Joy

Since October 1st Kailee has been asking if we can go to the pumpkin patch (the one with the rides). Finally we decided it was time to go spend our life savings on a couple of rides and a petting zoo! ;) This girl was so excited I thought she was going to burst. She didn't stop smiling and laughing and yelling and jumping around until we left and then told me she was sad because she should have taken her time doing everything because it went by too fast. Wise words from a 9 year old! Kailee had us all laughing from her expressions of excitement. I don't think I stopped smiling and laughing until we left too! There is nothing like seeing joy on someone's face! I was thinking about her joy and was left wanting that same joy in Jesus, my Savior just like Kailee enjoyed that pumpkin patch... with joy and excitement words cannot express, with love and thankfulness for what I have been given. May we jump and laugh and sing and run with joy for what we have been given in Christ!

 Every time she went around I would get a new face and pose! 

Kailee's 9th Birthday

Kailee turned 9 on August 15, 2011! We celebrated with a party and all her friends new and old were there. They swam most of the time but also had fun playing hot potato, hide and seek and also had a dance competition! Even Jeff enjoyed some of the dancing (I didn't get a picture of that one)! I am still trying to figure out how that angelic blue eyed baby girl has become a beautiful 9 year old in the blink of an eye! ;) 

Picking Peaches

Back in July we went to visit my cousin in Chowchilla, Ca. On our way home having already spent 8 hours in the car that day, I saw a sign off of the freeway that said "You Pick Peaches". So at the last minute I decided the four of us needed to do something spontaneous and so we were on our way to pick some peaches. It felt like it was 100 degrees that day, the kids thought I was crazy I am sure of it. When we got there, they had a little petting zoo where we fed the animals and then took our wheelbarrow down the rows of peach trees. The owner told us to go ahead and pick a peach and taste it to make sure we liked it so we all started pulling peaches off of the trees and eating them right there, they were some of the best peaches I have ever tasted! We brought home around 60 peaches that day.

Vacation 2011

What a glorious week of vacation, the sun was shining and it was time for relaxing. Every year God amazes me with His blessings He bestows on our family right when we need them. It is always my favorite time of the year ... waking up to the sound of the waves hitting the shore and spending the morning in God's Word. I could sit there all day! But I didn't ... we also enjoyed lots of beach time, reading, family devotions in the mornings, playing in the sand, walks to the jetty to "play in the river", bike rides and barbecues. We celebrated Dad (Papa) and Kailee's birthday with a family barbecue. 


Although I could live there the rest of my life just watching the waves, God has not called us to the beach (yet!), so we packed up the truck and headed back to life. :)


"I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is His name. And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are My people.'" ~Isaiah 51:15-16


P.S. Before we left on vacation God had led us to check out an adoption agency called Family Connections, their closest office being 10 minutes from the beach house. They were having their Information Meeting while we were on vacation so we decided to attend the meeting to see if this was where the Lord was leading us. After that meeting we decided to turn in our application for adoption. The next step is to attend the first of 3 meetings which happened to be the next Thursday. So here we go... we are invested and believe God continues to confirm this decision every step ... so far. I feel like we have been standing at a crossroad for a while, looking at many roads in front of us and asking the Lord which road He would have us take. God gives such a wonderful peace about things when you wait on Him and walk behind instead of in front of Him. The road may not be easy but whatever it holds God is there. :)


"fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." ~Isaiah 41:10