Photo Shoot in Gruene

We had an amazing time with Amber Leigh as she took pics of Elliana and family. Check out some of them: http://aleighphotography.blogspot.com/2010/01/elliana-h-gruene-tx.html

Landon's 3rd Birthday Party

Landon had an awesome John Deere birthday party at a gymnastics gym on Saturday! Elli absolutely loved the trampolines and bouncers. It's so fun that we can actually celebrate birthdays with family!

My New Favorite Things!

Elli got a baby doll and pots and pans for Christmas and she plays and plays with them! She also loves rocks!

Gold Plated Dining Room?

We have never seen anything like this, but now it's in our house! It was recommended to us metallic paint for our dining room. Yes, we have a gold dining room now. Last night we ate dessert in there, and I felt like I should have worn a ball gown. Though it cracks us up now...some day we may want to change that.

A few of my favorite things

Raincoats and blankie and books and more books....wooden blocks and purses and waving bye-bye...doors that push open and laughing like crazy...these are a few of my favorite things

7 Years of Bliss!

We had a great time mountain biking for our Anniversary(thanks, Feldts, for taking care of Elli). Was very challenging ("technical") for the middle part with steep climbs and big rocks- lots of rocks. Some cool limestone cliffs and a weird mossy forest area. Tammy made an awesome dinner and chocolate fondue desert. --Paul
Every year we emulate our honeymoon in that we have to do some sporty activity and eat a European meal/dessert, which was fun this year, because it has never been warm enough to mountain bike in January before (at least in COlorado). I married the most amazing man 7 years ago and still am surprised by how generous and kind he is...marriage just gets better and better for real! --Tammy

Adoption Pains

Many of you have been asking about our adoption...thank you for asking:) We have been on the top of the list to get matched since the end of October and due to India taking holiday Oct-Dec. nothing has happened. We continue to pray and hope any day we could be matched with a little guy in Calcutta, but it hasn't happened. In fact this week has been pretty frustrating. We had miscommunication with our agency about paperwork and it's hard feeling so out of control when it comes to future children. My friend, Staci, sent this blog entry from Family Life and it resonated with me.

Feeling the labor pains in adoption

by Mitzi McBride

Often times I have thought, Wow, adoption is great! Physically easy, and no pains of childbirth! My waist is a bit smaller nine months into the adoption process than it was nine months into pregnancy. But less painful and tedious? I don't think so!

I recall my labor with the birth of my first son. Twenty-seven hours in, I wanted to take control and get it over with. Similarly, I want that kind of control now in the midst of the adoption process. I want to say "courts open so we can be approved" or "agency have the right paperwork so we pass" or " embassy give us a date, quick!" But, I cannot.

In having biological children, you know when the end is, or at least approximately. With adoption, when you think you are crossing the finish line, they move it another quarter mile! And so I sit and wait, trusting in the sovereignty of God. The adoption process, just like the birthing process, has its labor pains. But I know that just like the pains of laboring over our biological children, the discomfort we feel during the labor of adoption will pale in comparison when God finally does bring a child He has created into our family.

Isaiah 55: 2 says, "Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?" I know this labor will be satisfying, not only to our family and for a little one across the ocean, but to our heavenly Father. We do not labor in vain!

Christmas in Kansas (at the Yutzy's)

After our fun times in Minnesota, we flew to Kansas and Elli was in heaven hanging out with more cousins and Grandpa and Grandma Yuzty (I felt like I didn't see Elli the whole time because she just wanted to be with her cousins and Grandparents, which was super cute)! Mike had made a game, wrapping balls on string around PVC pipe and that was fun. We treasure the times we get to be together as family and feel so blessed to have awesome families whom we love to visit...though Minnesota and Kansas were a bit colder than we could remember:)

Christmas in Minnesota (at the Houges)

We had an amazing Christmas Holiday, celebrating with both the Houges and the Yutzys! First we went to Minnesota and enjoyed relaxing and hanging out with family....yes, 26 members of the immediate family calls for a lot of stockings! Elli loved her cousins and the attention from G-pa and G-ma Houge.