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I've been trying to post all day, but Blogger is not letting me. BOO!

Just stopping by to say, JESUS LOVES YOU! :)

5 years

This year Mr. Incredible and I will be celebrating 5 years of marriage!

{August 2006, celebrating our engagement, admit it, you love my red eyes lol}

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I felt convicted awhile back about taking vacations. People in Africa are starving to death, why should I drop thousands just for pleasure? Just plain wrong.

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I decided that we would vacay just for big anniversaries, and other trips would be mission trips, (with maybe one family trip for pleasure, say Disney, one day).

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We were planning on a trip for our 5th and 10th anniversaries, and so forth.

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Well here we are a few short months away from our anniversary: buying/fixing up/decorating a new house, and starting our second adoption. Obviously both of these are very exciting and totally worth it, but it leaves our hands tied for our anniversary this April.

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I think it is very important to make a big celebration of our anniversaries. Marriage is worth celebrating!

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Any ideas as to how we can celebrate our anniversary without spending big bucks? I really wanted to go to Boston or Disney, but both trips would cost about 2k, (and that's only for a weekend trip). I want it to be really special since its our 5th...

2 going on 12

Sweetpea is such a toddler! Loves her independence! Here she is brushing her teeth. :)

Penguin Pals

Sweetpea has been cuddling more and more and I knew she needed a stuffed animal. She has some, but they're all packed, so I had to buy her a new one. I found a mini penguin pillow pal at walmart and she's in love! Definitely helps at bed time! Here she is early in the morning, notice her sleepy eyes? :)

Flash Forward Friday

This pic from last week of Sweetpea weirds me out because she looks so old. Something about her smile...

Kisses for Kissa

Last night I asked Sweetpea for kisses, and after she gave me a kiss, she decided to ask for kisses. She said, "kisses," and I was so proud! Usually she says "kithes" but last night she was able to say "kisses," loud and clear! She has always been really good at annunciation, but her s's have been a little harder- common for this age.

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I was so proud of her, I made her repeat it over and over again.

She then switched to a word that is similar...

"Kissa"

This is our pastor's daughter Caryssa. Sweetpea refers to her as "Kissa." Caryssa is a difficult name to say for a 2 year old. :) Sweetpea love Caryssa!

Sweetpea loves to group people. If you say Nana Nell, she'll finish with Nick, Pop, Taylor, Auntay, (Taylor is known as Auntay and Sweetpea has taken to calling her both names). :) Sometimes with this group she includes Paige, (Nick's girlfriend).

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After saying Kissa, she followed up with "Byce," (Bryce, Caryssa's brother). She loves them both and commonly says their names randomly.*

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She added a new name this time. She rounded out the group with "Freckle." I about fell out of the bed! Caryssa and Bryce's dog's name is Freckles. The last time she saw Freckles was about 2 weeks ago, and she has never been included in Sweetpea's recitation of her friends before.

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She is getting so smart to remember not only the name Freckles, but to remember she goes with Caryssa and Bryce! She said "Freckle," but I had her repeat herself and she said "Freckles!" :)

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*Sweetpea lists her friends at random times.

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Besides my family she'll say:

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MaMa and PaPa (Mr. Incredible's parents- she named them herself). :)

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Emma, Joy, Gace (Grace), Tina

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Leese, AH-leese, Nafen, (my BFF Elise... she usually says Leese, but she is starting to add the E and says AH-leese lol and her son is Nathan).

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Book (Brooke), Corey, and Mudge (Mudge is commonly grouped with Jersey). :)

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Sell-ka, Sammy, Elwie, (my mom's dogs Angelica, Sammy and Ellie)

Briar Rose

Like my new layout/header? It is just a picture of our lives right now. So much joy and excitement! :)

I spoke with an adoption agency Monday, and we meet with them today to sign some paperwork. I am ecstatic to bring home our second princess! We are requesting a little girl age 0-5. I can't wait to see who God has for our family!

I have been planning her room for quite some time now.

Click here to see Briar Rose's room inspiration.

It could take awhile to get her since we are not in our house yet, but I am hoping by spring Briar Rose may be home with us! :)

Loud and Clear

Read through all of this- there is pretty exciting news...

Don't you just love knowing you are exactly where God wants you to be?!

I promised weeks ago that I would recap how loud and clear God was about our move, and He has gotten louder and cleared now that we are here so I guess I better share now. :)

In September we began looking for a new job. Any job, anywhere. Mr. Incredible worked for a wonderful company, but wasn't enjoying it. Working behind a desk is certainly not enjoyable for him.

We had offers all over the country and were praying for where we should go.

Then Mr. Incredible got info on a job in West Texas. He gave the ok for his resume to be submitted on Monday. Tuesday they already called to set up an interview. That next week we went for the interview. We arrived on Sunday and went to dinner with someone from the company. We hit it off right away, and we discussed their church. The youth group, the possibility of an adoption ministry we could start, etc. Could this be a fit for us? The day after the interview they offered us the job.

God was loud and clear! We were moving!

We have been here a week, and it has been very clear we are supposed to be here. Mr. Incredible LOVES his job! He comes home everyday for lunch which we are ecstatic about! Seeing Daddy midday is awesome! Sunday we visited our friend's church and we think it is a fit!

We are living in a hotel and after about a day I was done. Imagine staying in a hotel bed with your 2 year old and dog. Yeah, we need a house.

Since we still have our old house, paying for a second home could be really costly. We looked anyway with hopes God would be loud and clear. Well, we found a home on Saturday that is very affordable- like the monthly payments are less than a car note or than rent for an apartment. We put in an offer and they accepted it on Monday! Loud and clear. We are hoping to move in asap- close date is a month away, but we hope to move in sooner than that!

Now for the really exciting part...

We were planning on starting our second adoption once we got settled here. We were planning on an international adoption this time around. For the last few months I had made inquiries with many different agencies and doors continued to close. I was getting tired and anxious waiting for God to be loud and clear. Yesterday we looked into domestic adoption locally and I had a hard time finding an agency. Finally I found a local agency and submitted a request, and Monday morning we got a response!

We are starting an adoption of another little girl! Loud and clear!

We love our new lives in our new tiny town, and can't wait to see what else is in store! :)

Christmas Day 2011

We had a very relaxed and laid back Christmas day...

A few days before Christmas, Sweetpea got her first taste of canycane :)

Christmas day in Dallas, on the road to visit with family :)

Sweetpea with 2 of her new besties :)

You think they are a hit? ;)

Pure Joy.

Someone is getting to be such a big girl

Loving on her friends:

Playing the, umm, drums...

Family Christmas

In mid December we had a family Christmas with my mom's side of the family.

Princess Sweetpea! (I think this is a crown for my mom's dogs. lol) Perfect fit for our princess!
Sweetpea and Leah, (my first cousin, Sweetpea's second cousin).

They are a month apart in age :)

Pretty girl about to open presents

She got a baby Cabbage Patch Kid from my aunt, (her great aunt).

The baby was a hit among the 2 year olds :)

Sweetpea loves her new baby :)

My sister, Sweetpea's Auntay bought her this Tiana. Obviously we love her!

In awe of her newest Tiana :)

Taking a break from opening to play with her baby

In mid sentence- so cute! lol

Pretty girl. :)

The next day Sweetpea showing off her new Tiana

Kisses

Going in for the kiss :)

Kisses of gratitude for Auntay :)

"Nose"

"Where are Tiana's eyes?" HA!

greatest.picture.ever.

in awe again of her awesome Tiana :)

Thanks again, Auntay!

Playing with her baby from her great aunt.

She kept asking to "stand up"... she knows she has to stand to push her stroller. :)

Her legs may not work properly, but her brain sure does. She'll be walking before we know it folks. :) (ps notice her funky smile) lol

Bye for now!