Adoption, Africa, and an Adventure

I have told you before about several of our friends that are adopting. In fact, since my last post, every other family in our small group are currently in the process of adoption with the exception of us. Anyone else of the opinion that God is trying to tell us something?

One of the families that I previously told you about are the DeGries, who are getting a precious little girl from Africa. At the end of last year it became clear that Royce was not going to be able to travel with Eve when the time came for her to go for their court date. So, they asked me if I would like to go with her.

For those of you that know me well, you know that I may or may not be a bit of a homebody. I like to go. I like to have fun. I like to travel. But I LOVE home. There is safety and comfort in these four walls. I am a fan of safety and comfort.

I knew saying yes to this would be a gigantic step, forget step, how about leap out of my comfort zone. And honestly, part of me wanted to say no. A large part of me. But God had been working in my heart about this for weeks before I was even asked to go. He and I had been having a lot of these conversations... Are you really a person a faith or do you just talk about it? Do your children see you live in obedience or do they just see you talk about it? How can you live a life of faith if you are busy trying to create a life that doesn't need faith?

I was convicted. I wanted more than that for myself and for my children. I want Peyton and Mason to think it is normal to risk everything in obedience. I want them to have memories of thinking that our family was crazy for how much we sacrificed, how much we gave up, how much we trusted, and how powerfully God showed up.

So this Monday afternoon, Eve and I will board a plane and begin a 20+ hour trip to Africa. Another step in the process of bringing their sweet girl home and one less orphan in this world.

Am I nervous? You bet. Is this exactly where God wants me to be? No doubt.

Snowpocalypse?

In an unusual turn of events for those of us living in the South... snow, snow, and more snow. A couple of weeks ago we woke up to about 6" of the white stuff. Wow! It was as much snow as I have seen on the ground since the blizzard of '93. Which Ryan totally makes fun of when I say, but I'm telling you, it happened.

Needless to say there was no school, and lucky for me, no work for Daddy, so, we took the opportunity to play. And, I got to introduce them to one of the pleasures of snow, also known as snow cream. Big fans!

This snow was the perfect kind of snow for playing; not wet, just good, powdery snow. And we took full advantage!

About now is when I was thanking my lucky stars I had told Gran Gran to order a couple of kids some snow boots this Christmas.









Day 2 of the snowpocalypse began a labor of love...Frosty.

Bless them, as evidenced by the pictures, they worked day and night to bring him to life.










Loved the time with my fam and the memories we got to make! That having been said, bye bye snow, we will see you again some time next year.