Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Oh I am so glad to be back in a routine.  My head is so much clearer and the excitement level has stabilized.

I really took Christmas much too causally this year.  What do I mean by that?  Well, I did not enter into the season with enough quiet time and prayer and it really caught up with US in a big way.  

Sunday Morning Before Christmas

Celebrating St. Lucia Day (one week one day  late)

Sunday Morning - Doesn't he look well?

After church things began to take a turn for the worst! After we got home from church, my precious little boy spiked a fever of 103.8 and began crying because he couldn't breath.  The only symptom he had was a cough . . .  for 3 weeks :(  OFF TO THE DOCTOR!

When they checked his vitals, they rushed him back to see the doctor because of his low blood oxygen levels.  The Dr., not so kindly, asked me how long he had been coughing - well, maybe 3 weeks.  I have all girls except for him,  HE IS A BOY and HE IS NEVER SICKLY - He is a tank!  I had no idea he was as sick as he was.  He looked fine that morning.  After a chest x-ray She determined he had pneumonia!  Oh my, oh my, I felt HORRIBLE!!!  I was so thankful she trusted me to go home with him - Hot pink pacifier and all!  (I just grabed what I could while running out the door.  I do not know why he has a pink passie.)

I was planning on holding my boy for the rest of the day and even stopped by the drug store for some new pacifiers (his favorite!).   I cannot tell you how badly I felt.

Just look at that stash of pacifiers!  BLUE

Well, we arrived home, Quinn fell asleep so I decided to make the cookies I had promised to make with girls (for the past three days).  While we were baking I kept fussing at them because there were little water puddles all over the floor.  When I realized NO ONE HAD WATER, I discovered water was seeping through the  joints of the hardwood floors!  Yes, my kitchen was flooding!  Skip had a visitation for a client who passed away, so there I sat watching the kitchen fill up until he got back.  I did not know where the water shut-off valve was.  (I do now). Sunday did end with stress levels a bit elevated.

Monday:  We had no water and workmen workmen workmen and demolition!  The discovery, a sheet rock nail had punctured a copper water pipe - it took the nail a year to rust.  Once it rusted the nail no longer worked as a plug.  It only took tearing up one wall, one cabinet and part of the back splash to discover the TINY hole.  Our one year builder's warranty had just expired two days PRIOR.  Perhaps he will make an exception?

Tuesday: Grace woke up sick - identified by how weak she looked.  She was diagnosed with strep and two days later started barking like a seal -  the croup!  Skip spent the day at the Dr. because of an  upper respiratory infection.  

Christmas morning came and everyone had been on antibiotics long enough - we were all somewhat well except for the barking.  It was so exciting until someone realized Santa left a TOYS R CRAZY receipt on Olivia's  gift - tears!  She was crushed!  I really tried to explain the whole "Santa doesn't do electronics" - I am a bad story teller!  I threw my hands up and admitted defeat -with only her.  She then got the croup Christmas night which led to her throwing up PUMPKIN PIE!  Merry Christmas!

On the heels of all of that, we had family mad at us for changing a certain tradition. Yuck Yuck

I saw these crazy little magnets that said, "He is the reason for the Season."  I think it needs to be revised: "He should be the reason for the season."

I am really thinking about a destination Christmas next year.  We can celebrate on Dec 20th and head off somewhere.

Everyone is now well - Praises.  School is back in session.  We have no news about the adoption.  We continue to pray for the baby God has for us and many other orphans in China. There is one in particular that is very sick right now.  His name is Forest.  Please pray the Dr's will discover what is wrong with this PRECIOUS boy. 

I love praying for all these babies! Oh how their sweet faces have blessed me. I am also so absolutely thankful for this adoption journey.  In just a short time I have seen so much work that needs to be done on my heart, marriage and attitudes. Although difficult to work through, I am grateful for  these discoveries.   Along side of this work He is teaching me such a beautiful lesson about love and the measure in which He loves us - truly difficult to comprehend!  I delight in what is ahead not just because there is a beautiful baby waiting, but because I really do see His work in the bigger picture.  I am truly and humbly thankful that I am His daughter.

Things I want to do this year - fall even more in love with my husband, go and get our baby from China, knit many hats with the girls, visit China as a volunteer, make a trip out west to see family, run a 3 mile race, read the entire Bible, make window treatments for our house and stick to our budget.

This is going to be an exciting and wonderful year!  I cannot wait until next CHRISTMAS!!!