This is a long post...so grab a chi tea and join me!
Oh where to start? The last few days have been such a mix of activities, firsts, and emotions! Well, lets start off where we left off...Thanksgiving Eve...the turkey pops! So if you know me really well, you'll know my obsession with
Bakerella's Cake Pops.
I sooo want this new book!I was introduced to them when I was preparing for Graysen's first birthday party (cupcake theme) and made approximately a million of them.
I've since made reindeer for Christmas...
helped a friend make red, white, and blue ones for her daughter's birthday, and several others... This year I turned over the making to the kids, and ta da!
Yup, there they are! Turkeys, I don't know, but adorable none the less, and the kids sure were proud! Bless my Mom, she made them into a center piece for one of the Thanksgiving Tables!
Speaking of Thanksgiving...another first for Blake and Silas!
Not only was it Thanksgiving, but we had our first snow that afternoon!!!
It wasn't much, but there were definitely flakes big enough to see (although not in the picture). Silas thought it was okay for about 30 seconds and then he headed back inside where it was warm. Blake on the other hand, LOVED it! He stayed outside for probably 30 minutes, scooping it up and running inside to show me how cold his hands were. Then he'd run back outside and do a little dance. He just couldn't get enough of it! It was wonderful to experience it with them, I can't wait until there is enough to build snow men, have a snowball fight, make snow angels, and eat it!
Thanksgiving was wonderful. We had 19 family members there this year. We had lots of great conversation, food, and fun.
The kids table. Silas was very interested in all the food and how it was prepared. He spent more time than any of the kids in the kitchen with Mom and I. In his heart he's such a little helper.
Graysen also did a little too much sneaking around on Thanksgiving and found one of her birthday presents in Mom's closet! How adorable is she in her new nightgown?!
Guess what other
awesome thing happened on Thanksgiving this year? This family was united!
Some of our best friends, Joanna and Travis Lovin finally have their beautiful new son, John Shitaye home with their other two cuties, Ryan and Henry! What a blessing to be united forever on Thanksgiving night! We can't wait to meet you John!
Call me crazy, but Thanksgiving night I headed to the local Wal-Mart with my Mom, Charlie, Kara, and Chad to do some Black Friday Shopping! It was pure chaos, but we got lots of laughs...and good buys! Aside from some lady trying to steal a Paula Dean Cookware set out of my cart - while my hand was literally on it - we had a good night! I got home at 3 a.m., asleep about 4 a.m., and was up by 8 a.m. Not too terribly bad!
Friday I got to visit with two girls whom I love dearly...and one new guy who I love now too!
(Hi, Nathan! This is your first shout-out on my blog!! hee hee). Aside from that, we decorated for Christmas. Now, here is where all the emotions come into play!
For whatever reason, decorating for Christmas has always caused me a lot of stress. I love having a Christmas tree in my home, but I
despise putting it up and taking it down! I am so blessed to have a husband who has always, and will always, put the tree up for me! All I do is make hot chocolate and take pictures!
Hunter's first year to go on the roof with Daddy to put up lights!
Regardless, this day always causes me to have an anxiety attack. I think it's just the reality that Christmas is coming soon and there is always so much pressure this time of year with gifts.
Anyway. I just wish we could enjoy the tree, Christmas music, good food, and family, and most importantly the REAL reason for the season, and not have any gifts. For just one year. Maybe when I'm old...that can be my kids Christmas gift to me...a year without gifts.
I try really hard to keep a smile on my face and not let my kids know how this affects me, because that takes all the fun out of it for them, right?! This year in particular was even more difficult, with having the twins. They were just so over stimulated, and they want so badly to "fit in" that every time we do something new and I try to start explaining it to them they just say "I know mom". But they
don't! They don't know, they couldn't
possibly know, and because they won't
listen and learn, it causes more frustration for everyone involved.
(Sorry for the downer post here, but this is again, a real part of older child adoption!) So, they are trying to just rip everything out of the boxes, and they are touching
everything and driving me crazy!
So...I put on
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and snuck away into my bedroom for a few minutes of quiet prayer time to calm my soul. After just a minute of being in there, there is a knock at my door. I was so very frustrated because at this point my insides were literally shivering I was so stressed, and here I was getting interrupted. Imagine my surprise when the mailman handed me a white envelope and inside was this:
and then I was jumping around the house, praising God and feeling so much better! I sent Kari from
My Crazy Adoption this email:
Kari,
I just wanted to shoot you an email and tell you a story. I have been reading your blog since the beginning of our adoption journey (March 2009). It has been a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. Anyway...
We brought home twin 6 year old boys from Ethiopia in May 2010 and Ethiopia has been heavy on my heart ever since. As you know, even after you leave Africa, it keeps a piece of your heart. When you were doing your missions giveaway I wanted so badly to purchase a t-shirt and enter, but a shirt was out of the question for me due to our budget.
Today we got out our Christmas decorations and that is a very stressful time of year for me. This year it was more than usual because my new twins were so overstimulated by all of the activity and it was taking every ounce of my energy to keep them contained. I finally snuck away to my bedroom to sit and pray for a bit and my body was literally shaking inside I was having so much anxiety...
Then the doorbell rang. I thought to myself...really, God? Right now, I just need some quiet time with YOU! Little did I know He was showing up at my front door!
I answered the door to the mailman who handed me a white envelope...you guessed it, one of your shirts!!! I have NO idea who bought it for me, but someone did, and I couldn't have been more excited! I just wanted to share with you, that God knew in advance that my shirt would be delivered on this day, at the exact time that I needed reassurance of His never failing faithfulness and love.
God has once again, worked through you (and a mystery friend), in my life.And that's really how I feel. So,
thank you to whoever purchased that shirt for me. You have no idea what a blessing it was for me today. It will be a physical reminder that not only does the Creator of the Universe care about the big things in my life, but He cares about the little things...like the fact that I
really wanted that shirt, and that I
desperately needed a pick-me-up today...and He worked through YOU.
As my cousin
Brittany so eloquently put it on her blog (with a much similar story) a few days ago:
"God spoke to my heart. He was reminding me of His love and mercy...What perfect timing He has!"
This picture was on My Crazy Adoption a few days ago and I was really bummed that one of those wasn't headed my way...guess what? One of those white envelopes was mine!
Whew, so after all that excitement, I was motivated and ready to finish decorating for Christmas. As I was taking everything out I found the
plates that I bought for my kids last year. Guess how many there were? Three. Because last year I hadn't yet seen the faces of my two new sons. We were expecting...one...baby. My, how things have changed in a year! It brought a smile to my face and reminded me how much God has seen us through in a year's time! I also had to shoot an email to Joanna (pictured above with her new son John)...
Almost a year ago you and I went shopping at Target in Lawrence and bought Christmas plates for our families. We were thinking ahead to next year and I purchased three kids plates... We just got all of our Christmas stuff out and as I'm putting them away I realize that I'm a plate short. Last year at this time I thought we were only bringing home one (baby). Here we are a year later, and so much has changed. We are both home with our precious children that we have loved and prayed for for soooo long! Thank you for walking this path with us. You guys are simply the best. Love to all 5 of you! AshAnd at the end of the night, we look like this...
and I am happy.
I am blessed beyond belief.
We are a family...and a beautiful one, at that!
Ally and Brittany
Thank you all for coming. What a beautiful support system Graysen has.
