Be still my heart...

My heart is so full that I think it might pop straight out of my chest if I don't be careful.

Even though our whole house has been snotty for entirely too long, and we now have some puking...I will not let it spoil my joy.

On Friday, my precious sister and attorney filed our intent to adopt our Sadie Skielar. Can I tell you that I cried just reading her documents before we signed our stuff?

You guys, this process of adoption is so amazing. And, incredibly, it doesn't seem to lose any excitement the more you do it. I know it's a long process. I know that it pulls me and stretches my faith in more ways than I would ever ask for. But, because of that, when it comes to placement, relinquishment and finalization I can't help but just cry and praise God for the miracles He's worked to create our family.

So, on Tuesday, May 12 @ 10:00 in the morning we will stand as a family of 5 in front of our judge and he will tell us that we can have our sweet baby forever and ever! Seriously, I am crying just thinking about it.

It's exciting to be able to take the boys and for them to understand more of what we do in adoption and what we did with them. Owen keeps saying, "I cannot believe it's gonna be Sadie's Gotcha Day!"

I promise to take lots of pics and document it all for those friends and family members that can't come to court with us.

On another joyous note, we've had Blake at home all weekend!

We even got a date in last night thanks to my tremendous in-laws who called yesterday and asked if they could come and play so that we could go out! Hot dog! It was fabulous to get to talk without interruption and have a nice long dinner. No pictures, you'll just have to imagine us gabbing at the Cheesecake Factory! Yummy!

Blake took the boys to the golf range to try out their new clubs. They were so excited, I think Owen about wet his pants when Blake asked him if he wanted to go play golf.

They let me take this super cute picture of them before they headed out. Cooper was sure to tell me that I could not come play golf...it was boys only! I giggled. I can't tell you how cool it is to have boys that LOVE to do boy stuff with their daddy!

He's back!

This last weekend we got Blake back and it's been oh-so nice!

We are loving every minute of it, but I am finding that with having him here more, I am getting less done because I just want to sit and be with him!

Today, we were surprised because Blake didn't have to be in until the AFTERNOON! The boys were beyond thrilled that he was here when they woke up in the morning. I love seeing how much our kids love their daddy.

So today, Blake took us to the zoo. It's amazing to me how much more fun the zoo becomes to a mommy when she has her honey there! I tell you what, it was a blast. I usually love the zoo just because we are outside not fighting over toys and such. But today was different and special and I am sure it's because it followed a hectic daddy-less 10 weeks.

So, I hope you enjoy the pictures. We sure are loving having Blake home more! What a blessing he is to all of us and honestly, it's a blessing to have to "give him up" for 10 weeks because it makes every moment with him that much sweeter.

Nothing too thrilling here, just Sadie in an adorable outfit! She loved checking out the waterfall.

This one cracks me up because I was so excited to get all 3 of them in a picture that I didn't even notice the paci in Sadie's neck until 5 pictures were taken!

The men in my life! They were so amazed at the train ride. We have never taken the train at the zoo, so it was such a wonderful treat!

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!

I am such a dork, but that's one of my favorite lines from "Annie"!


So, that's what I am feeling right now....


OH MY GOODNESS!


My heart is on fire for adoption.



I know, you could have never guessed. I am sure most of you tire of hearing me talk about it!


So, if that's you...take a quick look at my adorable kids and then tune out now! Maybe most of you do that anyway...but I am giving you permission now!


We've been talking for over a month now about trying to change the Oklahoma law about relinquishment. In doing this, we've realized how hard this really is going to be for a couple of stay-at-home moms who hardly get out!


But, we still have great hope and feel like we are gaining momentum.


If you haven't checked out our super cool blog please do so by clicking on the cute button on the right. If you become a follower we can track how many people are supporting this. That way we know if this might actually get enough attention to make it to a vote.
This last week has really brought me some more hope and direction. An adoption buddy of mine does fundraising for St. Jude and because of that has some fantastic contacts and asked us if we would like her to contact her peeps to see if we could get some TV interviews and radio interviews to spotlight our cause. How cool is that?

Please pray for these things and that God will open hearts and minds to adoption through this!

Here's another cool thing that happened! If you know me, you know that I don't read the paper or listen to the news. I rely entirely too much on my sweet in-laws to let me know if there's a tornado headed our way!


And yet again, my MIL called me yesterday excited about something in the newspaper. Get this guys...there is a state legislative adoption task force that is looking to add an adoptive parent and a birth parent to their task force! I am so excited and you better bet that I emailed these guys with my info.




I know most of you are gasping in fear because you know I know nothing of laws and politics. But, I know that my God is bigger than that and He will guide me through this should they ask me to help out. I also know that I don't have to be ready and able to serve on this task force...God will use my willing heart if it's His plan to do such.


So, please pray for this task force. They are looking to extend the life of the task force until the end of next year. This would be great because with our concerns about the current law, we are going to need more time to gain support. I fully realize there are TONS of adoptive parents in this area that are much more capable of doing this than I. But I also know that this has been on my heart and I need to at least offer my help and support to these politicians that are trying to protect and improve OK adoption.

**I realize these pictures are random pictures, but I just can't post without giving you something precious to look at! I know you're not really here to listen to my ramblings anyway!**

My newest nephew!

What a wonderful day today was!

Our family welcomed the 10th grand baby into the Murphy clan!

The newest big brother! I love you Sutton Grant! Above are some of the cousins waiting for Luke!

Luke William Grunewald is perfect and beautiful and Laura is doing wonderful as well!

He weighed 7 lbs and 5 oz and is 18 inches long and has BROWN hair! He looks a little like his brothers, but you be the judge...

Is she not a beautiful mommy? This is 3 hours after they sliced her open. Seriously, she's gorgeous!

It was so fun and a blessing to be able to be at the hospital and love on Laura and Greg before I headed back home today!

We love you so much already Luke and thank God for your healthy arrival. We are beyond blessed to have you in our crazy bunch!

I think he misses his Aunt Molly already! Oh my heart hurts to leave my nieces and nephews today!

Easter Fun

I headed to see my family again on Thursday. I packed up the kids for a 4 day weekend in Tulsa. Ah the joys of having little kids and no commitments!

Blake joined us on Friday to spend the weekend and Easter with us. What a treat to have him for Easter!

We went to an Easter Egg hunt with the kids' cousins. It was a blast!

On Sunday I waited until after church to take pictures and quickly realized why I usually take pictures before church...it's always nap time when we get home and the guys aren't in the mood to pose!

Chocolate didn't even work as a bribe for Owen to smile, but Cooper obliged me for some Hershey's kisses!

So I guess I should be happy we could at least get a few with Sadie cakes! She still lets us hold her while we snap away!

We enjoyed getting to entertain Papa while he continues to heal from surgery. We are amazed how with everyday he looks better and better. Here he is already getting back to work at only 5 days after surgery!

The Griffin Brothers!

Do you remember DeMarco Murray and Gerald McCoy?

Well, my little boys are loving basketball since it's been the season. They love playing any chance they get. Their favorite players are the Griffin brothers, Taylor and Blake.

So this is a video of them playing basketball a few weeks ago. If you listen close you'll hear Cooper say that he's Blake Griffin and that Owen is Taylor Griffin.

It's pretty stinking cute!

Sadie talks to the wall!

I am not sure what this says about her personality, but this girl LOVES talking to most any wall.

Not that she won't talk to us too, but there something about a wall that gets her going loud!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!



Notice her wobbles???

Sorry you can't see her face well!

Adoption stuff

You know I can't keep off the topic too long!

So, after the transracial workshop the agency suggested we do a playgroup for any families that are transracial. What a great idea!

We had so much fun at our first playgroup a couple of weeks ago. Even though the rain spoiled our zoo plans, we still had a blast at an indoor playground!

My boys were the only two kids that refused to sit for the picture. Who's shocked? Certainly not me! Aren't they all cute?

A friend pointed me to this poem and I had to share because this is what my heart is feeling and I couldn't say it well. This momma captured it perfectly!

What can I teach you about being Black?

Not much,

Because I'm not.

But a I can teach you about pain,

And how to forgive peoples foolish words.

I can show you how to endure suffering,

So that through it Truth will be proclaimed.

I can love you and cry with you,

I can be the she-bear when you are threatened.

We can live where there is a rainbow of people,

and we can learn to love them together.

We can seek out the truth of history,

And not be afraid of the ugliness.

I can open your heart and your eyes

To the painful reality that comes clinging to the back of sin.

And in the end,

I can release you into your destiny,

And wait for you to come home,

With a fuller understanding of who you are

and what you are to be in your life.

Then I can listen as you teach me,

What it means to be Black.

**Thank you Dorothy for letting me share this!**

____________________________________

I had to share something that came from those sweet pictures of Sadie that Libby took!

This is the quarterly newsletter that our agency sends out...how cool is that! Thanks for being willing to share this image Libby!

These pictures have nothing to do with this post but they are only a couple of the very few that I have of the boys lately! It seems that I can't get pics of them unless they are still in front of the TV! I was cuddling with Sadie and feeding her and they wanted to cuddle next to her. They actually asked me to move!

Updates!

First, thank you for all that have been praying for my daddy!

He's doing incredibly well and showing off his competitive nature to his nurses. While he was still intubated in the ICU they kindly asked my sister and I if he was competitive. We thought it was hilarious because my dad always likes a good challenge. Not that he wanted this kind of challenge, but he's been our hero through all of this.

He came through surgery wonderfully and is out of the ICU and already walking around the unit. Evidently his walker has a bike bell on it, and he's been keeping the nurses laughing by ringing it as he scoots around.

_____________________________________

7 months!

Sadie turned 7 months on Friday! She is changing so much at this age.

Her favorite things are standing and trying to walk. She still loves faces, talking and blowing bubbles. She can put herself in a sitting position from her belly now.

And her newest development is...the fake cry! It's amazing to me how quickly they learn that mommy will come a runnin' when babies cry. Then, miraculously as soon as you scoop her up...she's healed and all tears are gone! She's starting to develop some separation anxiety when I drop her off in the nursery, but she's fine within seconds.

We are continually amazed at how much fun this sweet girl is. She is an absolute delight.

And we seem to be having trouble getting her to smile...

Baby Luke will be here in 6 days or less (see I am being positive Laura)! I can't wait to meet this little guy! My guess is 7 lbs 10oz and 20.5 inches! She has no idea how stinking cute she is pregnant!

My daddy

I could write a book about my dad.

I wish I spent more blog time talking about him and all that he has taught me.

He's for sure one of the funniest guys I know.

He's for sure one of my best friends and I am beyond blessed to call him my dad.

So, this post is to ask you to pray for him on Monday, April 6th.

We found out this last Monday that he is going to have bypass surgery.

I know this is a big surgery, remember I am a nurse (at least sometimes!).

But, we are really at peace with this.

My dad could not be in better health for this surgery.

If you know him, you are probably shocked to hear that he's having this.

We were too.

But it so easily could have been different. We could have not known about this until he had a major heart attack years down the road.

This could have been something worse than just needing a bypass.

We are counting our blessings in this and praising God for what He has done in showing this problem to the doctors and for them being aggressive.

So, please pray for him and for my whole family as he recovers.

The following Monday (the day after Easter) my sister Laura will have her 3rd C-section.

This is Laura with her boys, Max and Sutton. Please pray that she recovers quickly from the C-section, those suckers are no fun at all! I mean, you do get a baby out of it...but geesh!

We like a lot of drama at once, can you tell?

Only kidding, but I am going to be laying low for a bit and just wanted you peeps to pray us up!

As if I am much help with 3 munchkins of my own, but I am going to try my darnedest to do just that!