weeks.

Catching one of the beautiful sunset views from the back porch.

We are so blessed to be living in our dream home and have land to enjoy the beautiful 'pictures God paints for us' (according to the kids) each morning and evening.

Big Sister (second from left) in her Jester costume backstage.

We are so proud of her earning a spot and performing with Ballet Oklahoma. She took on a big commitment and was very responsible and mature, choosing to do her own make up and fly solo backstage. She was the youngest jester by 2-3 years, yet was told several times "I can't believe you are only in 5th grade". She is a remarkable young lady and quite the ballerina.

Big Sister's Birthday Party

Here are the party girls modeling their t-shirts they had just made.

Big sister throughly enjoyed her first birthday slumber party. What a wonderful group of girls she is friends with. We had a great evening celebrating her-making pizzas, cupcakes, t-shirts and crafts galore. Listening to the giggles and loud 'ssshhhh' coming from her room at bedtime was quite entertaining too.

In true Big Sister fashion-she shared her candles so all of her friends and siblings could blow out a candle too.

Last week was also had our children's program at church which began with a delicious dinner. Witnessed a bit of a modern day loaves and fishes story as folks kept coming in the door, yet the food that had been prepared for 130 never ran out for the 175+ who came. I love seeing the Christmas story come to life through the talents of our children. Through songs and lines they do an amazing job of sharing Christ's birth and memorize a lot of scripture in the process, embedding God's word into their hearts forever. And being in charge of it, I am also really glad when it's finished ;-)

Three of our four can be seen here in a rehearsal. Lots more great pictures on our church's website if you're interested in seeing more.

We spent one morning last week serving at a rescue mission to hand out food for Christmas meals. Cars lined up for miles to 'drive thru' and pick up chicken, bread, fresh veggies, and a box of canned goods. I could not be prouder of my kiddos (and niece) who braved the cold that we weren't quite dressed for (thought we would be inside) who lasted longer than many of the other folks helping. They greeted each car with a smile and a "Merry Christmas". I was blessed to serve along side my children and enjoyed seeing the smiles on other's faces because of their actions. I love the servants hearts our kids possess and all of the conversation that was sparked by all of the mornings encounters. I love how excited they were to serve and the joy they find in serving others.

'Armed' and ready for the next car to pull forward.

One of the many blessings of our new home is the ability to now host our family and friends. In our little old home, the six of us squeezed around the table and the one couch and chair in the living room didn't really provide for much seating. We enjoy opening our home to others, but with the addition of each child, space pretty much had inhibited our ability to host other families. Our parents have humored us in years past, joining us for a few cramped Christmas mornings of opening gifts, but we always moved onto one of their homes for mealtime. This year we were able to invite everyone to our house for a day full of family fun-coking together, gifts exchanged, games played....and we got to sit at a 'table' to eat! My sister and nieces spent Christmas Eve night with us, what a joy it was to see/hear 6 sets of feet running down the stairs Christmas morning.

A table for 18 to enjoy Christmas dinner together...IN MY DINING ROOM!

Enjoying the blessings God has given us, so thankful for spending time with family celebrating the birth of Christ.

Our First Baby is Eleven!

I find it hard to believe that our baby girl turns eleven today. Her arrival into the world, both the weeks before and the first few weeks of life, were not the easiest on Mom but she has 'made up' for it being a 'perfect' first born. She has grown into a beautiful young lady who is responsible, trustworthy, compassionate and of course a leader (yes outside of her siblings, too). She is a joy to be around. Her love of animals amazes me, she is still determined that becoming a veterinarian is the career for her, I am sure she will be a wonderful one, too. We often describe her as an 'old soul'. She could have been born a hundred years ago and wouldhave loved living on a prairie some where, absolutely content. She is an avid reader who devours books. She enjoys cooking and baking, especially with Dad and her Grandmas. She is a gifted dancer, who continues to amaze us.

This picture was taken this weekend on my phone as we celebrated her opening night performance in the Nutcr@cker she is in. I love the expression of total contentment on her face and in her body. Dad and Mom all to herself for the evening and a chocolate dessert on it's way.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl-we are s0 proud to be your parents.