Challenges

If you are waiting, read this.

My favorite part:

"The reality of waiting is that it's an expression of God's goodness not empirical evidence against it. He is wise and loving. His timing is always right, and his focus isn't so much on what you will experience and enjoy, but on what you will become. He is committed to using every tool at his disposal to rescue you from yourself and to shape you into the likeness of his Son. The fact is that waiting is one of his primary shaping tools."

DTR One Year

Today is the one year anniversary of when our dossier--that big important stack of papers holding our hopes and dreams for a daughter--was "logged in" in Rwanda. DTR: dossier to Rwanda.

It's been a year.

I don't know what to say. It's been a long road, and we're not done yet. I hope we're close. We actually have more hope now than we have in months that we're moving closer. It's good. It's hard. It's painful. It's worth it.

C.S. Lewis said, "What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step."

What saves us is to wait a day. Then another day. And to cling to the hope that He who called us is faithful, that He has been faithful every single day of this year of waiting, and that He will not change.

Cory is Three--Part Two

And now for the party pictures. Hold on to your hat--there are a lot of them.

The theme: Cory wanted an animal party, so we decided on animal cupcakes, stuffed animal decorations, and asked everybody to bring their favorite buddy.

The guests: The Burton family, the Whatley family, and the Chris Schweizer family.

Cory's last day as a two (sniff, sniff):

Working on the cupcakes:

The finished product, rendered at 11:30 that night, iced and decorated:

After we decided on cupcakes, Cory said he also needed a birthday cake. Try as I might to convince him that cupcakes could hold candles and be birthday cakes, he insisted that he needed both. So I obliged. It was his birthday, after all.

The Burtons helped us make this year's birthday banner. I love this series of pictures:

Getting ready for the party:

Party time! We made animal masks and party hats for the buddies...

...and ate cupcakes...

...and went on a Lion Hunt...

...and a Tiger Hunt...

(drinking water after crossing the desert)

The cake! The real one!
Chris (my cousin) made the boys Star Wars costumes:
The Greats (minus Addie--we missed you!):
And Cory wanted to type something himself:
coryiiiiiiioooooooooooooo

Cory is Three--Part One

Cory's Birth Day

(and post)

Cory's First Birthday

(and post, and other post, and still other post --good grief!)

Cory's Second Birthday

(and post, and other post)

Cory's Third Birthday

(and post)

Happy birthday, Cory! You are such a big and smart little boy. You have grown two inches in the past five months, and your vocabulary is amazing. What other three-year-old boy uses words like "select" or "nervous"? You know all your letters and their sounds (and have for a few months). You run fast, jump high, climb, and walk on the back of the couch. You have strong opinions and you communicate them clearly (read: you like to throw fits). :)

Words by Cory:

You like to: do instruments and eat trash, and dance around and have a band. (Edited to add: Trash is our name for the very tasty chex mix dessert made with peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar. Cory says, "You make the best trash ever, Mama." Words to warm any mother's heart.)

Your favorite food: trash! I like trash the most!

Your favorite movie: Curious George

Your favorite toy: I don't know yet. Sweetie Pie!

Your favorite book: I don't have a favorite book. Oh, I like Pooh. Pooh is funny because Piglet says "Help, Help, a horrible hephalump! Help, help, a terrible heffie-lump!" That story.

You can: Write C and O and sometimes R and Y ("I can do R all the times! I can do a lump and two lines."); ride a scooter; throw a football (and yell, "Here comes the high one down the middle!"

Cory, you have a very strong sense of right and wrong, and you want to defend the right. You show us this by insisting that we fight the bad guys, even if the bad guys are just people that cut us off in traffic or write books we don't care for, or predict the weather wrong. Your name, which means spear carrier is very appropriate.

You love Jesus, Cory. You like to sing to Him, and you pray a lot. Your prayers are usually: Dear Jesus, thank You for this food, and please help all the children not get sick or hurt, in Jesus' name amen, and thank You for this food. You have a compassionate heart, and you always pray for people if you hear that someone is sick, or if you see a fire truck or an ambulance.

You have big brown eyes and sweet, kissable cheeks. You love your brother and your baby sister. You are all boy, all movement and wiggles and noise and fun and hugs and snuggles. We love you so much, Cory! Happy birthday.

Snow Days 2011!

I know everyone up in this neck of the woods has snow pictures covering their blogs. But for the grandparents in warm(er) Florida, I had to share. Five inches? More?