We have snow

Last Friday it started snowing. The kids were so excited (and so was I). When I got the boys up from their nap they pointed out the window and I told them it was snow. They wanted to go out so bad. Connor kept saying "no" (he was trying to say snow) and pointing at the window. So I bundled them up and let them go see. I just love our once yearly snow fall.







Then, when we woke up Saturday there was enough snow to go sledding. Ellie was loving it.

We all went to the hill at the park in the Cedar Field neighborhood next to us. Ellie had so much fun!

Connor had lots of fun pointing and laughing as people went down the hill. He went down twice and Zander went down only once. He didn't like being out as much as he did on Friday. Zander would not even walk in the snow. He just stood wherever we put him.

Matt is pulling Ellie, Gracie, and Connor

Gracie slid down the hill with Connor. We let them go by themselves and they ended up going really fast. There was a creek at the bottom of the hill (which we did not know about). Thankfully they were going fast enough that they went right across it and landed on the other side. Poor Connor then fell out face first. I think he had fun though becuase he did go again. :)

Jeremy

Jeremy and Gracie

Ellie

Tracie

Tim when down with the boys and this is him pulling them back up the hill

Tracie, Lindsay, and Reese in the baby bjorn. You probably can't see from the picture, but Reese was smiling. She had fun going down the hill. She was a trooper.

Jeremy tried standing as he went down

Didn't quite make it

Update

Tim talked to Peter (our Ugandan lawyer) this morning. The US embassy has stopped the visa process temporarily (hopefully). Yesterday Peter met with the judges, two US Embassy officals and one Canadian Embassy offical. He is now writing an opinion letter stating how the rulings need to be worded to follow Ugandan law (and show that no laws will be broken with this wording) and show the US Embassy that the new wording does indeed follow Ugandan law and that no laws will be broken if visa's are issued. Peter needs prayer for wisdon in writing this and that it will be accepted. He thinks this can be done and he told Tim he would email us a letter explaining all of this. He told us that this pushes our case back another 2-3 weeks, but I am thankful that we have not had our court date yet, even though I am anxious to leave. Right now we are trusting God that this will get worked out and we will be able to bring Ruth home (as well as all the other families waiting).Thank you for your prayers.

This is a picture of Ruth that a friend, who is in Uganda right now trying to get her son, took for me. Isn't she a cutie? I love that girl!

Please pray

Please pray for everyone trying to adopt from Uganda. Here are some blogs that explain a little of what is going on, but bascially the US Embassy has denied visa's to people who already were given custody of their children and now they can't bring them to the United States. All proceedings have been put on hold. Obviously this is very upsetting for us and we don't know what is going to happen, but we are trusting God in this. Please pray with us that this will be resolved and we can bring our daughter home, and that the others can bring their children home.

2009

Wow. 2009 has brought some changes and many, many blessings. We moved into your new house (and are blessed to have some GREAT neighbors), I went to Africa (which I NEVER thought I would do) and we decided to try to adopt a little girl (so BLESSED!). The Lord surprised us a lot this last year. Thank you Lord!!

Missing teeth

Ellie has already lost 2 teeth. She just turned 5 in November and already has 2 teeth gone! She had all kinds of questions about the tooth fairy like: what is her name, where does she live, how does she carry all the money for all the kids, what does she do with the teeth, how does she get in the house...more questions than I was prepared to answer. The first tooth fell out while eating, the second tooth had to be pulled out by daddy. She wants to know when she will lose more so she can get some more money from the tooth fairy.

Boy's birthday

For the boys birthday we took them to Monkey Joes. Zander had so much fun. He even went on the biggest slide there and loved it. Connor on the other hand did not like it so much. I don't think he felt stable walking around on everything.

Connor did not like the slide.

Connor was happy to just sit in my lap

Connor was so funny opening his presents. He would wrip off a piece of paper, then walk over to the trash and throw it away, then tear off another piece and do it again.

The boys got singing birthday cards and they loved them. They kept opening them over and over.

Then, it was time for cake. Both boys asked for a second helping and being their birthday, I could not say no.

















Sugar high. Connor is showing how happy he is and how much he likes the cake.

Happy Birthday boys

Happy Birthday boys!

I can't believe it has been two years since you were born! Two years ago today you were born at 29 weeks, 11 weeks before we were ready to met you. BUT, God had that day planned out perfectly! Everything was in perfect timing. First, it happened on a Saturday. Any other day of the week and I probably would not have gone to the hospital as soon as I did and I would have probably waited until the doctors office opened to call, all of which would have been to late and we could have all died. Dad was home and insisted I call the doctor at 6am. Thank you God. Next, the doctor on call was just the perfect doctor. He knew me and knew that I never complained of pain and that if I was calling I had better get in right away (even though I didn't think the pain was that bad at first). By the time I got to the hospital the pain was so intense I could not stand or walk. The doctor was there in my room right away and God gave him the wisdom to know what was going on. He told me later that as soon as he saw me and I told him the pain was getting worse even though they dosed me up with morphine that he was very worried about what was happening because he knew what it probably was. He also told me later that he was nervous the whole time because if he was wrong and he delivered the boys at 29 weeks, he knew that their lives would be at risk. The doctor told me that I was the first one they had in their practice to have a ruptured uterus that didn't happen during labor, that happened in the middle of a healthy pregnancy. So, he wasn't sure that's what it was. But, God gave him the courage to make the decision and stand firm when Tim was questioning him (even though the whole time he was also wondering). God saved my life that day and the lives of you boys and we have been blessed by you both. Thank you Lord for the doctors and nurses in the NICU that day. Thank you Lord for friends to help with Ellie, and friends who came to the hospital to be with Tim during my emergency C-section so he would not have to be alone, and friends who prayed for my life and the lives of my boys. Thank you for two healthy boys!

First picture: Zander at 3lbs

Connor at 2lb 13 oz