A Week Full of Firsts and Lasts

This last week has been one full of firsts and lasts. Ethan had his last basketball game of the season, Faith played in her first official piano recital, Eliza spent her last night in a crib and her first night in her new toddler bed, and Emma was there to see it all. They have all handled it very well. Eliza's first night in her bed was a little rough but as I sit here she is sleeping well in her new bed--and it's only night #2. Here are some pictures of some of the exciting happenings.






I have been working on some changes on the blog and preparing it for some exciting news we are hoping to share with all of our readers (no matter how few). Stay tuned to find out what big changes are coming for our family.

Off and Running in 2010

January has come and gone already and we have reached an important milestone--we are halfway through our curriculum!!!! This is a big deal to all of us-me included. Home schooling is not an easy task for the kids or for the parents. Knowing that God has brought us over halfway to our goal for the year is an encouragement to us all. It is now time to start praying about next year. Do we continue home schooling (so far the consensus is yes), do we keep using the current curriculum (so far that is a yes as well with a few tweaks here and there), and do we include mandatory spa days for mom in the home school budget (I can at least try, right?)?

On another note, this week marks two years since we received our referral for Eliza. We waited for a long time to bring home our daughter and I still remember feeling that we would always be waiting. I look at her now as she plays at my feet and am amazed at all God did to bring us together. She is without a doubt our daughter through and through! It seems amazing that God would bring the perfect match to our family yet when I consider that this is the same God who placed the stars in the sky--it seems more like an "of course--how could He do anything less?"

Many families have now been waiting five years. Please pray for them! They need encouragement, love, and understanding. Please remind them that God has not forgotten them. Remind them that He has a plan for them and their children will come home. God will lead you in ways you can minister to them--please listen to His direction.

Here are some pictures from our January adventures--including Toby's 35th birthday. Enjoy!



Eliza went shopping at Toys 'R' Us with her Christmas money and came away with a free Kai Lan computer game. She is right on track to be a computer genius like her daddy.




Toby took advantage of our OMSI membership and took the kids to see a T-Rex skeleton they had on display. Cool!



Happy 35th, Toby! He's not near as old as the T-Rex and MUCH better looking =)


We had a brief snow storm at the end of December. Can you tell Eliza is more into tropical climates?