Thanksgiving

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving as a family.

Spent a lot of time eating

talking, laughing, loving, and just being

it was fantastic. we spent thursday at my Nana's house. just hanging out, watching football, sleeping.

then at 7pm my mom, nana and i left to go Black Friday shopping {it makes me tired just thinking of it} we really didn't have a goal or anything we had to have, but we view this day as our "olympics" we love it. we stayed out until about 3 am and went back to the house slept until 7 and shopped the rest of the day. it was fantastic.

we also woke up on friday to updated pictures of miss Ainsley! It was such a huge blessing. We are praying that we will leave for China on DECEMBER 15. PLEASE* join us in this prayer. We KNOW our mountain moving God can do it!

tonight we relaxed at home and watched our beloved Clemson Tigers get taken down at USC. Still love em, but it was a tough lose ;)

PLEASE pray we get our TA this week! 
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Happy Sunday, y'all! 

Thankful.

This year {like every other year, day, hour, month} I feel so thankful. I look around and just can't help but think about how blessed I am. God has truly given me the best family, friends, and life I could ever ask for or dream of.
While watching the Macy's* Thanksgiving Day Parade a commercial for St. Jude came on today and it hit me. "Give thanks for the healthy children you have and help the ones who aren't" How often do we take each day for granted? Our health, Our lives, The privilege of having FOOD, and a family. How much of that do we think we deserve, when truly we don't deserve any of it. I am so incredibly blessed and so very thankful for all I have {Even when I don't act like it}
Today, as I sit around a table with my love ones and precious family, I am going to remember those who aren't blessed like I am. The orphans, the starving, the homeless, and everyone around the world who isn't where I am. I am going to think of a little girl in China today who does not have a Mommy and Daddy right now holding and loving her, but I will rejoice in the fact that THREE WEEKS from this very moment all of that will be about to change.
God is so good. I am so blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!
‎"Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth." -Isaiah 12:4-5

Christmas IN China!

We got our Article 5 tonight! We are beyond thrilled and one HUGE step closer to Ainsley! We are waiting on TA and according to our agency we should be in China for CHRISTMAS! We are beyond thrilled. 

Thank you all for the prayers and thoughts. This was a big thanksgiving blessing and we have so much to be thankful for this year! 
We also have Ainsley's travel blog set up. This is where ALL of the updates while in China will be posted. GO HERE to check it out. 


give thanks to the LORD, call on HIS name; make known among the nations what HE has done. 
-psalm 105:1

i800 APPROVAL

We got our i800 approval this week. It came insanely fast and we should have our Article 5 any day. We are in prayer that it will come soon and will be expedited so we can leave for China on December 15 {the whole family would be going} if we do not get the expedite it will most likely be my mom and I leaving December 29. We cannot wait to hold our girl and we are trusting that it is all in HIS perfect timing
Thank you for the continued prayers.
Hold on sweet Ainsley girl, We ARE coming.

Waiting

we are still waiting for our approval. it is only a little insane. our papers are lost and we have about 10 people trying to track it down. please be in prayer that it is soon found and we have our approval and art.5 very soon. Christmas with miss Ainsley is not looking very likely, which means just my mom and i will be traveling. That will be heart breaking to my dad and brothers {and the littles, too} i cannot imagine. 

we are receiving fantastic updates on Ainsley. she is improving and miracles are happening in her little life every day. it's amazing. 

we were told that Ainsley could not stand. she had no use of her legs and she was very behind in development. we knew this going in and we did not really care. {ok, we did but you know what i mean} we got photos and our girl is STANDING. alone. we are on our knees in praise to the ONE. 

i made this short little video {above} of our sweet girl and the updates we have gotten. Dreaming of Christmas with our girl. Sorry for a less than entertaining update, more later.

Thank you for praying! 

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Happy Sunday! 

no words

we are putting up our christmas tree today. like right now. yeah, i know "BEFORE THANKSGIVING!" yes, yes and usually before Halloween. but it's whatever right? we are just cool like that. don't be jealous. ;)


in 2008 i bought this ornament with all of our names and a "?"

in 2009 Andrew was found and soon came into our lives


in 2010 i bought another ornament with all of our names and a "?"

in 2011 little miss Ainsley was found


i am starting to think i have some magic power or something {kidding, kidding...i know it is SO God!} and my mom is forbidding me from buying anymore ornaments.


harsh.

happy sunday, y'all. may your days be merry and bright.
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How Do You REALLY Feel?

November is National Adoption Month. I am going to be posting my adoption thoughts throughout this month. Everything. I feel it is something I need to do. I need to share. Okay? Go.


There is a question I get quite often. "How do you REALLY feel about your parents adopting kids?" 
It has always taken me back a bit. 
When my parents announced that they were adopting Anna Grace in 2005, I honestly, at the age of 10, thought nothing of it. I only was consumed with getting a sister. Her not being "biological" or "blood-related" or any of that other silly, so not important stuff never crossed my mind. I was just in the pure innocent thoughts of a child. "I am getting a SISTER!" Isn't that how it is supposed to be? Once we brought Anna Grace home, I was on fire for the orphan. I was changed for good. 


I prayed non-stop for 3 years for Andrew. I dreamed of a new little love from China. I knew he was there. So, in 2009 when my parents found this precious boy on a HOPE List, it was too good to be true. I was thrilled. The months leading to Andrew were filled with a lot of judgements from others, a lot of preparation, and a lot of excitement. 
Once Andrew was home, reality hit. and it hits hard. Andrew was a 3 1/2 year old little boy that had just been ripped from everything he knew. It was hard. Did I regret my parents decision? Absolutely not. 


Ainsley was another one of my prayers. {My suggested I stop going to God for such matters because it always seems to happen, just kidding of course} Ainsley is our faith. My parents gave us {my siblings} the option of Ainsley {of course, going with where they felt God calling, but they wanted our opinion} We could have easily said that No we didn't want another child to come home. We didn't. We all felt blessed beyond belief to have the opportunity to bring another little one home! We don't know what is going to happen once she arrives home, but right now we are living in the moment, preparing for the future, and counting down the days to bringing her home! 


In saying all of that, I will now get to my actual point. 
How do I really feel about my parents adopting? 
I could give you the cookie-cutter, always right, no real truth answer. Say, "Oh, I love it so much! Life is perfect! Anna Grace and Andrew are the greatest things ever and I just love adding to the family" 
I know that is what every one wants to hear. How do I really feel though? 


I feel blessed. BEYOND what I deserve. 
I am constantly asking God why He chose me and my family to pursue this amazing journey of adoption. I have realized though that He chose us ALL to be blessed with Adoption. We are all adopted by Him. We can all do something to help. 
Yes, each adoption had the hard moments, hard days, things I missed, and little losses I grieved over as a , but I have three beautiful siblings now, which I would never trade. Three beautiful children who will now learn about Jesus, have a Mommy and Daddy, Siblings, LOVE, and so many things they wouldn't have if not for us stepping out and adopting them. 
These adoptions have done SO much for me. They forever changed me for the better. I may have my moments of thinking "Oh I could have this...or that" blah blah blah. All EARTHLY things that don't matter. I have SO much more right now. in this moment. than I ever needed or deserved. I have learned and been taught so many things through our adoptions. I learned that it's okay to miss the simplicity of what used to be and what could have been, all while rejoicing in what I have now and what the Lord has done in my Family. 

anna grace, andrew& ainsley adoption changes lives.

If I had the choice to go back and change things, would I? 
Absolutely Not. Never. Ever. 
I am exactly where I want to be. Feeling so blessed with each step. 

Halloweeeeeen!

Around here, we love halloween. Okay, maybe not what it represents, but the fact that you can dress up and be whatever you want to be. it's kind of great.

Anna Grace and Andrew LOVE dressing up, so Halloween is their dream :)
We didn't get to do much trick-r-treating this year because we were in DC until Sunday night, but on Monday we went to a really fun fall festival. It went over so great.
Now please tell me that these are the cutest little supers you have ever seen :)
I really am sorry I have failed so badly in the picture taking ways.
Hopefully I will do better soon!
Happy {belated} Halloween, Y'all!