Fourth of July Fun Part Three

For one last fun outing before Ken and Amy had to leave us well, we took the crew to a Cornbelters game.

Enjoying some jumping fun

About ten minutes, Ava looked at me and said, "This is boring."  I thought we were in trouble for it wasn't about to get much more exciting to watch.

But within about ten minutes more, our girl had decided this was fun after all.  And we proceeded to have a super fun night.

Two giggly little girls in front of me

Cousins at a baseball game make it lots of fun!

Kate wanted a picture with mommy and dad too

These two were so fun to watch - I think there may be an iphone somewhere with at least 100 pictures of this pair.  I underestimate before I exaggerate.  Hilarious.

The twin's favorite part?  At the end of the games on friday nights, they let the kids run the bases before letting them watch fireworks from the field.  They ran around 3 times in a row before getting upset when I told them they had to stop because all the lights were about to be killed for the fireworks to start.  They seriously need to be in cross country some day.

Then as they were packing up on saturday we decided we weren't ready to admit they were leaving.  So we headed to the water park - makes sense to me!

Happy girl on the slide

Cousin fun in the sand

Olivia took a try down the slide!

Sigh . . .last snuggles on the couch

I love this shot of Ava - in her glory with a dog to love on.

And my sad little girl telling him good bye.  He is so good to her.

Then Ava decided we needed a picture of the adults (with picture wall in place - hurray!)

Until next year - good bye's are never fun.

Fourth of July Fun Part Two

When you never get the chance to live near your sisters, there is something simple and super sweet about getting to take a morning walk with one.

Ava getting to do one of her favorite things - play horses with Papa. I think they are two kindred spirits.

Amy usually makes it here once a year.  And there seems to be a theme that I will talk with her for an entire year about some house projects and they don't get done.  Yet she comes in town and it is the incentive we need.  I had been wanting to do a picture wall above our sectional in our one room but just never got around to finding what I wanted.  Wouldn't you know she was here and I found the exact mix of frames I liked . . .and then because she was still here we actually took the time to also get them on the wall. : )

Finding the right spots. I told her I would wait until next year to get the pictures in them.  You think I am joking.  It may take that long.

Thursday morning we headed to a nearby local parade that is always great for the kids: lots to see and lots of candy. :)  Made even more fun by meeting up with friends.

Grandma and Ava snuggling

Sophie and Olivia

Amy and me

Love these girls

We always take pictures of our girls but never with us moms

Mom, Amy and me

my favorite guy in a orphan care t?  doesn't get better than that. : )

Ken, Dad and Ryan

our family

The whole crew - the only downside was mom and dad had to head for home when the parade was done

Friends

Grandma and her girls (and their candy stash)

After mom and dad headed out, we relaxed for the afternoon at our home. Then we headed to enjoy our second annual "fresh market" picnic at a local fourth of july concert before fireworks at night.

Kate and Olivia happily holding their own pops

Mommy and Ava

The concert in action

These two loved it.  And I mean love.  I really should love a video I have of them dancing.  Next year I need to put them in it.

Cousins!

And what better way to end it than some fireworks fun with Daddy!

Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth of July Fun Part 1

For the fourth of July this year, we hosted my entire side of my family trying to save some extra vacation days.  The girls were SOOOO excited to have all their cousins coming to our house  . . .and their cousin's dog too. :)  They made pictures for every single person coming as they waited by the door.

Keith and Alisa's family came in a night before everyone else and we headed out for some yummy pizza.

Then we had fun walking around ISU's campus and showing them where their aunt and uncle went to school.

We may or may not having been not so subtly trying to persuade Auburn to head our way come college.

These two are the sweetest pair - she adores him and he is so sweet in return.

Then heading out for some orange leaf was a must.

As only can be done to family, we put them all to work the next day for the room swap of 2013.  When we first moved into our home last year, Ava was not excited about the move at all and we let her pick the room she wanted.  Well, after a year in our home, it seemed like a better fit to swap the guest room with her current room . ..and especially in light of the hope that Ava is anxiously hoping to share a room with her new brother or sister for a while when he or she comes home.

My family thought I was crazy to get two rooms painted and swapped in one day.  But we did it even if all the final details weren't fully back in place. Beds and furniture were in and rooms slept in that same night.

Ava happily helping paint her new room.

Cousins dressed up and ready for church the next morning.

All the girls (and Oliver of course)!

Silly Shot!

A little bit of Wii Dance after church

Then it was time to celebrate the upcoming fall birthdays with dinner!

September Birthday Brecken

And September birthday Cole

Mom and Dad

and the rest of the crew

For our last day of everyone together, a gracious couple from our church let us come crash at their home on the lake for some water fun.

What a guy to head out with 5 ladies - huh?!

Auburn and I decided we better do at least one thing other than lay out that day. : )  So we talked ourselves into believing we could maneuver the canoe around the lake.  Well, the current was so strong we decided to call it victory with across the part where we were at and back.  Little victories are still victories - right?!

Loved this shot of these two.  Love when I get to see my girl just enjoying the simple but great things of life.

Then that night the bigger girls decided to head to the pool at the hotel right around the time Ava usually heads to bed.  Yet when they asked her to go along, it was one of those times the answered needed to be yes.  She was pretty happy to be out with her four favorite people and it was fun to watch her feel so big.

Then on a nutty whim I decided to pretend I was still young and stay up with my two nearly grown nieces.  It is a pretty cool thing when your nieces grow up and you are excited to spend a night with them.  The sad part? When you start yawning at midnight.  Sigh.

It was soo fun to have the family all together . . .and so sad to know that some of them had to leave the next morning.  The good news was more fun things were in store.

June Numbers

Girl Number: 49

Boy Number: 35

standing on my weak leg . .

I will freely admit that to share my last adoption update and the raw of my heart felt vulnerable.  As much of an open book (to a fault : ) ) that I can be at times, there are others times I tend to hold back and guard to a fault.  It's a part of this wait that has stretched me as it extends.

Yet I just had to thank you for loving me through it and the sweet words of encouragement I've been shown whether on this blog, in person, or in the mail.

Our family went to a family/church camp in Indiana a few weeks ago that really spoke to me at this point in our wait.

The theme this year was "stand" and its many applications as a christian.  I am quite convinced that God had me there just for Sunday morning and its message.

Our friend Matt shared sunday morning.  Matt shared that all we had  talked about "stand" was good ...but yet any application, advantage or even the strength in our ability to stand is entirely dependent on what we are standing upon.  

If the foundation upon which we stand is weak, no amount of determination, clinging or discipline will withstand storms that may come. It is in grabbing hold of a foundation that is sure and promises that are true the enable us to stand. And we need to remind ourselves of these promises that are ours and true.

But the part that spoke to my heart the most was when he then talked about our own weaknesses to stand on our own.

Often times we try to withstand hardships, trials, calamities on our own strength - or maybe it is just me who finds myself so often there.  

I know I stand on the power of God's unshakable promises.  I know His grace is offered and given and mine.  Those all are what enable us to stand on firm ground and be confident.

But a common theme of my life is after so long a time, I begin to hunker down and plow through on my own strength.  I struggle to press into God when the trials persist - almost as if I am afraid to admit how hard something has gotten and how little I have left to persist.  I struggle to stay in that vulnerable place.  And by doing so, I too often miss out on His offered hand to hold me up and step in where I can not and where I have not.

This past year, I have often had a conversation with God how our life of these last few years has had a common theme of waiting, dependence and being poured out.  I don't always handle it well (to put it mildly) and have had some hard lessons in learning what it means to rely on God when situations and circumstances stretch beyond our ability to control and provide.  And each time feels a little harder as I feel the reserves are a little lower.

It's as if I want to tell Him, "I know I need to do this differently but I'm ready for a new lesson."  But here, two and half years later, we still wait and find ourself in some similar situations.

That morning, God just really sweetly and intimately reached down and spoke to me during a point in Matt's message.

He referenced 2 Corinthians 12:

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

In speaking to others throughout scripture and their own journeys of hardships and victories, Matt pondered that isn't it just like God to show up big in the areas we are most weak? 

Every great man/woman of faith seemed to have this journey of falling and  then they would rise up.  They would fall and rise up.  Fall and rise up. 

And maybe the lesson there is that when we finally stop trying to stand on our strong legs and fall on our weak legs that God's strength may be known.

I just sat there and soaked in those thoughts as I just felt God whisper, "Stop trying to walk through this wait on your strong leg.  Stop trying to manage this journey for others.  Stop trying to find the reasons and understand. Surrender helping others understand it. Stop trying to be strong on your own and fall on your weak leg."

Sometimes I manage to reach that point of surrender a little more on my own. Sometimes I fall big in order to get there.  But there is something both profound and terrifying about having God so plainly put the choice in front of you and ask you to do a "trust fall."

Because that is exactly what I have felt Him asking me of late.

Do you trust me enough with your family, your dreams, your money, your timelines and your identity enough to let go of your grip to manage it all and fall back into me? Do you trust me if this wait goes another two years? Do you trust me to be strong enough for whatever may come?

Sharing my update was one of those baby steps.  Sharing the hard of this journey and the unknown still ahead.  Opening up to others thoughts, opinions and comments on how things are moving (or not).

But God is reminding me that He and I are still ok amidst all of that.  That I am ok with Him and in Him and regardless of how we go from here.

Some days are hard to sit in the raw and the real of this place.

But God is reminding me again of the sweetness of it.

My foundation is secure.  His promises are sure and are mine.

And when I am weak, HE truly is strong.

And for that I am so thankful how weak I am.