Goodbye 2012 Hello 2013

Just like God has made the dance of the planets around the sun - turning, spinning, circling, wheeling, revolving, orbiting around and around so he also has made our lives.  I don't know about yours but my life dances - turning, spinning, circling, wheeling, revolving and orbiting around and around and around again - just like that 2012 is gone.  There are so many things that happened last year I just cannot stop and recap them all and I am so thankful that God in His sweet kindness allows us the gift of memory.  Our family had so many memorable moments it was impossible to journal them all but God has been gracious and allowed me to treasure them up in my heart.  I remind myself often even if our blog is all printed out by year in cute little photo books (which its not) I couldn't take those to heaven so I really am thankful for the gift of memories.

Our family is well and looking forward to this new year.  DP is still plugging along loving his job at CFA.  Nathan and Luke are doing well in school and the littles: Ethan and Linnea are enjoying being home with mommy. Sweet Abbie is still waiting on  us in China - we have some dear friends from our church going to get their girls next week and they will take Abbie a package for us so hopefully we will get some new pictures soon.  We anticipate bringing her home late spring/early summer - Lord willing.  We are currently waiting on our LOA and once we receive that we should travel in 2-3 months. This mama is ready for Abbie to be home.  Linnea had some surgery in December and will have a follow up surgery in February.  She really is a trooper and doesn't let much knock her down. In a few days we will celebrate Linnea being with us for 10 months - that is the longest she has ever been in one place so this marks a really big milestone for her - I am hoping to post about this big event in her life.  Speaking of hope - I have set some goals for myself this year - I am not so much a fan of the word resolution I like goals much better. So here are a few in no particular order:

read two books a month : one serious, one fun (I LOVE to read so this should be fun)

run 500 miles 

exercise more

eat clean more often

do a half marathon (hoping for the Silver Comet)

less computer time

finish memorizing Ephesians even if my Pastor finishes preaching through it before I finish memorizing

memorize James

see my sin as more as an offense against a Holy God instead of personal defeat

love God more

REST

I have read and heard of so many people choosing a word for their year and yep I caved and did it too - it really is a novel idea if you ask me.  So my word is rest.  Sounds kind of funny when I think about it - I mean seriously I have a full time/overtime job - work weekends, pull all nighters, never off - so this really was the perfect word for me.  I want to rest in HIS arms - I want to be more aware of my insufficiency and HIS sufficiency - I want HIS glory to be known - I want to rest in HIM.  In the fall of last year I had set a goal to get up earlier and just spend time with the Lord and while I am not always 100% spot there - the times I am are so precious and I want more of HIM so rest it is. 

and last but not least........

LIVE the Gospel 

I saw this most precious picture on my friend Dawn's blog - I just love her and her blog!! Anyway it was such a good reminder - because I am NOT practically perfect no matter how hard I try or I would like to be  it doesn't even matter!! No matter how good or bad of a mama I might be - He's sovereign.  

PRAISE BE TO HIM!!

Did you set any goals for this new year? If so what were they?  We hope you are having and continue to have and amazing 2013 - until the next post....

~LeighAnn

"charm"ing....

Jiayin Designs (http://www.jiayindesigns.com or on facebook is having a fantastic charm giveaway!  I just love Kelly and I am so thankful I was introduced to her.  I have recommended her to several friends and have bought gifts for other friends.  I asked her if I could do a post for my entry by way of video as I am a much better talker than blogger (hence my lack of blogging recently) so here goes..... I should make an editors note I said we began the adoption journey a year and a half ago - its actually been two years clearly I can't count....

my charm "Zhong Sha"

giving a charm to Linnea's foster mom

she was very emotional and stoic all at the same time

my sweet friend Nat - we are wearing our charms!! Hers says "Si Fang"

Love reconnecting these sweet girls and us mamas!!!

Princess Abbie

So not only we were DTC today - which is super huge news!!  I also got a little Christmas present from DP early!!  And no DP the vacuum does not count ;-)  This sweet husband of mine - contacted our friend Miko in China to see if he could get some professional pics of Abbie made - he was thinking like our Target or JC Penny studio - nothing to big or elaborate - Miko let him know that this kind of thing was available and very inexpensive as in 15-16 US dollars.  DP was just thinking that the pictures would be emailed to him and they were but then even to his surprise yesterday he got a phone call from Andrea who works with Lifeline saying that she had the package of pictures at her house - Miko sent them back with another family who had just gone to China to pick up their son!!  I cannot wait to hug this girls neck again!! I just love her so!!! Now I should explain our picture taking at Target or Penny's is not the same in China - they go all out!!  I am so glad for Abbie's sake as it looks like she got the royal treatment!!  What a sweet treat for all of us!!  So without further ado - here is our princess!!

Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Calendar...

I cannot take credit for this idea - I got it from here.  I have been wanting to do something with advent and the month of December - and really in all honesty I have been wanting to make a Jesse Tree like the one here that my friend in the computer Lauren made.  She is so super crafty- she even made me a tutorial but I have not quite had the gusto to tackle this project - mainly because art is not my forte!! So much so that in high school my art teacher begged me not to take art!! Anyway - I saw this idea and thought this might be a project I could tackle.  We already owned the Jesus Storybook Bible - it is one of my absolute favorites - if you have kids - this is a must have Bible!!  My SIL Melanie helped me figure out what the dimensions probably were for the actual calendar and then I got to work - it wasn't as hard to make as I thought it was going to be and I really enjoyed doing it and knowing that we will have it for years to do with the kids is a sweet treasure.  We have enjoyed each night looking to see what story comes next in God's redemptive plan and of course counting down the days to the long anticipated birth of our Rescuer!!  I love these special times with the kids and treasure them in my heart.  

DTC (Dossier to China)

So super thankful to see this package heading out!!  One step closer to Abigail!!! 

The Thankful Chain

So the colorful chain you see above is the chain we started working on before Thanksgiving.  We decided to add it to our little Christmas tree in our playroom for decoration.  The kids love to put that tree up during thanksgiving break - it actually was the first tree to go up.  (We have 3 up - so thankful we got married during the Christmas season and the two trees we bought for wedding decor have made it all these years!!) The thankful chain is now on the little tree in the family room.  This was the first year I had done this with the kids and it was such a fun experience.  These are the things that we put on the chain -

teachers

school

grandparents

alarms

sun 

neighbors

grace and mercy beach

animals

jie jie (big sister in Chinese)

singing 

freedom 

military

art and paint

vacations 

watching movies

Chick-fil-A

forgiveness

health

the world

house

friends

food

rain

family

God's word

the cross

Jesus rose again

heaters

clothes and shoes

books

Christmas

underwear

ge ge's (little brother in Chinese)

candy 

God

churches

praying

fireplaces

birds

missionaries

sports 

entertainment

songs

baby Robert

Abbie

family

my hubby :-)

I look forward to doing this again with the kids!!  

Days of Thanksgiving : #26-30

Well I have been a total slacker this week!!  I could not let today get away though and not post some final thoughts on trying to keep up with the days of gratitude.  It has been a very busy week and I or we have physically been out every night for one reason or another.  Tonight was the first night I have been home all week so there just has not been time for me to blog - but there has been time for me to be thankful - since I am late a whole week - I will label each day....

MONDAY 11.26.2012

thankful for sweet friends to get together with and brainstorm ideas for our program for what has now become our annual ladies Christmas tea.  I am so thankful that or ultimate goal was to have Christ and HIS gospel be so clear.  Thankful to share in the faith with the ladies at Berachah.

TUESDAY 11.27.2012

on this day I was particular thankful for carpooling with some good friends at CCS.  It was so nice to drop off the kids that morning and not get back out until that evening.  Thank you Panzenhagens!!

WEDNESDAY 11.28.2012

this morning I awoke early enough to spend some quiet time alone and workout and get a shower all before I had to leave to take Linnea to school.  So thankful to the Lord - for those of you who know me - this would not have been possible without His help!!! It made for a very productive day.  We also got to spend some good quality time with our friends the Burgess's - while a good portion of our time was spent working with the kids on their big school project - we had many laughs and it was super enjoyable.

THURSDAY 11.29.2012

It's cookie time!!  This evening we had a cookie swap amongst the Dwarf House/Truetts Grill ladies.  It was a fun time of fellowhip and festivities.  I also had really great one on one time with Ethan.  He is a riot.  He makes me smile.  I think he might actually love Christmas more than I do - he had me put up every Christmas tree we own - I have now have 3 decorated trees in my house and one of them specifically had to have a star on top.  

FRIDAY 11.30.2012

as my eyes are barely hanging open I am thankful to day for those who work outside the home - doctors, nurses, police, fire, you get the drift.  I don't know how they do it and maintain a home.  I have finally been home all day and well I have accomplished much.  I have been able to catch up on some sewing I needed to get done. I am thankful for days of rest.  Oh and sleep - yes I do love my sleep!!

The kids and I put together a thankful chain this year and I would like to end my 30 days of gratitude by posting a picture and telling you what made the chain - so stay tuned - hopefully tomorrow you might get a post!!  Happy Thanking yall!!

Days of Thanksgiving 2012 : #23, #24, and #24

What a full weekend and so so so much to be thankful for!!  Time got away from me and I just didn't have moments to steal away to blog - or if I did have moments I was just plain tired - but I still had my thankful list running in my head so here's my list:

thankful to be able to visit with Great - David's 91 year old grandmother was here for Thanksgiving and it was so nice to be able to spend time with her

leftovers - so thankful to have food readily available to us and to enjoy leftovers

great fabric sales on "black Friday"  I love a good deal at JoAnns

laughter - joy is such a gift from above and I am so thankful to be able to laugh and laugh with family and friends

Christmas movies and music 

DATE NIGHT!!  I got to steal away for an evening with my sweet love and it was much needed and lots of fun

a great babysitter that my kids love

a great week off with the kiddos

a family traveling to China and willing to take a package to Abbie and snap some pictures of her for us

Days of Thanksgiving 2012 : # 22 (Thanksgiving Day)

On this my most favorite holiday I do indeed have much to be thankful for but mostly for today I am thankful God allowed me to be wife and a mommy.  Besides my pure delight from being a child of the Most High King -He gives me much joy and delight in my sweet husband and precious children. We enjoyed a fun morning together watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and having a few sausage balls and some breakfast casserole - this is our tradition and I love it.   A friend of mine sent me this list of the following 10 things a mom can be thankful for and I thought I would share it today for I am indeed thankful for these things I added a bit to make it my own: 

unexpected hugs

sloppy kisses from a little one or a stolen kiss from a big one

family devotions and bedtime snuggles

the gift of another day with my husband and children

forgiveness when I mess up

hearing "mama!" or "mommy!"

childhood innocence

a home

a smile, a tear, a knowing glance, a shared moment

the joy that only being a mother can bring

Thank you Father for this incredible gift of motherhood!!

It's Thanksgiving Day 2012

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!!!!