Camera????

So, as you may know, my camera (that is less than a year old) broke for the 2nd time before we moved. I was going to send it off to be repaired since it was still under warranty but I wanted to wait until we moved because of the address change. Anyhoo...in all the craziness of the weeks leading up to the move...the camera is now nowhere to be found. I tried to find it before we moved and I had hoped that it would turn up as we unpacked.

No luck. We have unpacked about 3/4 of our boxes and still no camera. I also can't find our old camera that would work just fine for now. So, I'm in a dilemma. I need a camera for Samuel's first day of school that is coming up next week. I hope to have the rest of the boxes unpacked in the next few days, but if I don't find the camera I guess I will be going to buy another new one. Sigh. Thank goodness for birthday money that will be coming this month!

So, for those of you who love your cameras...which one do you have and why do you like it? I need some recommendations for a good camera!!!! Don't be shy...leave a comment and let me know...PLEASE!!!

Glorifying the Father of the Fatherless

My friend Susie sent me this link from the Desiring God blog. I couldn't have expressed or said it better so I figured I would just copy and paste what the author wrote about adoption. Of course it hit home with me and is something we are passionate about in this household!

"At the adoption agency, the first person I met was my son toddling around the corner. He walked up to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. He wanted out of that place!

What I believe he wanted even more than that was a daddy.

That is the case today with millions of children around the world. UNICEF estimates that there are over 132 million orphans in the world today living without a permanent family. In the United States alone, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says, there are over 129,000 children waiting for a daddy and mommy. There are also many mothers with unexpected pregnancies who want to choose adoption instead of abortion.

With all these parentless children, it is no side note that God is a "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5). He has made adoption the apex of the Gospel. His spiritual enemies are now his very sons and daughters through the Cross.

And God calls us, his adopted family, to be a part of his care for the fatherless. At the core of God's nature is a Father's heart that we are to reflect. Scripture is clear that practical care for orphans is fundamental to the mission of the church.

In Psalm 10:18 we are commanded to "do justice to the fatherless." And Isaiah tells us to "Defend the cause of the fatherless" (1:17). James writes, "religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans…in their affliction" (1:27).

Surely this means not only caring temporarily for the needs of orphans, but also permanently caring for them through adoption. We have an incredible opportunity in adoption to live out God's compassion and so eternally change the life of a child.

A year after we adopted, my wife gave birth to our third child, a beautiful baby girl. The wonder and beauty of becoming a parent through birth and adoption are incomparable and yet each is just as sweet and amazing and wonderful.

I encourage any of you who are praying about growing your family to consider adoption as a way of magnifying the "Father of the fatherless."

And for those of you who aren't called to adopt there many other ways to care for orphans such as foster-care, financially supporting those who are adopting, visiting orphanages, sponsoring a child, and praying.

The question will never be whether you should care for orphans. The question is how you will care for them and in doing so reflect the compassion of God for the least of these."

Jeff loving on Samuel the day we met him in the orphanage

Settling In

We got internet and we got boxes everywhere! Rowen came down from Birmingham with his daddy to help us move. The boys had a great time playing in the back yard and moving in all of Samuel's toys.

We are slowly settling in. It's going to take awhile and I hate clutter! When we moved to Athens (with no kids) I was unpacked and set up in 2 weeks...I think it's definitely going to take a bit longer this time! Actually, we have been able to get a lot done and have had so much help which we are so grateful for. We love our neighborhood and have had so many people stop by to welcome us. It has been really nice. The kids are doing pretty good...we have had lots of tantrums and meltdowns but that is to be expected I guess. Today, we are going to register Samuel for Kindergarten. YIKES! I can't believe he is getting so big.

Thanks for all your encouragement and prayers!

17 Months (almost)

This is moving week...and also the week EK turns 17 months. WOW!! So, since we are moving to a new house this week don't be alarmed if there is a lag in blog posts due to our internet not being installed yet. I will try to take a trip or 2 perhaps to Panera or some coffee shop that has free Wi-Fi. I am so addicted to the internet, I know I won't stay away long. Anyway, I digress.

Since we might not have internet on EK's 17 month bday (23rd) I thought I would go ahead and post. I feel like so much has changed just in a month since I did her 16 month post. She is changing so fast and learning so much! I know I am biased, but I think she is really smart! Her vocabulary has exploded and she is learning and adding new words almost daily. I wrote them down yesterday and she now says more than 40 words and several phrases. It really amazes me how much she is learning. I think part of it is that she takes after her mama and loves loves loves books! She will sit and look at them by herself some, but she would sit in my lap forever and let me or her daddy read to her.

I feel like we may be entering into the terrible two's a little early! She has started throwing temper tantrums and is very strong willed! She does not listen to "no" or respond to any of my discipline. Redirecting doesn't work much either. Whining is more common than ever now. Some days can be trying, but most days are fun because she is really hilarious! She loves to dance and wiggle her hips back and forth. I really hope to get it on video (of course I have to have a camera for that and I will no longer have access to my mom's). Ellie Kate also loves shoes. She is always putting on someone's shoes and walking around in them. Speaking of walking, EK doesn't do much of that anymore. She is always running and climbing on everything. I feel like she is an accident waiting to happen...the girl has no fear!

Ellie Kate is VERY social and loves people! Wherever we go, she thinks everyone should notice her. If we are eating in a restaurant or shopping at Target, she breaks into a huge grin and waves at everyone who walks by...whether they acknowledge her or not!

So, why do I post these things? I really do them for me (and for her later on). I'm sure most of you don't really care about how many words she says or what her little attitude is like...but since I am not keeping a baby book up very well for her, I figure if I print this blog off at some point...it will be great to go back and see how she changed each month. Also, I think I will want to compare her with the next baby. I love going back and reading our old website (which I copied and pasted into a very big Word document) and seeing how much Samuel changed the first few years. I love blogs because they are so easy and for some reason more fun than writing it down in a book!!!!

If you made it this far...you are a saint! Pray for us this week as we move into our new house. Sometimes Samuel has a hard time transitioning and it is hard for me to be patient in that. We have a lot of details to take care of too which can be overwhelming. I hope to update again soon!

Sewing

This week I have been doing some more sewing. It really is a lot of fun, but I wish I were a little better at it. I have so many ideas in my head and then they don't always turn out like I want. Anyway, this week I have been making a lot of burp cloths for friends and myself. I also made a nursing cover up, otherwise known as a Hooter Hider, and a diaper changing pad. Below are some pictures. I think they turned out pretty cute. Now all I need is a monogramming machine!

Hooter Hider

Burp Cloth

Diaper Changing Pad

All 3 together as a gift set:)

In Between

Well, I survived the move.

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. We are now at my parents for the "in between" stage. We actually don't move to T-town next Monday. Jeff is at the beach with his college buddies right now and will do a wedding this weekend back in Athens for some students who were involved in our ministry at UGA. The kids and I will just hang out. So far, we are having a great time! Yesterday was our last Sunday at church in Athens. Afterwards a group of us gathered at the Coffey's house for food and fellowship. It was a fun time and we really appreciate our friends so much. They were so sweet to gather around and pray for us before we left. Today, Samuel went to the Yellow River Game Ranch with my mom (it's a really cool petting zoo) while EK and I had a nice relaxing morning and made a trip to Wal-mart. Fun Stuff.

Here are some recent pics...

Athens girls

EK picking flowers

first ponytail...she is so grown up!

she insisted on climbing into the smallest bucket

Samuel on the big wheels

Petting the deer at Yellow River (he also go to feed them)

feeding a pig

Loving on a sweet bunny

posing with a very tame deer

Samuel was a little scared of the Hog...even though mom tried to tell him there was no way the hog could run:)

Thankful

The time is here. Boxes are packed. Truck is reserved. Movers are scheduled. Tonight is our last night at this house. It is bittersweet. Our last 4 years in Athens has been amazing. It has been a place we have thrived and loved. It has been a place where we have experienced many life-changing events. As I think about the significance of what has happened in our lives as we lived here, I know it is part of the reason why I will be crying as we pull out of the driveway for the last time tomorrow. And yet, we feel much anticipation for what the Lord will do as move to Tuscaloosa and trust Him to provide in the same way there.

When we moved here over 4 years ago from a hard 2 years in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, we were in desperate need of encouragement and life-giving community. That is exactly what the Lord provided. The leadership and ministry training we received under Gary Purdy and then David Robbins have just been awesome. But more importantly we have experienced true Gospel-centered community in our staff teams. The Lord has been so sweet to provide such wonderful friends in our co-workers who have loved on us and have prayed for us during so many joys and sorrows.

It was about 3 years ago that we got more involved with our church here and God continued to provide community for us there as well. We have grown so much the last few years and it is in large part due to our church home. I am especially thankful for the friends I made and the ways that they have pointed me to Christ through all the facets of growing our family. Not to mention we just have fun together! I will miss them so so so much!!!

This is the home we brought our first 2 miracles home to. This is the home we lost our 3rd miracle. This is the home we found out about our 4th miracle. Much of the journey to our family has happened here. When I look at the picture above of my precious children, I am overwhelmed anew at the Lord's great mercy to me. Bringing them home in December of 2005 and February of 2007 were some of the biggest joys of my life!

Another great joy of living in Athens has been how close we have been to my family. They have been such a huge help to us in so many areas. Babysitting. Yardwork. Moving Furniture. This is by far the hardest part of leaving Athens...the fact that we will be moving further away from my family.

The decision to leave here was not an easy one. I have struggled with my emotions and trusting the Lord and His calling. If I had my rathers, I wouldn't be moving. However, I know that God has called us to Tuscaloosa. As believers in Christ, and especially as full-time ministers of the gospel, we are called to follow Him wherever He leads. Jeff and I are confident that He has led us to make this move no matter how hard it is. We are excited about what He is going to do in and through us as Jeff becomes the campus director at Alabama.

I am trusting that the Lord is good. That He promises good to me and my family. It is a continual life lesson for me. My friend Lyn shared this very familiar verse with me as I was struggling to trust God's plan is calling us to Bama. She encouraged me to truly claim this promise as we move. It has definitely been something I have meditated on and claimed and will continue to do so in the difficult moments that are sure to come.

Jeremiah 29:11

(The Message)
"I'll show up and take care of you as I promised... I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

(NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."