Good-bye, sweet friend

This week Gabe had to say good-bye to his pet lizard, Leia. 

Leia the Leopard Gecko became a part of our family in January 2012. Gabe had studied all about lizards and after much research, decided that a leopard gecko would be the perfect pet for him. He saved up his commission and bought her with his own money. Unfortunately, Leia got sick this winter and never fully recovered. 

Gabe of course, was very sad, but knows that now she is not sick any longer. She taught him how to be responsible for a living creature not to mention everything he learned about lizards by observing her for the last 2 years. 

Gabe chose where to bury her and dug the hole for her body.

He laid her to rest.

Then he let his siblings help to bury her.

He even painted a head stone for her.

She even had a special guest at the ceremony!

Gabe then told us about his memories of her. He talked about her beautiful yellow coloring, the time she bit daddy, bringing her home from the pet store, how she would wag her tail before pouncing on a cricket and how much he loved having her as a pet. 

Leia was a great pet and will be missed. 

"Leia S. Serna You were a good pet."

The kind of update I don't like to write....

I have an adoption update. It is not a fun update, though. I had expected to hear something soon after our Log-in Date about a referral. Every time my phone rang with an unfamiliar number, my heart skipped a beat. I was checking my emails like a manic. I was driving myself crazy. Unfortunately, I had given myself the wrong expectation. 

Last week I contacted our agency to see if I could get an estimate on when we would be getting "the" call. They let me know that we could still expect a 6 -7 month wait - just for a referral. Not the news I was hoping for. We just have to sit and wait patiently for the little one that God has chosen for us and rest knowing that the timing is all in his hands. 

It is HARD - but that is where we are. When I told Selah, she was so disappointed she sobbed. But, before we know it, 6 or 7 months will go by and we will finally get that call that we have been hoping and praying for. We will finally get to see the face of our little one so far away and so loved already. 

One day. 

Easter 2014

We had a very fun Easter weekend! It started off on Friday with a Homeschool Easter Party and Egg Hunt! 

On Saturday we dyed eggs, bought paint for the house (though we haven't painted yet) and some plants and then I headed out for a photo shoot! YAY!

On Sunday we attended a sun rise service and early worship. Then we had the rest of the day to celebrate! We got some fried chicken and ate it outside. Then we went to the park to fly kites and ride bikes. I even planted some flowers in the front flower bed! We finished out the evening by watching "It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown".

Here are the kids in their Easter clothes. We went over to Texas Women's University to take these pictures. This was where my shoot was on Saturday so I wanted to scope things out. 

Aren't they adorable?!?

Adoption thoughts

Well, I have no adoption updates. I have been reading blog after blog and looking at timelines. It seems that most China Special Needs adoption timelines look something like a Log in Date of the 15th and a match around the 28th. Even our social worker had a timeline like that. I really was expecting a very fast referral (match) once our dossier was logged in, but now we have waited over a month. It is hard not to be discouraged.

It is amazing how God has revealed different parts of himself to us during this process though. First we learned a whole new level of trusting in Him. We really feel like this is a leap of faith. We have to trust that he will provide the money to cover the adoption, that He will place the perfect child for our family into our hands and that we will have everything we need to raise that child. 

Next, we are learning patience in God's timing. I came to a realization the other day that God loves that little girl even more than I do now and more than I ever will and that He will reveal her to us in His perfect timing. 

Speaking of love, I am just amazed at how much our whole family already loves this nameless, faceless child. How is it possible to love someone you don't know - at all? That got me to thinking. God loves each of us. And more than that, He loved us before we knew Him. He loves us before we love Him. And we love because He first loved us. Just like we love that little one before she even knows that we are here waiting for her and loving her. 

This is a weird stage to be in. For about a year we were actively working on adoption things, paper work, biographies, etc. Now all of that is finished and we just sit and wait. 

While we wait, we prepare our hearts and we prepare our home. Last night I finished a baby blanket I have been working on since last fall. I hope she likes the color pink.

We have been collecting things for her as well. My sister gave me a lot of clothes that her girls have grown out of and a convertible crib/toddler bed. 

We are even planning her room. She and Selah will share a room. One day while we were out Selah found this print:

Selah decided when she saw it that she wanted to make an owl room for her and her little sister. She said the owls in this picture are her and her "Mei-Mei". 

So we wait, and we pray, and we learn whatever God wants us to learn while we are waiting. And we know, one day, the call will come that our little one has been found and we have our match. And then, a little later, we will bring her home to her forever family. 

A bike for my birthday

So, about a month ago Selah whispered in her daddy's ear an idea for a birthday present. They decided that since I was the only one in the family that did not have a bike, I needed one. So, we headed out bike shopping because they wanted me to pick it out. Now, to tell you the truth, I wasn't really very excited about a bike for my birthday. I hadn't ridden a bike in something like 12 years and wasn't really convinced that I would get many opportunities to ride a bike anyway. BUT then I saw my bike: a purple cruiser with rainbow stripes. Very, very cute!! It reminded me of my first bike - a gold banana seat bike with flowers on the seat! Byron, however thought I picked out the ugliest bike in the shop. 

Our plan was to take a family bike ride on Saturday morning, so Byron put a little air in the tires and loaded it in the van. Then he aired up everyone else's tires. As he was airing the last tire, we hear a Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssss........ My new bike tire was completely flat! The kids were so excited about riding bikes that we went ahead and took them to the trail. After their ride, we went to Jason's Deli for lunch and then we went to take my bike back and exchange it for a new one. The first place we went didn't have the same bike, so we went to another store. I was so happy! They had another rainbow bike! We returned home and packed all the bikes in the van to take another shot at a family bike ride. 

As we drove to the bike trail, I hear a Pssssssssssssssssssssssssss..... in the back! I just knew that this was the end of the rainbow bike! We arrived at the bike trail and Byron looked in the back to find it was Selah's bike that went flat. We never did get that family bike ride in, but Selah was happy because she didn't want to ride her bike again that evening anyway! 

So, all that to say that the kids got me a new bike for my birthday! And I love it! 

Byron said it fits my personality. I didn't know how to take that since he thinks it is ugly until he clarified that it is bright and happy. :)

The kids also made a Boston Cream Poke Cake for me (with just a little assistance). 

I feel very blessed and loved! 

Toothless

On Monday night, right before bed, Selah lost another front tooth! She now sports a sweet, toothless grin and is having to learn how to say "s" words and "th" words. SO PRECIOUS!!

A Triple Three Party!

This weekend we headed to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco for a super special party!

The triplets (my nieces and nephew) turned three!!

My sister, Rachel, let each of them chose an animal for their cake. Charli Kate choose a pink zebra cake, Tali chose a tiger, and Adrik chose a sheep. Rachel has never made a cake before and did an amazing job making these - they look professional! They tasted great, too! I think she has picked something up by osmossis through planning so many weddings! Ha! 

There was a great turn out and it was so much fun to be at the zoo with so much family!

Memaw was even able to go! Doesn't she look beautiful!?!

Mig rode on Uncle John's lap the entire time - Uncle John had rented a scooter. Mig was never too far away from Uncle John.

Fist bumps!

The party was by the Lemurs - and they provided a lot of entertainment (as if triplets aren't enough). 

After the party we all stuck around the zoo and saw more animals:

Such a FUN way to celebrate Charli Kate, Tali and Adrik!