Sledding

We had a very busy Christmas this year, but it was full of family and fun so I didn't really mind. After arriving home from Idaho and a total of 27 hrs of driving in a week, we are off to Seattle for an adoption training. Here is just a sneak peek at one of our adventures:

We Are One Step Closer

This past week we were able to send off our first payment for our adoption. Already God is providing in amazing ways, and it is so exciting I have to share.

We needed a "small" (and by small I mean small in the grand scheme of adoption, but not so small to us penny pinchers) amount to complete our official application, and pay for mandatory training classes. After finding out the only training class available in the next five months was January 5th, and to secure our spot we needed to make our first payment asap, we scraped together all the money we had been saving so far. Yesterday I went to the bank, and wouldn't ya know it, we had $16.43 over what we needed. How amazing is our God?! I am in tears right now as I think of how He provides. He knows what we need, when we need it, and I am so excited we get to play a part in His master plan.

Living an extraordinary life for God may stretch us beyond what we thought possible, but the rewards are oh so worth it. That doesn't mean we are to live comfortable lives, avoiding as much pain as possible. God wants, no longs, to give us what is best, and how can He if we refuse to follow His lead, wherever that may take us. We have only begun our adoption process and already God has done extraordinary things.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement. It means so much to have so many family and friends stand behind us. We couldn't do it without you.

Best Picture Ever

I laugh every time.

Magical Christmas Pictures

I realize it's been awhile since I've blogged. Life is crazy as usual, and I have been very busy editing pictures... other peoples pictures. It is such a blessing and an honor to have so many people want me to take their photograph. After finally deciding to start charging for my long time hobby, I had no idea I would be so busy. It truly is a blessing, but I need to find some kind of balance. Lots of taking and editing others pictures means I have less time and desire to capture my own family, not-to-mention every night after the kids go to bed, all I do is edit. I will learn. Thankfully, I have a very patient, understanding, and supportive husband.

The kids and I were able to spend over a week at my parents' house in anticipation for a friend's wedding (yes, I got to be the photographer). I wanted to practice a technique I had long been wanting to try, so of course, I solicited the help of my adorable children. Things didn't go exactly how I had envisioned them... I will show you what I mean.

First, Owen wouldn't sit still, so 98% of his pictures are blurry. This is the best I could get.

Still adorable even with a dirty face.

Then I tried Grace... Oh my.  I thought I would be artsy and drape a scarf around her to make her eyes pop, but all it did was make her look like Virgin Mary, or according to Grace, "I look like Little Red Riding Hood." And this girl has quite the knack for funny faces.

And the both of them...

Next, my mom and sister jumped in to try and help. Things didn't go much better. Grace was upset and wouldn't smile or take her blanket out of her mouth, and Owen had managed to get food all over his shirt, so I just took it off.

I did manage to get a few good ones, and one even made it onto our Christmas card. While frustrating at the time, I got some good laughs after uploading the pictures.

 

I will admit to bribing them with chocolate chips and getting to play with the Kindle Fire afterwards.

Adoption: Our Journey Begins

I don't really know where to start this post. The topic has long been close to my heart, and I hope to convey in mere words what God has cultivated over many years.

Joe and I have decided to add to our family through adoption.

As many of you know, my brothers were adopted. Both were abandoned as infants and joined our family when they were about six months old. I can’t imagine growing up without them as part of our family. But there are many children out there who aren’t as lucky, who don’t have a family to call their own.

I have felt the pull of adoption since my brothers joined our family, and now that I am finally “old enough,” Joe and I have decided to take the necessary steps to bring a child into our home to call him/her our own. I have no idea where the money is going to come from or what other challenges we will face, but I am excited to see what God will do.

I will be honest and admit I have fears… What if the child doesn’t bond with us? What if the mother decides to keep the child at the last minute? What if he or she has a genetic or medical condition? However, God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), and I am going to trust him. He has never failed me and He never will. I can’t guarantee that everything will go smoothly, but I can cling to His promise that even if…  He will give me the strength to make it through.

After much prayer, research, and discussion, we have decided to adopt domestically. At this point, all we know is that it will be a private adoption through Bethany Christian Services. Joe just received his bonus from work, so we now have enough money right now to officially apply (Woo-hoo!).

To continue to grow our adoption fund, I have decided to dedicate the profits from my photography business. If you want to check out my work, go to my photography blog: www.ashleymogfordphotography.blogspot.com or my photography Facebook page.

All the siblings at my brother's graduation. Look how little Grace is.

Rainy Day Fun

The rain has officially come to stay.  I actually don't hate the rain. Hot chocolate tastes better on a cold rainy day. A good book, and a snuggly blanket are comforting (thoughts/dreams) when it's raining. However, rain also means we stay inside a lot more, which also means I hear, "I don't know what to do," a lot more often. When I hear this, it's time to get creative. Okay, I admit, sometimes I do cave and let them watch Netflix, but only sometimes. Last week I was inspired by a pin I had seen on pinterest about painting with colored shaving cream. I actually remember doing something similar as a kid, although it may have been homemade bath crayons now that I think about it. My mom was awesome. We did stuff like this all the time before pinterest... but I diverge. Back to the rainy-day activity. All I did was take a muffin tin, fill it with shaving cream, add a few drops of food coloring to each compartments, and voila, homemade fun.

I let the kids paint to their hearts content; in the bathtub of course. I think Grace couldn't believe I was actually letting her paint the walls because she kept asking me if she could paint another spot and squealing a bit when I answered yes every time. Of course, being a mom whose hobby is photography, I took pictures.

The Pumpkin Patch

While I was busy having fun at our churches women's retreat, Joe and a couple other dads whose wives were hanging with me, took the kids to the pumpkin patch. It was the highlight of the weekend. How do I know for sure... I heard about it the SECOND I walked in the door.

I am sad I missed out this year, but I made Joe take my camera so I could relive it through pictures. He did pretty well.

Thanks Joe for watching the kids and letting me get away for the weekend. I had such a great time. I stayed up way too late, ate way too much, and thoroughly enjoyed the company of some wonderful ladies. So wish I could have had one more day.