She is Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im not sure what was more funny during Hope's first time on Daddy's shoulders, Rick's face or Hope realizing that pulling daddy's hair gave him a squeal!!!!!!

Cousin Emily Fed Her a Lemon

...and she liked it!!!!!!!!

Parent & Baby Dedication

This Sunday, March 29th we will participate in the Parent Baby Dedication at Spotswood's 11:30 am service! A few of my close friends knew that I was specifically praying that all would be finalized before this upcoming Dediction and here we are. It marks another day that God is reminding me that He hears and is interested in those specific petitions!!! Amen!!???

Family Day at the Ringling Brothers Circus

She was so mezmorized by the lights and music that she was afraid to blink and miss something. We had our favorite parts, like the elephants and motorcycle cage, however watching Hope's expressions topped it all. Daddy bought her a snow cone, I think it felt great on her gums and of course he ate most of it. The keepsake white horse cup is what motivated him to buy it as he thought Hope needed a souvenier. You'll see that Hope had a blast until she hit a wall. It was a great family day in DC, thanks to my employers for sending us!

O, How I Love That Cuddle Time

When Hope is tired she loves her bed,
she's not always up for snuggling or rocking unless we are away from home and we don't have her bed. Ninety nine percent of the time I can lay her down for bedtime or for a nap, she takes her paci and she is fast to sleep.
As a mom, I love to cuddle her and recently I've had to pray that she would give that back to me and enjoy rocking to sleep. "Well be careful what you pray for", Rick says cause at 2 am last night she was ready to cuddle. So we cuddled with a bottle, we sang, rocked and fast to sleep she fell in my arms. I loved it so much I stayed there for about twenty more minutes just kissing on her neck, smelling her sweet smell, rubbing her back and holding her tight. Thats a sweet time and I'll take it anytime I can get it, I don't care if its in the middle of the night or mid-day!

Happy 8 Month Birthday Princess

Music Hour Before OUR Afternoon Nap

We have a CD pack of 100 Bible Songs for kids and she knows all of them, well, almost all of them! HaHa! I mean she lets me know with a smile that she recognizes them when we sing them to her. We are trying to do sign language with her so she will learn to communicate with us early on. However right now, she pushes out those vocals like only babies can do. I think one day she'll wake up doing the hand motions and we'll see that it really worked. But for now, its one of those ways to speak truth into her life and have fun while doing so. She loves to sing!

She's Just'a Roll'n

I think in her mind she thinks I can't catch her if she rolls fast enough. Every roll has a squeal behind it, as if she is very proud of herself and is saying "look at me mommy"!Which I love to do.
Yesterday, she she rolled behind the table, as I said repeatly out of her sight "where's Hope Victoria?" She laughed out loud with her belly and could clearly tell that we were playing together, this is such a fun age! Today, is her 8 month birthday, I think by 9 months she'll have figured out the crawl!

One of HVN Favorite Times of the Day

Auntie Jane & The Nicely Family

This is the day the Lord hath made and ordained long before time began. The trusting and believing is what was required of us on this journey and what a journey it was. We've stood on Psalms 62:5 and the promise is true...our Hope comes from the Lord. Amen!

He said, "She's a Doll" & We Agreed

March 11, 2009 at 2:00 pm in Columbus, OH

"This is Forever, Today You Take on Sole Responsibility of Hope Victoria Nicely"

This is the day the Lord made just for us. We woke up with much excitement (and no electricity, I said thats OK Satan who needs a shower anyway"? It came back on by 8am). Hope was perfect from morning til night, Rick often ask me if I know that Hope has a sin nature however she was so fun in everyway today. She was wide eyed all day as if she knew something great was happening, you know the kind where they are afraid to blink cause they might fall asleep. We headed to the courthouse around noon and arrived before everyone else. We didn't have to wiat long until we were called into our quaint courtroom with our attorney and adoption agent.I must insert that Hope was beautifully dressed in her pink smocked dress, headbow and patton leathers. She smiled at each person that walked by and grinned large enough to show her two bottom teeth. When the judge walked in she smiled, grunted and waved every limb like she knew him. He commented that she is a doll. As sleepy as she was she was quite active entertaining us all in the courtroom.We were able to record most of the hearing. It consisted of questions like, Rick, What type of mom is Michelle and how has she bonded to Hope? Michelle, how has life changed since Hope came home with you? When were you married? What is your relationship like?And many many more! The judge informed us of the and and said "This Is Forever, Today You Take On Sole Responsibility of Hope Victoria" and we said Amen, as if we were in church! HaHa!I was reminded on the way home of all those that have prayed for us and encouraged our hearts. I can't tell you the flood of emotion that Rick and I feel when we consider you. Thank you will never be enough. In all those that have prayed for us there are many children, many sweet faces that have been anxiously waiting and expecting God to answer just like they ask. My prayer now is that this is a defining moment in their walk with the Lord where their faith has grown and they now know that our God is a God that hears and answers prayer. However He answers in His timing and not our own, our job is to trust Him and be at peace knowing that He is in control and wants to bless us. There is one in particular that said, "why are so surprised that it happened this way, its just what we prayed?" I hope to have the faith of a child that keeps me at peace when we walk in the trials of life...Psalms 62:5

Have You Cried Out to Him Lately?

Today, we will head to Ohio for the Adoption Finalization of Hope Victoria. As I've contemplated this day I can't help but think back to Hope's birth and the instant love that we had since the Lord had laid her in our hearts earlier in 2008.

We knew the day she was born that she was our daughter, we knew that God made a promise, we knew that He had given her as a gift and we know that He has a sweet plan for her life.

Hope has added much joy to our lives, God has used her little life to teach us much about Himself and about ourselves. The difference in Prayer and Prayerlessness being one of them. We are about to witness another petition being answered, a petition that I can't tell you how many times I cried, but I can tell you that God heard every one of those cries. Have you cried out to Him lately? When we don't cry out to Him, we don't give Him the chance to bless us with our hearts desire. Take time to pour your heart out to the one who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine!

She Is Nothing Short of a Giggler, I Love It!

I don't think I had ever seen her laugh so hard at herself until yesterday. She was seriously belly laughing. It was literally a sweet few minutes and I couldn't figure out what was so funny. She must have really liked being in the big girl rocker. Isn't it just like God to make us stop and appreciate the little things in life, like the ability to laugh and the child likeness that we should never outgrow.

Bows + Black & White + Baby Hope = Beautiful

For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by His Power, and everything is for His Glory". Rom 11:36

No More Infant Carrier

Tears swell up as I consider another milestone, packing away the infant carrier.
Last night, we read the book, adjusted the straps, made sure all was properly installed and fitted Hope into her new car seat. This was like putting her in her crib and not the bassinet anymore. I just can't explain it, but Im not ready for her to get so big so fast.
When we sat her in the new seat she clapped those sweet bare feet together, toched every strap and arm rest then smiled like she knew she was a big girl.
So at seven and a half months old she past thirty inches and weighs right at 22 lbs and that calls for the big girl car seat.

We Love This Face

Can You Tell What Hope Thought of the Snow??

I found THE dress~

Ok Ladies,
The Raspberry Twist in downtown Fredericksburg is going out of business so I snatched up this pretty baby doll dress for next week when we go before the judge. It has a matching headband with bow and I have a beautiful white sweater to adorn the princess as well. I just couldn’t find a baby blue one that I liked and I do love this one~
Therefore, I’m so into the baby doll look that I thought this was perfect and wanted to share.

A Snow Day, Another Day of Rest

As I propped Hope up by the window to watch the snow I was reminded that today is a gift, another day of rest. Sometimes the everyday becomes so busy that God makes us to be still. Still to enjoy those smiles, like my favorite one to the left.