8 years ago- Happy Adoption Day Joshua, Sarah, & Elizabeth!

8 years ago..... we stood up in court and said yes to being their family.  It seems like yesterday and yet a long time ago.  Even in the hardest moments of our family I would say yes again and again! 

Elizabeth is our always smiling songbird.  She loves to play with Legos with her huge imagination and play outside in the dirt making mud pies and all sorts of fun things.  She is "full on" all the time and it feels like she may have the capability to be in two places at once.  She loves to squeeze you tight with her bear hugs.  I love listening to her play and thinking of the amazing plans God has for her life! 

Adoption can be beautiful and joyful as well as hard and painful.  The past 8 years have proven that and although our lives here on Earth are not perfect it reminds me of the song My Story by Big Daddy Weave.  Their story will be beautifully written by God including details that are hard and wonderful all mingled together. 

Sarah loves studying fashion, painting her fingernails, and reading especially American Girl.  She loves leading worship and I truly believe God has and will continue to grow her gifts in this area.  She is almost as tall as I am, but I won't admit it yet.  This young lady is going to challenge the world and take it on.  She has a way of caring for those who don't have a voice and is quick to make friends with anyone. 

Sometimes the stories God writes are not the ones you expect.  They aren't easy for sure and your hearts get broken.  You feel like God must have made a mistake or He must just not really know your capabilities.  Questions come by the bucket load as you feel like nothing fits or it just isn't the way it is supposed to be.  But one thing remains- God is still God and He hasn't left His Throne.  So buckle up and lean into HIM!

This amazing young man is so compassionate.  He loves to play with his youngest siblings and wrestle all day (and I do mean all day) with his brothers.  He has a definite soft spot for others and is protective.  He doesn't say a whole lot, but when he does it matters to him.  He has developed a passion for running and has been inspired by Jesse Owens.  I can't wait to see what God does with him!

I know that I know that God will use all our stories together to show his Glory.  Even when it is hard to see in the moments of the everyday. 

We are more than blessed to call these three beautiful young people our children.  We are thrilled that our lives came together.  If you told me in the beginning that everything would be the way it is I wouldn't have believed you.   

Some people ask us if we always planned to have a large family.  I would say not really.  It just happened.  We said yes to foster care.  We said yes to adoption when the time came.  It was something we just leaned hard into God and said we will say yes- and let you take care of the outcome.  It was crazy hard because our human side gets caught up.  We want to plan it, but we can't.  Only God sees the ending and we are clueless. 

What makes it all work?  I am still clueless. 

There are many days I look at these smiles and think - how do we do this?

Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and whisper a prayer and ask God continually for help.  To say I want what you want God- please I am begging for you to show me, and Thank God for every day you get to spend with your children!

Birthdays, Adoption Days, Galore!

 What happens when between November 8 and January 6 when you have 8 birthdays and adoption days to be celebrated in your family? 

You eat a LOT of cake and you have a lot of cuteness!  Now I posted about Abigail's Sweet 16 already......so here are the rest of those special days!  ENJOY!

 I mean really do I even need to say how much this makes me want to eat her up? 

 Happy 5th Adoption Day baby girl!!! (November 23rd)

 My Aerial lovin, sweet, sassy, crazy, funloving, girl! 

 They love playing Legos together :) 

 Her ice cream cake was topped with "kitty kats" her favorite chocolate bar. (I love when she says that!) 

 Oh girl, I can't believe how fast 5 years has gone!!!!  Please stop growing.... 

 And then this happened!!!

 Yep, our 4th teenager in the house!  Pray for us ;).  By the time Elizabeth turns 13 we will have 7 teens at the same time.  Like I said - Lord hear our prayers! 

 Actually, we love our teens!!!  I mean it is really fun having children being more independent! 

 Our engineer here loves to build things- create new things- take things apart.  You get the picture! 

 He is such a cute teen!!  OK sorry crazy mom moment.

 (November 27th)

 This- this is his smile that seriously makes me pause.  I love it!  Happy 13th birthday to a caring, loving, fun teen!!! 

 Then a week later this amazing guy turns 14! 

 You guessed it- LEGOS!  Of course.....

 Our Lego King has dozens and dozens of sets!  And he keeps them nice as well.  He takes them apart, puts them back together, and mixes and matches. 

 December 5th....

 There it is- finished it in no time flat. 

 A little throwback for fun.....

 Happy 14th Andrew!!

 Then comes Matthew again- this time it is his 12th Adoption Day December 22nd. 

 Hey handsome!

 Jurassic World Legos and more Geronimo Stilton books (one of his favorite series). 

 Love YOU!!!!!

 Then on Christmas Day this sweet child was born!  She too is a Lego lover and has several sets of Lego Friends. 

 Just a little excited!!! 

 Built and ready to play! 

 Happy 10th Birthday to our crazy, joyous songbird! 

 She is just so beautiful!!!! 

 OK we belong to a FB group called "I run for Michael".  It isn't named after our Michael, but I love the name.  It is a person who runs or excercises that matches with a child that has special needs and sometimes can't run for themselves.  It is a way to cheer each other on. 

For Christmas Michael's runner- Julie got him this adorable shirt- I love it!!!!  THANK YOU JULIE!!!!

 Michael's 3rd Adoption Day!!! 

 He loved his box!

 He loves his frog drumset and plays with it daily! 

 Beads around here for Michael is what I call a super toy.  They calm him and make him happy no matter what!!! 

 I found these Bunch 'ems at Target and they are an amazing sensory toy!  Win-win!

 I would love to know what he is thinking!!! 

 Ice cream for his treat.  He loves it because he takes after me!!!!

 Yep- he is a thumb sucker.....

 Daddy helping our amazing little guy blow out the candle. 

 Oh Michael.  Some people say that we must be heroes for being your parents.  That is so wrong and backwards.  You are my hero!!!  The love you give, the strength you show, and the huge strides you have made- make me proud to be your momma on a daily basis!!!!

 I mean he loves his ice cream!!!!  Happy Adoption Day Michael!!!

 Ok so that brings us to Andrew's 13th Adoption Day on January 6th. 

 This was a favorite too.  I mean the Hobbit is big in this house! 

 New Star Wars book of course. 

 Working on it mom. 

That handsome smile right there is my book reading, history loving, giving, Lego loving, young man who loves the Lord!  Happy Adoption Day Andrew James Wright!!!! 

And now we can try to regain our waistline between now and Michael's Birthday February 27th!  Oh and a fun fact: in our family of 11 the reason there is this crazy window of all kinds of special days is that between July 31st and November 8th there are NO birthdays or adoption days, or anything!!!  Over 3 months of nothing in our family- that's crazy, but true!