We truly are a family redefined. We are husband, wife, son, daughter, step children, biological and adopted children and most importantly, Children of God.

A friend pointed out that I needed to update my blog header. After our adoption from Ethiopia, I had updated it stating how the adoption of Sara Joy completed our family. Well... the journey continues. After much prayer, we have decided to follow what we feel is God's calling for us...we went to Ghana with the intention of adopting a four year old girl, Isabella Hope. Little did we know that she would be the catalyst to bringing home not only her, but her half brother and sister. We will now be adding not only Isabella Hope to our family, but also Mary Grace (9) and Gilbert (6) who we will transition to the name Nathaniel Timothy. The shock is wearing off and the JOY and EXCITEMENT are overwhelming. Now truly, our family is complete. The great part of journeying with God, is that it's always an adventure. He knows where we are going, and for us it is all a marvelous surprise. Looking forward to sharing our family adventures as we walk daily through life and as we venture off to Ghana to bring home Mary, Nate and Isabella! It's always an adventure redefining our family!



Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!!!

I can't believe how long it has been since I have blogged.... I guess things have just been very busy!  Here it is, Christmas morning, and I'm up before the kids.... How is that possible?  I remember Christmas when I was a kid - Christmas always came on Christmas Eve.  I guess because we had so much running around to do on Christmas Day, going to both grandmothers' houses to celebrate.  Anyway, each year we would go out and go for a walk around the subdivision to look at all the Christmas lights.  We would all be out in the driveway, ready to go, and mom would suddenly have to go in and go to the bathroom.  She took a LONG time (she must've had to go really bad :) and then when she came out, we would go take our walk.  Every time, when we got home, Santa had arrived at our home!  We then got to open our gifts.  I know it is a silly thing, but it's something that I remember.  It was our tradition.  We had a toboggan that my uncle Jim had made for us three girls and my dad would pull my youngest sister around the neighborhood on that.  (My older sister and I were too cool for that - even if we have pictures to prove otherwise.)  I want some of those same traditions with my family.  Since we are in SC, there will be no sledding, but we can make our own "non-snow" traditions.  This year we started with the lights at the zoo.  We loved them and will go every year - whether the kids want to or not!  We created memories!  And had a lot of fun in the process!

It's been a wonderful year!  To think that this time last year, we were waking up, dossier in Ethiopia, but no idea what child would join our family, or when.  Now, here we are a year later and little Sara is snuggled up in her bed with no idea of what is to come this morning!  She probably won't really understand a whole lot.  Next year though - will be a BLAST!  We are so blessed to have this little girl in our family!  God's plan, as I have always said, was going to be good.  Not only was it good, but it was GREAT! 

I'm going to have to be creative this year about pictures of the kids this morning.  I'm a bad mom and I left my picture transfer thingy (I know, very technical) and my memory card full of pictures at work.  I guess pictures with the camera on the phone are in order.  I was going to run out to work and get it last night, but we went to a party at a friend's house with the kids, and I didn't want to make Tim run out and get it and make the kids sit in the car.  The camera on the phone will do... yet another memory!

Tim has spent the last few days laying tile in Cameron's bathroom.  It is going to look so good when he is done.  He laid and glued all the tile yesterday and will probably grout it tonight.  Oooohhh, I can't tell you how much better it looks even just with the tile down and the little spacer things in it, with NO grout.  That is how bad I hated the other floor!  We also picked out some awesome glass tiles to go above the shower!  I can't wait to get those up.  I don't think Tim has ever done wall tiles before, but I'm sure he will do a great job.  I'll post pictures when he is done!  The man deserves a break at Christmas!  (I think he really enjoys it though!)

The reason for the season - Christ!  My savior!  The savior of my husband!  The savior of two of my children!  The savior I pray that Sara will choose.  Today, so long ago, a baby was born to save me!  Almost unthinkable and only thinkable by God!  And who else, but God, would sacrifice their son, for the world?  I am literally, eternally grateful!

Merry Christmas everyone!

In Christ,
Charity

2 comments:

Meg said...

Merry Christmas!

Veronica said...

Merry Christmas to you all! We are really enjoying this holiday season - Olivia is 2 now, so she's getting into it much more than last year! Have a great day!