Our Newest Family Member

So the Hays family has decided to give pet ownership another chance. Yesterday we drove to Ashville to get our sweet toy poodle, Jack. We met the breeder at a Jack's restaurant hint the name Jack. Lillian had wanted to name the dog Chewer, thankfully she was easily swayed. He is a super sweet puppy and so tiny; just a little over a pound and a half. Lillian is beyond obsessed with Jack. She doesn't want to put him down and makes us all talk quietly when he is asleep so we don't wake him up. She kept telling Shaun last night, "our dog is so cute, Daddy. I just love him so much". Many of you might know that Shaun is not a huge animal lover, but this little guy has already stolen his heart. The dog even slept in the bed with us last night. 

One of my favorite moments about yesterday was watching Shaun's face as he watched Lillian. I am not sure who's smile was bigger...Lillian's as she held her new puppy for the first time, or Shaun's as he saw how happy that little dog made his little girl. I think if Lillian asked for the moon Shaun would do his best to get it for her. 

John Whitten is far from a gentle giant, so we are keeping him far away from little Jack for now

picking out puppy supplies

 Jack's first bath at home

Lillian folded her dress up over Jack after he fell asleep in her lap

Then God commanded, 'Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life; domestic and wild, large and small, and it was done. So God made them all, and He was pleased with what He saw.

Genesis 1:24,25

What A Week

We had a little bit of a crazy week this past week with me being sick, but thankfully Shaun held the fort down. Here are a few pics from our week...

 I LOVE this picture of my two babies : )

Monday @ the zoo w/ friends

John Whitten LOVED the goats

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

As Shaun and I continue to pray about adoption and where God is leading us, we are praying against this...depraved indifference. We long to be burdened, and we continue to pray that our faith is bigger than our fears and doubts.

Eric Ludy is an amazing preacher and Shaun and I have enjoyed listening to his sermons online at http://ellerslie.com/Eric_Ludy_Sermons/Eric_Ludy_Sermons.html 


We watched this video last night and just found it to be so powerful, that I had to share it with you. 

John Whitten's Elbow Issues

Last Friday Shaun was playing with John Whitten and hurt his arm when he was swinging him around. It was a classic nursemaid's elbow, but it was so hard to see him hurting so badly. He couldn't even lift his arm let alone use it at all. Poor Shaun felt so bad that he had "hurt" his baby boy, but the doctor made him feel better when she told him it was really common. And they did tell us that sense it had now happened that it might happen again so to be really careful with him. Umm, not only did it happen again it happened four more times over the next three days. I was scared that if I even looked at him wrong his elbow would dislocate itself. After talking to our pediatrician Monday morning he suggested we go ahead and see a pediatric orthopedic that morning. We saw Dr. Killian Monday morning and poor John Whitten's elbow was still out of place from when it had come out earlier that morning. After Dr. Killian put it back her talked to me about casting it for a few weeks just to let everything in his elbow "settle down and heal", but I really didn't want to cast it unless we HAD to. Instead we decided to use a little sling that wrapped around his chest and help keep his arm still. He wore it for a few hours a day for a few days and then he was over it and refuses to put it on. At least his arm hasn't come out of place in the last few days, so I guess it is fine now. The crazy thing about all of this is that Shaun actually watched a YouTube video  (two of them to be exact) on how to put John Whitten's elbow back in place...and then he did it!! The orthopedic actually said that this was fine, but I still cannot believe that I actually let him do it. Hey, it saved us a few co-pays....how horrible does that sound? The good news is that John Whitten's elbow has stayed in it's socket for almost a whole week now!  Lets hope it stays that way. 

Cooking With Lillian

waiting for them to cook

still waiting.

Who is this little girl? She looks like such a BIG girl!

of course he just crushed his muffin instead of eating it.

sharing ice cream w/ John Whitten

my little cook

I just thought this was a cute pic of John Whitten at the McWane center. I seldom look at him and think little boy. I still see a baby most of the time; but here he looks like a little boy.

The "Un-doing" That Makes Adoption Possible

For this child I have prayed. And the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him 1 Samuel 1:27. This is a popular verse in the Bible for any expecting Mommy. We see it on ceramic pink and blue crosses in baby boutiques. On birth announcements sent out by the proud parents. Its commonly read at baptisms, but there is more to Hannah's story...keep reading. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD (vs 28). That's right, Hannah did not keep the son that God had blessed her with. God had fulfilled His promise to Hannah, and in return she fulfilled her convent to God. When her precious son was weaned (probably around 2 years of age) she took him to the temple and left him with Eli to be raised. In adoption lingo, she is the birthmother. It is hard for me to even begin to imagine what Hannah went through. Walking away from the son she longed to have...it breaks my heart to even think about. 


I came across this blog post, and just had to share it with you. It talks about the "un-doing" of a relationship so that there can be a coming together of another through adoption. 

http://www.reallifeblog.net/hannahs-story-the-other-side-of-adoption-by-nicole-wick/

Oh, Lillian...

Sunday John Whitten was walking around-naked of course- and I noticed he had something on his back. Or should I say someone had put something on his back. Lillian had put a temporary tattoo on him!! A monkey to be exact. I got the biggest chuckle out of this for some reason. I love my sweet Lillian. Even if she does treat her brother like her own personal life size baby doll. 

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you. 

Psalm 37:5