The Girls' Rooms Are Ready!

The girls' rooms have been a work in progress for quite some time!  I am happy to say that they are finally ready!   Adair is very excited to share her room with Emalyn and while we didn't change alot, we did add a crib that was graciously loaned to us by a friend, new dressers to add storage for two times the clothes, and few finishing touches in honor of Emalyn's arrival.  

View from the door

Two big girl beds for our two big sisters

"Enlarged" dresser/closet area

Across the hall for Adair and Emalyn's room is the second upstairs bedroom.  Because our house was built in 1928, it has its quirks, but one of those quirks is coming in handy for our family.  The second upstairs bedroom doesn't have an official closet, but it does have an additional room behind it, complete with windows.  This little room has housed my sewing machine and supplies since we moved in almost three years ago and today is has been transformed into a nursery.  So, the front room will be a rocking and changing room for both babies and the nursery will be in the smaller, back room.  I envision this working well for our family and am thankful for the extra square footage!

Rocking & changing room

Rocking & changing room-the door to the right leads to the nursery

Nursery view from the door

Nursery

Nursery

Now the only thing missing is our two little sweethearts!  It won't be long now until these empty beds are full!  Yay!

Circus, Circus

We had a great time at the circus with our dear friends, the Woods!  This was Adair's first time at the circus and she was mesmerized by the animals, but I think the snowcone was her favorite part!

The Year of Our Girls

At the beginning of 2011 I don't think we could have ever anticipated what we would have to look forward to in 2012.  As we kick off this very special year in our family, I can't help but to reflect on all of the ways the Lord has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations.  On February 28, 2011 we began the long road to meeting our second daughter, Emalyn.  Little did we know, 2012 would not only bring one addition to our family, but two.  At the very beginning of the adoption process Adair started saying that she wanted two sisters.  Hank and I would laugh and tell her that we would just start with one for now.  Looking back, I wonder if she had a direct line to God and anticipated what He was going to do in our family.  We feel so incredibly blessed to have these three little lives entrusted to us.  We look forward, with great joy, to seeing what God will do this year in our family and through our family.  We absolutely cannot wait to meet our two newest blessings.  2012 is sure to be a year marked with change for our family, but I have no doubt it will be just as wonderful as it will be wild.  Welcome 2012...we've been waiting for you!

Welcome to 2012

We spent the weekend of the new year with my best friend since junior high school and her family.  They live in the country, so we had a lot of fun enjoying the quiet, playing on hay bales, exploring the woods, and gathering around a bonfire. It was so nice to be away and forget about the hustle and bustle of home for a few days.

Anabelle, Adair and Addyline

Daddy and Adair jumping the hay bales.

Balancing on a log.

Addyline, Ava, Adair and Anabelle ready to roast marshmallows.

Bathtime for Addyline, Adair and Anabelle.

Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  We couldn't help but think through out the day that this would be our last Christmas as a family of three, so we soaked in each moment with Adair as an only child.  We woke up early to discover that Santa had visited with three special gifts, enjoyed watching Adair open our gifts, then headed to church.  

One of the highlights of the day was during the service.  Our pastor, Tim, had all of the children come to the front and began to ask them questions about the Christmas story.  One of those questions was, "Who is your favorite person in the Christmas story, besides Jesus?".  Now, bear in mind, he was obviously talking about THE Christmas story...the story of Jesus...one Adair has heard a thousand times before and knows very well.  Her hand shot up and I fully expected she was going to say "Gabriel" or "Mary", but when Tim called on her, her response was "Santa".  Hank and I almost crawled under the pew!  It was one of those "proud" parent moments!  Everyone in the congregation had a great laugh and Adair was quite pleased with her answer.

After church, Mom, Dad and Mama Alice joined us for lunch.  Adair was spoiled this Christmas, as usual.  I think she would say that her top gifts were her see saw that Santa brought and the guitar that Nona and Joe-pa gave her.  She also thought it was very special that Santa brought a baby doll for Emalyn just like the one he brought to her.

It was a wonderful day full of joy and remembering the birth of our Savior.  So many times this season, I

 was reminded that without the birth of Jesus we would still be hopeless....without the birth of Jesus there would have been no cross and there would be no salvation.  I am so thankful that God had a perfect plan to redeem His people.

First glimpse of Santa's gifts

Checking to see if Santa finished his milk and cookies

Lifelike grocery cart complete with Emalyn and her baby dolls

See saw!

Adair, Adair's baby doll, and Emalyn's baby doll

Excited to open gifts

Adair and Daddy

Adair, Mommy and Daddy

Princess Belle

Mommy, Adair and Daddy

Nona, Mama Alice, Adair and Joe-pa

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Festivities

Picking Out the Perfect Tree

Adair loved the wagon ride at the tree farm.

Daddy "measuring" the width of the tree we chose with Adair.

Checking out the tree from below.

Advent Wreath Making

One of the highlights of this Christmas season was creating an advent wreath and reading the verses of advent at home each night.

Adair and Caroline enjoying pizza.

Passing the light.

Our (almost) finished wreath.

Homemade Tree Decorations

Stringing fruit loops for our kitchen tree.

Visiting with Santa Claus

Adair loved the idea of Santa this Christmas.  She still wasn't super keen on the idea of him coming into our house, but she was enthralled with the stories of the North Pole, Santa's reindeer, and Santa himself.  She was excited to visit with him, sit in his lap and tell him what she would like for Christmas.  She remained consistent all season on her list.  She asked for a see saw and a baby doll, making Santa's job relatively easy.

She insisted on taking Santa's picture before sitting in his lap.

Telling him her wish list.

Adair and Santa.

Zoo Light Safari

Adair and Ginger the deer after Ginger gave Adair a "kiss".

Adair and Anne Fulton.

Baking Christmas Cookies

One fun family tradition is baking cookies together.  It's something my mom and I always did together and now, Adair enjoys it too.  We make a big mess, but we have so much fun in the process.

Cutting out the cookies.

Decorating our Gingerbread House

Any activity that involves candy is a favorite of Adair's, so she was dying to decorate our gingerbread house.  She had so much fun icing the house and placing all of the candy. 

Proud of the finished product.

Christmas Eve

Adair and her new Christmas eve pajamas.

We spent Christmas eve with our sweet friends the Hawleys this year.  Adair and Webb had a great time bouncing on the trampoline (yes, even in the cold), decorating cookies and playing together. 

Webb enjoying the candy from his cookie.

Adair decorating her "tree".

Adair, Marlen and Webb.

After our company departed, Santa went to work.



Give Thanks

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Above everything this season, we are thankful for our Savior.  We are thankful that God sent His one and only son to die on the cross for our sins and the sins of all who believe in Him and call on His name. 

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 106:1

We have so much to be thankful for this season. 

One year ago, we were only talking about beginning the adotion process to bring our precious daughter home from China.  During those conversations, Emalyn was born in our hearts and little did we know, she was already waiting for us in an orphanage on the other side of the world.  Today we are thankful that we are so close to bringing her home, to having her in our arms, to showing her what a family is.  We are thankful that one missing piece of our hearts will join us in February or March.

We are thankful for surprises.  Our third daughter that I now carry was quite the surprise, but we are so thankful for her.  We are thankful that God is God and we are not and that He does not let us make our own plans.

We are incredibly grateful for our first born!  Adair brings us so much joy and we cannot imagine life without her.  Through her we see what faith really looks like.

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:16

We are also thankful for our sweet families, our amazing friends, and our church.

I had a several sweet converstations with Adair leading up to Thanksgiving Day about what she is thankful for.  Here's a short synposis of what she said:  her lovies (aka "Ribbits) were always number one, Mommy, Daddy, Nona, Joe-pa, Mimi, Grandpa, chocolate milk, gummies, toys, trees, swings, and the princesses. 

It is humbling to me when I really stop to think about all that we have to be thankful for.  We are blessed beyond measure.  May we always give thanks and count our blessings.