Baby to Boy

There are times when I still think of Joel as our little baby. When I momentarily forget that he is a walking, talking, opinionated, curious two-year-old. But when I see photos like this,


there's no doubt in my mind that in the blink of an eye, our baby has turned into a boy.

(And just to clarify, we aren't really potty-training at this point. Joel just insists on wearing his "gabbas" but never stays in them for more than five minutes.)

Sledding

We are fortunate to live in a neighborhood with a beautiful prairie reserve right in our back yard. We're also fortunate that along this prairie are some great little hills that are perfect for Joel to sled down! He really enjoys it and when he sees kids sledding outside, he gets excited and says "ledding! ledding!" It's great because it's so close and we can go for just a short time. So one very cold and flurrying afternoon, we headed to the hill.

Joel wanted to pull the sled on the way there.

But then he decided it would be more fun to be pulled.

We arrived at the hill and after a little push from Daddy, Joel was on his way!

Then it was Daddy's turn.

And because I enjoy a good hill as much as a kid, I went next.

Joel and I took a turn together, too.

By that time, our noses were running and our faces were frozen stiff and Joel appeared to be done...

... so we headed back inside to the coziness and warmth of our house. But I'm sure we'll be back to our sledding hill before the winter is over!

Thoughts about 2011

We have so many things to be excited about in 2011. Things like our first family vacation, a trip with friends out west, the possibility of running a half-marathon, and enjoying simple moments with our son. We also hope very much that 2011 will include a referral for our second child! Our home study is completed and in the process of being approved by DCFS. From there it will go to USCIS to be approved and then to Korea. At that point, they are estimating a 7-10 month wait for a referral. So, if our approvals go quickly, it is possible that we could see our son's face this year. What an amazing thought!

One of my resolutions this year is to give more generously, both of our time and our finances. God has blessed us with so much, and we want to use these blessings to help others. I have a blog raffle coming soon that will benefit a cause close to our hearts, and in addition, there is an opportunity for us (and you!) to help a fellow adoptive family. Tracy and her family are adopting a little girl named Emi Faith from Korea. Emi is three years old and has significant special needs. This is a family with a strong faith that knows this step will be challenging, but feels called by God to do it. After a long wait, little Emi Faith will be ready to come home soon, and Tracy's husband must stay home to care for their other four children. Tracy has a friend that is willing to come with, but they are in need of finances to purchase this additional ticket, which costs around $1200. Many people have stepped up to help this family, and you can as well. If you are able to help, you can go to Tracy's blog and donate through the PayPal button. You can also enter a giveaway at Daily Dose of Mama if you donate. If you aren't able to help financially, the family could use prayers and positive thoughts as well!

As we look ahead to a new year, many possibilities lay before us. We plan to embrace these possibilities, cherish our moments as a family, and love others fully. We hope for all of you many blessings and wonderful moments in 2011!