The Lis Family

Monday, February 12, 2018

David and T-ball

David just finished up his first season of t-ball. There is nothing better than three year olds playing t-ball.

This was a first for us in that it was indoor t-ball, it was pretty cool!
He was hooked from the first clinic! He even cried that night because he didn't want it to be over.

He did great during the games. Sometimes however instead of running the bases, he would hop them.

His coach was so patient and great with the kids. He had a great season and introduction into team sports.

He wears his medal every day. Every single day still. He is very proud.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

This was our big announcement coming into 2018. Yes, we are adopting again!!

I have always wanted to adopt again and it seemed like James and I could never get on the same page about it, and I won't lie, it was so so hard!! Then out of the blue, James and my mom pulled off the ultimate Christmas gift. We were completely finished opening gifts at my mom's and she yelled, "Wait I forgot a gift" she brings out a box and places it in my lap and all of a sudden all eyes are on me and everyone has their cameras out. I looked down at the box and the tag simply reads, "I'm Ready" in bold print. Of course I burst out in tears. James had already given me an "adopted mom" angel statue for Christmas although he says it a coincidence, It was a good coincidence! So, inside the box was a beautiful stack of adoption paperwork!!!! James says through a sermon on adoption weekend that our family took place in, God had given the peace and knowledge that it was our time and we needed to adopt again. He just wanted to make me wait in agony until Christmas, but he finally pulled off the best surprise for me!

Foster Care and Adoption is something we are very passionate about, I think we always knew we would grow our family again through foster care, probably just later rather than sooner. We strongly believe in the fact that there are children right here in our community that need a home and we have a home and plenty of love to give. We are more at peace with God's timing and our decision than we have been about anything ever before and we are not calm people!

We are currently knee deep in paperwork, child proofing and minimal standards. We are working on letting go of all of our volunteer obligations and thinning out our calendars to be at home more when our new babies come. We are going to stay on at CASA until our new children come into our home, simply because you are not allowed to be a CASA and a "foster parent" at the same time. We are cleaning out and making room for two more beautiful souls to fill our home. We will prayerfully be licensed and ready to go in March, at least that is our personal goal. We are adopting once again through foster care, although this time we will not be "fostering" we will be looking only at children who are ready to be adopted, or who cases are headed to adoption. When our Miss Tiny left us this time last year, we closed our foster home and we decided through conversation and prayer to reopen through another agency, A World For Children. We would like to adopt a sibling group of two children or two single children who are older in age. Of course, we are all praying for at least one girl to come into our family!!

We have spent the last few weeks, laughing about the small things in our lives...our van seats 8, coincidence, nope! Our kitchen table seats 8, coincidence, nope! God doesn't do coincidence!! (Texas law only allows 6 children under 18 in your home through foster care and adoption so we are about to be maxed out) We just went spent a week of revival at church and couldn't help but take away from it that 2018 was going to be our year.

Lis family Party of 8 coming soon!!

"When you have everything you need, build a longer table not a higher fence"

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Makayla's 16th Birthday

(oops, I forgot a candle, there will be a fancy one at the party)

I am not titling this blog Makayla's Sweet 16, because she did turn 16 last week and we had a great day celebrating her but on March 23rd we are throwing a true Sweet 16 party, that blog will come later. James and I have been hard at work on it!

Last Sunday we had her favorite cookie cake here at the house and she opened some gifts from us and some her grandmothers had sent her. We spent the day hanging out and repeating over and over "We can't believe you are 16!"

these books James Henry asked to go on line and buy for her, he picked them out himself all of his own idea

this sweet 16 statue is from meme

new LulaRoe from nonna

We had lunch that day of her choosing... Golden Corral!

Dawn and Roland joined us.

more books, her favorite

Vera Bradley swag

her daddy picked this hoodie out for her

She filled out her first job application that afternoon, something she has been waiting and excited to do! We are very proud of her.
It was a good day, now let's party!!!

Monday, January 15, 2018

Happy New Year

We followed our New Years Eve tradition of appetizers and board games this year.
This year we played our new games Jumanji, Candyland and Shreveportopoly.

We made popcorn in the new maker meme gave us for Christmas.

David relaxed in his new recliner.

Even the dogs chilled out with us while we watched a movie.

Our tradition is to always count down with New York at 11pm with sparkling grape juice.

David asked me" Mom what is this cup? It's so glassy."

It was a fun night!!!!! I love our traditions!

We spent New Year's Day eating on Cajun Cabbage and the kids had hot dogs. John and Steph came down and made cookies with the kids while James and I hit the big New Years Day sales at Dillard's.

Christmas 2017

This Christmas season may have been our best ever! We did so much.
We started visiting a new church that we have fallen in love with during their Christmas sermon series "Who is This Jesus?".

We went to Zoo lights one evening while Chris was volunteering.

We took our annual trip to The Botanical Gardens.

I had my first Christmas work party!!

My friend Lisa and I painted a nativity for her birthday!

We saw the lights in Town Square and ate funnel cakes.

We drove through Nights of Lights at Enchanted Acres...

David asked to see Santa and loved it, he asked him for candy for Christmas!

The kids had their school Christmas parties...

We started Christmas vacation by baking goodies with the kids.

We celebrated our own family Christmas a few days early this year so we could travel to Shreveport for the first time in 10 years to celebrate Christmas and meme's 75th birthday.

The kids opening their Christmas Eve box....

We had fajitas for Christmas Eve dinner!

Makayla found the pickle again this year so she opened the first gift.

I should say she walked out and saw her gift. She was sad earlier this year when we let our old swing set go, because she enjoyed swinging while she watched the dogs play in the yard. So James and I came up with this gift idea and she loved it. Her own porch swing!