Summer Fun

Happy Summer, Y'all!


Summer comes late to Seattle, but we are have been enjoying it so much...

1. Fourth of July
No Burn Ban in our Neighborhood:)

Happy 4th!


2.Family: Ryann and I had the privilege of spending 2 weeks in Texas. We had so much fun seeing both sides of our sweet and supportive family.

Love this picture of Ryann and her PaPa

Grandma Robison and her 6 Great-Grandkids, what a treasure she is.

Ryann had so much fun fishing with her Pappy and her Uncle Jason

Uncle Read and Anne brought Ryann a huge present, a gigantic whale, which Ryann promptly named Cecilia...A perfect name for a whale?


3. Friends: We had so much fun seeing our friends during our Texas trip.

Greta, Ryann, and Hattie-Sweet Girls!

All of my bestest friends from FBA/FBC-Such an incredible JOY for us all to be together with our offspring:)

We had so much fun seeing our good friends, The Woods!
Ryann and Barrett-Best Buddies

Sweet Caroline, Ryann and Barrett

One.

*We have been officially on the waitlist for one month.It's weird to me to say we have been waiting one month, when in reality it has been so much longer than that. We have wanted to adopt for years, and have been in the process for almost a year. However, we have been on the official waitlist for one month as of today, August 1, so that is the marker I will count. When I was pregnant with Ryann, I wanted to write her a letter each month she was in utero, but never did. I want to write letters each month to our next daughter for however long we wait.
To Our Daughter,
This past month, we experienced the joy and excitement of being officially placed on a very long waitlist, for you.The reality of how long the list is and how long we will have to wait is daunting sometimes.We wish we could get on a plane right now to come, for you,but that is not part of God's plan. A plan that is far bigger and wider than mine. A plan that brought us to this place.A plan that will change our family for the better. A plan that has already changed me so much, and it has only be one month. A plan that has me seeing beyond myself. A plan I cannot wait to see play out. A plan I am so blessed and honored to be a part of. However long, this list is one that we will gladly wait on, for you. This month, we told all our family and friends that we were waiting with great expectation, for you. We are praying fervently, daily, for you. I have loved teaching Ryann about your birthplace this month; we put a map in her room with a heart on Ethiopia, she looks at it many times a day, asking, for you. I tell her the wait is long, which is hard to understand.Waiting for you, is teaching her patience, teaching me patience, teaching your dad patience... But she prays, I pray, your dad prays, for you. You, my dear, are in my heart always.We have so much love in our hearts, for you.
We love you.

Horn of Africa Famine

This is bad. Really bad. My heart hurts for these people who are literally starving to death. This crisis has impacted more than 10 million people in this area of our World, specifically in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia (where a piece of our heart and family may, in fact, already live).Breaks my heart. It is the worst drought in 60 years. World Concern is currently working in Kenya and Somalia in active response to this famine.This situation is dire. Please consider taking action. $10 would give food and water to one child for a month. To donate in response to this famine you can go here or you can go to Mark's personal fundraising page. All donations go to the same place, World Concern.

Increasing our Flock

We found out on Friday, July 1, 2011, that we were "waitlisted." We were filled with joy when we heard these words, and this is a list we will gladly wait on. After 7 years of praying,and 8 months of paperwork gathering, we are so happy to announce that we are adopting from Ethiopia. Last Friday, we found out that our dossier was complete and on it's way to Ethiopia. Let the waiting begin....
I have so very many words about this subject and look forward to writing more and more about our journey on this little blog....stay tuned. While I organize my thoughts, enjoy my new blog header, made with love for us by our super talented cousin, Jennifer Hanson

Summer Afternoon

"Summer afternoon, Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language" -Henry James

A Girl and her Fish

A couple of weeks ago, Ryann had a field trip. To a trout farm. When I read the flier, I thought, "Oh that's nice, she will have fun catching and releasing little fish." I was wrong. I didn't know that after she caught a fish, we would have to take said fish home. Ryann caught her fish through the eye. I was done right there. I was not prepared for the amount of blood, and being the great mom that I am, I ran this poor fish to the only dad that came on the trip. Poor guy. He unhooked the now blind fish with blood all over it and put it in Ryann's bucket. Poor fish, it was flopping around, dying a slow death. I begged Ryann's teacher to allow us to throw it back, but she said that was not part of the plan and had me take the fish to a man in a booth, who then proceeded to end the fish's suffering, and get it prepared for us to take home and cook for dinner. Gross. Meanwhile, Ryann is oblivious, telling all her classmates and their parents how adorable her fish is and how she is going to take it home for a pet. She used the word adorable (her current favorite adjective) about 15 times.

In the car, I explained to her that the adorable fish was no longer with us. Thinking that she would be really upset by this, I was shocked that she wanted Mark to cook him when he got home from work. When Mark got home, Ryann was right by him as he chopped off the fish's head and tail and she even helped him season and grill the fish. Mark and I wanted nothing to do with the actual eating of the fish. Ryann, on the other hand, ate every bite.

Ryann presenting her catch


Here is a video of Ryann helping Mark cook her "Adorable" Fish. Ryann's pappy (a skilled fisherman) should be so proud. Heather, you get a shout out as well...funny!

Proud of our Cubbie

Ryann recently finished her first year of Cubbies with AWANA. She loved it, We loved it..such a great program for kids (and their parents) I loved learning these little verses just as much as she did. Here is our girl at the Awards ceremony with her cute friends from our small group...