American Heritage Girls

Julia has joined a girls club

somewhat like Girl Scouts

with a faith perspective

Recently she had her "joining" ceremony...

She has been having so much fun

in her very own "Girls Club".

My heart is full...

Can I just say

that my heart is full???

I love my family!!

Life is always busy

and sometimes difficult...

But when I look 

at photos of the past month...

my heart is full of 

joy

and 

I am so thankful.

I really love 

each and every one of my kids...

each one unique 

and wonderfully and fearfully created...

and we all join together to create

this family that God has knit together

and given to me.

My firstborn, Nate and his girlfriend, Dianna.

My beautiful daughter Lydia and her husband Jason.

Our third child, tenderhearted Jacob.

Our fourth child, our Zulu princess Julia.

Our fifth child, Hannes, whose name means God is Gracious - and that He is.

Blessing beyond measure...

It was about a year ago

give or take a week

when we committed to Hannes...

all we really knew of him 

was this photo 

and the fact that he had a 

congenital heart defect.

But God knew him.

And God knew us.

And we believe that one year ago, 

God asked us

if we would adopt Hannes.

We could have said no.

There were a lot of unknowns.

And we always said we would never adopt from Eastern Europe.

And we couldn't fit three car seats in our car, so we'd need another car.

(And Julie had successfully raised two kids to adulthood 

without that dreaded "m" word - 

she may or may not have 

at one point declared: I will never own a minivan)

And we both were raised in families of three kids - 

and KNEW we never wanted to have three... two or four, 

but not three little ones at once.

It's expensive.

We already adopted one.

You can't save them all.

There were alot of reasons why we could have said no.

Said no to God.

After all He has done for us.

He has blessed us beyond measure.

And we believe He asked us to.

God asked us...

there was really only one answer...

Yes.

Yes, God.

We will do this.

It certainly wasn't an easy road.

But God doesn't always ask us to do easy.

And oh how God has blessed us in our obedience.

 Six months home.

With this little one.

Exploring a world he never even dreamed existed...

(who knew people raced pigs...)

Finding a pumpkin in 40 mile an hour winds...

(this boy who was amazed the first time he felt the breeze on his face)

With a family...

who loves him...

and know that in obeying God

even in the hard things...

There is bountiful blessing beyond measure...