These were my favorite pictures I took of the Ziemke family during their Christmas card photo shoot in November!  These were taken two weeks before Curt’s passing, and we’ll treasure them for always!

My sister, Michele, and brother-in-law, Andy are on a journey to adopt two children who are in need of a loving family.  Here’s is a little bit about their journey so far in Michele’s words:

We sent in our application to America World Adoption on April 30, 2012 after feeling God’s call on our family to adopt. In June, before our home study was even completed, we were matched with twin boys and expected to travel in October to go get them. We waited and October came and went. In November, we discovered the boys birth mother’s financial situation had changed, and she was now able to care for her boys. It may sound strange because we thought they were going to be part of our family, but we are very happy for them and that they are such wanted little boys! It was a blessing to pray over them for those months. The same week, we were matched with another set of twins! This time, they are both blue eyed little girls. They have had their picture posted on a Russian website for adoption since they were infants (probably since sometime around April 2012). No Russian family has come forward to adopt them. Since that time, they have been living in an institution. We hope to be able to travel to meet them in February and start the process of adopting them through the Russian courts.

That is all up in the air depending upon legislation currently proposed in the Russian governing body. There will be one more vote on December 26th in which the bill banning US citizens from adopting in Russia is expected to pass and move on to President Putin’s desk. At that time, he can either sign it into law (effective immediately), ask for changes, or veto it. There is no clear indication at this time if he will actually sign it, even though he has spoken out in favor of it. Please join us in signing the petition in favor of adoptions continuing in Russia by US citizens and praying for all involved in this ordeal. We love a God who doesn’t see this as an impossible situation and are trusting in His plan for our family, and the precious children waiting in institutions in Russia. What a story we will have to tell of His faithfulness!

If you could please pray this Christmas Eve for all the Russian orphans, and specifically, my sister and brother-in-laws future children, wherever they may be right now… for their health, safety comfort and well-being.  The petition takes 1 minute to sign and would mean so much to our family! 

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/voice-of-the-child.html

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Ahh, the tiger sleeps!  She looks so peaceful… haha… she’s got you fooled and me wrapped around her little finger!

She’s still so little, yet almost 2!  I can’t believe how quickly her life has gone by so far.  Pondering all these little moments in my heart!

The big sisters always love to wake up Rose!

Anna Kate melts my heart every day… she’s my little angel!  🙂

Yeah, you know what’s up! 

Cheers!

I can’t believe these girls are already turning 2… how did two years already fly by?  Cerly, Rose and Katie are so blessed to have each other to celebrate all their little milestones together!

Baby Audree was sleeping so soundly when we first got there, lol!  You know the rest of the story on that.  She was so alert and precious when she woke up!

Finley, Katie, Anna Kate, Rose and Cerly enjoying Katie’s Minnie Mouse cake pops!

Happy Birthday, sweet Katie!  

Noelle has waited an entire year since Santa left her her coupon to get her ears pierced last Christmas.  They were not placed correctly the first time, but we are happy with them now.  I love Anna Kate watching Noelle be brave in the first picture.  When we left, she said, “I’m never getting my ears pierced.”  I said, “Great!!!”

Of course, she picked the biggest diamonds they had on the chart… definitely a treat that was worth the wait!  She couldn’t stop touching her ears all night long… she was so excited… still is!  I truly think that’s all she wanted for Christmas this year too!  Getting her ears pierced was so important to her.  She’s worn rhinestone stickers to school all year long, and her ears were finally healed to re-pierce.  So happy she is so happy, and we don’t have to do this again for a really long time!

Love this picture of Anna Kate playing dentist with the iPad in Daddy’s office… she’s still accepting new patients, by the way!

The day these french doors don’t have fingers smudges on them will be the end of a sweet chapter in our home… they used to bother me, and I would clean them all the time; Now they make me smile because I know this time won’t last forever.  And finding princess shoes on my childhood desk as I’m walking through the dining room… what could be sweeter?  Love these little reminders around the house that our precious girls live here!

Most of you met Pitiful Pearl sometime last year.  She is my Aunt Joe’s childhood doll.  Noelle’s heart went out to her when she first laid eyes on her, and we adopted her from Rara’s house right then and there.  She is the most loved on doll in our house… compassion runs deep around here!  Last night, Pitiful Pearl (named by my Aunt Joe when she was a little girl), got a pitiful make-over!  Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse… in the words of Anna Kate, “Bless her heart!”  Noelle has big dreams of taking her to the doctor at the American Girl doll store and getting them to restore her hair and eyelashes.  We’ll see.  For now, she is dearly loved, and that’s what we all need the most anyway!

Anna Kate loves going on dates with me to the mall.  I think it’s because if she’s a good girl (she always is), we ride the carousel on the way out!  Tonight she sat in the green chair on the carousel (picture on the left) and screamed, “I’m not scared anymore!”  over and over again.  She was so excited!  Made me proud for her.  Here she is on the right taking pics with some of her friends, lol!  She actually got up there while I was looking at some of the clothes on the side and asked me to take her picture… such a ham… such a cutie!

Noelle had such a fun Christmas party at school this year, and she’s always so proud to have Anna Kate join in the fun!

They painted coasters for their craft and had a book exchange!

Sissy cuddle time while listening to the directions for the book exchange… love these girls!

Carson, Noelle, and Chloe

Anna Kate got comfy cozy in Mrs. Biggerstaff’s chair and had fun reading while the kids were crafting.  Here’s a picture of Jacob and Noelle!

Emerson, Chloe and Noelle

Ti’Niyah, Noelle and Ava

Here’s Noelle with her teacher, Mrs. Biggerstaff, who we are so thankful for!  I admired this story Noelle wrote hanging in the hallway at school.  She did a great job, and I thought it’d be fun for you guys to see!