Spring is finally here!

Here in the high desert, Spring comes later than lots of lower elevation places around the country. Our trees in the front yard started to bloom pink this week, the grass is trying it's hardest to turn green, and finally this weekend it started to warm up. So we are making the most of it, and trying to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. Because inevitably, it will probably snow later this week!

Josiah's surgery is this Friday at Shriner's Hospital (for his first palate repair and tubes). We go on Thursday for a pre-op appointment, then Josiah and I will spend the night at the hospital cause his surgery is scheduled to start by 7:30 AM. Please pray that he stays healthy inbetween now and then, and that the surgery and recovery will be a success.

Here's a few pictures from today's hike along the Deschutes river.

Having fun throwing pine cones into the river

All the troops!

I just had to put this in - thought it was cute of Olivia. Joel's the photographer.

2 years with Olivia

Our first glimpse of Olivia on April 13, 2008
















Trying to be brave
















She clung to me like this almost the whole time we were in China


Today marks 2 years since we first met our sweet Olivia. In some ways the past two years have flown by and in other ways it seems like Olivia has been part of our family forever. I can't even imagine life without her. She is such a sweet, smart, active, cute girl. We love you, Olivia!!!

It is amazing to think about how much she has grown and changed since that first day we saw her 2 years ago. For the first few days we had her, we were even wondering if she could smile!! She was such a scared, timid, sad little girl. In a matter of days, we started seeing her true
personality come out. Now Olivia is just about as far as you can get from timid, scared, and sad. And she is SMART! Here's a story of what happened just yesterday: We go to AWANA's on Monday nights (it is a club where the kids meet friends, play games, learn about the Bible, and memorize Bible verses). On Sunday, Hannah and I were working on her verses for the next day. Olivia was playing in the same room, not really paying attention to us, or so I thought. Then on Monday, Olivia was sitting in her car seat and I hear her saying "By faith Abraham, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." That was one of the verses from Hebrews that Hannah was practicing! And Olivia said it word for word. This girl can memorize!

It also amazed me how much I learn from my children, and in this instance from Olivia. That verse really struck a chord with me. Cause that is how we are supposed to live. By faith, even if we don't know where we are going. Because God knows, and that is all that really matters.