Thursday, January 24, 2013

What's happening in Kentucky?



1st morning in Kentucky!
Hayley has been so much fun to have here! She loves walking around our new house!



We got internet today! So thankful! I am also so thankful to NOT have had internet for a while. Thankful because I knew as soon as I got the internet back that I would want to write down all that God has done and is continuing to do in our lives. I don’t want to forget ANY of it! Yet, how can I write down ALL that He has done? He is so GOOD. He is SO faithful!
Family and Friends, thank you for loving us so well. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for calling us, thinking of us, sending cards, texting us.

We are in Kentucky! It is COLD! It is BIG! It is DIFFERENT! It is not Cullowhee! My mom and dad are not here but I feel their prayers and experience the peace of having their blessing on us being here. My mother and father in law are not here but their prayers are ministering to us. Our Webster brothers and sisters are not physically here! But GOD IS HERE!!!!! I’ve been teaching Ivy for a long time that our God is BIG and that He is everywhere. He is BIG and He is Everywhere!

I saw him when I walked into our new house and opened our cabinet doors. A sweet sister in Christ that I had never met had unpacked my dishes and put them away. I saw Him when I was handed cookies and coffee that a brother in Christ that I had never met before dropped by.                       
 I saw God when Matt and Alicia came and stayed with us for two days and cleaned and unpacked with us.                                                                   
I saw God when a friend of Rick and Patti Harper’s who lives here in Louisville, had us over for dinner.                                                                                           
I saw God when a man from a church we visited invited Brent to go squirrel hunting.                                                             
I saw God when my brothers and sisters from Home text me and called at just the right time.                                                   
I saw God and EXPERIENCED the power of His Holy Spirit when Ivy had a meltdown at 2:45 PM on our second day here. I sat with her and prayed with her and received a text message from Deb Shotlz that said, “Hey Ivy. Jesus told me to pray for you today at 2:45 PM. So I did!”
I saw God working in Ivy’s heart when He helped her be excited about going to her new school. (Classical Conversations)
I saw God working in Ivy’s heart when He gave her excitement over her new house and meeting new friends.
I saw God when I went to an exercise class at 7:15 AM yesterday AM at the seminary. The class was hard but fun and at the end the lady prayed over every person in the class out loud. After the class, I talked with her and found that she and her husband are part of a church plant here for the Hispanic community. It was so encouraging to be around her.
YES He is HERE!
Yes! It has been sad and hard but HE is here so it’s been a blessing too! It’s hard getting lost and driving up one way streets. It’s hard because it’s so cold and our house is old. BUT plastic over the windows have helped A LOT! It’s hard because we just miss our family and friends and it’s ONLY been a week but It’s good too and I wouldn’t want to miss this for anything!
We had to clean our new house from top to bottom!

Uncle Matt is so talented! He can clean and set up a school room better than anyone I've ever seen! I'm not joking!

So! So! So! Thankful for Matt and Alicia coming to help us!
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Aunt Alicia and Hayley cleaning!

Ivy's first day of Classical Conversations!



We learned about the great artist "Giotto!" We crushed chalk, added eggs and water and then had our own paint!

Crushing the chalk!

It was hard to crush the chalk!

Ms. George is our tutor



We learned about what a helping verb is!  It helps another verb assert action, being or existence.



We did a science experiement. We talked about why we have seasons!

Ivy got to wear a uniform!
We learned about Ancient Africa and located places on the map.

Showing daddy what we learned.







Wednesday, January 23, 2013

We Made IT!

Standing in front of our Kentucky House!

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

More Christmas fun...

Papaw got Brent and Ivy a mini pool table.


We had a visit from baby Elli...oh yeah...her mom and dad came too!!!!!


We love Lauren!!! We love Elli! We love Matt too!! We so enjoyed their visit!

Fun with cousin McKayla

Time with Memaw's mom...Mamaw Ward!


Stewart Christmas!

Ivy is showing Paw what He bought her for Christmas!
We are so thankful for time with Paw, Nana, Mimi, Matt, Alicia, Trent and Emma. It's always noisy and chaotic but it's always fun.

Paw likes Barbie too!


Yes Ivy looks like her mommy but she also looks like her Nana!

This little girl loves Hats!


Special time with Mimi!

Paper dolls! Can you see the lightsabor?













Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve morning, Memaw and Sharon came over and had cinnamon rolls with us. It was so fun and Yummy. On Christmas Eve night, Nana and Paw, Matt, Alicia, Trent and Emma and a special friend Kyrie came over for dinner. We had lasagna and yummy Oreo balls. After dinner, we went to church. Brent and I started going to Christmas Eve services before we got married. We really feel that there is no better place to be on Christmas Eve than at church with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I love singing carols on Christmas Eve about our Savior and worshiping our Creator, our King. I am so thankful for those who organize this special service for us.

 Daddy and Ivy let me open a gift on Christmas Eve! I had no idea what it was until this picture was taken...at this moment, Ivy could stand it no longer. She said, "Mom, you can read it!"

A new ESV bible! I needed a new bible. I somehow lost Genesis out of my old one!

Ivy took our picture!

I love this man!

Dills Christmas Time

Papaw Time!


Ivy loves to play the piano at Memaw's! Hayley joined in this time!



Opening presents on Christmas morning!


A buggie! The perfect size! Hayley loves this!



Look at those pajamas! Thanks Memaw! 

Playing in a box. The perfect toy!

Thank you Memaw, Papaw and Sharon. We love all our gifts. We love you! Wish we had gotten more pictures with Memaw and Sharon. Memaw was cooking breakfast and Sharon was chasing the girls and the cat!

Praise God for Hayley!

This is a picture from a year ago....Dec. 19th, 2011.  At the courthouse when we got the official papers!
December 19th is a VERY special day for our family. It is the day that we received Hayley’s official adoption papers. Hayley was our daughter from the moment that we heard about her but I still remember the Amazing feeling that I had when Brent, Hayley and I walked out of the court house with those papers. Hayley has added so much joy to our family. God has used Hayley to increase our faith, better our prayer life, magnify our love for our Savior, reveal again and again how selfish we are and how desperately we need Jesus. Yes! Seeing our need for our savior is a good thing!

Three weeks ago, Brent, Ivy and I went to Kentucky to look for a house. We allowed Hayley to stay with Nana. While we were away from her, we missed her and our family didn’t feel complete. Brent and I both commented that we really were so thankful that she is a part of our family. We were both so homesick and knew in our hearts that one of the biggest reasons was because Hayley wasn’t with us.
God truly has given me a heart for adoption. Brent and I are praying that if God want’s us to adopt again that He will show us. We desire for our family and friends to adopt. We desire for our church family to be full of the desire to adopt.
 
Sweet Girl!


We had planned a time of prayer and thanksgiving on the night of Hayley's adoption day. BUT, Ivy had the stomach bug. We didn't want to share the sickness so we canceled the party. A few family members "insisted" that they see and hug on Hayley.


Can you see Hayley's smile? This is how she gets whatever she wants from her Papaw!!!
Memaw made a banna pudding. It was so good. We went to Memaw and Papaws celebrated with Memaw, Papaw and Sharon.

Aunt Shesha has prayed for Hayley since the day that she heard about her. Alicia has been so supportive in praying for us throughout our journey.  God has worked in Alicia to encourage me and help me. Alicia came by on Hayley's adoption day and brought Hayley a precious letter that she had written for her and a cabbage patch doll. Hayley loves babies and this doll is special because it comes with adoption papers for Hayley to "adopt" her doll!



Thank you God for allowing us to receive this precious gift straight from your hands! Thank you for working out every detail. Thank you for knowing exactly what we need. Thank you for Hayley. She truly is our unexpected gift from you. She is a joy! She is more than I have words to express!

Hayley Beth...I love you through and through!...Mommy