As I sit here reflecting on this Christmas season, I can't help but be thankful for the memories we've created this year. We have enjoyed time as a family, as well as time with each of our families and some of our friends...from a chicken stew to Thanksgiving meals to Christmas gatherings. We have cooked and baked lots of yummy food and treats. Paisley has been a little more aware of Christmas this year. While she doesn't like Santa up close, she LOVES looking at Christmas lights! She absolutely had a blast at our annual tradition of the Festival of Lights. She also seemed to enjoy unwrapping presents moreso this year. We started new traditions this year with breakfast on Thanksgiving with best friends and continued traditions started in 2014: attending our Christmas Eve service at church, opening new jammies and a Christmas book on Christmas Eve, making cookies together for Santa, having Christmas morning together as a family, and eating baked pancakes (my mom's recipe) and sausage for breakfast on Christmas china.
I am also super excited for what's to come. Typically, I am super sad for the Christmas season to end...don't get me wrong--Jesus' birth is just the beginning of the story and Easter's a'comin'! But, I love the hustle and bustle of the season...the decorations...the music...the lights...getting to see family and friends...wrapping presents. However, this year, I am filled with excitement and anxiousness for the next few months. We. Can't. Wait. To bring Levi home! It seems like it is taking forever, but we know it will be here soon enough! Most of the paperwork is complete, and the main thing left is the completion of our home study and receiving our immigration document.
We have been blessed beyond measure with words of encouragement, prayers, and donations over the past few months! Words can't express how much you each mean to us! We have had a couple of fundraisers (t-shirts/cookbooks/coffee/Wholesale Boutique/Jamberry), sent out support letters, and are planning a few more fundraisers in the next month or two. We still have a ways to go, but we are well on our way! God continues to impress upon our hearts His will for our lives...our faith and reliance on Him are growing daily!
Current fundraisers include:
*"To Belong...To Be Loved" T-shirts = www.booster.com/tobelongtobeloved2
*Enderly Coffee = http://enderlycoffee.com/grahams/graham-fundraiser or contact us
*Cookbooks = filled with recipes from around the world...contact us
*And as always...donations can be sent: directly to us, to LNBC (tax deductible--please give us a heads up you made a donation so we can make sure the church is aware), or to our YouCaring page.
Fundraisers to come include:
*Painting Night
*Babysitting for Date Night
*Auction...some items include: Roy Williams autographed basketball, Jimmie Johnson autographed hat, Dale Jr. autographed used driver's shield, Jeff Gordon leather jacket, pottery, and more!
*Arbonne
Sorry it's taken us a month or so to update. We will try to be more regular as updates happen...especially as we get closer to traveling!
We hope your New Year is full of JOY! Much love...Phil, Celeste, & Paisley
