Fairy To Be

(pic source)

 

Last week we were preparing for Ruth to be the Star of the Week at school and had to fill out an About Me poster.  One of the questions she was asked was:

What do you want to be when you grow up?

First she said a Big Sister and we told her that she already was one :)

Then she said a Fairy!

 

It is cute and so fitting for her.  Child dreams are so innocent and precious!

Bible Character Night at Awana

Yesterday was Bible Character Night at Awana!  It was so amazing to see everyone dressed up and ask them who they were!  There was such a variety.  Noah, Martha, Lydia, Esther, Ruth, and even a Cow and Sheep!!!  Our girls were the Cow and Sheep. As you can see R was the Cow and our other girl was the sheep.  Oh how I wish I could post a picture of this precious little girl we have right now!  I have the cutest pic of R and her together!

Big Sister

Look at this awesome shirt that Bittney made R!!!  Our Bible study group had a baby shower for us about a month ago and R got this then!

She has been a "Big Sister" for almost 2 months now!  R is a great big sister!  Our newest additions are 1 year (boy) and 3 yrs (girl).  They are sweet and we love them!

Cowboy Day 2012

Today is Cowboy Day (Western Day) at R's school!  Since she out grew the pair of boots Gma L bought her (that she LOVED) we went shopping!  R had so much fun trying on the boots then walking up and down the aisle to show them off!  She picked the PINK ones of course!  Signed up for a Saba's rewards card (I'm next to get a pair!).

 

Here they are close up!

 

Our Niece!

I got this GREAT pic of A a couple weeks ago!  She is getting so big!  Such a sweet little girl!  Love you A!!!!

Jersey

 Aww isn't she the cutest!!!

 R and Jersey!  R loves Jers!

Well, as you can see Jers has a wrap on in this pic!  She got out of the backyard a couple months ago and was lost for over 2 hrs.  I think the longest 2 hours of our lives!  A kind man found her, but she was hurt.  Vet thinks she got hit by car!  After two months of taking her to vet a lot she is finally BETTER!  We are so happy that we got our Jers back!

PS...Vet said that she is Senior now cause 7 yrs old!  No!  Don't say that about our Jersey!

Crazy Hair Night at AWANA

This Wed was Crazy Hair night at AWANA!  We loved it!  The girls did too!  I put there hair up with a ton of ties and then sprayed their hair purple!  R didn't like taking all the ties out before the shower! Sorry hun!

 Oh yeah I pulled out my CRIMP Iron from the 80's!  It still works!

Being Called

We have some news that we want to share with everyone.  Thought you might want to hear the back story on how this all came about!  So here it goes:

In November of 2011 I went to the ACE conference at North Phoenix Baptist Church.  During break time we could have lunch and walk around the bookstore and booths.  I really do not like the booths much (ya know the ones at the fair that give you FREE stuff to put in a bag), but my friend wanted to walk around them.  I was at a booth and my friend called me over to another booth because they were having a giveaway.  So I filled out all the info and the form had questions on it like are you interested in more info on foster care, adoption, how to help the homeless etc.  I looked to see what booth I was at and it was Arizona Baptist Children’s Services.  I asked some questions about the foster care/adoption and moved on.  A week later I was at Wendy’s and they now have a program that does foster care.  I mentioned all these things to R and it was left at that.
At the beginning of each new year I like to ask God to show me a verse that He would like me to focus on for the year and he gave me a few:

Matthew 22: 37-39

37 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  39 And the second is like it You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1 John 3:17

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in Him.

In March I started a Bible study on Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break (which is a fab study if you have time).  During this study she asked:  Is there something that you have not dreamt in the presence of God because you are afraid?  I answered:  Yes, about adding children to our family because I know that it is medically not possible.  Even fostering would be amazing!  With God all things are possible!

At the end of April R was at the men’s retreat so I was at church alone.  I went to first service and at the beginning of the sermon the pastor asked:  Is God calling you to be a foster parent or adopt?  I heard that and started crying.  I do not recall what the rest of the sermon was about.  Then at second service (choir and orchestra normally are there at the beginning of service then get dismissed) I felt God tell me that he wanted me to stay for second service.  So after I was dismissed I texted R to let him know I wouldn’t be home just in case he got home while I was there and then prayed to God and said to him.  Lord, if that is what you wanted me to hear (Foster Care) then please Lord say it again.  I sat down and listened.  Only this time the pastor didn’t say it.  I still do not know what the sermon was about that day because I just began praying and talking to God though the service.  Then towards the end of the sermon pastor said it again:  Maybe God is asking you to foster or adopt…  Wow God.  I was amazed.  Then the pastor said something that is so true, but I didn’t realize at the time.  This is the reason why God had me stay for second service.  He said:  When two people are married and God is calling one person to do something he will call them both.  Then at the end of the service the pastor stood up at the front to pray with people if they needed while we all sang.  God told me to go pray with him that day.  **So far out of my comfort zone** We prayed for R that day and his heart.  Then I asked a lot of people to pray for R’s heart to be softened to this idea to show him too!  Then I waited…I wanted this all to be from God not something that I was putting in R’s head.

In May our Young Married’s Group was asked to put on a Foster Care event for Arizona Baptist Children’s Services.  So we planned crafts, games and singing for them.  We went and did that the Friday before mother’s day and it was amazing!  Those children were so precious and so were the families that they were with.  After I asked R what he thought and he said it was good and not much more.  I didn’t want to push him.

After that I thought about something…if I do not mention something to R about this then how will he know that it is on my heart.  You see I hadn’t mentioned anything since November of last year.  So we had a date night and I asked God to open an opportunity for me to ask him about it.  God provided that time.  I asked him, so what is God showing you about being a foster parent?  He said I feel a peace about it.  I shared a little with him, but not too much not to sway him.  Then I asked him again the same question.  He said that he feels a peace about it and that God talks to him differently than he does with you.  He said that where God uses scripture over and over or has things “pop” up over and over for you he gives me a peace that everything will be ok.  He said I feel that this is something that we will do.  I told him more of what God has shown me and asked him if I could call Arizona Baptist Children’s Services that upcoming week and he said yes!

That week I was praying that God would show me what Bible Study to lead in the summer and God just was not telling me!  So I had decided that I would just pick one.  That next day I called Arizona Baptist Children’s Services and expected to leave a message, but they answered.  I told her who we were (from the event) and that we felt called to be foster parents.  She said where do you want to start just a meeting to learn about it or classes!  I said classes we are ready.  She said ok they start June 5^th.  The exact same day that the Bible Study I was going to lead was to start.  God wasn’t answering me because He knew that he had these classes for us to start and that I would not be leading the Bible Study.

R and I had talked about wanting to Foster when we were dating!  God knew then that He had this path for us!

God has been so amazing through all this and the 10 weeks of classes!  He showed us that His hand was in this.  He prepared this path for us and has blessed us!

We are done with classes now and any day now we will be certified and have a child(ren) in our home.  We are excited and nervous, but we know that God has our back and will protect and provide for us!

DISNEYLAND 2012!

What a great trip we had...it was quick, but GREAT!  It really was a perfect age to take R!  She loved the princesses (which we knew she would), but she loved the rides more!  So awesome!

R's favorite ride was Dumbo and the Merry Go Round for sure!  She even went on Big Thunder Mtn and said she liked it, but now she says that the bat part scared her! Thanks for much to the Brown family who helped us with a hotel room (unexpectedly) and thanks to Gma Lolis for coming along and helping us out as well!  This trip could not have happened without you all!

Our 1st Family Vacation!

In July, R's school closes for a week and last minute we decided we were going to go to CA!  Disneyland is the REAL destination!  Today we are sharing pics from the BEACH!  It was R's first trip to the ocean and she was not a huge fan of it to say the least!  Enjoy the pics!

 This trip to the beach was special to me!  I met a few of the amazing women I met during doing invitro trying to conceive R!  To meet them in real life is so amazing.  I am so glad that they made time to meet up with me and glad to my family for just hanging out while we chatted and spent time together. The great part was we all have girls the same age!

 Us with our miracles!

4 YEAR Pics

Mrs Shawn too Miss R's pictures this year again!  She loves R!  She did an amazing job once again!  I have the CD to all the pictures so if you would like one of these or want to see more pictures let me know and I will email them to you...they will print out better from there than the blog ;)

PS!  My baby is not a baby anymore!  These pics were taken in April and I will tell you that she looks different already!  Sometime I wish I could just hit the pause button.

 This one ^^ is such a R face!!

 This one ^^ is the most popular

 This one ^^ is my favorite!

So sweet!

Mother's Day

 

Mother's Day was good!!!  Actually the whole weekend was good!  Thanks R and R!!!  On Sat we joined a gym (something I have wanted for a while).  Sun we went to church where R sang in both services!  It was so special to me!  Then they took me out to Sweet Tomatoes.  YAY

 

4th Birthday Party at the Park!!

Love this pic!

Look how high she gets

GGP Bob and Ashlyn

Playing around the water ;)

Looks like she is dancing with the water

New Strawberry Shortcake Bike

Daddy helping R on her bike

We had a family party on a Sunday for R!  It was a quick get together!  It was a WARM day for sure.