Christmas Update 2010

 Merry Christmas everyone!  Thank you for stopping by to see our Christmas update!  We hope your year has been filled with joy.  Ours certainly has... as well as excitement, anticipation, challenges, waiting, hurrying, packing, unpacking, growth, peace (yes, some anxiety too), love, and so much more.  Continue to scroll down to see a quick recap of the year in photos!

January found us beginning to sort, discard, organize and pack items in our home. We were getting ready for a move!  Boxes abounded and many became objects of great entertainment for Seth and Haddie.  We fervently worked on some home projects so we could put the house on the market.

In February we took a short but sweet trip to Arizona.  The kids loved the cacti and we all enjoyed the time in the sun!

 March was filled with youth ministry fun and busyness, some thrills from finding long-lost items as we continued to sort (see picture with hats above) and a little "ridiculously nice" weather, as you can tell by Seth and Haddie outside in their jammies!

In April Seth turned 5.  We love our big boy so much.  He is so full of life and enthusiasm.  Some of his favorite things are insects, sea creatures, tornadoes, and "gadgets".   ;o)  He has a drawer full of them!

As the end of May drew near, our days in youth ministry began to as well.  It was such a bittersweet time for us.  We looked forward to beginning the new thing God had called us to, but is was a very hard thing to know we would soon be done with a job we loved so much.  We spent a total of seven years there and are so thankful for every one of them!

In June our little Haddie turned 3!  Here she is showing off her new cowboy hat and boots.   (No surprise, Haddie loves horses, as well as babies, cooking, helping in general, and PINK!)  Hadassah Joy is such a delight to us.  We can't imagine life without her sweetness in it!

July 1st was moving day!  We down-sized just a tad from a 2,500 sq. ft house to an apartment.  ;o)  It was an adjustment, yes.  And it took a while for our place to feel like home, but after some time we have found joy in (and come to appreciate) this season of apartment living.

August marked the beginning of Bible studies held in our home.  We were thankful to quickly outgrow that space!

In September Seth started Kindergarten!  It has been so fun to see him learn and grow this year.  Each week he also loves attending a group music class and Awana at a nearby church. 

(Not to be forgotten, Haddie thinks preschool is great and often asks to "do school"!)

October was a month of pumpkin patches, hiking through crunchy leaves, and enjoyment in a larger ministry space.

At the end of November we said goodbye to our lovely home.  How fitting that the month of thankfulness was the month we accepted an offer and signed papers.   We are happy that a really nice family with four children bought it.

So, that brings us to December.  We will celebrate the birth of our Savior in a new setting this year.  The place may be different, but the Reason is the same.  We are so thankful for what God has done in our lives.  We pray for his work to continue in ours and yours too.


Thanks for taking the time to see what we've been up to this past year!  Leave a comment if you wish, and feel free to stop by again.  We plan to post a little something every week or so!

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

It's that time of year again. Check out how much they've changed!

For this season in our lives...

Hello all,

I've realized that it's time to close down our blog for a while.  During this season in our lives, as we are going through lots of changes,  I am finding that my plate is too full.  I need to unload a little before something falls off!  ;o)

Someone once said that the tricky thing about keeping a blog is that it's easy to run out of things to say.  ...Well, that definitely isn't the case here!  I still have tons of things I want to say... I just don't have time to say them right now. 

I'll still occasionally check in on the blogs I know, and if you'd like to send any thoughts or conversation, we'd love to have you email us at   snkrier at live dot com .

As I leave, I'd like to challenge you, as well as myself, with the question that has been the theme of my learning for the last 7 years...
I have this on a little piece of paper stuck to my fridge. 
This is the question...

"Is God your source of
       security,
       significance  and
       satisfaction?"

Every time I feel overwhelmed, burned-out, frustrated, full of anxiety, envious, angry (you get the picture), I look at my little piece of paper with that question... and within a moment or two I can see that I've gotten my priorities skewed - in one or more of these areas.  Those three "S - words" remind me that God really is everything I need.  He wants me to know that and live it.  He has shown me time and time again that when I confess my wanderings and look to him for my security or my significance or my satisfaction, he is right there, ready be much more than what the world can offer. 
A full, abundant life.   And it's only found in him... although I so easily turn away and look to other things. 

For me, right now, it's remembering that my sense of security should not be found in selling our house for a good price and finding the perfect home in the perfect part of town when we move.

It's remembering that my real significance is not found in making sure I have the right clothes or in being popular or affirmed by lots of people (even in the blog world!)

It's even about remembering that I can be perfectly satisfied in my life without chocolate (gasp!) ;o)  (How come the simple ones are so hard to embrace sometimes?!) Hehe.

My prayer for all of us is that we will not look to find our security, significance or satisfaction in things that will pass away.  Something much greater is waiting for us...



So, thank you all for the time you've spent here.  We've been honored by your presence.
Blessings to each of you!
At some point, we hope to be "back"!  :o)
~S. and Company

Without Love... my reminder for the night

(For the curious... the answer to where we were is on the post below this one!)  :o)

I had just settled happily onto the couch for the evening, after a late night getting the kids tucked into bed and many trips back upstairs to tend to their various "needs".  After only a few minutes rest, Seth called out, yet again, from his upstairs bedroom.  "Mo-om, I want to tell you something.  Can you come here please?" 

I have to admit, I'm thankful he wasn't close enough to hear my pitiful sigh as I paused wearily at the bottom of the staircase before ascending to his room.  I had been really looking forward to some time to myself.  Ahh, there was that great parenting resource book I've been reading... or I was thinking about writing a family update post on our blog... and I was eager to do a little more adoption reasearch too... so many things I had my heart set on doing in my precious free time tonight.  And now my time was getting cut even shorter.

As I picked my tired feet up the flight of old stairs, I could feel a little twinge in my heart.  It wasn't too strong or too loud... it was that still, small voice I knew well.  And it was quietly calling for an attitude change. 
"Mmm hmm", I inwardly noded, understanding God's reminder to me.  It was my love for my children that drove me to invest in those other things in the first place.  ... Still, I entered Seth's room with an agenda of getting things taken care of, and then getting back downstairs as quickly as I could...

Forty-five minutes later I stood in Seth's doorway, telling him that I loved him and wishing him sweet dreams.  My expression was softer, and so was my heart.  Oh, yes, it had taken time, quite a bit of time.  And now I wouldn't be able to do all those "super important" things tonight.... But that was ok.  I had spent forty-five minutes with a little boy who just needed some reassuring.  When I entered, his sweet, tender heart was concerned about something, and he was sad to the point of tears.  He was happy now, smiling and laying peacefully close to sleep.  How thankful I was that I hadn't simply yelled up the stairs for him to quiet down and go to bed, as I had selfishly wanted to, without even checking to see if he had a legitimate issue or if he was mearly stalling for more awake time.  

After all, what good are my great parenting books, and blogging about the four of us, and the desire to expand our family through adoption if I'm reacting selfishly and without putting my love for them into action right now? 

Hmmm.  Not much good, I guess.

I'm glad for the reminder.  



"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. 
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Yes, it was...

Arizona!  ;o)

We had debated going because of the craziness of packing and support raising, plus the usual church and family things going on... but we did go, and in the end it turned out to be just what we needed. :o)

We had a great time doing some hiking.  Here's Seth on the rock marking the "Heiroglyphics Trail".  Seth and Haddie and I only made it about half way, but it was pretty cool.

We went to a lake one night (Haddie kept calling it "The Grand Canyon" - hehe!).  Here's the four of us near the lake as the sun was setting, making things look even more beautiful.

"Kids, don't stick your hands by those holes or under any bushes."

The four of us went on an easy hike just outside the city we were staying in. 

The day and scenery were wonderful.

Seth at a park we all enjoyed.

"That's sharp.  You don't want to touch cactuses." ;o)

Steve and Haddie.

We did a little celebrating while we were out there, as it was Steve's birthday the day we came home.

Haddie and me.  Neat iron statues were everywhere in Fountain Hills, where we stayed.

The girls.  Myself, Tammy (you wouldn't guess she's seven months pregnant!), Jess, my mom, and Steph.

This was actually taken before we flew out (but I was having trouble with the order of pictures downloaded!).  Seth and Haddie thought the escelator at the air port was just amazing.  :o)  Hehe.

Thanks Mom and Dad.  We had a wonderful time!

We are thankful to have been given a little vacation!  

Can you guess where we are?  :o)

Some family pics to share with you

This past fall we had fun taking some family pictures.  I had planned to share these with you way back before we started having computer problems... but here they are now!  :o) 

Steve saves the day!

After quite an absence from the blog world, I'm very happy to say we're back - and with a handful of pictures to help you catch up!  We've had problem after problem with computer issues, starting with the crash of our former pc.... but tonight, thanks to Steve's help and his work computer, I'm happy to join you again!

This first one is just for fun, taken yesterday.

This is what happens when boys play with dolls...

Cinderella borrowed Ariel's shells

"so she could have goggles and go scuba diving".  ;o)

Here's Haddie a couple months ago, celebrating the success of our high school football team.

We were delighted to have friends from our sister church in Ukrain here for a visit.

Seth and Haddie had fun learning to count to ten in Ukrainian!

My dad's side had a big gathering for Thanksgiving. 

We had much to be thankful for - especially the presence of my grandparents.

(Last spring my grandma broke her leg and my grandpa

 spent many months in hospitals and nursing homes due

to a severe rare blood disease.  Both have recovered remarkebly well!)

The cousins on Steve's side...

Antonio, Haddie, Seth and Hayden.

This is how most of the group photos turn out! ;o)

Christmas Eve at our church.

The cousins on my side...

Daniel, Caleb, Haddie and Seth

Seth and Haddie being explorers.  :o)

So, as you can see, we're still alive and things have been going well! We've been working on support raising, packing, and house projects, along with all of the usual family happening.  Thanks so much to those faithful followers who continued to regularly check in during our previous absence!  Barring another computer turning to toast, I'll be back again soon!  :o)