Pictures from Recent Adventures

Hello Everyone! Makenna invited me (Ariana, her sister) to post my pictures from our family's recent adventures! So, here they are.

                                           We recently visited the Woodland Park Zoo!

 Our family at Megarama Day! It's a huge farm where families who have Down Syndrome children can come and ride horses, go to the beach, and meet one another! It was a lot of fun.

                                                        Enjoying a few moments at the beach!

Conner Dressing up at Megarama Day!

                                                         Makenna- a cowgirl at heart! =)                                       
                

  Camera Man

Enjoying her coffee

                                                                 Our family Kayaking

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Have a glorious day! =)
~Ari

Our Precious Gifts~ Pictures of the Kiddos

Over the past couple weeks, Ariana has taken the kiddos out on several occasions to capture some pictures of the two of them. They turned out really cute! I hope you enjoy them....

 Oh, he sure loves bubbles!!! :)

 That smile just melts my heart!

 Even though Charity's one year older than Conner, they're the same height and it seems that he is more intelligent in his basic comprehension. And yet, she can talk, whereas he can't yet. As they grow up together, it'll be interesting to see who takes on the "older sibling" role.

Conner's already really protective of Charity and will help, comfort, and even scold her at times, when he knows that she's doing something that she shouldn't. But, she does the same thing to him as well. This morning, Ari was playing with Conner and Charity in their room. They were both looking at books, when Ari called them over to her, to play a game. Charity obeyed, but Conner didn't. Charity knew right away that he was being disobedient. So, she took on a deeper voice and said in a grown-up way, "Conner Matthew, come here!" He listened. :)

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers (or brothers and sisters) to dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

 :)

 ♥

Our little lady.

Our little man.

Adoption Update: Conner is home!

Photo Credit: Keilah Engstrom of Vanilla Bean Photography

 "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name." Luke 1:46b-47,49

Yes, Conner Matthew is home! Praise the Lord!

Thank you to all of you who sought the Father on our behalf during this adoption journey, and especially the past 10 days of travel.


The Lord has answered many prayer requests. There is an incredible bond between Conner and my parents, especially between him and my dad. It is so sweet to see my dad interacting with his first son. :) The flights, both there and back, were smooth and reached their destinations safely. Charity, Ari, and I had a wonderful time together, while our parents were gone. Yes, there were times of quarrels and impatience, but the Lord continually brought us to repentance and love for each other.


Yesterday, I met my little brother for the first time. And oh, he is so precious! He is all-boy, and continually causes us to laugh at the differences between him and Charity's all-girl personality. They are so cute together and are pretty inseparable! Charity absolutely adores him and cannot stop smiling at his every move.

Conner is adjusting very well for it being his second day home. The only struggles he has right now are adjusting to the time difference and feeling confused with his surroundings at times. Last night, he would not fall asleep unless he was held by my mom. We are all a little sleep-deprived over here, but we are definitely making up for it. It seems like the past day has been made up of eating and sleeping. :) We are definitely looking forward to getting back into a schedule.

Please continue praying for Conner's adjustment to our family. We're not sure how long it will take him to adjust to a 15 hour difference in time, but please pray that it will be soon. It is very taxing to have a little man who sleeps during the day and wants to be awake at night. :) But God is faithful, and He will give us the strength we need!

The pictures displayed here were taken by my dear friend, Keilah Engstrom of Vanilla Bean Photography. (To go to her website, click on the link underneath the pictures. She is an incredibly talented photographer!) Her and her mom graciously drove us to the airport to pick up our parents and Keilah took pictures of our first meeting. I will be posting more of those pictures soon.

It is amazing to think that our second adoption process has ended.....and yet, it is really only the beginning of a lifetime to be spent with this precious little man! Praise the Lord for His goodness!

Photo Credit: Keilah Engstrom of Vanilla Bean Photography

Adoption Update: Off to Hong Kong

Wow, how this past week has flown by! I had hoped to write this blogpost sooner, but time just seemed to slip away from me.

A week ago, we received "the call"; for those of you who have ever gone through an adoption or are in the process, you know what this means. It is the time when all of the paperwork has been completed, the "red tape" has been cleared, and it is finally time to go.

My parents are leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow. There is much hustling and bustling going on over here, but it is a truly exciting time as we prepare to welcome Conner Matthew into our family.

                              Yes, that's our little man. He's slightly older now, but still so cute!

Note: Because of the adjustment period that takes place after an adoption, my blogposts will probably be more sporadic. But I will definitely work on getting a post together with pictures and updates as soon as possible. :)

For this week, we need prayer, much prayer! Here are some specific requests:

• Preparation grace-As my parents finish all of the last-minute plans, please pray that they will have grace to remember everything and continue resting in the Lord. It is easy to get stressed out during times like these, but it is so beautiful when the Lord's grace floods our hearts and calms our anxious hearts. 
• Traveling mercies- Their flight is 18 hours long....yes, it's very long. And as they've already gone through it once before (with Charity), they are not looking forward to the flight. It is very intense, so I hear, and therefore needs much prayer for mercy, patience, and more grace. Please also pray that they will maintain a kingdom-focus throughout this trip, allowing the Lord to use them in whatever way He desires. 
• An immediate bond between my parents and Conner- According to the orphanage workers, Conner is sensing that something is going on and is becoming more clingy to his caretakers. Please pray that the Lord would prepare his heart to let go of the life he's always known (in the orphanage) and form an immediate attachment to my parents. This is incredibly important!
•  Joy and unity for Ariana and I- From past experience, we know how the enemy loves to bring disunity and strife in times of tiredness, impatience, or difficulty. It is such a blessing to have Ari as a sister; she is always such a great help. Please pray that we will treat each other as better than ourselves this week and serve one another and Charity with Christ's joy. Also, for friends and family worried about Ari and I being home-alone with Charity....don't worry. Some friends have graciously offered to stay with us! :)
• Grace for Charity- Our little sweetheart is very attached to "mommy and daddy", so it will definitely be hard for her to be separated from them for over a week. Please pray that the Lord would comfort her and give her the strength that she needs. 

Thank you so much for your prayers! They mean more to us than you know!

Have a blessed week, dear reader! Like I stated earlier, I will try to post an update as soon as possible! 

Would You Consent?

                                 

While perusing through Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper yesterday, I came across a beautiful quotation. It was written by Adoniram Judson, who after courting a certain Ann Hasseltine (who would later become his wife), wrote the following letter to her father.

"I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with you daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
~Adoniram Judson

Both Adoniram and Ann Judson understood and accepted the cost of following Christ, wherever He might lead, whatever it might include.

Do I?

If the Lord invited me to journey with Him, leaving friends and family, the comforts of home, and the promise of safety, would I willingly accept? Do I have such a high view of God and a fervent desire to see His name exalted among the nations that no sacrifice would be too high?

May the Lord grow a willing heart of faith within each one of us, for His glory and the furtherance of His precious kingdom!