Wedding Weekend

Yesterday, Don's youngest sister tied the knot. It was such a fun celebration and we're so thankful for both Sarah and Steve (her new husband).


As usual, I didn't take nearly enough pictures, but here's a little glimpse. 


At the rehearsal dinner

With Joe and Rachel

Our niece, Noella. Silly girl- love her!

The beautiful bride and groom- somehow I didn't get any pictures of them both facing me at the same time. 

Happy couple...

Don and I both got to stand up in the wedding to support Sarah and Steve. It was a great day- wish I had taken more pictures to capture it all!

9 Months DTE

I was going to use this post to highlight all of the ways adoption is NOT like a pregnancy (since so many people like to make that comparison). If adoption were like a pregnancy, we'd now have completed two consecutive "pregnancies" with at least one more full term ahead of us before we have our baby home. 


But, I'm going to resist the urge to do that and instead share with you our prayer list in regards to adoption in case you want to join with us. I know that many of you are praying for us, and we're so thankful for that.

Pure hearts

• That our deepest, overriding passion would be for the glorification of God.
• That we would have a growing, genuine, heart-level desire to picture forth the Gospel.
• That we would come to a deeper understanding and delight in the fact that we have been adopted by God through Jesus.
• That we would have a deep love for and compassion for orphans.
• That Christ’s own love for orphans would be dwelling within us.
• That we would not make an idol out of adoption.
• That we would not make an idol out of having kids. 
• That we would not seek meaning or to have our deepest longings fulfilled through adoption.
•  That we would not seek to earn God’s favor through adoption.

Blessing on our current adoption efforts

• Get our child or children home soon.
• God’s presence and protection over the child.
• That God would provide everything we need—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, financially—to complete the task.

Vision for and blessing on future adoptive ministry

• That God would clearly lead us to greater and greater adoption fruitfulness.
• That he would give us a unified vision for what that will look like.
• That we would be open to what God has for us.
• That we would trust God enough to move forward in the ways he wants us to.
• That God would greatly expand and multiply our adoption ministry, above and beyond what we could ask or imagine, for the sake of his name, and for the relief of suffering.

Children

• That God would fill our home with children that we can love and raise up to know and love Christ.

The Magic Touch

Guess who has the magic touch with our favorite 3 month old?

Well, those aren't my hands, and that's not my leg! 


As I tried comforting Lucy and helping her fall asleep, I walked around, snuggled her in close, kissed her head, made the classic "shhh" noice- all to no avail. 


Don took her, held her out like she was on a stretcher and started doing exercise squats with her (he was already doing a workout, and he just added her into his routine)- she was out in seconds. 


Who would have guessed?