One Month!

I'm a week behind, but Mr. Logan is now a month old. 

He hasn't missed any meals and is well on his way to outgrowing size one diapers. 

First smiles melt my heart! Love him!

Wild About Texas

Last weekend, we took advantage of being here during bluebonnet season and took a day trip to get some pictures of the kids in the Texas wildflowers.

                                    Logan wasn't interested in a sibling photo.... maybe next year!

A Girl and Her Gun

We're in Texas - already did the rodeo, so now it's time to get a gun! 

                                      Thankfully, our only guns are the marshmallow variety.

                                                                Ready, aim, fire!

                                                            Then stop to eat a few.

Rodeo time!

We were excited that our Texas time fell during the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.   Chelsea last went 2 years ago, and she still talks about it. I was excited to take her again! 

My awesome parents went with us, which was a huge help.

The pics aren't great - I think I was a little distracted making sure I didn't lose a kid. 

Rolling down the astroturf was a highlight

Cade loved the tractors. 

The petting zoo is fun until the animals eat your clothes.  

Pony rides!

Fun rides


Yee-haw!

Double Lives

Logan is 2 weeks old!  In the last 2 weeks, we have settled into being a family of 5 -- sort of. Larry has already been to Budapest and back again. Bless his heart, he is making several trips back and forth to Budapest over the next few months. For those that know him well, he is extremely happy about the miles he will accumulate!

In order to meet all the requirements for adoption, plus get Logan's passport, etc, the kids and I will remain in Houston for a couple of months. I feel like we now live in 2 different worlds - we have a Houston life and a Budapest life.

In our day to day life here, it is already evident how we have been influenced by Hungary.

• Chelsea has already proclaimed that 75 degrees is really hot and feels like summer - good thing it isn't July! 
• Cade requests to go play in the garden, known in Texas as the backyard. 
• I was walking through a church and saw a sign that said WC - my first thought was I had found the restroom, but I quickly realized it was the Worship Center. I had to laugh to myself. 

So we'll be going through some adjustments, like any new parents.  Because we like challenges, we throw a few additional adjustments in there.  We'll cherish the time in the USA and look forward to when we will all be together where God has us for now --  living in Budapest with our newest Hungary Texan.

The Road to Logan

Below you will find our story - the road to Logan.  This is not his story, as that will be his to tell one day as he chooses to.  But instead, this is our story... this is our story that we can only now see -- how God orchestrated multiple events to bring Logan to us.
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"You sure have your hands full."

I have heard this several times in the 10 days that we have had Logan. Yes, I have a 5 year old, 2 year old, and newborn. It is busy and my hands are full.

And I am so thankful because not that many years ago, they were empty. Yet one by one, God has given us three amazing miracles. Chelsea - placed with us on Mother's Day. Cade - a perfect little boy to give us one of each. Now Logan - Larry's perfect birthday gift.

When we moved to Hungary, I wasn't sure what that was going to do to my hope of having more kids. We knew we couldn't adopt from Houston while we were in Budapest. Our plan was to hopefully complete the adoption paperwork right before we moved back. Our first year in Hungary, God opened our eyes to all of the orphanages around us. We thought maybe He was leading us to adopt from there, so we pursued that path until the door was closed and the Hungarian authorities told us it was not an option for us.

Last summer, we were in Houston. On the last day we were here, Larry felt like we should go meet with out adoption agency and just catch up and see if there was anything we could do while in Hungary. We shared with them how God had opened our eyes and changed our hearts in certain areas related to adoption. We asked if we could fill out the paperwork and just have it on hold. They told us they had not been taking any new families, but they would pray about it and let us know.

We got back to Budapest, and not too many days later we got an email from them. There was a birth mom with a unique situation, and because of our conversation with them, they thought we may be interested. In fact, she had called while we were at the agency just days before.  What a "coincidence", huh?  So we confirmed we were interested, and we threw together a profile for them.

Weeks went by and that one didn't work out. "God, what are you doing? Are you in this at all?", I questioned.

Then another birth mom and another unique situation. "Yes, we are interested." More waiting. More praying.

This time, the waiting continued until we were in Houston for Christmas. Our agency scheduled our home study to be completed just in case. Then, another no. Again, "God are you in this?"  More waiting. More praying.

Then another birth mom. And birth dad. "Yes, we are interested."

All the while, my faith was weak, thinking, who would place their child and know they would be taken to Budapest? Plus, we already have 2 kids, so that has to be a strike against us. Plus, we have never had a failed placement, as so many others have. Surely it is our turn for that.

January 31st, we found out they had chosen us. Shock. We made a quick 3 days trip to Houston and met with them. Loved them. We went back to Budapest, expecting to have about 6 weeks before Logan was born.

There were many days in that time due to various things that I thought sure this was going to be a failed placement. Larry was ready to buy baby stuff, and I wouldn't even pack a suitcase.

On February 24th, we got the text that our birth mom was in labor, a little over two weeks early. We were at our small group, and they prayed for us and we rushed out. We threw things in a suitcase, Larry secured our flight for the next morning, and we were off. We landed in Houston, had time to take a shower, and then went to the hospital to meet our sweet baby and spend time with his precious birth parents. Placement was the following night, and just like that, our family grew to 5.

Only now can we see some of the steps that God was orchestrating.  In fact, we stand amazed at how God ordained each and every step of this placement. There were so many odds against us, but He had a plan. He had a plan in our infertility so many years ago. He knew moving to Hungary wasn't going to affect His plan for our family. He had a plan for us in each of the birth moms that didn't choose us, so that we may have everything ready when this birth mom came along. He is able, and we give Him all the glory.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever." Ephesians 3:20-21

*****
So that's our story.  We hope it may be an encouragement to you also -- so often we can't see what God is doing and how He is working in it.  But rest assured, He does have a plan.  And His plan is best -- even when we don't think so at the time.

Just Pictures

Logan is one week old! This week will be one we always remember. We love our sweet little guy and are so thankful for our 3 precious kiddos. 3! How wild. I still have a lot to say about the road that brought Logan to us, but for now I am tired. :) 

So, here are some pictures from this week....

Checking out their new baby brother

Sweet baby fingers

So snuggly

I'm a big brother!

She is the best big sis!

Daddy time - and first trip to Chick-fil-A.

My littlest love!