Reflecting on 2008 (Rambles)--A bit late

I wrote this blog at the beginning of last month.
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Songs 1 and 2 on our playlist ("Bring the Rain" and "I Will Lift My Eyes") have helped my heart take on the proper perspective as I reflected on some tough moments for my family throughout all of last year. I would not say the trials culminated in the passing of my brother-in-law Kawika last October, but many hearts were and still are sad because he is no longer with us on earth. Makana and I were able to spend time with our family in Hawai'i for about 3 weeks. As Johnny said, it is good to know that our family still supports each other, and it is better to know that we were already there for each other before this event transpired.

Lisa and Jeffo took in Mary's family in the spring. We all gathered for family pictures when Johnny decided to bring his 3 friends from Kentucky to Hawai'i. We got to meet Zayvin (Malia's younger son) for the first time, only to conclude that we didn't need pictures of him, for he looked exactly like his older brother at the same age. BTW--I don't think we ever got those family pictures!

We are thankful that Dave was only "deployed" to the Carribean this past year and had only one other training that kept us apart geographically. That enabled us to take adoption classes in hopes of expanding our family. Makana is excited to be a big sister. She had a little taste of it as we brought home a child in the fall, but her birth mother changed her mind. We had a lot of other possibilities to consider, but none that God has brought to fruition. While we don't care much for being in "limbo," we know that God places families together, whether biological or otherwise. We are waiting for him to do his thing. While it may seem difficult to have had a child in our home only to have her taken away, we pray that we were faithful in saying and doing what God planned in that situation. We pray that somehow those hours upon hours of conversation will lead to a saving knowledge of Jesus. :)

2008 zoomed by--no kidding! We had some really fun moments, especially watching Makana take to hiking and so many other things! We love exploring with her and discovering her train of thought as she becomes curious about a plethora of things, including the Christmas story. I have learned to enjoy PBSkids with her and am thankful that she is descriminate about the shows she watches. I must say, she at least has good taste: SuperWhy, Sid the Science Kid, Barney, and Caillou. Of course, she doesn't usually get to watch them all in the same day, but they are quite educational. You know me, every moment is a teachable moment! :)

Our travels continue to keep us busy and in touch with our family. We are thankful our families live in beautiful places like Hawai'i and Vermont. I guess we didn't make it to Kentucky last year, but we hope to get there in 2009. We are also grateful for our vehicles that allow us to travel by land as well. However, Mom did come to Arizona in December, and it looks as though she will stay with us. :)

Ministry never ceases, and we have been ever so blessed by our brothers and sisters in Christ all across the globe. At the base we are surrounded by partners in God's work--blessings! We pray we continue to grow and walk in Christ in 2009.

Crazy Legs

What a blast from the past--skating! One of our friends (Sarah) had a birthday party at the skating rink last Saturday. Makana and Dave had gone hiking during the day with some friends from the dorms (while I was at the hospital with Stephen), and they were both quite tuckered. However, the birthday party was a great excuse to try something new as a family while celebrating with our friends. I honestly can say I haven't roller skated since high school (or maybe even junior high?), over 20 years ago! I didn't even try the roller blading craze at all. Thus, I was a bit nervous to start back on the rink with Makana depending on me, but she did beautifully.

After about an hour and a half, Makana's legs got really wobbly, so we took off her skates. She laughed about her legs, saying, "My legs were getting a little crazy!" She definitely wants to go back to try skating again. As a bonus bit of inspiration, when Makana watched one of her new favorite videos after that night, she noticed that Kit Kittredge (An American Girl) also wore skates!

Another Precious Gift from God

Yesterday, Stephen David officially became a part of our family, as we signed adoption papers. He was born on January 20th, ten weeks early, so he is still needing extra care at the hospital. Please pray for his physical, cognitive, and spiritual growth as we wait for him to be strong enough to come into our home. :)

Makana is beside herself, wondering why her baby brother cannot be strong enough to sleep at home. Thankfully, Grandma is here to spend lots of time with her as I go to the hospital for his feedings. He needs to gain stamina to eat on his own. Right now, he prefers sleeping and conserving his energy to using up calories to gain calories to eat. That is a bit of information for a two year-old to comprehend. :)

Stephen is good at gripping our pinkies; the first picture is one with him holding onto Dave's, and he didn't want to let go. :)

A Demonstration of New Life! :)

We had a great time celebrating with 3 of our friends from church last weekend. They were baptized, showing a wonderful display of their trust in Jesus to die to themselves and to rise to walk in a new way, a new life in Christ Jesus. :) Two of them are married, so Dave had James help in baptizing his wife Kelli. We rejoiced with Rosi, Jamie, and Kelli! :)

Dave asked members of the church to testify how God has been working in the lives of those getting baptized. It was wonderful to hear of how differently people live once God is alive in them. :)

The atmosphere was so different from the last baptism we did up on the mountain for 2 other friends. We went up early to dam up a river to create a pool in the beautiful, natural setting. Just after the baptismal service, it started to downpour. :)

Both baptisms were beautiful: God was glorified.

Happy Birthday to me! :)

Thankfully my birthday is in January, and it is a great time to hike here in Arizona. We explored a different trail this time and were thankful for God's creation. As we approached this area, the terrain was very much like much of the rest of Arizona: flat and desert-like. Makana kept informing us, "This is NOT a hiking place!" Almost out of the blue, once we crossed the line into the park, there was a mountain with trees! :)

I'll make you pretty . . . .

Makana shared her princess dress with Gracie and then proceeded to complete her look with her new styling tools. The two were excited to make each other "pretty." It was adorable to observe!

Makana got her pink and purple hair styling tools with a gift card from Uncle Leonard and Auntie Kris. How appropriate that part of the card went toward something Auntie Kris would approve of. The other part of the gift card purchased something Uncle Leonard would give his mark of approval toward: an emergency response pack with an ambulance, semi-truck (with a remote control), fire truck, and about 75 other pieces! :)