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.

Summer approaching, cont.

These ARE the days to remember!!!

Summer is Approaching!!

Can't believe summer is so close. Can't believe Ellie is almost done with first grade. Freaked that Emma will be in year #2 of preschool when I feel like I was JUST dropping off/picking up Ellie @ Olivet. I always told myself on those days when taking Ellie that it was okay because I still had Emma to hang with for 3 years. Welp...she's now tall, beautiful, old and latching onto adult conversation. Griffin is handsome and melts me. Someone told me today that his face doesn't look so chunky and baby-ish...and I wanted to cry. I want to freeze these kids at these ages. I'm not looking forward to the pre-teen drama or the day my kids turn 16. I see the pain and hurt and frustration that Ellie experiences in FIRST GRADE with mean little girls. Puke.

Loving these days and moments. Not sure what our summer holds yet. Working hard on the dossier to be sent out in our adoption process. Super excited for the day that goes to the post office; a big step. And then the official waiting process begins...we are excited to see/meet the face of our little African dude.

Laughed the hardest

Last night was one of the better nights I've had in awhile. After getting the kids to bed, our sitter arrived @ 7:45. we headed out to Cladaugh at the mall with some great friends...unbenounce to us that it was karaoke night!  Between standing on stage with two great friends (one who is seriously a rock star) and one who just likes to be silly with me...we hammed it up! So fun, so silly...loved rockin to "I will survive," the classic karaoke song. Ha! But when Ryan got up there & sang "humpty dance," I laughed so hard I thought I would vomit. For real. It was the BEST. How can my hubby still have so much integrity while singing that don't? Don't know...but be did it. And I loved every second of it. Ha! He made up his own words at times too...oh man, will NEVER forget this night!

From Oswald Chambers

O Lord,
I marvel that thou shouldst become incarnate,
be crucified, dead, and buried.
The sepulchre calls forth my adoring wonder,
for it is empty and thou art risen;
the four-fold gospel attests it,
the living witnesses prove it,
my heart's experience knows it.
Give me to die with thee that I may rise to new life,
for I wish to be as dead and buried

to sin, to selfishness, to the world;
that I might not hear the voice of the charmer,
and might be delivered from his lusts.
O Lord, there is much ill about me - crucify it,
much flesh within me - mortify it.
Purge me from selfishness,
the fear of man, the love of approbation,
the shame of being thought old-fashioned,
the desire to be cultivated or modern.
Let me reckon my old life dead
because of crucifixion,
and never feed it as a living thing.
Grant me to stand with my dying Saviour,
to be content to be rejected,
to be willing to take up unpopular truths,
and to hold fast despised teachings until death.
Help me to be resolute and Christ-contained.
Never let me wander from the path of obedience
to thy will.
Strengthen me for the battles ahead.
Give me courage for all the trials,
and grace for all the joys.
Help me to be a holy, happy person,
free from every wrong desire,
from everything contrary to thy mind.
Grant me more and more of the resurrection life:
may it rule me,
may I walk in its power,
and be strengthened through its influence.

amen