P-Pictures

I have been putting off doing this post because I had a great idea. I really wanted to scan some of my favorite pictures from various times in my life and share them. But, that obviously didn't happen. I know where the pictures are but never could find the time to go through and pull them out the ones I wanted, then I would have to go use someone's scanner etc. It just seemed like a lot of work for one blog post.

The purpose of this alphabet that I have been doing off and on (and maybe will eventually finish) is not just things that I like, but things that I am thankful for. I have always loved pictures. I am so thankful that I am able to look back at other times in my life -  my baby pictures, family portraits, being silly with my siblings, my pooh bear, my pets, grade school friends,family vacations, Christmases, youth group times, camps and retreats, Africa, wonderful college memories, pictures when Josh and I were dating or engaged, wedding pictures, pregnancy pictures and now pictures with Addison. I am thankful for all of those experiences and thankful that I am able to continually look at at them and enjoy the memories. I am also thankful for all the new pictures and memories I will have in the future.

So, you don't get to see some of my favorite old pictures - maybe I will find some time someday because I really would like to post some- but, I will share some recent pictures of Addie (which you are all probably more interested in anyway).

*Daddy got her this shirt on one of his trips.

*She only stayed standing like for about about 3 seconds....

O-Other things

I couldn't come up with anything else for O so I decided to use the letter to write about some things that I didn't for previous letters.

A- Adventure - I am thankful for the adventurous spirit that God has given me. I love to climb rocks, swim, hike, backpack etc. I have a huge list of stuff I want to do including hang gliding, scuba diving, sky diving, dirt biking and others. I have flown an airplane, ridden in an ultra-lite plane (basically a motorcycle with wings), snorkeled, and other fun stuff. I don't want to be unsafe but I am grateful for the thirst for life and adventure that God has given me.

C - Cards - One of the things I love to do is make cards. It is expensive at times to buy the supplies but cheaper in the long run. I also think that it is so much more meaningful to not only get a card that was made just for you but to be able to make a card specifically for someone. I am thankful that I have the money to be able to do this. I am thankful that I have a husband who supports this habit and encourages me to make things to de-stress and thinks they are beautiful. I am thankful that I have a great space in my house just for my craft stuff. I love it!

M- Missions - I debated about making this A for Africa but I decided that in the end, while I love Africa, it's not just Africa. I grew up with a heart for missions and have wanted to be a missionary since I was about 8. I married a youth minister so that passion and dream have changed a little but the fire is still there. I also strongly believe that you should not go overseas to teach people if you aren't doing it where you live first. Before sending me on one of my trips to Africa the head of Westover Hills' Missions Committee asked me what I was doing currently to spread the gospel because if I wasn't doing it now then I wouldn't really do it there. Missions, all kinds of missions, and service is something that gets me excited. It's a huge part of me and I love to share it with others. I am thankful that God has given me the opportunity to experience trips to other parts of the world to share His love and I am thankful that He continues to teach me how to do that in my daily life.

E-Exercise - I love, love, love to work out. It's not like I have to wear a size 4 (which I don't think I ever have in my life) or weight a certain amount. It's about feeling good, being strong, pushing myself, being healthy and a positive self esteem. I admit, I like when I am in shape and my skinny jeans fit. But, I also like the way I feel after a hard work out, an intense yoga class or a long hike. I like pushing my muscles to do more. I have noticed huge improvements in my asthma since I started doing yoga regularly. I am not super skinny. My stomach is way more flabby than I like. My arms jiggle more than I am comfortable with. But, I know that I am also strong. I know that I am flexible and have good muscle tone. I am so thankful that God has given me the physical strength and ability to be able to exercise my body. I am thankful that he has given me the passion for sports and activity. I am thankful for the lessons that it has taught me. I hope that I am able to pass this on to my daughter. I don't want her to criticize the way she looks or want to be as thin as a model but I want her to take pride in her body and desire to be healthy.

So, that's it I guess. There are probably more things but I don't want this to be forever long!

Haiti update and "N"

First a Haiti update:
We have been able to finalize all the Haiti adoptions that were in process. We have also been able to have other kids go home- some families wanting to adopt one child ended up with two and some families who were waiting on referrals from other countries switched to Haiti. God is really working right now!

For the Alphabet continuation:

N- Neurology

I can't remember if I have blogged about this before or not. Some of you probably know this story already anyway.

When I was 15 - just after my freshman year in high school I went to Zimbabwe with my friend Danny Reese and his family who lived there as missionaries with World Bible School. I had wanted to go to Africa to do mission work since I was about 8 years old. My mom and dad were both going with us so my siblings all stayed at friends' houses for 2 weeks. My parents met in Scotland on separate mission teams. They stayed at worked at a church in Edinburgh for several years so on the way to Zimbabwe my parents and I stopped in Scotland to visit for a few days. Then we went on to Africa for several weeks.

We had an incredible trip. I sat and studied with people just hearing about Christ, encouraged Christians who may have been the only believers in their village, spend lots of time in prayer, praise and fellowship. I also got to visit Victoria Falls, climb rocks in Matobos, see all kinds of animals (elephants, zebras, buffalo, cheetahs and lions) free in game parks and other adventures. It was a great experience. I tell people that once you go to Africa it becomes a part of you - the land, the people - they all made a lasting impression on my heart. I still yearn to go back!

My parents and I were leaving a few weeks before the Reese family. We were flying from South Africa to Zurich, Switzerland and then on to Chicago before finally getting back to Texas. I started to feel sick on the flight to Switzerland. During our layover I didn't do anything but sleep. Almost as soon as we got on the plane to fly to Chicago I started throwing up. I think I used almost every barf bag on the 747. I had a high fever, my head and neck were killing me and I couldn't keep anything in my stomach for the whole 7 hour flight. There was a doctor on board from the Mayo clinic who suspected meningitis. When we landed in Chicago an ambulance met us on the runway and took me off on a stretcher to go straight to the hospital. They even quarantined the rest of the plane! In the ER they did a spinal tap and then MRI/CT scans and all sorts of infectious disease tests since I was in Africa. All of this revealed nothing but a small sinus infection. I later heard that the doctors told my parents to let me talk to my siblings because if they couldn't figure out what was wrong I might not make it. I cannot even imagine how terrifying this was for my parents to be in a strange city with a very sick child.

After about a week I was stable enough to fly home to Austin where I was immediately put back into the hospital there. I missed the first 8 weeks of my sophomore year of high school because I was in and out of the hospital, still with no definite diagnosis of any sort or any treatments that seemed to help. At this point, the problem was that I would have headaches so bad that I had to be lying flat or else I would pass out or throw up. At times the pain was worse than having my baby! The only test that ever came back even remotely positive was one for the Epstein Bar Virus which is a form of mono. The conclusion was that I contracted some sort of virus while in Africa that made me sick and the headaches were a result of that. It was diagnosed as Occipital Neuralgia migraines by default.

The next several years were a series of spinal taps, MRIs, ER trips, hundreds of lab tests, over 50 different medications and lots of doctor visits. I even went to a special clinic in Houston for a week.

Long story short, while these headaches have gotten better it is still a struggle. You might be thinking "so why is this in a alphabet of things you are thankful for?" Even when I was first in the hospital in Chicago, I was remembering the lessons about Hope that I had just heard at Kadesh. I decided that whatever happened, I would go to heaven and that God was in control. I have learned a lot from this trial. I have prayed and prayed for this illness to be taken away and came to the conclusion that God may not heal my body but He has healed my spirit. I am who I am in part because of this challenge. I have gone back to Africa twice since this incident and would go again in a heartbeat. I love to read Paul's statement about his thorn in the flesh - God's power is made perfect in our weakness and I have definitely been weak. Another verse that I clung to was "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Cor. 4:17 One of the things I have prayed and continue to pray is that God will use me and this experience to be able to share things about Him and plant those seeds. I have seen some of that already in my life and am excited to see what else God will do.

Thank you to those of you who read this ridiculously long post.

M- Moms

I haven't done another alphabet post in awhile so I thought that I should.

M is for Mom.

This is kind of a two-fold post. The first part is about my mom. I love her! I have always loved her but we DID NOT get along when I was in high school. I was stubborn and rude. Mom had to be right and is just as stubborn as I am. It would be an understatement to say it high school was a very tumultuous time. But, even through all of the arguments and frustrations I looked up to my mom and her dedication to my siblings and I and helping other people. I am a lot like her - I got a degree in social work like her, I have a sense of adventure and fearlessness like her, I like sewing and cooking like her etc. etc. etc. My mom and I struggled again in our relationship after my parents divorced while I was in college. It took me awhile to be able to forgive and look beyond myself and see things from my parent's perspective.

Now we have the type of relationship that is honest and open. I can say just about anything to my mom. I also know that she will always be there for me. When I had my first miscarriage I called her in the middle of the night and she left the next morning to drive to Denver to be with me. Recently my mom came to spend a week with me while Josh was in St. Louis at a conference. She is just in love with Addison and had a great week taking care of her even though she was sick.



The second part of M for Mom is about me now being a mom. In some ways this adventure was been way, way harder than I thought. But it is also much more wonderful than I could have imagined. I love watching Addison while she sleeps, feeling her little hands touch me while she eats, seeing her learn new things, getting her dressed, giving her baths, singing to her, praying with and for her, day dreaming about when she gets older and so many other things. I am excited to braid her hair, talk to her about boys, pick out a prom dress, have mom and daughter days, go on vacations and just be not only her mom, but hopefully her friend also. This is such an exciting time! Right before she was born someone told me that no matter what, I am the perfect mom for her- not a perfect mom, but the mom that God had in store for Addie. I have already been blessed by being a mom to Addison and I know I will continue to be blessed each day.

L - Little Things (Christmas Post Coming Soon)

I was trying to think of something for L so I asked Josh and he said it should be "Little Things". I liked that idea. I don't often stop to be thankful for all the small things each day. I decided to just make a list of some of my favorite "little things" that I am thankful for.

-a morning drink at Starbucks
-a good hair day
-Josh watching Addison so I can go to the gym
-a sweet text or email
-talking to Jackie Beth or my mom
-hearing songs I like on the radio
-clean laundry
-Addie's cute little noises
-being able to sit and relax all by myself
-hot tea with milk and sugar
-no traffic
-getting all my paperwork completed at work


There are lots of others but that's what I thought of first. Remember to be thankful for little things - especially when life is busy.

I promise I will post about Addie's first Christmas as soon as I upload pictures!

K- Kisses (and Photos)

This will be short and sweet but I am thankful for kisses. I am thankful for all of the sweet kisses I get to give my baby and the kisses she will eventually give me (slober and all). I am thankful for the kisses I exchange with Josh - sweet kisses, sexy kisses, playful kisses, etc. I am thankful for kisses.

The pictures were taken by Seasons of Change Photography. Paul Sudbury and Angela (Sudbury) Fleming started a photography business and asked to take our picture for their portfolio. Their prices are great and they do an AWESOME job. If you are in the metroplex area look them up. The email is seasonsofchangetx@gmail.com and they have a website on shutterfly.

The first pics go along with my kissing post...these next ones are just ones that I like! The rest are on facebook!

J-Josh (Anniversary)

6 years ago tonight I was at my rehearsal dinner getting ready to marry the man of my dreams.

Sometimes it seems funny to me that Josh and I have only been married 6 years and have been together for 8 years. When I think about all the things - good and bad that we have experienced together in that time - I am amazed at how much we have grown in that time. My love for this man has grown and changed so much already as we have walked together through some dark trials, I've seen him grow as a youth minister, I've watched him fall in love with our daughter, we've moved away from family and friends, and so many other things. I feel like we continually get to know new things about each other and I love that.

I started to write a list of random facts about Josh and things that I love about him, but we have to leave to drive to Texas tomorrow, I don't want to embarrass Josh and it would be hard to keep the list short. So, I will simply tell you that there are hundreds of things that I love about Josh and countless ways that I have been blessed by him. I am so thankful to have him in my life as my friend and partner.

Here is a quote from a letter he wrote me before we got engaged and that we used in our wedding - "I love you. I'm in love with you. It's like I always loved you, it just took me awhile to find you."

6 years down - A LOT more to go.

One of my favorite pictures...

I - Ice cream

As silly as it may be, I am thankful for Blue Bell ice cream. We don't have it in Colorado except from a Russell Stover candy store (super expensive) and I eat as much as I can every time we go home.

H - Helping People (Blind Side)

I had a hard time coming up with something for H. Then I watched The Blind Side this weekend. One of my first reactions to the movie was that it was hard for me to see. I hear stories like that (and a lot worse) at work every day but at work I try hard to not get emotionally attached. Watching the movie I was able to "feel" it and be emotional.

I want to be like Leigh Ann Tuohy. I want to be the kind of person that would take a stranger in and help them, not to get anything out of it, but because it's the right thing to do and it's what God asked us to do. I love the feeling I get when I am able to help a child in foster care succeed. I am passionate about the work that I do. It isn't just a pay check but it's something I love.

I strongly believe that God did not call us to be comfortable or safe. He called us to do His work and frequently His work is neither of those two things. I want to be a woman who will step out of her comfort zone and love on people that the world ignores.

I am thankful that God has given me the desire to help others. I pray that I am able to instill that in my children as well.

On a side note, my agency I work for has a chance to bring in Michaell Oher. I hope that we are able to - it would be amazing!

G - Grandparents

Addison is blessed to have three sets of wonderful grandparents and a Great-Grandmother who love her very much.

Everyone was able to come see her after she was born and we constantly get requests for updates, pictures etc. Josh and I think it is so fun to see our parents go completely nuts over this little girl. I have no doubt that she will be spoiled so my job changes to keeping her from getting too spoiled or bratty.

I have great memories of my grandparents growing up, but my family wasn't particularly close to them. I am so thankful that Addie will have grandparents who want to be involved in her life, will support her, love her and be there for her.

Thankful for friends - F

First, I really wanted to scan in some pictures to put on here but haven't had the time. Maybe I'll get it done soon...Otherwise, just imagine cool pictures of all of my friends.

I have the greatest friends ever! Other people think they have the best friends, but they are wrong.

When I think about my friends who have blessed me one of the things that I am most thankful for is that I have friends from various times in my life, places and with different things in common.

Kristen and Jeremy are two of my friend that I grew up with that I still am able to see. Kristen lives in Denver and I try to see her and her family whenever I can. We always make an effort to hang out when Jeremy comes in town. They share my love for Africa since they grew up living in Africa as a missionary family

David, Elliott, Danny, Jessica, Stacey, Ben, Eric, and Cal are some of the friends from Austin that I grew up with. I don't keep up with some of them as much as I would like to but I have wonderful memories of things we have done together.

Steve, Casey and Kasey were some of my very best friends at ACU. They played such an important part in my life.

Mel, Ashley, Jeff, Linds, Emily, Amy, Tucker, Kyle, Beth, Clint and Andy are a few of the people I was lucky enough to be friends with at ACU. One of the neat things about my friendship with Mel is that we are still a big part of each others lives since we live near each other and are kind of all alone up here. It has been a blessing to have a college friend so close.

Lacy, Andy, Mary, Jeff, Brad and Alli are friends that I have gotten to know through jobs. We definitely formed trauma bonds because of the work we do. Lacy has since moved back to Texas. I get together with Alli once a month and it is one of the highlights of my month. I try to get together for lunch with Brad, Jeff and Mary when we can find a time too.

Sheila, Lynn, Connie, Linda, and Joan are among some of the women I have gotten to know and love in Denver. They have laughed with me, prayed with me, brought us meals and so many other things. At times I think some of us are more family than friends.

And then there is Jackie Beth. I would easily call her my best friend. In some ways we are like the same person - we "get" each other in a way that has to be from God. In other ways we are pretty different. I love that we have been able to stay friends being far apart and not getting to hang out very often. She is the friend that I can say anything to, even if it is over voice mail. One of my other favorite things is that we are able to our dorky, goofy selves when we are together.

I am so thankful for all of my friends - ones that I don't keep up with, ones that I do and friends that I know God will put in my life in the future.

E- Employment

One of the things that I have been most thankful for over the last 4 months is my job. I work for a foster care/adoption agency in the foster care department. Our agency is small and my foster care has 4 of us and our supervisor. I love my team - we are able to support each other and we enjoy being together. We are able to laugh and vent about situations we see that really aren't funny but it's the only way to handle it.

When I was on bedrest my supervisor let me work from home so I could still get stuff done, be productive and get a pay check. They have also been totally flexible with me since I've been back at work and love it when Addie gets to come with me.

Jobs are scarce right now. I am lucky not only to have a job but to have a job that I love. People asked me if I was going back to work after Addison was born and why I was going back to work. Even if I didn't have to work financially I would want to at least part time. I worked hard in college for four years to learn to be a social worker. It's something I am good at and I am passionate about. I get to help families and children during tough times in their lives. I get to support foster parents who are also passionate about serving children. This isn't just a paycheck for me but it's something that I want to do. It's hard sometimes hearing and seeing the things that I deal with on a daily basis but it has also taught me a lot. It has taught me a great deal of patience and empathy. God reminds me regularly that my clients and their families, no matter how many mistakes they make, are created in His image and He loves them.

So, I am thankful to work at Adoption Alliance. I am thankful to work with people I consider friends. I am thankful that hopefully in some small way I get to make a difference in the lives of children in foster care. I am thankful that I have a job to help provide for my family.


www.adoptall.org

D- Denver

Josh and I moved to Denver for his job as the youth minister at University Church of Christ in May of 2004. We had been married for almost 6 months. This was the first time that Josh had lived outside of Texas - he lived in the metroplex growing up and went to Abilene for college. I had lived in multiple places and states but it had been awhile. It was weird, but at first I missed home and Texas more than Josh did. I missed bluebonnets, Blue Bell ice cream, hot weather, friends, family etc.

Now that we have been here 5 1/2 years we love it. There have been a few times that we considered moving because job situations were less than desirable. But each time we considered it, if the new job had worked out we would have been really sad to leave Colorado. I love the mountains and being so close to so many great places to go for a weekend or a longer vacation. I love the cool stuff that this city has. I am thankful for our friends here, some of which are more like family at this point. Our church has come a long way in their motivation and outreach and the people here have wonderful hearts. It was a culture shock at first being out of the "bible belt". The churches as well as just the city is very different.

I think living here, at least 8 hours from our closest family members, has been good for Josh and I. I think we have become more independent and rely on each other more. It has been a blessing that we had to "grow up" as a married couple quickly. I am also thankful for all the new experiences we have had living in Denver. Josh gets to go skiing more, we camp regularly (which I grew up loving to do. We have to deal with blizzards and snow. We have been able to spend time in some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen by ourselves and with friends. The city itself is beautiful with tons of huge parks and miles of trails. The downtown is great and there are so many neat things to do.

Whether we stay here just a few more years or we retire here, I will always be thankful for Denver as our first real home together.

Our first home (a town home, really not this big)


Hiking in Evergreen


Estes Park


Rockies Game


Anniversary Date Downtown


First Snowman

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Whitewater Rafting with Youth Group


Bear Lake

C- Christmas

Since it is the day after Thanksgiving I thought it was neat that today's letter is C and today is the day I get to officially start the Christmas season.

I LOVE Christmas. I love the lights, music, decorations, the smell of Christmas trees, candles, angels, presents, egg nog, snacks etc. One of my favorite things is buying presents for people. I like getting them, but buying them is way better. I love to pick out things that I think are perfect for the people I love. I love to wrap beautiful packages and watch as they are opened on Christmas morning.

I am thankful for the wonderful memories of Christmas I have growing up. We had advent boxes that we opened every day of December. They usually had a piece of candy or something small. My parents also gave us Twelve Day gifts. On the twelve days of Christmas we got a small present in our stocking every morning. I got things like a book, cool socks, earrings etc. It wasn't so much that my siblings and I liked the gifts, it was the excitement and anticipation each morning. Each year my mom either bought or made us all pajamas and we got to open them on Christmas Eve. Sometimes they all matched, sometimes the girls matched and the boys matched, sometimes they were all unique. Each year we would take pictures in our new pajamas in front of the tree.

I love the times during the holiday when we get to relax and celebrate with friends and family. I love the messages of peace, giving, love and forgiveness that are heard around Christmas. I love that people who may typically be grouchy or keep to themselves are likely to be more open and joyful during this time of year. It really does seem that there is magic in the air. I do wish that celebrating Christ was more a part of our secular Christmas celebration and I try to focus on that personally.

I am thankful for almost everything about this time of year and I can't wait to start making new Christmas memories and traditions with my daughter.

B - Brothers

I have two brothers, Jae and Sean and Josh has one brother, Jared. Today I am thankful for our brothers.

My brothers are both super tall (one is 6'5" and one is 6'6") and blond. We look nothing alike which makes sense because I'm adopted. They are both unique in their own weird and wacky ways but I love them. Sean and I were close growing up but don't get to talk much now. He and his wife Ashley live in Tennessee where Sean is in grad school at Harding. He is very smart and into philosophy, religious studies and history. Sean was always his own person and we had a special bond. Jae and I didn't really like each other growing up but are close now. He works for ACU and will be here for Thanksgiving with his wife Krista. He has been blessed with an ability to make friends easily and help people feel included. He loves working with college students and international students. I could write for a long time about both of these guys and what makes them special but I am trying to keep it short. I have great memories with them as kids and adults and I'm excited to see how our relationships change as we get older.

Josh's brother Jared is the same age as me. After Josh and I got engaged (Josh was no longer at ACU) Jared came up to me in the campus center and said something like "Hey, you're gonna be my sister. Cool". Jared and his wife Lauren live in San Antonio and I cannot wait to see them for Christmas. I always laugh so much whenever Jared and Josh get together.


Jared and Lauren


Sean and Ashley


Jae and Krista

Thankfulnes Project - A

I love the holidays, including Thanksgiving. But, I want it to be more than just turkey, football and pie so I am writing about things I am thankful for. I was originally just going to write about one thing each week. Instead I decided to write about one thing for each letter of the alphabet and try to finish by the end of the year. I am sure there will be intermittent posts about things going on with us etc.

Since A is the first letter in the alphabet and is also conveniently the first letter of my daughter's name I think that is a great place to start.

Addison Hope Jones - I am so incredibly thankful for her. I am thankful for her sweet smile, her beautiful eyes, silky hair, and sweet hands. I am even thankful for her crying and poopy diapers. Josh and I have wanted a baby for so long and she was worth the wait. I look at her and sometimes get so overwhelmed with love it makes me want to cry. I am thankful that I will get to be her mom, help her learn and grow, watch her become her own person and a person who loves God, pray with and for her, laugh together and so many other things.
Yes, I am definitely thankful for Addison.