Our July Birthdays

So this year I turned 33 and Ryan turned 36. For some reason, birthdays don't seem to be as fun to celebrate anymore. Nonetheless, it's ALWAYS fun to have a great dinner out with my/our incredible family. We are so blessed.

Trees

Whilst driving yesterday, Emma asked me if God REALLY created everything...including trees...? After telling her "yep, he did!" she proceeded to say "wow mama, God did sure make some neat trees. Thats gotta be hard wowk. And I sure like the wood he chose to make them out of!" Just melted me.

Speaking of trees, Ryan found this song the other day called Planting Trees by Andrew Peterson. It could not be a better theme song for Ryan and I and the kids. I just love it. And I want so AJ bad for roots to grow deep in our kids, in Jesus, and to spread out and bless. Mmmm, so good. Here are the lyrics:

We chose the spot, we dug the hole We laid the maples in the ground to have and hold
As Autumn falls to Winters sleep
We pray that somehow in the Spring The roots grow deep

And many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn

He took a plane to Africa
He gathered up into his arms
An orphan son

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
This tree will spread its branches out And bless the dawn

So sit down and write that letter
Sign up and join the fight
Sink in to all that matters
Step out into the light
Let go of all that's passing
Lift up the least of these
Lean into something lasting
Planting trees

She rises up as morning breaks
She moves among these rooms alone Before we wake
And her heart is so full; it overflows She waters us with love and the children grow

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless someone

Griff turns 2!!

What a fun day to celebrate our little man. He is a joy, an absolute joy. He makes us laugh, he cracks up everyone who's around him, he brings life and he makes us love Jesus more. Griffin is developing his own personality and despite his desire to both impress AND keep up with his big sisters, he still remains laid back and relaxed. Our favorite thing about Griffin right now is the fact that he literally repeats every word/phrase TWICE. It's so funny and makes him just even that much cuter. Thank you God 

for this little gift, this ball of energy and fun!!!!

Special Day

Ellie chose to be baptized tonight. June 24, 2012 age 7. She had asked us a few weeks ago when she was going to be able to be baptized because "I know what it means, ya know." We took a few days and slowly began the conversation with her to make sure she understood this was something you just get to do once...and why. When we asked El what she thought the purpose of baptism was, she said,

"It's like telling God you want him forever. That he becomes a glue on your heart that doesn't go away."

Then when Ryan asked her why he thinks people are dunked in water when they're baptized she said,

"I kindof look at the water as Jesus' arms. When we get dunked in the water it's like we're falling back into His arms."

So sweet. It was a neat evening, to say the least. Our church had 12 people baptized, 3 of them were kids. We had a huge cookout out on the patio at the West YMCA. Then Kathleen led two songs of worship...everyone just scattered on the grass, ground, etc. It was powerful. Sitting there Indian style with my kids and Ryan, my sister right next to me, good friends right around me, my entire side of the family standing behind me...
I totally felt the holy spirit sitting there, and I had to wipe tears away a few different times. It was a powerful moment watching Ellie clutch her song sheet, singing this song with me:

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/hillsong-united-nothing-but-the-blood-lyrics.html ]
This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Then she got up and stood in front of the whole crowd to profess her reason for wanting to get baptized. I asked her if she wanted me to walk up there with her and she said, "nope, I need to do this by myself." Uhhhhh...ok. You're right peanut. You do. And I have to think about how symbolic that was that she said that, because she is starting her walk with Jesus and that will ALWAYS be something between just her and God. So I was proud to see her walk up there alone. 

We then all moved into the pool area and that's where Ellie got baptized. There were a ton of people there but she was just so excited to do it. Ryan and I both baptized her...a moment I won't ever forget. Nor will she. Was a special night. :)

Another step

Well today we mailed our dossier to our Adoption Agency. This is a HUGE deal because it symbolizes the end (for the most part) of the to-do lists and checking items off of task sheets...and the beginning of the waiting time. Herein begins the hardest season of an adoption process. We now wait (for months and months; we've been told approx 9 months) for a face of a little boy to be matched with our family. THEN we wait for our first court date and trip to Ethiopia to be planned. Oh man. We are praying that we would bring this little dude home by August/September of 2013. That may not happen, that may be unrealistic,but that is what we're praying for.

Exciting day. We are praying for our son and we talk about him ALL the time. Wonder whether he's in someone's womb, whether he's been born, whether he's already experiencing life on this earth...it's hard to wrap our minds around. And it's even harder to answer the questions of two inquisitive little Snow girls. They know he's coming and they are not enjoying the wait. But oh the lessons we'll learn!!

LUAU 2012

Was a fun day. :) Pretty hot outside, so thankful for the shade from our great big tree...great food, 60 people. The only thing I will do next year is keep a food table for the KIDS, outside. 

Was such a fun evening. A great way to kick off the summer. 

Great to be with family and friends. 

1st day of Summer!!!

I was super excited for our first evening of summer, as a family. The kiddos and I picked up Ellie from school, walked to her classroom to say goodbye to her buddies and classmates, and took our time meandering to the car. I had a perfect plan of what our celebratory evening would hold...but life on "blogs" and in books tend to paint a different picture than reality sometimes. Haha! Ellie cried for 40 min. about how much she'll miss her teacher, how mean her friends were today, how happy she was that we surprised her with a frosty, and how she hopes Annie is in her class next year. (Hmmmm...puberty at 7??)
We truly did enjoy a great sun shiny evening outside with pizza, music on the back deck, and relaxing on the lawn chairs...

but THEN our lawn mower broke. And that's always fun for the hubby to endure after a long day's work, ha! ;) So we decided to head out to get ice cream for a fun distraction (accompanied with a quick trip to Lowes for lawnmower parts).

Lowes was a hit, let me tell ya. Not only did I get stuck in the car for 10+ min with kids who thought they were getting ice cream right then, but Ryan ended up buying the wrong parts for the mower. Success.
But ice cream time soon arrived! Koala Berry, our fav!!!! :)
But we forgot the BOGO coupon...whoops.

Haha, oh the adventures of our family! :)

The absolute highlight of this typical family of 5 crazed evening was most assuredly this:
**After both respectfully (and maybe a bit angrily) arguing with Ellie about who should be punished for the sibling post-ice cream "she closed the door on me" war, enuring quite a few tears from my now second grade daughter, this is what she says to me through her pre-pubescent tears:
"Mommy, you're not mean. In fact you give me more than I need in life. You love me so much and I'm glad you're my mommy. Thanks for having me mommy, I'm so lucky."
Finished our emotional evening with a five min video by Jason Gray "Remind Me," brought up some great conversation between Ellie and I. We talked for the first time tonight about how some people don't live with both their mom and dad because sometimes they choose to not be married anymore...tough chat. But again, real life...
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSIVjjY8Ou8

SO ALL THAT TO SAY...
It was a good day. This is real life. This is good.And we are finished with our first child's first year of REAL school. It was a battle and the battle has just begun. But we are going to faithfully keep loving on these little arrows God has entrusted to us. Thank you Jesus.