Last of the December/January pictures

Six month sweetie!

(I'll post more pictures from our trip later, but today I wanted to share the following one of the sweetest 6 month old baby around!)

I decided to start taking her monthly pictures in the rocker I had as a child.  It will show her growth better.  Should have thought of that from the beginning. :-)

More pics...

 Grandma & K

 Getting up in this world!

 Grandpa and K

 I'm just a little lady, right?!

" It's so fun to play on the floor now that I can roll over easily. Daddy & Mommy, don't even think that I'll stay on my back when you lay me down that way.  That's too baby-ish for a big girl like me!" :-)

Daddy time

I'd give a lot to know what goes on behind those big brown eyes!!!

 She's definitely our daughter--loves books already!

Puzzling

Adoption Update (from email)

“…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Hello, dear ones!

I apologize for the tardiness I have shown in not getting an update out for two months!  Some of you have said that even if I don’t have anything great to report, you still like to know what’s happening and, of course, to see pictures.  Too, we recognize that when we do not send updates, we also likely do not get as much prayer support, which is our fault and loss. 

On Sunday the above verse was shared in church, and it struck me with force.  I have applied it many times to many situations in my life, but never to the waiting and unknowns of K’s adoption finalization.  I don’t think that means that we should not earnestly pray for the finalization to happen, but I know that God wants us to be at rest and PATIENT while He works.  And that has more and more become my experience of late.  (Reuben has seldom felt or exhibited any anxiety over the matter; he’s so steady!).  What a sweet happiness and peace is ours when we are content in God’s will for our lives!!!

Nothing new is really happening at this point.  We are still waiting on the needed clearance, as well as for our attorney to get some documents together.  He told us last week that he’s seldom seen adoptions in CA finalize in less than a year. That would be July in our case.  :-(  That feels like a long wait in many ways.  For one thing, we have monthly visits from our state social worker (half of which we pay for), and we will need to update our homestudy in April if K’s adoption is not finalized by then.    And of course underneath it all is the longing to have the wait overwith, to know that she is truly ours, and have that chapter of our lives closed and be able to move on.

Thank you for praying for us, and please don’t stop.  We would ask that you specifically ask God to give all those involved in our case a sense of urgency to do their part in a timely manner.

God bless you! 

Judi

Pictures from December/January trip (installment 1)

As I started sorting through pictures to choose which ones to post on our blog, I was struck again with the realization of how RICH we are in family, friends and love.  I'm particularly thinking of the preciousness of those who I grew up with and who raised me--my siblings and my parents--as well as my sister-in-laws and precious nieces and nephews.  And also, I am SO RICH to have a dear husband who loves me so tenderly, and now a daughter that I love with all my heart and would gladly die for.  Last year (2011) at Christmas time we were still grieving from the dashed hope of the son we thought we were going to have.  This Christmas we basked in the joy of our daughter's sweetness and the priceless GIFT God has given us in her.

Enough of my musings...  On with the pictures.

 My good friend who got married while we were in MN.

Uncle Titus, Reuben's brother, before we left on our trip

K was being grumpy--until Uncle Johann got a hold of her! :-)

While in MN, we spent a good bit of time "puzzling".  My dad is on the left (sorry for chopping you off, Daddy :-)), and a community friend is on the right.

MORE PICS TO FOLLOW SOON!!!

Giggling Girl

 Reuben was putting his foot in K's face (he just showered--don't wrinkle your nose too much! :-)), and she started tickling it.  We loved the results and thought we'd share it.  Her laughter just keeps getting more and more contagious!