December Number

Having some fun!

Here's my answer for not sending out a nice Christmas card this year. I decided to play around and have some fun instead.  Enjoy!!!!

Gavin's 9th Birthday (October 28th)

Football 2012

                                                                Brodie #3 White

                                                         Gavin #1 Gold

Better Late Than Never! Brodie's 7th Birthday and Claire's 3rd Birthday (Sept. 18th & 22nd)

November Number

October Number

A Boatload of Crazy!

Yes I am still alive and kicking but have just had so much going on in my life as of late that I just needed time to sit back and recoup any chance I got! It all started a couple months ago with about a weeks worth of what I thought were horrendous cramps(sorry guys) and one horrible night of very bad back pain. Upon talking to my doctor at a routine checkup about two months later he determined that I had a kidney stone....OH JOY! I did get better within a weekends time so no need for any treatment but now I have the greater possibility of that occurring again. (I am not at all excited). Then we had quite a couple days of an adoption roller coaster with something really great that could have happened but in the end God said that it wasn't meant to be. This actually now that I look back at it am totally at peace with how it all turned out. Very shortly after that our dear 16 year old nephew went into a very unexpected diabetic coma with severe brain swelling and is still in the hospital but improving everyday. Someday when I have more time and energy I will share that big hard and amazing story with you all. Then we hit fall which is crazy birthday time for our family so I had a party for my two youngest on the same day (woohoo one party two kids over all at once). Well, that day ended up being so very crazy with my Dad having a mini-stroke at the party and eventually being taken that night to the hospital an hour away and being there for around 5 days. He has made a very good and quick recovery, thank the Lord! We are working on getting him moved into his condo very soon so we've also been busy picking out paint, flooring, and getting him ready for that move hopefully within a few weeks. What I think is the most significant and what keeps coming to my mind is that Joel and I started working on changing our parameters for our adoption before all of this started. I don't like to give the enemy any kind of credit but I truly believe that these changes have not made him very happy and he so desperately wants to shake us up a bit. Honestly I have been shakin' but not distracted from our goal.....to do God's will in our lives. I am so excited to see what happens once our parameters are approved and added officially to our files! Monday our social worker comes to finish up our updates so we are very close to having this done. Please continue to pray with us that God moves mountains and provides a clear path to our future daughter!

September Number

August Number!

The worst blogger EVER!

Okay I have to admit that I might be the worst blogger ever! I read so many other blogs and everyone's posts are so thought provoking and/or humorous that I sit here like every week wanting to write but feel rather inadequate. When I'm away from my computer is when I can write posts up in my head and they make sense and dare I say even sound quite eloquent. Nope not when I sit here and stare at my screen. When I write I sound like my mind is spinning and jumping all over the place. Well, enough about my misfortune in writing brilliant blog posts and on to my attempt to share my heart once again.
When we started this adoption journey almost two years ago I must admit that I was rather ignorant in what was going on in the adoption world. Sitting here today I feel like I am just not doing enough and the thought often comes, "What can I do more of?".  I just don't know, what I do know is that God has changed my thinking dramatically and is still doing so everyday on this subject. I read story after story of an absolutely innocent child with no fault of their own left somewhere to die or sitting in a cage (err I mean crib) for far too long just withering away. It b*r*e*a*k*s my heart! To be honest I really wish I could scoop all of them up and bring them home with me. I know that sounds ludicrous and impossible but it's the truth. I know that I know that our God is more than capable of taking care of His children including those that are forgotten in our world but I have to ask myself, "What is my role?". As many of you know my family is in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. We don't know who she is yet and think of her constantly. I feel so anxious to get her home so that we can start the process again to bring home more. (Crazy) I know....even to my husband but I can't deny the stirrings in me to save more, to love more, to be open to more. This being open to more is not just more children but maybe children that have larger limitations that aren't deemed as worthy or highly "adoptable". Starting out I probably wouldn't have said that but today God is moving in me and hopefully someday through me for this cause.
Well, as I rambled on about my "dreams" and hopes I pray some of it made some sense to you. :) Praying today for mighty works to be done in and through my family for years to come!

July Number!!!!

We have now passed our halfway point from where we started on the waitlist (#118) Praise the Lord!!!

June #

This song really spoke to me today and thought I'd share.

Baseball 2012....what takes up most of our time.

Brodie- Gold

                                         

Gavin- White

This & That

We got Claire this water table since she is obsessed with playing in anything involving

water. I think she's not the only one who likes it. ;)

                       Enjoying their indoor fort and picnic lunch.

                              The one picture that I could take before my battery died of us at the zoo.

May Number

So glad another adoptive mama shared this today because I've been learning so much during this wait and this song just seemed to voice it perfectly. 

 

Well, hello everyone! It seems like forever since I've posted an actual note on here but to be honest I've thought of doing one for quite a while I just couldn't find the words. I'm not really sure I have the words now but I wanted to connect and share that God is indeed moving! Over the last couple months I have felt a pretty constant nudging from the Lord but I haven't been able to really put my finger on what He is trying to tell me. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. I know that He's prompting me to think "outside" the box on what He has in store. So many times I have put Him and what He could do through me in this nice shaped small pretty little box. If I am not really uncomfortable that is quite okay with me.....well, He's pushing me out of this thinking. Right now all of this revolves pretty much around adoption and what I "think" would be the best match for our family. Ohhh so not true for what He wants me to surrender to Him. I'm not sure if anything radical or different will happen but I know that I've been seeking His face, searching to hear His voice, and digging into the scripture like never before. Praise HIM!!! Maybe that's what He wanted all along who knows but I'm ready for this wild ride that He has in store and pray that I can bless His name through all of it.

International Star Wars Day!

I thought I'd post a pic of my Jedi Brodie in honor of today!
The boy does love him some Star Wars!!!

April Number

Check it out!

There is a blog that I follow that I have so much respect for the author. She is an adoptive mama and her latest post just reflects a lot of what I'm feeling lately. I hope she doesn't mind but please visit her post and see what God may  reveal to you. http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2012/04/whatever-god.html

Easter with the Bailey kids

 Look how happy my oldest is about smiling for this picture. Geesh!!

Spring Break

We had a nice little surprise over night trip to an awesome hotel nearby.

Then the next day we headed to Imagination Station!