"We've Got So Much to Be Thankful For"

Happy Thanksgiving

My sweet sleeping beauty right? She needed this nap more than anything. We went south on Wednesday evening to spend time with friends when I realized I forgot Hope's beloved blanket aka "bae bae". So the night before thanksgiving we were up most of the night and I felt horrible. So what else would a mommy do but get up early, drive an hour home to get "bae bae" and an hour back to Grandma's so my HVN could have a restful nap, enjoyable Thanksgiving and a good night sleep. So that's what she got. That two hour drive was medicine to my soul as I had a special time of Thanksgiving and prayer...which I needed after a very long night (HVN even gives me the "thank you" sign for her "bae bae" in the last picture!)

"O Be Careful Little Feet Where You Go"

When I told HVN that we weren't going outside cause it was getting dark, she immediately tried to put her socks on and Ricky's shoes without my help. You see her giving the please sign in the first picture then the rest tells its own story. She was determined to get all on with out me. She is so cute and determined. When she finally stepped into Ricky's shoes she fell to the floor bless her heart. Isn't it just like a child to want to walk in her Daddy's shoes? I pray when she does follow and when she does fall that she stays determined and gets right back up as the scripture says!

Overlooking Goshen, VA

One of our favorite things to do at Grace is taking the hayride up the mountain and spending time at the overlook. Mostly for photo ops. This is one of my new favorite pictures, however the bottom one is not. She was not very happy that I made her dress so warm and look like the Michelin Man. She and I also did not ride on the flatbed truck with hay. We rode in my van, she in her car set and other friends joined us.

Happy 16 Month Birthday HVN !!!!

So are the days of still pictures that are in focus. I have a 16 month old on the go like Road Runner. Each picture now has to be quick, most are blurry and she won't look but will say cheese.
This doll of a child captures many a hearts with her smile, good nature and playfullness.
Her grand love right now is to be outside, last week with all the rain was torturous. She stood at the windows doing the "please" sign over and over again. Which is her way of saying she wanted to go outside. So when we went to the mountains over the weekend and the sun was shining she was in a bit of heaven.
I love on Hope quite a bit and those cheeks get sweeter by the hour. Although growing she still likes to be nibbled on around her chin; its a serious tickle spot for her as well as the ribs and legs.
Her new things this month are shaking her head "no", feeding herself with a baby fork, finding the other dots on her body up above her belly button (daddy won't let me call them what they are), TRYING to put her socks on herself, ice cream and realizing she has teeth that are used for more than just eating. The biting was short lived thank the Lord. However it's one of the first things we had to learn how to deal with and discipline for. That hurts me but I know its required. We are still blessed with how well Hope understands and follows directions, for that we are grateful. We continue to celebrate and give thanks for our sweet bundle of love that keeps on growing!!!!

Our Weeknd at Grace

Each year we take the students on a fall retreat up in the mountais of VA. It's one of our favorite trips and I think it is now one of Hope's favorite places.The students are great with her and love her dearly. I pray her sweet spirit continues as God draws her heart to Him and she too will be a testimony to the kids around her.
The top picture says it all, this is exactly how we feel and what we do when we return, except we sure don't look as pretty!!!

Adoption Awareness Month

We count it a great joy that we were chosen by Hope's birth mother to parent her and raise her with an unconditional love. The beauty that accompanies this is that we were put together by choice and that decision has reached the depths of our hearts. For that, we are thankful and press on to support this cause.
This is National Adoption Awareness Month. We've observed adoption to be "a sacred exchange, not taken lightly on either side." For that we hope to remind you that birth mothers are in great need of places like the Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Bethany Christian Services and many others who can share wisdom and encourage life for the unborn.
This month also serves as a reminder that their are many children in need of families. Families that can love, protect and nurture children. The Word specifically speaks of this in James 1 and says religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress. If your heart is anti-abortion, I hope you are equally pro-adotpion and will consider supporting this life changing cause.
You can do so by giving a year end gift to your local Crisis Pregnancy Center or Bethany Christian Services. Both who are encouraging mother's to choose life. We suggest the following:

Heartbeats of Licking County
336 East Main Street
Newark, Ohio 43055
att. Erin
or
Bethany Christian Services of Fredericksburg
1616 Stafford Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

"When we give without expecting anything in return, we show what it truly means to serve others."

I Haven't Forgotten the Blog

Rick and I have been in much contemplation lately. We attended a Love and Respect Conference last weekend as Hope stayed home with Papa & Mammy. It was refreshing and probably the first time we were really away without Hope or friends since she was born.
With so many marriages crumbling around us, we find it vital to have this time away each year. It helps us to get/stay on track and remind us that we have little eyes watching and learning from our choices.
We recalled all that has transpired in our lives in a year, just look at these pictures and see how we've been blessed. We have a healthy beautiful daughter who is learning all that we say and do. Her new thing is to swing those arms, while she shakes that head and says, "nope". She's very attentive to music and things around her. She notices the train sounding while indoors, the firetrucks she'll scream after them and each musical note makes her rock back and forth! Those everyday sounds we take for granted grasp her attention quickly and I have to think "what is that". We can be doing puzzles and she notices the bird sounding outside and she'll point toward the outdoors for me to tell her exactly what that is.
I say all this to say,life is important. Children are special and deserve a loving family with a mother and father who love Jesus and others. I'm thankful for a committed husband whose willing to protect, provide and love us through life.

Family Fall Festival 209 Continued

What sweet memories Rebecca and I were able to build with our children. I do think she and I had more fun putting it all together than our little ones had a clue about. One day they will think it was cute, too.
Mom and Dad Nicely spent the day with us at home and were around to watch Hope get all dressed up, show off a bit and head out to pick up her cowboy. So many things about HVN are adorable to me; giving kisses, her girly squeal and laugh, her bright eyes, waddling when she walks, etc, etc. However on this night, she made it so fun as she and Hunter were so well behaved and made many people stop and smile. That warmed my heart.
The bottom picture here is one of my favorites. As I was lagging behind HVN was telling her daddy all about the evening. Although he couldn't understand a word we could tell of her excitement in the tone of her voice and that left hand just a moving!!!