Our 15th Anniversary Trip

 James and I just returned from Las Vegas where we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary! Woo-Hoo! That marks 17 years together and 15 married. We had so much fun there last year that we wanted to go back again and we got an amazing rate! We booked our trip back in February and purchased show tickets for two nights and left our third night open and what a great plan that turned out to be. In early June UFC announced fight week and a UFC Fight Night the last day we were going to be there, our open day! We were thrilled. The first sign we saw when we exited the airport was a UFC banner.

 We stayed at Caesar's Palace this year and we would like to thank our room attendant for not having the room ready for us at check in because we were given a complimentary upgrade to another tower!
The room was so fantastic!!

 After check in we walked the Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile mall. Our main mission was the Las Vegas Fight Shop so we could get shirts for Thursday's events. When we got in the store we went our separate ways. I found James and asked him what he thought about the Chuck Liddell shirt I had in my hand and he showed me the Chuck Liddell shirt he had picked for himself! We are true fans!

 We then walked down to the MGM Grand. We had tickets to see David Copperfield.

 While we were getting a snack James ran into Chael Sonnen.

 David Copperfield was pretty cool.

 After the show we walked back towards Caesars, we wanted to eat at Wahlburgers but apparently so did everyone else in Vegas. They had a 2 hour wait.

 So we ate at Gordon Ramsay's pub. I had the best Shepard's Pie and James had a lamb burger.

The next morning we had one goal....to set by the pool so after a little breakfast and coffee from Starbucks that is exactly what we did! 

 These were the views from our room.

 The pool area was the best I have ever seen and it was exactly why we wanted to stay at Caesars Palace.

 We reserved lounge chairs when we booked our trip and enjoyed our poolside spot.

 After a very nice relaxing morning poolside we walked the strip a bit.

 And had lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

 These are some inside pictures of Caesars....

 That night we went over to the Rio. It has KISS miniature golf inside.

 We ate dinner at Guy's Mexican restaurant.

 That night's show was Rock Of Ages. Hands down one of the best shows I have ever seen!! It was so fun and I think it helps that we could sing along.

 Night Time views of the Strip....

 This year we had a great spot to see the fountain show at the Bellagio.

 After Rock Of Ages we had our cab drop us at Treasure Island and we walked back to our hotel from there. It was a completely different end of the strip so it was fun.

 Our late night snack was at White Castle. I was way too excited about it.

I love this picture in front of the Mirage. 

 The night time views from our room....

More Caesars pictures....

Thursday morning we woke up, had some coffee and caught a cab to the new T-Mobile Arena.

We were able to sit in on the UFC 202 press conference and the Ultimate Fighter Finale weigh in. It was so cool!!!

 We met Ariel Helwani.

 After those two things ended, we walked across to the Grand Garden Arena.

 We spent the next 6 hours watching UFC Fight Night live!!

 We saw Eddie Alvarez take the belt that night. There is nothing like the energy of all those people in the arena watching the fights together.

 While we were at the MGM that day James was able to meet several people.
Nick Diaz.

 Greg Jackson.

 and Kron Gracie.

We walked the strip back to our room and did some souvenir shopping for the kids. 

 We shared a Hot Dog from Pink's!!!

 Friday morning we flew home but not before we stopped for the traditional picture.

We really had a great time. It was very relaxing and fun. I am so thankful for our village that love our kids so much and allow us the opportunity to get away together and have some really incredible dates. 

I feel very blessed to be where we are, celebrating this big milestone. We have an amazing life. 

4th of July

 This year we celebrated 4th of July with our church family. We enjoyed it so much last year, we knew we wanted to make this a tradition for us. We actually celebrated on the 3rd of July since it was a Sunday evening and our family just relaxed on the 4th and had pizza!!

 My mom pulled up in our driveway for her summer visit just in time to go with us.

 David had so much fun with his friend Abigail and her precious grandmother, Susan. Susan never grew tired of giving David rides.

 David pretty much only had cookies for dinner just like James Henry who only had dessert to eat all night.

 Christopher was so grown up this year. He lit all our fireworks on his own with little help from his dad.

 James relived some of his childhood and played Hackensack with the kids.

 James Henry ran around with his sparkler shouting Harry Potter spells at us.

It was a great night with the people we love celebrating a country we are blessed to live in.

When God Calls....

This was us one year ago tomorrow, the day we made David James Lis an official, legal name.
I still feel every emotion like it was yesterday. The memories are so fresh of not only adoption day but the 4 years of praying leading up to that day.  I leaned over that bed in the NICU and looked into the face of the newborn baby God had created just for our family. God knew from the minute David was knit in the womb that he would be the answer to our prayers.
    I still remember every emotion from every court hearing, phone call and lawyer visit during those 11 months. But do you know what I also remember every detail of? The faces and stories of the two precious little ones we had for a while before David was born and every precious soul we have had the privilege to do respite care for since then. Each had a story, and each was a precious gift of God and more importantly each one of them needed a home and love. James and I were the privileged ones to be that place of "home and love" if only for a few days or weeks.
   I told myself, James and Buckner that I just wanted to take a short break from foster care after David's adoption was final...maybe just until school started back. But every month I found another excuse to delay a placement until ultimately we gave up our license. I started seeing everything as a hassle.. the paperwork, appts, hearings, lawyers etc. I was busy, I already had 4 kids.
      2015 was a rough year for me and looking back I still struggle with how I got so lost in a year that was so very good to the Lis family. Last year I sat by and watched my dad's health decline until he passed away in April of 2015 but last year was full of so many blessings. A new church FAMILY, James Henry's salvation, bucket list trips, David's adoption and many more blessings but I won't sugar coat it,  I spent most of 2015 depressed. I thought I had a handle on life and was doing great, it really didn't hit me until the first of this year that I spent last year in some deep dark pits.
   At the start of the year I really took some time for some self evaluation and reflection.  It was gut wrenching when I realized why I was where I was. I was running from God's calling and will for my life. I was miserable because I was no longer living my life to serve my king.  I knew very clearly I was called to be a foster parent and advocate for those without a voice. I have been where these kids have been, I know the love they seek and need. I know the feeling of just wanting to be loved and belong. Truly belong. Sometimes when I look at David, I can't help but think what if we would have said no when they called. I can't bare to think of how different life would be if our yes would have been a no that day in August almost two years ago.
    We are blessed to attend an adoption loving, mission oriented church that loves orphan care and supports those called to serve in that mission field. I can't tell you how many sermons I listened to that I know God gave my pastor just for me to hear as I was coming out of those pits. There was an orphan care conference a few months ago and my world was just being flooded with facts about foster care and the need for more homes and I am sure you have seen the problems the Texas foster care system is having, the news is publishing it every chance they get. God was using every outlet possible to bring me back in alignment with his will. The same weekend the conference was taking place, James and I were on date day and we were discussing a conversation we had heard regarding foster care and I just blurted it all out to him.. that I knew why I was so broken and that I knew we had to get our license back, that I knew we had the space, room, love and ability to add to our family wether it was for a short time or forever. That I was tired of running..running from God and running from the work and life I knew he put me on this Earth to do, that I never felt more alive than we were serving him through foster care.
   James did not blink an eye, he said as he was driving down the road, "Send Buckner an email right now!" and so we did, and within 30 minutes we had a very excited response and just a few short weeks later our license was current and our home once again open to placements.  I can't live with the thought of looking in the eyes of a child who has been neglected and abused that needs and wants everything we have to offer and saying "no I'm already busy" "no, that paperwork stinks", "no, you might leave".  I will not continue running because my calling isn't always convenient or comfortable. I will instead rely on his mercy and grace to substain me on the hard days and wait patiently for his beautiful, perfect plan to unfold.
   And so here we are waiting for a new addition or maybe two to join us. Just this week I had a moment of complete dejavu' with James. I was taken back to a conversation we had in our kitchen the day before we received the call for David. They both went something like "We should just be open to whatever child God has for us." Two years ago, it was about being open to a boy and not just hoping to adopt a baby girl. See how the Lord worked there!   This week it was about taking a sibling group. We tell people all the time there is a great need for homes to take sibling groups when the truth is we can take a sibling group. Our license allows for two more children in our home and we certainly have the space and resources to do so.  Is a sibling group God's plan? I am not sure yet, but I can't wait to see!
   Are you struggling, feeling like you have drifted away from your faith and God? My advice...ask yourself if you are living out his will for you. Are you running from something? Stop running from it and run to the arms of Jesus.