Happy Thanksgiving!

"Oh give thanks to The Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" -1 Chronicles 16:8

Over the month of November, we've been talking about thankfulness with our kids. At breakfast, we've each been sharing something we're thankful for...the ideas have been awesome. Our girl has been thankful for bees, the tree in our front yard, her pajamas, the pictures on the wall, among others. It is awesome each morning to ask her what she's thankful for and to hear her answer instantly. It is a beautiful reminder to be thankful for everything...even what often goes unnoticed.

Cliff has also been taking us through a variety of Scripture related to thankfulness. It has been really encouraging to talk about these with the kids and reflect on how my heart isn't inclined to thankfulness. It is so easy to complain, but when I stop and pray, the Holy Spirit is faithful to remind me of all the many blessings in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Fall

This is my favorite time of year.

The trees turn beautiful colors. The mornings are cool and crisp. Boots can be worn, cozy scarfs make their way out of the back of the closet, and pumpkins decorate doorsteps.

Even though the rain has started to fall, it doesn't change how I feel about this time of year. As the holidays approach, the leaves fall, Thanksgiving turkeys are sold, and Christmas decorations go up, I want to enjoy each day...not rushing from one holiday to the next, but to savor each day.

Preschool

Our sweet girl started preschool in September. We're very thankful she gets to go to a local public school that hosts an integrated preschool. Which means that in her class, half of the students have some type of disability and the other half are considered typically developing peers. As one of the students who is typically developing, it provides Z with lots of opportunities to lead and model for other students.

Also, her teacher is not only fantastic, but she's also a friend. Her teacher goes to our church and has been such a huge blessing through this transition...from first suggesting the school to us to providing suggestions for at home skill development. She is a huge blessing to our family.

Our girl LOVES school. She asks if it is time to go the instant her clothes are on for the day. She is always excited to put on her owl backpack and head out the door with daddy. It is perfect timing, as she's there four mornings a week, giving our little boy and I some sweet time together.

It is a wonderful situation, and one I'm abundantly thankful for.

Supporting Adoption

As many of you know, we're in the process of adopting our two kids through the foster care system. That's how we feel burdened to respond to God's call to care for the orphan, but there are many ways each of us can do that. For some, it means helping and serving those who adopt. For others, it is adopting a child.

Some friends of ours are pursuing adoption in Latvia. It is amazing to hear their story and how much God is teaching both of us through this waiting process, despite the vast differences between an international adoption and a local foster/adopt situation. One of the huge differences between the two paths is the cost.

Through a link on Facebook, I recently discovered an awesome website. The website is called Give 1, Save 1. There is a site for Africa, Asia, domestic adoptions, and Europe (coming soon). The premise is that each week they post a profile of one family pursuing adoption. They ask each visitor to the site to give $1 (or more) to the family of the week. There is a profile, sometimes a video, and you learn about the way that family is trying to bring the child into their home.

I was struck by this idea...so simple, yet incredibly powerful. One dollar. That really isn't much money over the course of the week. I can easily walk into the dollar aisle at Target and spend $1 on something my kids will play with for five minutes. How about investing that dollar in a child, in a family?

So, my plan is to give $1 every Monday to the highlighted family on the Give 1, Save 1 website. It is a very small way, on a weekly basis, to be reminded of the unbelievable way God has provided for us as we've walked the road of adoption. It is also a tangible reminder to the person I'm giving to, that I support their adoption and their response to God's command to care for the fatherless.

Will you join me in the weekly Give 1, Save 1 donation?

Tucker James: A Tribute

It was a sad day at the Ellis household. We had to put our twelve year old golden retriever, Tucker, down tonight. He was likely having heart failure and just wasn't doing well.

While it was a difficult decision, we're thankful he's not suffering any more, and grateful for the six years we had with him in our home and family. He was certainly stubborn and a bit lazy, but he had a sweet disposition, and was a joy to have around (as long as you kept your hand on his head).

He will be missed--not only by us, but by his goofy brother, Gunner. Below are some of our favorite pictures of our boy, Tucker James.

Some News

We haven't posted on this blog since Valentine's Day...trust me, we have been busy!

It is hard to believe that we are now parents to two kids. Yes, you read that correctly...we have two amazing kids. After almost three years desiring to be parents, praying for the blessing of children, researching infertility options, pursuing adoption, completing paperwork, attending classes, and preparing our hearts, we were blessed with a sibling group through the Washington state foster care system.

It all happened extremely quickly - on a Friday we met the kids, the following Tuesday they came for an overnight visit, and then the following Friday they came to our home for a long-term placement (with our desire being that this would eventually move toward adoption). Over the course of the next few months and potentially years, we will pursue adoption of these two precious kids. Please pray with us. (More on that later...)

Our two blessings are siblings. Z is an amazing three year old girl and her brother, L, is ten months old. Because they are currently a foster placement, we cannot post pictures or their full names. The details of their history, story, and background will remain ours to share with them; we won't share it publicly. Our desire is to share what we're learning, how we're growing, the joy we're experiencing, but most importantly how we're seeing God more fully in the midst of all of this.

It has been a HUGE adjustment to parenthood. To be honest, I have so much I want to say. I want to tell you how much fear I had about bringing them home; how much more I love my husband today than I even did two months ago; how we serve an amazing and good God; how much Z loves Elmo; how L has the most amazing belly laugh; how I get to stay home with them each and every day; about my friends and families who have loved our kids before they had even met them; how God's provision for us through our community has been staggering. I will share all of these things, or I'll try to. To be honest, it is hard being a mom and I don't find a whole lot of time for much beyond routine daily tasks...writing a blog post sounds exhausting! (No one ever tells you how much laundry there is when you have kids.) But is is also difficult to think about capturing some of these beautiful moments in words.

I'm not sure there are words to express how immensely grateful and blessed we've been in the last two months. There have been MANY hard days, yet most filled to the brim with joy.

Today was one of those days...a day that I hope I'll remember for a long time. It wasn't particularly memorable for any one reason, just a day where I actually realized how much I have to be thankful for.

Valentine's Day Memories...

Since this is our 12th Valentine's Day together, we have some fun memories of past celebrations.

Here are a couple of favorites:

• One year, when we were in college and money was of course tight, we decided to make each other memory boxes. Cliff made an extremely impressive one. It was beautiful and I still have it. He did, however, lose some "points" because he'd wrapped this amazing creation in a variety of Walmart bags. It was absolutely hilarious!
• Another year when we were in college, the idea of having a reservation was lost on us. We drove into Omaha, went into PF Chang's (a very fancy restaurant by our college standards) only to find out that their first available table for two would be after 9pm. Needless to say, we headed over to the Macaroni Grill next door and thankfully had a friend working there who helped us get a table. We haven't made the same mistake again.
• Our new tradition is to stay home on Valentine's Day, but go out for a special date a few days before or after to avoid the craziness. (Are we getting old?)

This year, we're staying home to make a new recipe together. We shopped for all the ingredients this weekend and are looking forward to making a traditional Taiwanese recipe given to me by one of my students. We're going to have a wonderful evening at home together.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've loved my valentine since we were 18 years old. This year we'll celebrate our 12th Valentine's Day together. What a gift that is...

Cliff is a daily evidence of God's grace to me. I'm thankful for a husband who leads me, provides for me, prays over me, goes first in repentance, asks questions, shares his heart, serves selflessly, is gracious when I fail, and loves Jesus deeply. I pray that God gives us many more years together.

Interesting Week

The last few weeks have been full of anticipation as we’ve wrapped up a few loose ends of the foster/adopt licensing process. We had to have physicals and TB tests done. We needed to make copies of our car insurance. Just little things like that, which I never even thought might be part of the process. Turns out, I’ve learned a lot these last few years!

Our social worker, Alexa, mentioned she was hoping to have our foster/adopt home study completed by the end of January so we’d be ready for placement beginning in February, but we actually heard from her last Tuesday. We also heard from our attorney, Andrew, on Monday. It was definitely an interesting week!

Last Monday, Andrew called Cliff to let him know that he had word of a newborn in Bellingham that would need a placement. He was calling to confirm we were interested. Of course we were! Andrew is an amazing attorney, an adoptive dad, a man who loves Jesus, and is a HUGE blessing to us. After three hours of waiting to see what was decided, Andrew called to tell us that the birth mom had chosen a couple she found online before the social worker arrived to share our profile. (Our profile is a brochure explaining who we are and why we are in the adoption process.) We were disappointed to be sure.

Then on Tuesday, Cliff got an email from Alexa, our foster/adopt social worker, about a possible placement of a toddler. We were interested, but there were some details we were unsure about. After discussing the possibility with Alexa and giving her a chance to read the child’s report, she recommended we not pursue the toddler placement. That was a disappointment, because we thought we had a possible placement.

It was definitely a week of ups and downs. There have been many of those for us in this process. Over the almost two years we’ve officially been in the adoption process and in the four years since we started trying to get pregnant, we’ve experienced a great deal of grief and loss. Certainly we’ve had joyful moments of unity, but also moments of disappointment and discouragement.

The only comfort we have is found in Jesus and knowing that he has a plan for us and that he is working all of this together according to his purpose. We have days in which we’re discouraged, but I’m thankful I have a husband, family, and friends who pray for me, love me well, and encourage us to stay focused on what God has called us to. We do believe that we are called to this. Otherwise, I’m not sure how we could possibly move forward.

I got a text from a dear friend last week amidst the ups and downs of the week, encouraging me to read Psalm 16. These verses were a great comfort and reminder to me.

Psalm 16: 1-2, 8-11

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

We’re praying for:

• Our children’s protection, care, and salvation.
• Our children’s birth parents.
• Our hearts…that we would trust God fully with this and not try to control or idolize becoming parents.
• For discernment to know when to accept a placement and bring a child into our home.
• For the thousands of children in the foster care system who are waiting for families.

Would you join us in praying?

Help!

Yes, we are getting more chickens this spring! I'm getting more and more excited to meet the little fluff-balls. I can't say I'm excited to have to tend to them for the first few months of their lives, but once they're outside and independent, they are delightfully easy and amazingly productive.

All that to say, we are going to get four little chicks at the end of February. I'm going to get four different breeds just as I did last spring. We're down to two hens now - Delaney and Amelia. Unfortunately, Blanche died and "Bethula" turned out to be a rooster. Despite only having two laying hens right now, we have plenty of delicious eggs and are looking forward to more.

Now, the reason I'm telling you about the new brood isn't so you think we're crazy. (We're pretty sure you already think so.) What I really need are some name ideas! I'm looking for some creative, vintage names. Send them my way, please! Our new girls are depending on you!

A flashback to last year...
From left to right: Blanche, Delaney, Bethula, Amelia

Snow Days!

We've had some crazy weather here the last few days! The snow started on Sunday afternoon and has been on and off since then with about 5 inches since Tuesday evening. I missed school on Wednesday and Thursday and will tomorrow as well. It has been nice to have some quiet days at home, especially given that Cliff's been working from home too. I've been cooking, reading, napping, and enjoying these quiet moments. The puppies have enjoyed the playtime in the yard!

Mackenzie's Reading List for 2012

Happy New Year! The beginning of a new year always makes me reflective and this year is no different. One of the things I'm thinking about most this year is how I spend my time. This year I'd like to spend more time reading books and less time reading Facebook updates!

The last few years, I've attempted to set up a plan for books to read throughout the year and then add to the list as my interests lead. Last year, I read only about half of the books on my reading list. This year, I have fewer books on my list to read, so that I have the space to read additional books as time will allow and changing interests arise. The books on my list have come through recommendations of friends, areas I need to grow in, and books on Cliff's dresser that look interesting!

Marriage Matters by Winston T. Smith
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
"Don't Make Me Count to Three!" by Ginger Plowman
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Counsel from the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Legacy of Faith by Lydia Brownback
Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Radical by David Platt
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester

I'll also be reading through the Bible this year, using a Bible reading plan suggested by Pastor John Piper.

Lots to read! I certainly look forward to seeing how God uses each of these books to teach me over the course of this year. What are you reading?