Riley Kids Photo February 28, 2008

Annice came today for our final Homestudy visit. BUT we will be able to keep seeing her after we get the Baby because she’ll be doing the post-placement visits (SCORE! She really IS the best social worker ever.)

Now we’re working on our profile book b/c Momma email our dear birthmother letter to Judy & she suggested we combine it with our book- I’m taking a break from gathering up photos to write this. I think Momma’s going to go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow & get a book, then we’ll be able to start working on it in ernest.

Plese don’t forget to continue in praying for the Mathenia’s– I find that it is easy to remember to pray for them now, while our own loss is so fresh & we miss Mrs. Amber so much.–But perhaps you have noticed as I have that it is not as easy to remember Mr. Anthony and those darling babies as it was a month ago. We DO NOT need to forget them.

 AND, for those of you who are wondering, Hannah now officially exists and Ben will soon.

Sorry this is such a rambling & disconnected post! I really just got on here to post this picture we took today:

The post I promised… February 27, 2008

I have been at work very hard lately to get what I want to say out into words.  It is not easy; I often find that it is so difficult to share the work Christ is doing in my life…

Yes, Christ! He is nearer to me than I would have imagined was possible. I have grown so much closer to Him since Mrs. Amber passed… every day, He reveals so much of Himself, He shows me how I have been so full of self, that I am amazed I even thought I knew Him before. Through His Word, through the words of people around me – like Pastor John & Mr. Anthony & Mr. Lanny – and through the writings of His saints who have gone before – Samuel Rutherford, Amy Carmichael, John Owen… Amber Mathenia. Christ is revealing Himself more & more to me, and I find that HE is lovely.

I find how very ugly I am. I am so full of pride: I do not even want to speak of the work of Christ in my life, because I am afraid of saying the “Right Things” for the wrong reason and puffing myself up. It is Christ– I hope you all know it is not me. He is everything, I, nothing outside of Him. The power of Christ in me – the power of Christ in me!

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and

are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.”

                                                 Matthew 11: 28-30

I would encourage everyone who hasn’t already to read this.

~ellie

Update February 26, 2008

Ok, I know I’m not really a very frequent “poster”. I have plenty to say- it floats around in my head- but I have not been able to just get it all ‘out of my hand’ (my left hand, Mr. Ron. I’m not ashamed of it). Some of it’s on my laptop, though, halfway written down, so check back soon (I can’t get online with that thing!).

Right now, here’s a quick update on the adoption-

Sometimes, it seems like we’re getting close to getting a baby… sometimes, it feels like that time will never arrive. Right now Momma is upstairs working on the “dear birth-mother letter”- this is the last this to do before sending in the application to LifeChoices. I asked Momma today when our final home-study visit is scheduled for and I thinkshe said Annice will be coming on Thursday. After that visit, she will be able to close out the home-study.

I’m searching through our photo’s for some good ones to put in the profile book. There are PLENTY of good pictures of Mercy, Dad & Ben. They’re just really photogenic. In all of the pic’s of Hannah or Annie they’re making poses & trying to look ‘dramatic’, Sarah Joy always has a ’smart-alec’ look, and as for everyone else we just don’t have that many pictures of them. So looks like we’ll have to take some pictures (we won’t have any problem with THAT.)

Please do continue to pray for our adoption.

~ellie 

I haven’t posted in awhile… February 18, 2008

However, I haven’t really taken the time to “think out” a post… if you want to read something good, visit Jake’s blog.

 Trey (holding Mercy Kate), Ben, Hannah, Ellie, Jake, Emma, Annie (in front of Emma),Sarah Joy, Daddy, and Momma.

After church services Sunday, we got Savannah to take our family picture to send in with our adoption application.  If you have ever tried to take a picture with eleven people (many of whom are children) before, you probably understand why we didn’t get any very good shots…  

Bookstudy

So it was the middle of bookstudy, and Momma uses sign language to instruct me to go get the camera, and then to take a picture… well everyone was looking around thinking “what was that flash?” and ”don’t tell me Lelly or Annie got their hands on the camera!” Any, I’m glad we have the picture… and I think Momma’s idea was that we could use it in our profile book. 

I said I’d post a picture of the pigs…

That’s Anakin in the front & behind him is Padme (she’s prettier than Anakin!)

 

Please pray for our adoption…

~Ellie

Mostly Pictures February 11, 2008

Things have been happening pretty much as usual around here…

We are going to Memphis tomorrow to meet with our Adoption agency (Lifechoices) and run a few errands. It is about a 2 1/2 drive I think, so that will be fun: We love long drives in the car with the entire family. 

Mr. Ron brought 2 new pigs over yestreday (I was going to put a picture, but I haven’t downloaded them onto the computer yet & I don’t know where the camera is). They are sort of cute… sort of.

Anyway, because I don’t have alot of time this is going to be mostly a picture post.

And here are a few:

Isen’t She Cute?!?!?

Ben is begging to get one of Ruths puppies…

Recently, our friend Ruth’s dog Charlotte had puppies… Ben and Sarah BEG for one, but Momma says one dog is PLENTY (and we have one & a half: our neighbor dog Tucker loves to hang out here )

Mercy and Macrae

I know this picture is not very high quality, but don’t they look cute making that face?

How many bows does one little princess need?

~ellie