Prayer and Word for 2015

Christmas has come and gone and those of us with little ones know just how much of a joyful blur it is. Early mornings full of excitement and questions of "how many more days until Christmas" It's a challenge to make it through the day unscathed from the wrath of an anxious 4 year old but so sweet to feel the magic and excitement.

Santa was good and the playroom is full to overflowing, our kids are well loved (I choose to say that as opposed to spoiled, I am trying not to raise spoiled kids, just well loved kids)

Now comes the moment I look back at 2014 on this Sunday evening before we head back to our regular programming of early work mornings and school days for Lydia.

2014 was one big announcement after another for our family.
 - WE ARE ADOPTING
 - WE ARE PREGNANT

It was a year that we stepped out in blind faith not really knowing what the heck we were doing with all this paperwork and check list after check list. The world of adoption is a big fat risk, one that has no guaranteed end. We are walking through each door as it remains open for us and that was a big lesson this year...to continue on a path that we cannot see the ending but trusting that we were walking it for a reason. We then decided to follow our hearts (well really this mamma's heart) to have a baby in the wait. I turn 30 in 2015 and I had this desire on my heart to do this pregnancy thing one more time before then. So here we are entering 2015 expecting 2 kiddos, one who's due date is written on our calendar and the other who's entrance into our world is still an unknown.

2014 for us was about leaping into the unknown and not letting ourselves get too comfortable, 2015 is about living intentionally in this stage we are in.

INTENTIONAL - is my word for 2015.

Intentional - in my time of prayer and devotion - I want to read more books by women who are walking or have walked this same journey as me, to build me up and give me strength in the throws of motherhood. Time in prayer for my baby growing inside me, her siblings here in our home, my husband, and our birth family and child who are still a mystery to us.

Intentional - about time spent with those I love, my kids (putting away the phone and pouring all myself into them when it is time) more date nights with my husband, more time sending encouragement, making time for dinner/lunch/coffee with those girlfriends who mean the most to me. I want to build up a community, motherhood can be lonely.

Intentional - about what we spend our money on, more local, fair trade and necessary items for our family.

Intentional - with my time, that is spent not just staying busy but doing things that build us up as a family or me as a woman, not just saying yes to say yes because I don't want to disappoint somebody but being intentional in using my best yes possible.

2015 we will adjust to being a family of 5, of sending a kid to school full time, entering a full year of waiting and celebrating many moments as a family. We are ready for what 2015 brings... LETS DO IT!

20 Weeks and It's A....

We had an exciting holiday week...we started it out with a gender reveal party at our house on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We had our immediate families over and Lydia helped me open up a box of balloons revealing that we are having a precious baby.....

GIRL

We are so thrilled to hit the 20 week mark with a healthy baby girl growing in there. She is starting to move more and more and things are looking great, still hit a sleepy time everyday and don't make it much passed 9:30 most nights but that's the life of a mom of 2 other little ones. Lydia is so excited to have a baby sister because duh brothers are old news. She even went to my 20 week check up to hear the baby's heart beat.

Here is her first close up and we do have a name.... Colbie Marie :) She is so loved already and although we are excited to hold her in our arms I am soaking up this pregnancy and my time alone with her. Plus we have a nursery to put together and tons of girl clothes to go through and wash up!! I can't wait to get out Lydia's old things to share with her sister.

Thankful to get to experience this miracle all over again. It's something that amazes and humbles me daily that God would grant me this privilege not even just once but three times now! Praises to him for these gifts I call my children.

17 Weeks

Well I hit the 17 week mark last Wednesday with this little peanut and I am feeling pretty good these days. I am craving salads, fruit, cheese fries, dr. pepper and have a major sweet tooth. I have started feeling inconsistent flutters but cannot wait to feel this baby dance around in there! We find out what we are having the day before Thanksgiving and am really looking forward to it this time around, we've done it both ways now but finding out is probably my favorite!

Waiting Family...Officially

11/14/14 ... the day we officially became a waiting adoptive family. That is our DTE date (Dossier to Ethiopia)

Now I am doubly pregnant and we settle into a wait. A necessary wait if we want to be sure all is done legally and in the best interest of our child. So today I am pregnant with two children, one that I have begun to feel move in my belly and the other that has already stretched my heart a few sizes.

There are a lot of unknowns and what if's currently in our adoption process. Right now we are staying put in the 0-4 age range, healthy or with minor special needs. That wait is long and we are not naive about this wait, we are expecting it and expecting the ups and downs a long the way but we know in the end God has a plan for us and we are only beginning to see the glimpses of what is to come.


Happy National Adoption Month to our family, how fitting that we started this process in January (officially) and this stage has come to an end and the next begins in November, National Adoption Month.

Holy Guacamole

So it's been quite a while away from this blog and mainly because this mama is beat I mean totally wiped of all energy and we have one teeny tiny growing blessing to thank for it.....

That's right....we are expecting sweet Baby H #3 (our tie breaker) in April. I am nearing the end of my first trimester and praying that my energy returns. This little one has been a bit harder on me than the other 2 but this could also be the change in our lifestyle since the other 2. Having 2 kids this time around and a job that has me up earlier in the morning and working at home as a mama during the day. It leaves me with nothing left but I want to soak it up and take none of it for granted because this will be our last pregnancy as we are still in the midst of our adoption journey. More on that hopefully in the next week or so!

I told my coworkers daughter (who is 3) that I was pregnant again and having a baby just like her mommy just did and her reaction  was "Holy Guacamole" too cute that girl.

School is back in session

School is back and summer is coming to a close. It was a great summer one I thoroughly enjoyed with my kiddos and not to mention it's been such a cool summer here in Indy...I don't really loooove hot weather so high 70's and low 80's are totally my jam! However, I finally understand why my parents were ok with school starting again :) Lydia needs structure and she needs to socialize with her people...she is a social creature, a little bit of a shy one at first but she thrives in school. I am happy to see what this year brings for her.

Here is our summer list and what we actually accomplished from it:

Vacation
Zoo Visits
Make our hill into a slip and slide
Camp - backyard and the real deal  - just didn't get to take Lydia for real camping ... "yet"
Hang lights on our deck or in our screened porch
Summer reading program
Pool Days...lots of them
Swim Lessons for Lydia  - she did awesome!!
Try gardening (already planted) - SUCCESS...minus our green tomatoes it's been too cold, so I hear, they are all green still, but I made green bean casserole last weekend from my very own garden!
Submit our dossier - this has taken us so much longer than we anticipating we are going into month 8 of this process but praying this fall we finally get everything submitted. It's really hard to rely on others to move things ahead.

We've taken naps, gone swimming, gone to the zoo, gone on vacation, visited with friends who live in Ann Arbor which meant a night away from home for all 4 of us with friends who let us wreck their house and wake them  up early, had our church festival, had Garrett's 2nd bday party, went to the fair. I read a ton of books, had dinners with my sister at fun foodie restaurants that my husband would never try. I love summer but I am almost ready to welcome fall with open arms!

Garrett is 2

Sweet G-man,

You are 2 and you are such a joy to my life and all of those who love you. You have sweet blonde curls that keep coming back even though we have cut it...thank you Jesus for blonde curls. You have an infectious belly laugh that makes everyone else belly laugh at the sound of it. You are a quiet thinker and independent player but you still love your mama's lap and that makes me so incredibly happy. We have a few words now but no big conversation happening. You try and do everything your sister does and it drives her crazy! You are still a pretty good eater and will at least try everything we put in front you. You still gallop when you run and try and do the whole Disney Jr. dance break (need to get that on video!) You love Harry and will make him tea and make sure he gets his phone calls (put's the phone right up to his ear). You are a great sleeper now...which makes up for the first year of your life. You still take great naps and even ask mommy to put you down sometimes. This year you got to go to the beach (you didn't LOVE it..but by the end you didn't hate it), you have visited Kate and Ryan in Ann Arbor, actually got to ride the rides at the festival and become a pro at the "choo choo" at the zoo and even growl back at the Lions.

My G$ you are the sweetest boy and I just look at you and think how blessed I am that God chose me to be your mama, that we are lucky enough to call you son and watch you grow and hopefully help you navigate this thing called life. I pray that you continue to learn and observe all that is around you, that you see the good and the love that is surrounding you and that you know that God loves you even more than me and that's a whole whole lot!!

Love you forever and ever amen,

Mommy