A completed home study!

We just received an email from Marci at our adoption agency and she just finalized our home study and it is complete!! With our home study complete, we are one BIG step closer to having Gabriella join our family. Something is telling us that it may not be all boys in our next sibling photo when we are on the beach in Florida:) We're praying that God picks out the perfect little sister for our family...one who can easily keep up with three big brothers and will more than likely have them wrapped around her little finger.

It's a winter wonderland

Curtis and Daniel were out plowing all night. After a little break for a nap and hearty lunch Curtis took Jordan and Nicholas out to plow with him this afternoon.

Bailey just kissed me! Oh no, I have dog slobber on my face and it's going to freeze there!

To say it snowed last night puts it mildly! We woke up to 9 inches of snow today in central Indiana! As we are transplants from Ft Wayne where we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the snow, it was a welcome site this morning. Did I also mention school was closed...talk about some happy boys:)

Thankful!!

I'm not sure how many of you have had to take a combination class of epidemiology and bio statistics incorporating preventive medicine. If you have taken one, I truly admire you! It was a required class for my family nurse practitioner degree and I just completed the class today!! The class started in October and I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that I've passed it and I'm on "the other side" of it:) We are going home for the weekend for some much needed R & R:)

You need what piece of paper

Bailey's expression says it all when you are up to your heals in adoption paper work. How some people can say that adoption is the "easy" way to complete your family is beyond me! That's ok Bailey, get your rest because once Gabriella comes home from China...I think you will have a new playmate that will change your days that are now filled with long naps by the fireplace:) The good news is...our home study is almost complete which will mean we are one step closer in the adoption process:)

Are you ready for some...basketball

Nicholas had his basketball tournament tonight. If we didn't have pictures to prove it, no one would believe that he played this intense of a game! This is our little guy who doesn't want to hurt any ones feelings including on the basketball court ~ so, for him to play hard defense, get on the floor to save the ball and play this aggressive ~ all we can say is we are soooooo proud of him for playing his heart out! Way to go Nicholas!

The Shamrocks played a very intense game against the Eagles tonight! Though it could have been any ones game, the Rocks pulled off the win with a score of 45 - 39. Jordan played the entire game and had 9 assists, 6 steals and 3 points tonight! The Shamrocks are now 6-1 ~ way to go!!!!

McKeenzie turns 2

Today we celebrated McKeenzie, our great niece, turning two years old! Several of us remember the early morning that she was born. We had a sleep over in the waiting room of the hospital and we were thrilled when they brought this beautiful little girl to the nursery so we could all see her:) She enjoyed opening all of her gifts and got pretty excited when she opened clothes ~ sounds like she may be a "girly" girl. Jacob, her older cousin, was on hand to help her open some of the presents that were tightly wrapped:) The best gift of all is that Jeremy, McKeenzies daddy, is continuing to do very well following his surgery and for that we are all extremely thankful:)

Peacefulness

I woke up this morning with a complete sense of peace. As I spent some quiet time pondering what it was I was so peaceful about I realized that I was at peace in knowing I will actually graduate with my masters in nursing next year ~ it feels like it's been forever, however little by little I'm getting there. I was also at total peace knowing that God's hand is in complete control of our adoption of bringing Gabriella home from China. He called us to do this earlier than we had planned however, it is a lesson in God's timing verses our timing ~ we are truly learning to "let go and let God" and it's amazing how everything is falling into place. Yesterday evening I had learned about how God would use doves to bring messages to people in the old testament of the Bible. Imagine my surprise when after I awoke, with a complete sense of peace, I went downstairs and opened the blinds to find a dove nestled in our hammock on the deck looking directly in the window at me. Yes, I believe that God has everything under control and that's a great feeling:)