Belated Valentines Day!

I'm beginning to think that the word "Belated" is the story of my life! :)  Since my honey is away in Mexico on a mission trip over my least favorite holiday of the year, just thought I would post a few pics of my other 4 honies! 

 Getting their Valentine surprises! (Julia is a little confused about her fingerpaints and Bella wants to note that it looks like she is holding a Princess & the Frog book, when in fact, it is Carmen who is holding it!)

 The man of the house! Love this son of mine!

Julia says "Yes, I took this balloon from a creepy person dressed up like a bear at Wal-Mart and I may be scarred for life, but I do love me a helium balloon!" :)

Pure Joy!

This little girl, who was SUCH a surprise when she came along, brings me so much happiness!  Those giant blue eyes on such a tiny little thing are always full of joy or mischief! Just look....

And to my medium sized girl: Your strong will and infectious laugh make you a force to be reckoned with!  May you never lose the desire to plow straight into everything you do.  You are a gift!!

SURPRISE...We're adopting!

Okay...since I am the only one who reads this blog, I don't really need to make such a proclamation, but since I have made an Adoption Timeline along the side, I figured I might need to clarify! :) 

After over a year of consideration, research, family discussion, and much, MUCH prayer, we have decided to pursue the adoption of a little boy from Ethiopia.  To many, becoming a family of seven may see like insanity, but in reality, it is simply our family taking a leap of faith and being obedient to the call that God has placed on our hearts.  He has opened our eyes to the needs of the world and has fully shown us that we have the capacity to love another child and the room to welcome another into our home and lives.  If God is for us...who can stand against us?  It is our greatest hope that with God's abundant grace, this journey will be one that takes us to places we have never been physically, but most important...spiritually. We are so excited and scared out of our mids to begin this very long process to making our family complete!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

She totally gets it!!

Be still my heart!!  My sweet Bella is such a compassionate, mature, wise-beyond her years young lady and I just have to brag on her!  She spent several months in the fall making cute flower hair clips and selling them to friends.  She raised enough money to buy 8 pairs of shoes to send to an orphanage in Ethiopia, along with $140 donation to World Vision for the Emergency Food Fund.  She is always thinking of ways to make money to give away. She is my shining example of how to give with a joyous heart rather than a reluctant, fist- half-clinched giver.  Thank you Bella for who you are and thank you God for creating her in your image.