Merry Christmas

Lilly and some of Oscar.... checking out the gift stash


Michael and his new guitar

Logan and Mia opening a secret santa gift from the Strand family

Pa, Mia and Livy

Logan and Michael

Logan and Mia at his class party

Our kiddos, can't wait for next year...Sophia will fit great in that space

Logan, Mia, A and J, Isaiah, Kaleb and Josiah

Logan

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas, and a happy and healthy New Year.

Amazing how fast the holiday season sneaks up on me every year. It isn't like the dates change,or I don't get plenty of heads up with the Christmas decor out around town.

But, every year Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be here before I know it. Maybe it is because we really never have a fall, much less winter down here. I grew up in the north, so swimming in October is still surreal to me. So no change of seasons, or big dip in temps to clue me in.

Or, it could just be that I am loosing my edge as I get older.

But, with God's grace..everything was done, wrapped and ready to go on time.

I know that this holiday is not truely about the gifts, the decorations, parties or getting the perfect photo for your card. It is a time of celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus.

But every year I find myself struggling to not be a Martha and striving to be a Mary. To not get caught up in the world's expectations of how to celebrate, but always working on the ability to put that aside, sit at the feet of Jesus and soak Him in.

I am a work in progress, and so thankfull that He loves us regardless of our short commings

Hope that this New Year is one filled with peace, love and joy.

Love,

Claire

Merry Christmas!

DTC!!! DTC!!!

God granted my Christmas wish...our dossier was mailed to China this morning!

That is a huge step forward in bringing our Sophia home. Now our papers will be logged in and reviewed by the CCAA, China's Center for Adoption Affairs.

If everything is in order, we will receive our letter of acceptance and await travel news. Our time frame to travel is around 4 to 6 months. So, now we wait....again.

But, there is a lot going on to distract me. The kids just started their Christmas break, and we are all looking forward to staying home, relaxing and maybe knocking out some projects.

I also have some shopping left to do. And am looking forward to just being home. Time is going by so fast, I just want to soak things in.

Hope this is a great holiday season for everyone. Take care and don't stress. Jesus isn't asking for us to live up to the world's standards of what the holidays should be. But to love your neighbor as yourself and take care of those who can not take care of themselves.

Love,
Claire

Hanging out

Our newest addition....Lilly



Proof that Bart actually likes her (:


Mia at dinner


Olivia at dinner



Logan at dinner


Michael's eye at dinner.....crazy night, nothing out of the norm.


Logan and A chillin out


KK and his daddy Patrick



Logan chillin with the pets


Football warrior


Michael and Olivia...career night at youth group


Mia's 4th birthday!!!!


Most up to date picture of our Mei Mei

life is so short.....

I hate it when we are given that reminder. Life really is a vapor. We all lost a great person this week- end. Most of you do not know her, but I wish you did.

Julie B. passed away on Saturday evening. She left this world too soon. She was, wow..that is hard to type...always will be one of those people who were just a genuinely nice person. Very caring, kind and always ready to jump in and help out.

Just really too soon. Julie, you will be missed very much. Rest in peace, and will see you again.

Claire

Chillin'out

Logan w/ Petty's car at Daytona 500



Crazy cousins


Playing at the beach


Pa, Noni, Aunt Amy and Mike catchin some shade

Daddy and his baby girl


Family reunion at Daytona Beach-- my side


SOOO excited to swim!


Hanging out in the lazy river


Logan, Mike and Livy racing the simulators


Me and my awesome crew, minus Mei Mei ):

Missing Mei Mei

Mei Mei in her awesome chicken suit!

I had some strange idea that summer would be a time of rest.

Not with this crew! 2 family reunions in 3 weeks, church camp, CIY and the paper chase for our newest kiddo! For now,we are calling her Mei Mei. That is the Chinese name for little sister.

But, it is great. The kids are having a great summer and as usual, it is going by so fast. Despite the wild ride, I am finding myself in a familiar place. I am really missing my new little girl.

I can not wait to see her in person, hold her, kiss that face and bring her home. I look at the clock periodically during the day, trying to imagine what she might be doing. Who loved on her when she woke up this morning? What did she do today? And I pray that she is happy and healthy. I ask God to watch over her and to pour His love out onto her until I can do it in person.

I know He will. I know He loves her more then I can imagine. So, I do my best to rest in that and keep going on this mountain of paper work to bring my baby home.

Hope all is going well.

Love,
Claire

Just catching up

4 of our 5! can't wait until mei mei is home!

livy and buddy at awards night.

logan and buds, last day of kindergarten.

mia! swiiming all on her own!!!

mike and his new guitar.

beautiful angels at our annual travel group reunion.


Just posting some updated pictures. Things are going good here, summer is in full swing.

I am beat tonight, spent the last two days re-arranging kids rooms. The girls are now sharing the biggest bedroom and each guy has his own man cave. Figured they would need a place to hide when Mei Mei comes home, and they are out numbered.

Hope all is well. Am living for our time at the beach in a few weeks. It is like a drug, just need that sand in my toes and some good seafood in my belly!

Take care,
Claire

SOOO much to catch up on!

Hey!

I have SO much to catch up on. Summer is going great, but very busy.

We have celebrated Logan's one year anniversary home, his 6th birthday and are about to celebrate Michael's 16th!

We are knee deep in post placement and dossier paper work. So amazing to believe that we have been given the blessing of another daughter. As soon as I can, I will post pictures and some details about our newest. But I can tell you that she is just to die for.

She looks so sweet and a little sad in her pictures. Life has not treated her as the priceless child she is. I am not going to go into much detail of her history, because it isn't mine to share. But I can say that hopefully soon she will come to know and accept our love for her. And that she will come to know and accept the love God has for her.

To believe that she is SOOOOOOOOOOO love and wanted, to be able to grow in that love and become all that God has intended her to be.

My head is swimming with things I need to do, things I want to do, and things I am being convicted of...and pretending I don't have to do.

This year has been a really amazing year for me. I have been challenged in ways I never imagined. I would love to say that I rose to each challenge, and handled them with ease..but that would be such a lie.

I don't think there there has been more then a stretch of a few weeks at a time where I have not had to ask God to let me see others as He does. Where relying on my own abilities failed.

I can look back and see that things have only turned out as awesome as they have because God was in them.

I honestly do not know how anyone can make it through this life without Him. Without His love, His guidance, grace, and unending patience.

Or the ever so needed, but done in love, kick in the rear.

Hope all is well, we are doing great. Better then we deserve.

Claire

PAPER PREGNANT AGAIN!!!

Just wanted to post that we are expecting again!

God willing, we will have our new daughter home next year. The story of her coming home is a little long, and ALL of the glory and credit goes to God.

I can't post any pictures or details yet. But I will as soon as we receive our approval from China.

I can tell you that she is an amazing 2 year old little girl from the south of China. From the description of her personality, she is a spit fire. She will fit right in.

Love,
Claire

Hangin' out

Hey there!

Hope that everyone has a wonderful Memorial week end. And take a moment to thank those who have served, so that we can be where we are today.

Just hanging on until all of the end of the year activities are over. The kids are more then ready for summer vacation, and to be honest...so am I. It has been a great school year. The kids did fantastic, and Logan just blossomed.. he just continues to amaze us with how far he has come in just a year.

FINALLY that feeling of restlessness has past. And now that I look back, I can see that the restlessness was all of my own doing. Trying to go in a direction that I wanted, not what God wanted. One might think I have figured this one out by now!

God has been working to get my attention focused onto a certain area for awhile now, but I have not been willing to really listen. He has sent more then a few burning bushes my way, and I felt the heat.

I have spent a lot of time wrestling with the concept of faith, deeds and pure religion. But James 1:22 just laid it out very clearly. " Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says."

James 1:27 goes on to talk about what God accepts as pure religion," Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

My own issues were the part of "..in their distress.." I take this to mean that we are to get in there, where they are...get our hands dirty and pour ourselves into them.

It is time for me to turn my attention to those here at home. We have always been open to adopting more children since Mia and Logan have come home. I just always assumed the next one would be from China also. Notice how many I's there are in my plan?

But God placed a different thought with Bart. He planted the desire to provide foster care to the children around here who need a safe, loving home. And, after some time allowing that leading to penetrate my thick skull... I realized that not all orphans are in China.

So, we are about to embark on a new journey. We are signed up to take the required classes to foster, or foster to adopt. We have no clue where this will take us, but can't wait to find out.

Love,
Claire