Family Status Update

It's been a while since I updated this blog. Our life has been all about cancer these last few months. I have been doing most of my writing on my cancer blog. I wanted to come here to share some news with everyone.

As you know we have been pursuing the adoption of a little girl we named Ellie. In fact, my last post about her was to tell you she'd be moving in. Well, she's been with us since the end of February. She's precious and everyone that meets her falls in love with her. However, cancer again has changed everything. After MANY tears, much discussion and prayer, Ed and I have decided to stop the adoption process for this little girl. I don't want to discuss this decision in great detail as it is a very personal and a very difficult decision for our family. I just felt that everyone needed to know the status of our family. Ed and I will no longer be pursing any other children to adopt and will no longer be accepting foster placements. While God's plan has been practically impossible to see these last few months, I continue to trust that He knows best and that there is PURPOSE behind all things.

She left this morning and the void is evident. Please pray for her as she transitions into life with a new family yet again.

Here We Go Again

Many of you may be aware that I also have a cancer blog. I don't mention it much and haven't posted there regularly for a while. There's been no need.

While I would love to be writing a post here about all the wonderful things going on with us, we have a dark cloud looming over the house right now. My cancer is back. Here is the link to my latest update on the cancer blog so that you can follow my journey once again. Here is the address if you'd like to bookmark it or add it to your reader.

www.fkonick.blogspot.com

Life Around Here

Spring must be around the corner because I am BUSY. Things around here always tend to pick up as the weather improves. The lack of recent blog updates could be an indicator that life is running slowly around here, but it's actually quite the opposite. So here's a post to get you caught up.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week Eden has therapy. Emma has Awanas on Wednesday nights as well.

Thursday afternoons Emma has Angel Wings practice.

This leaves our weekends to cram in the rest of life.

This weekend Ellie moves in. Need I say any more about being busy? I also found out that my sweet sister Kelli will be here this weekend! I'm so excited!!!

In the midst of all of this activity, I have been working on a speech that I will be giving at a Christian retreat in April. I have to have it ready by next Saturday to preview it for the other team members. I'm so nervous that I think I've made myself sick. This is SO out of my comfort zone. I asked the Lord to let me say no to doing it, but He had other plans for me (as He usually does) and didn't release me from the opportunity. I know it will be a great experience for me, but that doesn't lessen the gut-wrenching nausea that sweeps over me when I begin thinking about it.

I am then heading out in mid-March for a long weekend in California. I am going to visit my "other mom". Allison is my first husband's mother---a.k.a. my mother-in-law. She is the only one I'll ever have as Ed's sweet mother passed away before I met him. Allison was my home away from home while I was stationed in California in the Navy. I spent at least 1 weekend every other month at her house. I love her. We have kept up with each other via email these last 13 years since I moved away, but I have not actually spoken to her. We decided that I'd make a trip out in March to get caught up. I am thrilled!! I have missed her so much. It makes me think of Ruth and Naomi and what a beautiful relationship they had. I'm blessed to have her!

In April I will be attending the Women of Joy conference again. It was a great time last year. I am looking forward to a wonderful weekend of music, faith and fellowship with my dear friends Diana and Becky. So fun!! Then the following weekend, I will be giving my talk at the retreat. I think the Lord planned it out perfectly. I will need the spiritual filling the weekend before in order to be confident enough to speak to all of these people. Lord, let me get myself out of the way so that you may speak through me!

And in the middle of all of this fun, it's time to begin training for the 3-Day Walk in August. Fundraising letters will be going out soon as well. I am looking forward to walking this as a 5 year survivor this time!! Praise the Lord! If you'd like to make a donation online, just click on the right side of the blog where it says DONATE.

So those are the highlights of the next few months ahead. There will also be a whole lot of living going on in between. Life is good and we are so very blessed!!

Stop Growing Up!

I haven't been super emotional about Princess E's many milestones. I know they are part of growing up. HOWEVER, I have been caught off guard by the loss of her first tooth. It's been loose for a few weeks now, so I've been mentally preparing myself for it's eventual departure.

It happened Friday. We were in the car on the way home from visiting Ellie when she pointed out that it was just barely hanging on. I told her she'd just have to give it a tug and it would come out. She got right to it and out it came. My baby lost her first tooth! I actually felt my face flush and got a little misty at the realization that my baby is not a baby anymore.

Here's her first toothless photo. It's a little blurry since we were in a moving car.



Here is her after the Tooth Fairy came. We've explained that the first tooth is worth the big bucks, but the value of teeth goes down considerably after that!!


Stop growing up!! Or at least slow down for pete's sake! I'm just not ready!

It's A Girl!!!

*singing* Here's the story...of a lovely lady...who was bringing up three very lovely girls....

Sound familiar? It's the Brady Bunch theme song. I loved that show when I was a kid. Now it's OUR theme song. That's right...3 girls!! Add in EJ, Elliott and Eric and we have a matched set!

We got the phone call today that after our interview last week, we've been selected for the placement of the 2 year old little girl. She will be a foster-to-adopt placement. We will be required to foster her for 6 months before we can petition the courts to adopt her. We are amazed by the Lord's abundant blessings! We didn't seek this little girl out. The Lord brought her to us. (I'll give more of that story in another post.)

We will begin visitation on Friday. We will go spend time with her in her current foster home on a couple of different occasions. We will then get to have her for the weekend a time or two. Once everyone feels good with the transition, she will be moved to our home permanently.

I would love to post the one picture we have of her, but due to privacy regulations for foster children I am not allowed. I will tell you that she's absolutely adorable and will melt your heart. We are going to change her name. We know at 2 it will be a bit more difficult, but we didn't want her to be the odd kid out. Everyone else has EJK as their initials...she should too. We are still undecided on a middle name, but her first name is going to be Ellie.

We can't wait to meet her!