Our year in review...

So much has happened for our family, God's goodness has rained down over us. Is it all cherries and butterflies? Uhhhh, no. But He is always good. Always.

January saw the new year ushered in, a fresh start..

February, we were called to adopt and committed to Alexander 20 on Reece's Rainbow.

March, we were told by the agency we were using and the social worker, JD, that we would not be approved by their organization and would likely never find someone to approve us. Thank God they were in the wrong for starting with us, period. They were illegally contracted with us since we were not using a Hague accredited agency to complete the adoption and all they "said" was moot. And, hey, we got a free water sample done on our well :) BONUS!

April, we found Gateway Woods for our homestudy thanks to Tonya (THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!) and I began to suspect that Alexander was not available after talking with one person in particular. I began to search frantically to locate the institution this child was said to be in. Jared started baseball this month :) Love watching my boy WHACK that ball!! Shawn was baptized on Easter Sunday...does it get any better?

May, it is confirmed by me that Alexander is NOT available, waiting confirmation from Reece's Rainbow (this will take many months yet still). School is out!

June our homestudy is completed in just 33 days total :) Take that JD! LOL We are approved for one child with Down syndrome ages 0-7. I find pictures from Lindy's blog this month that have Alexander in them! It is true, he is not in an institution. He is in the baby house still in his region. The original Alexander 20---now is listed as Sasha 50 on RR. We do not choose to adopt him, we continue to pursue Alexander 20, the boy we know only by video and pictures.

July, the twins turned 4!!!!! Where or where has time gone??? This month on July 6th, it is confirmed by Reece's Rainbow, there indeed was a mixup of information between the two boys. It seems Alexander's mother has not terminated her rights. We selfishly say we want her found and ask her to allow him to be adopted--thusly, signing away her parental rights.

August 3rd, our dossier arrives in Ukraine!! We still have not heard anything about Alexander. We are ready to complete our adoption. We have done all we can, we are ready. Shawn and I wrestle with our reality, do we wait indefinitely or do we let go of Alexander? Do we give him back to God and pray He leads us in the direction He has held for us all along. Mid-August, we terminate our choice to seek out Alexander and ask our team to file our dossier, we will be seeking a referral for another child. Jared turns 9 this month!!! Unbelievable how big my baby boy has gotten. School starts!!! Our days are busy for sure. All three boys attend different schools and mommy is driving lots these days.

September. Mom has been gone for 17 years on the 5th...I can hardly believe I've not had a mother for so very long. I need her now more than ever these past 17 years. My family is fixing to grow, family support is shotty at best. I want my mom. We learn of our travel date...September 25, our SDA referral appointment is Septemer 28. Geneva and Cliff will keep the kids for us while we are gone. We are praying for travel mercies and a swift process.

October...AWESOME MONTH!!! We adopted our 4th child, Jadon Andrew Taylor on October 6th. Joshua (my nephew turned 8 the day before). We arrive back home in the states on October 15th. Jadon celebrates his 3rd birthday with FAMILY on October 18th. We learn, once stateside, we had the fastest adoption in team history :) GO SERGE and TEAM!!! Just 8 days after meeting Jadon, he was legally adopted :)

November, our adoption was formally recognized in the Indiana courts. Jadon's American birth certificate arrives and was printed on Daddy's birthday (November 22nd). Janae (niece turned 6 on the 14th). We celebrated Thanksgiving with Shawn's family. Life is good.

December, my BFF Julie learned she will be traveling this month to Ukraine to adopt her son, Peter. Christmas season is upon us. Shawn and I have been married 5 years!!! And, my children are learning the true meaning of Christmas--we will not teach the twins or Jadon about Santa and Jared knows that Santa is not real. The persona of Santa exists, each day in amazing people willing to give just to give...but the man in the red suit means nothing to my boys. We will start a new tradition this year, just 3 presents a piece for my children. 3? Why 3? Well, Jesus got three gifts--gold, frankincense and myrrh. Why should my kids be any different? They are certainly no better than the wee, tiny babe born in a manger over 2,000 years ago. There will be no Black Friday madness in this house. Simple, grateful celebration. That's it. That's what we will have.

Today, in reflecting I am in awe of all my family has experienced this year. Five years ago, I was a single mom of one child. I had just bought our home and was working 40+ hours a week.

Today? Today, I am a married woman, proud to call Shawn my husband, mother to 4 boys and stay-at-home-mom.

Amazing.

God is good.

All the time.

Even in the funk, when it comes, He is good. Just let Him show you.

 "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)