Han Lin Visits & Faith has a Dance Recital

We have been very blessed to have Han Lin visiting for a few days. He has been studying English at the university in Cincinnati. This Fall he will be starting his studies in nursing at the university.

Yesterday was a big day for Faith. She had her dance recital and was able to show everyone the dance she had been working on during the school year. The video is a little hard to see. At the beginning of the dance she is in the front row, second from the left.

Eliza Turns 2

Today our baby girl turned two! Such an exciting age to be. She had a two day extravaganza since we were able to visit family yesterday and celebrate with them as well. She really got into her presents this year. Some of her favorite gifts were her table and chair set, her tea set, and her Wow, Wow Wubbzy toys. While I was in the kitchen frosting her cake she set up her Wubbzy friends in chairs around the table and started serving them tea. So cute!!! We are so very thankful to the Lord for choosing us to be her parents.

Wrapping up the School Year

So many times I sign in to update the blog and find it hard to know what to write. There are a lot of things that I want to say but when I sit down to do it I draw a blank. We are finishing up our curriculum for the current school year which is a huge accomplishment for all of us. I am amazed most of all at how the Lord has used this time home schooling the kids to shape my character. Here I thought it would be a way to shape their character but I am finding I am benefiting from it in ways I could not have imagined. There have been moments of frustration, tears, exhaustion, laughter, joy, humility, & redemption--you name it we have probably experienced it. I am forever grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; my Father God, my Holy spirit. All three parts in one. Although my pride says I would much rather go on pretending I am not in need of pruning; happily ignoring my sinful nature, He loves me SO much that He does what is best for me.

There were times during this school year that I wanted to walk away and take the "easy" road--to step back into my comfort zone and send the kids off to school but I knew in my heart that God had called us to this--had called me. So I kept on and in the process have learned more about selflessness, grace, and patience than I could have ever imagine. I am not speaking of my patience with the kids--I am speaking of God's unending patience with me. Don't get the wrong impression, I am not suffering in this calling. On the contrary, I have found an unending fountain of blessing. I have found my calling for this season of my life.

I am not saying home schooling is for everyone. I will say this--many people have made the comment that they couldn't do it. I want you to know that you can. If God calls you to home school He will equip you. It will, without a doubt, remind you of how much we need Him.

In the interest of sharing more "cuteness" than anyone can stand--here are some pictures from this last month. Eliza happily had her first pedicure--given by an amazing man--her daddy. She also treated us to a fashion show and a little rock concert. You would think we have only one child with as many pictures as I've been taking of her lately. Just to reassure you they are all still here and we are still blessed beyond measure by them all. There are no words to describe it! Thank you, Lord!!!

New Name for the Blog

You may have noticed that our blog has undergone a name change. Since we are no longer "waiting for Eliza" we thought it would be appropriate to change the name. We will keep the web address the same to make it easy on family. Enjoy the updates :)

Springtime Fun!

These last few weeks have been busy. No big surprise there. We were able to visit a nearby tulip farm and enjoy some family activities. The flowers were beautiful! Hopefully it will become an annual outing for us.

Just a few more weeks and we will finish up our curriculum for this last school year. It has flown by. It has been a year full of transitions and blessings. We are gearing up for some summer fun and looking forward to another year of home school. It is quite an adventure!

On one of the sunnier days last month Eliza put on her sister's shoes and showed us how to walk--too cute!

Easter Fun, Softball, & Field Trips

It was with great joy that we were able to celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior with all four of our children. While we were waiting for Eliza we often thought about the holidays we would celebrate when she came home. We go to the same Easter Egg Hunt every year and would wonder if the next year would include our new daughter. There were a few "hiccups" to the "perfect" holiday we envisioned (the fridge stopped working Easter morning) but to be with our children and see Eliza participate in our family traditions was truly a gift. She was not at all sure about the Easter Egg Hunt we went to on Saturday but by the time we did our family hunt on Sunday she was ready. She also thought the coloring of the eggs was pretty cool. Her favorite part was eating the chocolates in the eggs. It is because of Easter that we have Eliza. If God did not send His Son to die for our sins, if He had not risen, and if we did not have a relationship with Christ we would not have the capacity to love her like we do. We love because He first loved us!






























On another note, Emma has decided to play Softball this Spring so here are some snapshots of her first game.

















We recently visited the Portland Art Museum with one of our favorite people, Nancy. Nancy is married to Claude who was not able to come with us. They are a joy to be with always. She is an amazing artist (though she would never admit it). We were able to see some paintings from the collection of Madame Pompadour (Louis XIV's mistress). The way the colors "popped" was amazing! It was a thrill to be up close to paintings from the late 1700s. We were not able to take photos but I do have one of all the kids and Nancy outside the museum.

Happy 1 Year Gotcha-versary, Eliza!

One year ago today Eliza was placed in our arms. It has been an amazing year! Some of her favorite things lately include pizza, chocolate, playing outside, her brother, giving kisses, Elmo, and seeing new things. It is hard to believe it has been a year already. Once again I feel an abundance of thankfulness to the Lord for changing our hearts and bringing us together. Words cannot express....