Christmas Blessings 2012

As Christmas time rolls around again, we are so overwhelmed with all of our blessings! We completed the adoption of our 4th daughter, Miss Nevianna Rose Isbell on May 25th of this year. She turned '2' just a few days later and she is keeping her old Mom and Dad on our toes:) Ellie has been driving for a year now and is such an intelligent and mature young lady. Emma will turn 13 in a few weeks and she is SO ready for the teenage years with all the fun (and drama) that comes along with it! Avery has found theatre and has had the chance to play Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" and Gladys in "The Best Christmas Pagent Ever". We've also had our "Nanny JoJo" join us this year. Our friend, Emily, is living with us temporarily and the girls love having her around. We had a short term foster care placement, but have withdrawn our license and are no longer serving as Foster Care Parents. But that doesn't mean we aren't busy....or without kiddos to love on! Our newest addition was born in June and joined our family in July. Miss Sophia Alyse-Grace is the biological sister to our Nevie and will soon be our adopted sister!!! She is such an unexpected bonus in our lives! (And further proof that God builds families in the most amazing ways!) We are so Thankful that God gives us His children to love on and be a part of our lives. And we are Thankful always that He gave us HIS precious child on that first Christmas. Todd is still farming (of course) and I am just taking care of life each day... They say "It takes a Village to raise a child" and most days it seems kinda like we are a 'village' on our own... There are happy days, crazy days, busy days, and every once in a while, lazy days...but we wouldn't change anything!! We are in awe of how God has built the perfect family for us. Hope your Christmas is so very special! And we pray that you take the time to notice all of the Miracles of life around you this Holiday season...(We certainly do)

Thankfulness...

Well. it is November...and everywhere you look, people are sharing the things they are Thankful for-and I LOVE seeing it. But November is also National Adoption awarness month and I wanted to share a few things we are Thankful for as a family. I am Thankful for closed doors. I am thankful that God told me, "NO, You aren't ready yet" when I wanted SO much for Him to say, "Yes". I am thankful that He has taught me, my husband, and my girls that there is a broken world out there that is bigger and more complicated than we could have ever imagined. I am Thankful that we have learned to never take our children for granted. I am Thankful that we have learned that they can be taken from us at any moment, so we should love while we can and as strongly as we can. I am Thankful that God has shown us that it IS possible to love those who hurt you, and that healing IS not only possible, but it is beautiful. I am Thankful for new friends and new family thst I would not have had without this frustrating road of adoption. I am Thankful for the chance to mentor and guide others who are considering the path. I am BEYOND Thankful that God allowed our family to be a stepping stone for some amazing kiddos that have beat the odds and are currently living out God's plans for their lives. And Thankful isn't a strong enough word to describe how I feel about our girls. Adoption is such a beautiful thing... but not in the fairy tale way that people imagine. Adoption is about SO much more than adding a new family member. It is about love, desire, heartache, and growth. For us, it has been about learning that we are just a tiny blip on this big 'ol earth. It is very humbling to realize we have been chosen by God to care for our precious daughters, and for that, we will forever be THANKFUL:)