Merry Christmas (belated) and Excited about the New Year

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  Praying you have a happy and healthy New Year!

So, I took an unplanned break from blogging this month :)  December is always busy with getting ready for Christmas and this year was no exception.  But we've also had some adoption things happening at the same time...

And our son has some news to share (enjoy the kindergarten inventive spelling):

"I'm getting a little brother and little sister."

We are working to adopt siblings (age 4 and 3).  We're in the "get to know each other phase" and working to figure out what this transition will look like.  They are so precious and we are head over heels in love.  There's not a lot more I can share in this public space :)  It looks to be that 2015 will be an exciting, challenging and wonderful year as we figure out how Life on the Gravelly Road works as a family of 5!

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Fourteen Years Ago...

It was a snowy Friday afternoon, near the end of a busy semester.  Papers, projects, finals prep and deadlines.

It was that snowy afternoon when my sweetheart came to visit and asked me a question.

"Will you go for a walk with me?"

But it was a cold, snowy afternoon and I was exhausted.  I wanted to stay in.

"Will you go for a walk with me if we stop for hot chocolate first?"

I relented.  So we went for a walk on that snowy afternoon, along the path near the lake, away from the busy campus and the reminders of papers, projects, finals and deadlines.

"Can we sit for a minute?"

On a bench, near the frozen lake, on that snowy Friday afternoon, our conversation took a more serious turn.  Special memories, love, forever.

And then he was on his knees in the snow with a ring, on that snowy afternoon to ask me a question.

"Will you marry me?"

And on that snowy Friday afternoon fourteen years ago, I said "Yes."