She resurfaces.......one year later!

Hello all 2 of you who still may wander to this blog occasionally to see if I've made any effort to update.  Because, really, who starts a blog and then neglects to update it for an entire year?!  ME, that's who!  Why have I not updated?  Well, mostly because I've been busy raising two delightful, high-spirited boys.  Trent is now 6 years old and just began 1st Grade.  Elias is now 5 years old and just began Kindergarten.  They both attend Clemons Lutheran School, which we all love. 


Elias - First day of Kindergarten

Trent - First day of 1st Grade




Trent lost his first tooth!

recent family photo

We have also been busy plugging away at another BIG project.  Let me take you back to November 2010 when we formally applied to Holt International Children's Services to adopt a girl from Ethiopia.  Yes, that's November 2010 - nearly 2 years ago!  A lot has happened since then.  Mostly paperwork.  But, alas, on August 24th we formally accepted referral of a beautiful 7-month-old baby girl!  Jordan Elizabeth.  This was a total surprise to us.  We were thinking that it could possibly be another year before we were matched - or, even worse, that this adoption might not happen.  However, when we applied to adopt from Ethiopia, we also applied to Ethiopia's Waiting Child Program.  (basically, that means that we were open to a child with mild to moderate special needs)  Jordan has a partial, unilateral cleft lip that will need to be surgically repaired when she gets home.  Cleft lip is something that we had specifically been open to when filling out our original paperwork.  So, basically, our profile matched perfectly with this baby girl.  God is good!
In light of this new development, I am going to make an ardent effort to keep up with my blog.  Stay tuned to see what the next step in this process will be...

Trent finishes preschool

Trent really enjoyed preschool at Clemons Lutheran School.  He absolutely loved his teacher, Mrs. Pfantz.  She's the best! 
On one of his last days of school, we visited Blank Park Zoo in DSM.  It was 95 degrees that day, but we all had a great time!

 

Trent's preschool likes:  recess, space lab, birthday treats, show & tell, being the leader
Trent's preschool dislikes:  painting, cheese crackers, waiting until it is his turn to speak

That year went fast!  Soon he'll be starting kindergarten.  Where did the time go?

Easter 2011

The boys and I have a blast doing crafts.  We always decorate our kitchen for each holiday season, and it's fun to watch them be creative. 

Here is our Easter egg coloring/crafting:

Staying on task, as usual...

 

Elias discovers a new talent!

Bunny masks!

Clearly, my masks were boring.  Elias had to add a little bling!

 We had a very Happy Easter!

I knew I wouldn't keep up with a blog...

Here's a lame attempt to catch up on a few things since January.

February 2011

Packers win the Superbowl!!!  We love the Pack!  And, we went all out for our family Superbowl party.

Green & Gold cupcakes

Kickoff!

Birth of my beautiful niece, Lainey!

Elias is 4! (Just like Trent!)

Elias is such a good little brother.  He idolizes everything about his big brother Trent.  His whole life is spent watching his big brother and then trying with every fiber of his being to be just like him.  We affectionately call him Elias "me too" Cakerice because it doesn't matter what Trent is talking about or asking for - Elias says "me, too!"  Well, now when Trent says he is 4 years old, Elias can happily and rightfully chime in "ME, TOO!"
Trent takes his role as big brother pretty seriously, too.  He often will step in when I am getting after Elias for something, telling me to "back off!"  I never could have imagined this love that has developed between the two of them.  It's so fun to watch them play together and listen to their cute conversations at night before they fall asleep. 
When discussing birthday plans, Elias was only concerned with the food.  He needed to have pizza and chocolate cupcakes with green frosting on top - you guessed it - just like Trent's last birthday! 



Mmmmm.....



The new bike!

And here are a couple of cute Elias quotes from his birthday celebration:
after opening a gift - "My hit the jackpot!"
after opening a card with money in it - "Cash!"
I think we're the ones who hit the jackpot!  Happy Birthday, Elias!  We love you sooo much!

Cakerice Christmas 2010

This Christmas was especially fun with the boys being 3 and 4 years old.  They started getting really excited for Christmas back in mid November, and they were about to burst by the time Christmas morning finally got here! 
We started our celebration at Trent's preschool program on December 17.  His class dressed up as angels and sang "Away In A Manger."  He informed me as we were leaving for the program that he was going to sing the loudest!  (Every class has one of those, you know!)  He did a great job, and we could definitely hear him singing!  Trent goes to preschool at Clemons Lutheran School.  He loves it!
We had a great time with Al's side of the family on Christmas Eve, including an epic snowball fight and sledding behind the 4-wheeler.  Good stuff!
We spent a quiet Christmas day at home enjoying our gifts and eating Al's homemade cinnamon rolls.  Yum!
The day after Christmas we headed to New Providence to celebrate with my family at the Roundhouse.  This is always a highlight for the boys.  They get to run off some of their cabin fever in the gym with all of their cousins.  Fun time!  Here are a few photos from Christmas 2010.



Christmas Card



Grandma & Grandpa Harrell



My favorite pic - My brother, Tom, and his son Kayne



Elias opening his scooter - the only thing he asked for for...

...and the reaction!  I think it was very nearly the last gift he opened.
Big brother is pretty excited about it, too : )

I am so thankful for my family!  We always have a great time when we are together.  We're very fortunate to have all of our family so close and able to gather together for the holidays. 
We also attended a wonderful Christmas Eve service at our church, along with a wonderful day after Christmas service.  The gifts are fun, the food is great, and family time is wonderful - but all that pales in comparison to the birth of Jesus Christ!  I hope you all had a wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas! 

National Adoption Month

If you know me, you know that my family doesn't look like most other families.  We are a colorful bunch.  We don't all share the same DNA.  But, we are a family all the same.  I believe every child is a gift from God.  Sometimes this gift is received through the miracle of pregnancy and delivery, and sometimes this gift is received through the miracle of adoption.  I have been blessed with the privilege of experiencing both of these miracles.  There is no way to compare one to the other.  There are commonalities, of course:  both result in the addition of a child to your family, and most importantly, experiencing God's undeniable presence in each process.  When I was expecting my eldest child, I was sure that I would never feel that close to God or so sure of His presence ever again in my life.  That held true until I experienced the gift of adoption.  I cannot describe how it feels to be an adoptive parent, reflecting on all of the anticipation, waiting, stress and uncertainty, only to find that the one special child from halfway around the world who was meant to be yours somehow found his way to you.  Indescribable!  God's presence in adoption is undeniable.  His hands are all over it.  God sets the lonely in families... Ps 68:6


Two precious gifts

November is National Adoption Month.  If you have ever considered adoption, I urge you to take that next step in faith.  I'd be happy to assist you in finding an agency that is right for you.  Or, maybe you are not at a place in your life where you can adopt, but you have a heart for children.  There are many ways to make a difference in the life of an orphan:  child sponsorship, foster care, or give to organizations like the James 1:27 Foundation to help families just like ours.  Above all else, PRAY for all of the children around the world who are going to sleep lonely, helpless and unsure of their future tonight.  And, pray for those families who have stepped out in faith and are answering the call to care for orphans by bringing them home to a permanent, loving family.