3 years later...

When did these cute little peanuts...

turn into such big girls!?

The girls wore these Santa dresses for our Christmas card in 2007,
and then wore them as tops this year!

They are still super cute!

Pre-Christmas Update

The week before Christmas, the girls participated in a cheer clinic at BR. They also enjoyed making their gingerbread house. In years past, they've made quite a mess, but it was evident how big they are getting when momma watched them do it almost entirely by themselves and made very little mess in the process. It was a bittersweet moment.

I asked Brynna what she was doing.
She said, "Pretending like I'm getting ready to clap!" :)

Brynna's favorite part is always eating half the icing.

Swonder Ice

Miss Brynna has been begging for over a month to go ice skating...I'm sure partly because my little ballerina sees it as another form of dancing. :) Yesterday, we wandered down to Swonder Ice rink with Abby, Lillie, and Karson. We had the best time! The kids surprised us with how well they did!
I warned my girls that it's harder than it looks, and the goal would not be to be doing fancy turns but just to stay on their feet! :) Miss Brynna had no fear at the beginning. She took off and had already made a lap around the rink before Braylee had made it a 1/4 of the way. Braylee and Lillie stayed in one spot in the beginning, getting the idea of how it works and laughing at their silliness. After awhile though, the older girls really got the hang of it and were all over the place! They were loving it. As time went on, Miss Brynna had taken too many falls on her behind and was complaining that her little booty hurt. ;) Amazingly, Abby and I never fell, even with little arms tugging on us. I'm guessing God knew we wouldn't recover as quickly as the little ones!

Not so sure about this...

Trying to pose while maintaining her balance!

She's figured it out now!

It was a fun adventure spent with sweet company!

Christmas Sunday

The Sunday before Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year! I love worshiping with my church family, seeing everyone dressed in their "Sunday Best," singing Christmas carols, and learning something new about the familiar story of Jesus' birth.

My girls LOVE their cousins Sydney & Addison.

This tells the true story of trying to take group shots of kids! Love it!!
Emily, Sydney, Braylee, Brynna, & Addison

Then, we celebrated with my Dad's side of the family.
The girls with my Granny & Pa.

And with my parents.

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Luke 2:14

Daddy's Birthday

Saturday was Daddy's birthday! When Braylee realized there would be no major fanfare, she proclaimed, "Adult birthdays are no fun!" Sadly...it's a little true. ;)

The girls made Daddy some giant birthday cards. They were so proud of them. Alex received his birthday gift a few months ago...since he just had to get the LOST box set the day it came out. (Saying he is obsessed with LOST is putting it mildly.) So he didn't get any presents to open Saturday, but we did bake him some yummy treats.

Showing Daddy their cards

Brynna tells Daddy she made the hearts PINK
so he would know it was from her. ;)

Braylee's artwork

Happy Birthday, Daddy!! We love you!!

Sunday, the girls couldn't stand the thought of it snowing and not getting to play in it. So they hung out on the deck for about 7 minutes. ;)

This melts my heart... Braylee made her little sister and a doll for her little sister. Isn't she sweet?!

Fingerprints of God

Don't you just love watching the handy-work of God? Sometimes it's not evident at the time, but as I look back on events in my life, I see how God was preparing me and my family for certain situations. I don't believe anything in life is random or a coincidence. I truly believe it all has a purpose, even if it's hard to understand.

Back in the Summer of 2002, I was finishing up a management class (which in itself is odd because I should have already been done with the class in May but after going through surgery for the tumor that Spring, my teachers let me finish a few things in the summer). I was randomly assigned to the Pediatric/Peds ICU manager at St. Mary's. While doing clinicals with her, she offered me a job when she found out I worked in a pediatric office. (I was not looking for another job, but after discussing it with Alex, we decided it was a great opportunity.) I was assigned to a preceptor for orientation and training to the floor. My preceptor was Lisa. I instantly clicked with her. I admired her nursing skills and enjoyed talking with her on a personal level. During the time that I worked there, Lisa supported me through our first round of infertility as she could honestly relate. When I was pregnant with Braylee, she started HER adoption process for a little girl from China. :) I loved hearing all about it and following her on her journey.

I distinctly remember one night when Braylee was in NICU, and I was ordered to stay in bed because my BP was too high. I was supposed to call NICU when I had pumped milk so a nurse could come get it. I was surprised when Lisa walked in. :) She was picking up extra shifts to help with the adoption expenses. I remember thinking two things: 1) I prayed for her little girl and knew how lucky she would be to have such a great mommy. 2) I felt comfort knowing Lisa was taking the milk back to Braylee for me. Almost exactly a year later, Lisa went to China to pick up her precious Grace!

I'm thankful for the opportunity I had at St. Mary's. I'm thankful for the experience I gained in Peds/PICU while caring for ill and special needs children. I'm thankful for Lisa and Grace!

Lisa and Paula came to visit the day after Braylee was born.
(Don't you love my swollen eyes/face from the high BP?)
And yes, Lisa brought the Gymboree box! Another thing we both love!

Our first time meeting Grace, just a few weeks after they returned from China.
Braylee has on her new squeaky shoes they brought her from China. :)

Grace & my girls last Spring

This past week, I was throwing a little pitty party for myself on Monday because even though I'm REALLY excited about the adoption, the pain of infertility is still there. And then, just when I needed it, God crossed my path with a little, special needs girl from China! What a wonderful blessing it was meeting her!