Six

If you haven't heard by now, we will be adding ONE MORE to our family of five.

**No I am not pregnant.**

We will be fostering to adopt! And we couldn't be more excited! When you answer God's call on your family, you pray that every one in your family hears the same call. Though our kids are young, I am certain that fostering to adopt is something that God has placed in their little hearts as well. The kids are very excited and talk about their baby sister all the time.

Holden: Wanted us to confirm that he will still be the head of the kids. Ha! (I'm sure he phrased it more cleverly than that).

Fount: Wants the baby to live in his room so he can sing to the baby and give the baby a bottle if they cry. (Ahhh so sweet!)

Sadie: Wants to share all her toys with her and sing to her and hold her hand in the car.

We have a long way to go before we are certified...between the mound of paperwork, home study, background checks, and training hours...it will be months. Thank you, in advance to our family and friends who will be taking care of our kids while we do our training. It means a lot!

Lastly, but first in our hearts, please pray for our little girl. She may already be born...pray for safety and that she knows she is so loved already.

Hello Goodbye

This was the day our lives changed! I didn't know it at the time. Tim kept it a secret until he got home :) I'm so glad he did!

 

I wish this picture was a video instead. None of them wanted to take this and every one, but Holden had been in tears a second before this shot. If you zoomed in, you'd probably be able to see the tears streaming down their faces. Of course they earned a bribe...

 

Before we could put our house on the market, we had to get granite and little miss tagged along and got me a good deal :) Isn't she cute here? We picked the one directly behind her.

 

This is our most favorite room in the house in mid-stage, looking so unlike us...All the kids art is taken off the walls. No more family photos lining the shelves...no army men set up for battle on the dining table...Ahhh I can't wait to see all of that at our new house!

 

I still can't believe we did it! Though the walls began to feel small, the love that surrounded us felt huge. Ok now I'm going to cry...

That's why I have pictures...That's why I have pictures...

 

Sadie went upstairs with me on one of our last mornings at home and crawled right up here, just like she always did. I think this spot made her feel big.

For me, it reminded me of how much she has grown....how much they all have grown in this house.

What a special place!

 

The kids aren't much for home staging, and to be honest, it was near torture. Thank goodness the kids and I were able to leave early!

 

On our last day as Virginians, we went to out for breakfast to our special family place, The Silver Diner. It was perfect. We rocked out to The Beatles and Spiderman, while we stuffed our faces with the most amazing French toast ever. It was bittersweet.

 

This was our last evening at home...

 

Oh my heart...Here is their last fireplace picture at the house, the morning we hopped the plane. They look so big here, don't they?

 

The goodbye was happening too fast for somebody, and then...of course, Tim and I lost it. As excited as we all are about our move to Texas, all five of us are leaving our home. We are picking up roots, starting over, and trusting God to make it all work out. It's scary. It's sad and it's one of the most exciting times in our whole lives.

 

After all the tears, we made it to the airport and through security with three smiling faces and they did beautifully on the flight. This was the boys first time to sit together, by themselves. It was fun to watch them feel big.

 

We close on our house in VA and close on our new Texas home, all next week and we can't wait!

A huge thanks to every one who has let us crash with them while we wait.

We appreciate your kindness more than words can express!

 

 

Hey!

I don't know about you, but at the Ruse crib, we are anxiously awaiting spring. I love springtime here... Everything is so pretty and the weather is absolutely perfect...Go away winter!


Since it's been quite frigid here, lately, we haven't done a whole lot, which has been super great for the parents of three kids living in a smallish townhome. Ha! Here are some pictures...

Sunday morning coffee drinkers :) Tim started a tradition with the boys, letting them have "coffee" on Saturdays. This Saturday, he forgot, so the boys reminded him before church on Sunday morning. (Don't worry- it's mostly creamer!)

If you know Holden, you know that he is all about telling stories with his drawing. This is only of his most favorite things to do. Thank goodness we all look pretty happy in this one! Can you pick everyone out?...

I wish this picture had have been more clear...A few weeks ago, we took the kids to their very first concert. It was a bluegrass concert in Lucketts, Virginia.

Nana came to visit us a few weeks ago. It sure was nice to see her! The kids really enjoyed all the attention and mommy enjoyed the help :)

Unfortunately, after a week of having Holden sick and Sadie complaining of her ear (which is fine by the way)...Fount, the boy that never gets sick, was hit with a stomach bug. Thankfully, it didn't last long, nothing ever does with him. If I only had an immune system like his!...Maybe I should lick every thing and put randomness from the ground in my mouth. Perhaps that's the key ;)

In a little over a month, Sadie will turn 3! Then we'll have a 3, 4, & 6. Yikes! They're all getting so big!