Snow Days!

Yes! Taryn's brothers took her sledding...!

I guess they are having fun...hopefully!

Snow bunny!

The Chinese would be very pleased with the "bundleing"! :)

Beginnings...

Taryn and our niece, Eva, playing in the water area ...

Taryn and Wesley playing in the bubble room of the Museum...

Wesley...pretending to walk on the moon!

"Beam me up Scotty..."

1st haircut!

Playing a game on Christmas Eve!

Her new "baby"...

How cute is this Santa?

Our Family...

I can't help but reflect to where we were this time last year. We had just gotten our referral and were so darn happy to be getting ready to travel. Fast forward 10 months and we are still so "darn" happy to be alive and to be the parents of our newest daughter from China...Taryn Joy. This was the time of year for many "firsts". It was Taryn's first Christmas, her first hair cut and her first time at the Children's Museum. All of these "firsts" happened within one week so I combined as many pictures as I could of these events!
I hope the New Year is nothing but joyful for all of you. I pray that those of you waiting to receive your child from China (or any other country!) will hear good news this year. I pray for all of the little ones who will not be placed into a family this year...that they will somehow be protected and kept safe until their family comes. I especially wish all of the new additions to many new families this year, nothing but the very best. It is still hard to believe she is home with us! Thank God for her, and for our family...Happy 2010 everyone!

Reflections...

Below is a December post (well, one of them!) that I posted this time last year. It still rings true today and I felt it deserved mentioning again. As you can see, if you read it, we had not yet recieved our "gift"...Taryn. One year later, all of the "heartache" of waiting is behind us and our gift is growing and learning to love and be loved every day. I hope this Holiday season finds everyone well and I pray that your gifts are delivered safe and sound and QUICKLY! Merry Christmas!

Returning to an older post...

Steve and I just finished watching The Nativity Story for the first time. It went straight to my heart, for many reasons. The people that make up this story are all very different and very crucial to the coming of Christ. Mary, Joseph, Zachariah, Elizabeth, John, the Three Wisemen, the lowly shepards...even King Herrod! I am in amazement that God sent his son to earth in the form of a baby! And what about the humble people chosen for the ENORMOUS task of raising Christ into a man!
That is what struck my heart the most....Out of all of the people in the nativity story, Joseph was one of my favorites! He rose above prejudice from others against his unwed, pregnant, soon to be wife. He made the choice to not only marry Mary but to raise Jesus as his own son.
Isn't that the choice so many of us have made with our adoptions? We have chosen to take a child, birthed by someone we probably will never know...and raise it as our own. The essence of adoption is, to the core, a spiritual decision. In order for God to adopt all of us as his own children, Joseph had to adopt Jesus as his son here on earth,
To adopt a child is to love a child in your heart instead of your womb. To know that you know, that the child you are adopting has been chosen for you and your family by God...just as biological children are chosen. Our adopted child is destined to fulfill a glorious purpose, as we all are! Those of us parenting any children, adopted or not, have the same awesome responsibility as Mary and Joseph were given...to raise our children to glorify God!
When Taryn comes...and I am back to saying when instead of if...she will be loved no differently than our boys. She has been growing in our hearts for almost 4 years now. Through all of this heartache with our adoption...and it has been a literal "ache" in my heart...I have been made aware of the fact that she is so very much loved-already!
So, just like Joseph, and following God's example, we are perservering through this challange of adoption! Not that we thought otherwise, but it has been such an uphill battle! I am thankful for the example shown in both of these stories...and I am especially aware of it this time of year. The birth of Jesus! The adoption of Jesus by Joseph...the chance for our salvation through the adoption into Gods family...
Merry Christmas to all of you...and especially to all of the waiting families...may God bring our gifts home soon! 2 comments

Trick-Or-Treat!

I can't believe I am posting so close to the actual event...but, I am not going to argue with "non-procrastination" (is that a word?)! So, Halloween is over for '09, but it was fun as usual. As everyone probably already knows, it was the Princesses first Halloween. What else could she have been BUT a lady bug? Duh!
The boys were Ben 10 (we got a lot of "so what are you..." to that one!) and Joba Fett from Star Wars. Everyone had fun...but it was especially fun to see Taryn trick-or-treating for the first time!
I hope there will be some "treats" in the form of referrals for many this November! Can't wait to see pictures of all the new ones!
Enjoy the pics and hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

I'm Back!

OMG! I can't believe I have let this go as long as I have! I am so not a great blogger...is anyone out there? We have been SO busy...as I am sure everyone has been. And, when we aren't busy we have been sick ...one at a time. Anyway, we are all fine and healthy now and enjoying the fall! Taryn is taking off! Walking, trying to run, she is doing so well! We are still getting Speech Tx with her. She isn't saying much, but I don't really know a lot of 16 mo that do! Our 6 month SW appointment came and went with no hitches. I don't know why I worry...something about a SW in my home that causes me to worry! :)
The boys are plugging away at school. They are both obsessively worried about how much Halloween Candy they will get Saturday! We are going to have a Ben10, a Storm Trooper and a little Lady Bug (of course!). I will try to get pics posted ASAP after Halloween. In the mean time, how are all the waiting parents out there doing? Gosh, I haven't checked RQ in a while. Every time I do I am instantly transformed back to our waiting days and realize how happy I am to have that behind us. I pray that for you all as well...to have it quickly behind you and to have your precious China baby in your arms!
Until next time...Happy Fall Ya'll!

Catchin' Up!

Our 3 blessings!

This is Taryn and my niece (Guatemala) and my nephew...look at Taryn trying to smile and pose!

Okay, this is probably dangerous...however, she did it and I had to take a pic!

This was G's interpretation of a great 1st day of school pic!

Wesley was not as happy about the 1st day as Garrett was!

It has almost been a month since my last post. So I figured everyone needed to see pics of my beautiful children...right? Well, if not, sorry! That is what I have for you! School has started back so we are slowly but surely adjusting to the new schedule. Taryn seems "lost" without her "Bubbies". She is very happy when they come home in the afternoons! Of course, they play with her and I guess Mommy is boring. Taryn is doing wonderful! I couldn't have asked for a better transition with this little baby. I have read and heard so many stories regarding attachment D/O and other post-adoption issues. But, we have not experienced any of this and I thank God every day for that...and for her. She has been nothing but a joy...now a busy into everything joy...but a joy none the less! Hang in there you waiting parents...soon your joy will be here as well! Enjoy the pictures!