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!

Guess what?!?

We have our...

LID - Log-in Date!

What this means is that our next big step will be our referral!! Now that we are logged-in, we can get our referral any time! We are one giant step closer to seeing our little girl's face. One step closer to learning more about this one that we are already so in love with - though we know so little about. One step closer to our daughter who is so far away. One step closer. 

A fun weekend with family

Last week was our Spring Break. We had a great week. On Monday, Daddy had the day off. We went shopping at Garden Ridge and cooked out. For Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had each child pick something free or super cheap that they wanted to do. Gabe's request was to go to a park other than the one down the street from us and invite some friends. On Tuesday the weather was gorgeous. So, we went to a park down the street from some friends of ours. Gabe decided to wade in the creek at the park and got in the van with a leech on his leg! YUCK! But, he had a blast. Selah wanted to "up-cycle" her American Girl bunk beds. We painted them white, picked out some material and then I sewed (and she supervised) some new bed clothes. Mig wanted a pajama day. On Wednesday we rented a Redbox movie, piled pillows in the living room, and had a pj day! 

Friday was the grand finale of our Spring Break - Nicol and our four nephews came up to spend the weekend!! We decided to take them all geocaching. If you haven't been geocaching before, it is super fun (and totally free). 

Our first find was located near our local park. We had tried to find this one during the summer and never could locate it, so we were super excited to find it this time!!

Our next find was my favorite. It was in the woods behind our park. There was a clue that read, "Un-natural, natural camouflage." We could not figure out what that meant until we saw this:

JT was quite excited and impressed with this hiding spot. 

Each cache has a paper inside for your signature that you found it and, if big enough, some kind of trinket. 2 of the 3 caches we found had coins inside. 

Our 3rd and final find was a little too far away to walk, so we got in the vans and drove to find it. It was a very easy find.

After re-hiding the cache, we took a trip up to Gainesville, TX where we enjoyed dinner at Serna's Mexican restaurant! We even got to chat for a long time with the owner who was so nice! 

The next day was rainy and gray. We decided to stay home and created another Froese Bros. movie production. It has become a tradition of ours to do a video when we are all together with the boys. This time we did our first improv video and made a kind of satire of our trip to Serna's Restaurant! Jonathan is working on editing it. When it is completed, I will share it here as well. It was a great weekend and such a fun time!!