If you haven't popped over to Angie Smith's post on the Incourage site, I really encourage you to do so. It really blessed this weary sick soul today who's feeling the grayness of the weather outside. I still feel weak and weary after the illnesses I've had lately that have consumed me.
I needed a fruit-filling today - just getting my feet wet again in the spring mud as I walk with Him. He knows that lately, I've not even had the strength to walk - just sit with chin propped in hand and elbow on knee saying, "I'm tired Lord. I don't have an ounce of fruit to give others. Fill these empty places. Hear my heart prayers for people."
And He who is faithful sits in the mud with me and tenderly strokes my hair and says, "It'll be alright. I'm with you. Let me fill you and help you pick all of these mother weeds that are threatening your peace."
If you missed the post, it was posted on March 29th. It's worth reading.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Turning the Corner and Monkey Pictures!
Whoohoo! I think I turned a corner last night and am feeling MUCH better! So, back to posting some fun pictures!!
Ava spends a lot of time in the Monkey classroom at church on Sunday mornings. She has a ball, and there's never a dull moment when a bunch of toddlers are together! I got to witness this as help was needed a few weeks ago in the room, and I had a chance to see Ava in action.
At one point, she climbed under the table and was up to something. I was distracted by the twins that you'll see in the picture, and all of the sudden, one of the little boys starting pointing to his foot. Ava had untied his shoe and pulled it off. He was NOT happy about this. Before I realized what had happened, he pointed to her, and said, "She pull my shoe off!" He's two already and was very quick to point to the culprit! Ava just smiled and kept playing. Grayson is the little boy and he is pictured to the far right. He's a cutie.
You'll notice a little boy sitting to her left in the pictures. He's her big buddy and his name is Quinlin. They got into a pillow fight when I was in there. He is a hoot, and I expect him and Ava to be in cahoots most of the time!
You'll also notice Miss Ava standing while the other children are sitting. Evidently, she had other ideas about how to spend her time! This little rug has animals in circles on it, and each of the children usually pick an animal to sit on. Ava is the youngest one in there by several months, so she hasn't quite figured out how to pick an animal. I fully expect her to choose the monkey someday!! Grayson has his eye on Ava in this picture...wondering what she'll do next!
We're hopeful for a restful weekend, but since I haven't left the house since Monday, we might just venture out to take a nature walk! Enjoy the pictures! It feels so good to post again!
Ava spends a lot of time in the Monkey classroom at church on Sunday mornings. She has a ball, and there's never a dull moment when a bunch of toddlers are together! I got to witness this as help was needed a few weeks ago in the room, and I had a chance to see Ava in action.
At one point, she climbed under the table and was up to something. I was distracted by the twins that you'll see in the picture, and all of the sudden, one of the little boys starting pointing to his foot. Ava had untied his shoe and pulled it off. He was NOT happy about this. Before I realized what had happened, he pointed to her, and said, "She pull my shoe off!" He's two already and was very quick to point to the culprit! Ava just smiled and kept playing. Grayson is the little boy and he is pictured to the far right. He's a cutie.
You'll notice a little boy sitting to her left in the pictures. He's her big buddy and his name is Quinlin. They got into a pillow fight when I was in there. He is a hoot, and I expect him and Ava to be in cahoots most of the time!
You'll also notice Miss Ava standing while the other children are sitting. Evidently, she had other ideas about how to spend her time! This little rug has animals in circles on it, and each of the children usually pick an animal to sit on. Ava is the youngest one in there by several months, so she hasn't quite figured out how to pick an animal. I fully expect her to choose the monkey someday!! Grayson has his eye on Ava in this picture...wondering what she'll do next!
We're hopeful for a restful weekend, but since I haven't left the house since Monday, we might just venture out to take a nature walk! Enjoy the pictures! It feels so good to post again!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Checking In....
Hi, everyone. Well, we are still recuperating here in the valley. I'm on day 3 of a Z-pack for a lingering bout of bronchitis and Ben is now officially sick and is on day 2 of his Z-pack. Life continues but at a VERY slow pace around here. His parents and brother were coming down to visit this weekend, but we've had to postpone their visit due to illness. Incredibly, Ava is doing great and isn't sick! I pray she'll continue to be well with two sick parents in the house. She's going to have to start bringing us her snacks and sippy cups. I'm off to nap while she naps. It's a rotation right now with bathing or napping. Please pray we'll be well soon. I miss interacting with my friends and family and taking Ava on adventures!
I hope to be back up by the weekend and post some recent pictures of our little monkey.
Love to all,
Emily, Ben and Ava
I hope to be back up by the weekend and post some recent pictures of our little monkey.
Love to all,
Emily, Ben and Ava
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Crawling Back to the Computer
Monday Update ** I really want to spend some quality time on the blog and post some recent adventures but I can barely hold my head up right now. I went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with bronchitis. I promise that I'll resume regular blogging as soon as I'm able. Ava's still fighting something, too, and is scheduled for her chicken pox shot this Wednesday. We may have to delay it once again if she's not well. Ben's as healthy as a horse, so that's great news! Love to all!
Hi, everyone. I'm slowly making my way back to the computer and the land of activity and responsibility. After Ava's ear infection, my stomach bug, and Ben's birthday, Ava and I both came down with a respiratory infection that we're still fighting off. I'm not even joking!
I look at my carrot and spinach seeds and sigh. I SO want to get out to my garden! I just don't have the energy. This is definitely turning out to be a year of REST so far. If not in my mind or my spirit on most days, in my body. I just have to.
Hopefully, this physical rest is a precursor to my mental and spiritual rest. I've been pondering that some more.
I've got some fun pictures of an almost 19 month old to post very soon! We're off to celebrate Ben and my Aunt Jill's birthday tonight at a local restaurant. Their birthdays fall on the 16th and 18th of March. My one big accomplishment today was making the cake and it not collapsing or catching on fire - two things that have, um, have happened to my cakes in the past.
I hope everyone is WELL and enjoying this gloriously beautiful weather! Spring is here. There are daffodils in my yard showing their cheery little faces. Yippee!
Hi, everyone. I'm slowly making my way back to the computer and the land of activity and responsibility. After Ava's ear infection, my stomach bug, and Ben's birthday, Ava and I both came down with a respiratory infection that we're still fighting off. I'm not even joking!
I look at my carrot and spinach seeds and sigh. I SO want to get out to my garden! I just don't have the energy. This is definitely turning out to be a year of REST so far. If not in my mind or my spirit on most days, in my body. I just have to.
Hopefully, this physical rest is a precursor to my mental and spiritual rest. I've been pondering that some more.
I've got some fun pictures of an almost 19 month old to post very soon! We're off to celebrate Ben and my Aunt Jill's birthday tonight at a local restaurant. Their birthdays fall on the 16th and 18th of March. My one big accomplishment today was making the cake and it not collapsing or catching on fire - two things that have, um, have happened to my cakes in the past.
I hope everyone is WELL and enjoying this gloriously beautiful weather! Spring is here. There are daffodils in my yard showing their cheery little faces. Yippee!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!
I wanted to take a few minutes to celebrate my sweet husband, Ben. Today is his 37th birthday, and I had made plans for a very special evening that will have to be postponed until I'm completely over this stomach bug!
I love you, Ben. You are a man that I look up to in every way, and I am blessed by your love every day. You walk in silent grace and have a profound effect on everyone you meet just because of who you are and who you are allowing God to transform you to be. You make the world a better place because you're in it, and I look forward to celebrating the very special man, husband and father you are!
I'm so very proud of you and will love you always.
Emily
Monday, March 15, 2010
This Just In....
Oh, brother! I woke up this morning with a horrible stomach virus. Ben had to come home from work for a few hours to care for Ava. She's now napping, he's back at work, and I'm trying to stay hydrated. For crying out loud! We're hopeful that April will be bug free. Thankfully, I'm the only one that has it. I had Monkey duty yesterday morning and was with about 8 toddlers including Ava. I also ate spinach at a local Italian joint last night. So.. I'm not really sure what this is, but whatever it is, I hope it goes away soon!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Stacking Wonder
Ava is back to her lively self after her ear infection last week, and we've been indoors during these last couple of rainy days doing activities and projects around the house. I let her play with my spice containers the other day and a few minutes later, I discovered the spice tower she was building. She loves to stack things and see how high they will go. Of course, the crash is part of the fun!
Monday, March 8, 2010
18 Months Old
** Thursday Update ** Just returned from the doctor for Ava's 18 month well-visit (yesterday), which turned into a sick visit. We're nursing a mild ear infection today, and the tears have been flowing. To try to cheer her up, I took her on a mini-field trip today to see the little chicks at the Farmer's Co-Op. They had about fifty left, and I was tickled they weren't all sold out. We tried to go this past week and they were gone along with the ducklings. Today, I picked up a warm chick for her to pet and she grabbed it, hugged it and gave it love. Not sure that little chick will ever be the same!
She's now 25.9 lbs and 31.5 inches long, and I will add that she's running all over the exam room and crumpling or stretching that white paper on the exam table. I need two brains, one to keep track of what's she's doing while in the room and the other one to ask thoughtful, intelligent questions of the doctor! Toys don't work. There's just too much other stuff to get into. While I was asking the doctor about Ava's MMR shot in the future, she pulled and pushed the two chairs in the room over to the door and was trying to open the door. She was almost successful until I switched to "quick, grab my toddler" mode!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
To quote my friend Treva's blog, time does fly! Ava is now 18 months old and is like a little sponge, soaking up new information every day about the world around her. Every day is an adventure as you can see by the pictures. She's on the go constantly and doesn't miss a beat.
Today, I feel that frenzied pace starting, and I'm hearing in my spirit, "love well." That's my goal this week ahead of the four zillionth others things on my list including China USCIS renewal. My around the house to do list doesn't respond to my attentiveness to it, but people in my life and around me do. I have to keep myself in check about household to do lists and chores. If I neglect loving others, the other stuff doesn't matter.
Now bathing? That matters!!! :)
Enjoy the recent pics!
Loves to walk in Daddy's shoes.
We found the little monkey on this shelf the other day.
Taking a ride on my Fropper!
One of her favorite things to do is to climb on the black chairs in the kitchen and look out the window.
She's now 25.9 lbs and 31.5 inches long, and I will add that she's running all over the exam room and crumpling or stretching that white paper on the exam table. I need two brains, one to keep track of what's she's doing while in the room and the other one to ask thoughtful, intelligent questions of the doctor! Toys don't work. There's just too much other stuff to get into. While I was asking the doctor about Ava's MMR shot in the future, she pulled and pushed the two chairs in the room over to the door and was trying to open the door. She was almost successful until I switched to "quick, grab my toddler" mode!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
To quote my friend Treva's blog, time does fly! Ava is now 18 months old and is like a little sponge, soaking up new information every day about the world around her. Every day is an adventure as you can see by the pictures. She's on the go constantly and doesn't miss a beat.
Today, I feel that frenzied pace starting, and I'm hearing in my spirit, "love well." That's my goal this week ahead of the four zillionth others things on my list including China USCIS renewal. My around the house to do list doesn't respond to my attentiveness to it, but people in my life and around me do. I have to keep myself in check about household to do lists and chores. If I neglect loving others, the other stuff doesn't matter.
Now bathing? That matters!!! :)
Enjoy the recent pics!
Loves to walk in Daddy's shoes.
We found the little monkey on this shelf the other day.
Taking a ride on my Fropper!
One of her favorite things to do is to climb on the black chairs in the kitchen and look out the window.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Major CHINA news!
2006 - A step in our journey toward Maia. This photo was taken a year into the journey to Maia, going to the State Capital for state certification of our dossier, the endless paper trail of international adoption. Little did we know at the time what the future would hold. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and HE will strengthen your heart. Yes, He will! I would have lost heart unless I had believed that He had His hand on all of this turmoil around me and in my heart. He is ABLE to redeem our pain here on Earth. HE IS ABLE! Our final victory will come when we're home with Him at last. Victory in Jesus! I praise Him that He is so intimately involved with the details of this daughter's heart. He will perfect that which concerns us and will make everything beautiful in its time. To Him be all praise and honor and glory for what He has done and what He will do! For all of us!
Ok. The news! Well, I was just checking rumor queen about China referral dates like I do every month and totally expected to see 2 or 3 days worth of log-in processing. To my complete surprise, they processed 6 days worth of family log-ins last month. That means that they have issued referrals of children for all families logged-in to their system through April 11, 2006. Ben and I are logged in on April 28th, 2006 and are estimating that they only have about 13 days or so to process before they get to us. If they keep processing at an average monthly rate of 4 or 5 days, that could bump our referral up to POSSIBLY summer. I'm just saying. That's all I'm saying. There's a huge grin on my face and also a queezy feeling in my stomach as I think about all we need to do to prepare for Maia!
He who promised IS FAITHFUL! I have never stopped believing that what God planted in my heart in 2005 would come to fruition. Here's my journal from the other day on our Maia site that I'm still updating every now and then as a record for her.
Dear Maia,
I see the approaching signs of your coming. The feeling in my heart that you've been born and are wrapped snuggly somewhere in the heartland of China. Three little faces peering back at me at church today. China faces like yours with streams of beautiful black hair and joyful eyes, expectant eyes.
I hope to always encourage you to live in expectancy of the good things to come in your journey here with the Lord. There will be seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow, and I wish both for you, knowing how intimately the Lord will draw you to Him through both of those.
I live in expectancy, expectancy since June 9, 2005 of your coming, and He who promised is faithful.
We are beginning the process of updating our US approval for the 4th time! Our fingerprints were updated January 6th in Atlanta, so we're good there. The US approval involves a little more than rolling our fingers on a glass panel, but it's not that bad. Afterall, we've already done it three times!!
Ok. The news! Well, I was just checking rumor queen about China referral dates like I do every month and totally expected to see 2 or 3 days worth of log-in processing. To my complete surprise, they processed 6 days worth of family log-ins last month. That means that they have issued referrals of children for all families logged-in to their system through April 11, 2006. Ben and I are logged in on April 28th, 2006 and are estimating that they only have about 13 days or so to process before they get to us. If they keep processing at an average monthly rate of 4 or 5 days, that could bump our referral up to POSSIBLY summer. I'm just saying. That's all I'm saying. There's a huge grin on my face and also a queezy feeling in my stomach as I think about all we need to do to prepare for Maia!
He who promised IS FAITHFUL! I have never stopped believing that what God planted in my heart in 2005 would come to fruition. Here's my journal from the other day on our Maia site that I'm still updating every now and then as a record for her.
Dear Maia,
I see the approaching signs of your coming. The feeling in my heart that you've been born and are wrapped snuggly somewhere in the heartland of China. Three little faces peering back at me at church today. China faces like yours with streams of beautiful black hair and joyful eyes, expectant eyes.
I hope to always encourage you to live in expectancy of the good things to come in your journey here with the Lord. There will be seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow, and I wish both for you, knowing how intimately the Lord will draw you to Him through both of those.
I live in expectancy, expectancy since June 9, 2005 of your coming, and He who promised is faithful.
We are beginning the process of updating our US approval for the 4th time! Our fingerprints were updated January 6th in Atlanta, so we're good there. The US approval involves a little more than rolling our fingers on a glass panel, but it's not that bad. Afterall, we've already done it three times!!
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