Introducing Jossalyn

The princess under the lights!

Aww, they pricked her little heel!

She's hiding from Mommy's camera already!

Ahhh, sleeping peacefully!

Well, these pictures aren't the greatest because Miss Priss is having some tanning time due to an elevated bilirubin! I must say she is BEAUTIFUL and just as sweet and cuddly as she can be! She has to stay in the NICU for a few extra days but we've waited this long a few more days won't hurt us, right?! I will get more pictures tomorrow!

**Please pray her bili levels go down quickly! The quicker they go down, the quicker she can come home with us! I have 3 boys (and a Nana) who are SO ready to see this little girl! Not to mention poor Daddy-O who is {not so} patiently waiting at home for her!

The Duke's are jumping for joy!

Why do we look so excited???
BECAUSE WE ARE HEADING TO FLORIDA TO GET OUR BABY!!!
Please be in prayer for us as we travel down! Keep looking back for updates as I will try to get pictures up asap!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phillippians 4:4

I have heard SO much about the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I read the "intro" online and I MUST have this book! I took the link below from a friends blog (The Krist Place) because I think it's wonderul. Take a few minutes. It's well worth your time! A few friends and I have decided to read this book together and I am super excited! I will let you know what I think! (oh and if anyone can tell me how to embed a link in my blog, I would be ever so happy...like when I mentioned the above blog, to have it take you there when you click.....)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOUaszMGvQ&feature=player_embedded

ENDURE

Before the New Year and before my facebook disappearance, I heard and saw many people discussing their "theme" for 2011. I hadn't really given it much thought and didn't want to decide on a word for myself that I may not be able to "stick" to.

And that was that.

Then New Years Eve came. Around 3 am, one of my loves woke me up because he had to go #2. Yes, in the middle of the night...that's a {little} man for ya!

When I groggily got back in bed, I clearly heard the word "endure". Then I immediately thought of these verses,

1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

The next morning during my quiet time, I looked up these verses and the meaning of the word endure... to stand firm; endure; persevere; take it patiently; abode (act of waiting); suffer

I am not sure what this means for me. I do know I have brought this to mind many times over the past few weeks (for various reasons) and it gives me an unmistakable peace.

So I will endure. I will persevere. I will stand firm. I will take it patiently. I will abide. I will suffer.




3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Farewell Facebook

It's been fun!
I have decided to forgo facebook...
I still have the account. I can receive messages and I can see if anyone writes on my wall through my email but I am choosing to not go on facebook. I am choosing not to read the feeds and so forth. Why do you ask? There are many reasons, actually, but why not? :)
Facebook is fun but it can also time consuming if you let it. I decided I have better things to do with my time! I also realized that I don't need to know all the things about all people on there, really. I was allowing other peoples posts and comments to effect my moods or how I felt at times. That is unnecessary. I think some people use facebook for the wrong reasons (just an opinion so CHILL!). SOOOO, I have just decided, for personal reasons, to steer clear of it....maybe for a while.....maybe for-e-ver (said in my best Sandlot voice....those who know the movie, know what I mean!)

It has been brought to my attention that I have been lacking in the blogging world lately. I am aware of this and I do apologize! I don't know if it's that I don't have anything to say or more so that I have so much to say that I am having a hard time getting my thoughts in an order fit to be blog worthy!
An update on our fam will suffice for now, I'm sure!
Christmas was wonderful! We had a white Christmas and I had a white birthday which was just grand! The boys enjoyed their time off of school as did I and we all enjoyed Daddy-O being home with us for so long!
The boys have started basketball again. It amazes me at the improvement each of them have made from just last year! Camron is our shy guy! He wants to play and has fun when he does but couldn't bring himself to play in his first game! Caden, on the other hand was running up and down the court! Jaxon's defensive skills have improved so much! I must admit that all of my boys (Daddy-O included) are counting down the days until baseball season arrives!
I know many of you are wondering where we stand in the adoption world. We are waiting....patiently....knowing that God will bless us with a baby at just the right time. Once you have a fall through, you go top priority..., BUT we also want a low risk case. Obviously there is risk with anything and everything but the lower the risk the better so that we don't lose any more money! No worries, I WILL blog about it when it happens ;)!
Shortly before Christmas, Kelly came up and did family portraits for us. She did a WONDERFUL job as always! I will attach some of the pics.
School is back in session at The Duke Academy. We have revamped things a little around here. Nothing major...just trying to enjoy each other more and not be so..."business-like"! More about that will come later as well!

I just love this candid shot of Daddy-O and Jax...or should I say his mini-me!

Yes they have on Santa hats and yes they are cute in them!

How handsome are they?! Seriously!

My little cutie-pa-tooties!

Wow. December 8th. I can't believe this year is almost over. To look back at what this year has brought us....
I woke up this morning with this verse in my head,

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I have to admit, there is a little bit of an internal struggle going on inside of me this year due to the "what might have beens". When I think about how I expected this season to be and how it has actually turned out, my heart gets heavy.
It reminds me of a Dr. Suess book, Oh the Places You'll Go. There's a part that says,
"I'm sorry to say so but sadly it's true
that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you."
It's funny that so many people think they are safe. Safe from "bad things". Safe from "scary things". You know what, you're not. And before this past year. I was one of those people. Not that I thought I was invincible by any means. But until you have had to go through a really "hard time", you don't know how you will act.
What you will become.
How you will grow.
I am thankful for the growth my family and I have experienced. I am thankful for the strength I have received through my weakness.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

I thank God daily for the strength he made crystal clear through my weaknesses. I thank Him for His abundance of grace. I thank him for comforting me.