Together

Draw two little girls
This is you
Draw a mommy and a daddy
This is us
Draw a circle around the picture
This is our family
Draw little hearts around the circle
This is our love
Pin it up in your room
This is to remember

Let's Party

The girls are cozily tucked into their beds now and this house is quiet after a very busy, silly day.

We had family over to celebrate the girls' birthdays, and WAS it ever a party.

pink balloons + delicious cupcakes + huge bounce house + a new dollhouse + pretty dresses + lots of people who love you =

two happy, exhausted, 4-year-old girlie girls.

We've got a couple birthday girls over here

I am a firm believer that you should be spoiled on your birthday. So we are having a lot of that around here-a "Happy Birthday" banner, stuffed unicorns, chocolate cupcakes and other junk food, pretty dresses, presents...you get the idea.
The little Cuties are having such a happy 4th birthday. They are ecstatic that they have said, "GOODBYE" to being three-years-old. That was SO yesterday.
They are napping right now, because it's downright exhausting to do so much celebrating.

We love to sing around here

and I have to say that this artist, Elizabeth Mitchell, is my absolute favorite to listen to and sing along with the girls or even by myself.

We have all four her CDs- You are My Sunshine, You are My Little Bird, and You are My Flower, and the CD she did with Lisa Loeb, Catch the Moon.

Her husband and her five-year-old daughter sing with her also.

It is such sweet music, soothing, folky... just right.

Beautiful Girl in a Beautiful New Dress

Cutie: Do I look pretty or not pretty?

Me: You look SO pretty.

Cutie: But my dress doesn't have sparkles.

Me: That's okay. You don't need sparkles.

Cutie: Why not?

Me: Because your eyes sparkle.

Cutie: Oh.

There are so many magical moments

watching the girls.
Playing on the beach, dancing around the living room, flying a kite, eating "sushi."
I just want to slow down a little so I don't miss them!

Our Journey

Before we "had" kids, Matt and I lived a quiet, predictable, happy life. It was just the two of us, and we were content. We loved spending time together, having long talks, going to movies, eating out, taking trips, whatever we wanted.
Everyone asked us when we were going to get pregnant and we would just shrug our shoulders. We didn't know, we didn't feel worried about it, only worried that we might be letting people down. We were wondering what God might have for us.
Then God put adoption on our hearts. In a really powerful, undeniable way. I couldn't stop thinking about it, reading about, hurting for children whose parents weren't able to care for them. Since that time, God has continued to lead us down a very exciting, unpredictable, sometimes bumpy path.
We are in such a different place now. Life isn't quiet or predictable anymore. It is loud, sometimes really loud, and messy. Our time is no longer our own. Instead of movies we give baths and put on jammies, instead of long talks we grab time together after the girls are asleep. We are busy. We are overwhelmed.
And it is beautiful.