The Smiths x6

Shelby's 13th Birthday

Disney World January 2012

Anna Grace's 9th Birthday - Not your typical girl party :)

Dad/Daughter Date Night

We Love #7 - Club Cross Volleyball

Cross Church Staff Kids Easter Egg Hunt

Ministers at Cross Church Springdale - Great families we get to serve with




Happy Thursday!! I need to start with a confession. I am probably never going to be a consistent blogger. I feel very accomplished these days if I have dinner made for the family and if the house is not embarrassing if someone were to stop by. However, I thought I would give a quick update on our family and adoption journey during my lunch break today. I added a few pictures of events since January. We are incredibly blessed to live in NWA and have such wonderful people in our lives! Daily, we think of our child from Ethiopia and I want everyone to know he is still very much a part of our future.


We are in the process now of updating all of our paperwork and recently had our updated home-study. This is discouraging, but we really hope it means we are getting closer to seeing our baby boy. When I feel like the process is never going to work, I read blogs from people who have their Ethiopian children home now. When I look at these blogs/videos, I am reminded of the beautiful calling that we have for our family and I am refreshed. Adoption is such a lesson in God's timing and not ours. We are now 18 months on the wait-list for Ethiopia. We honestly have no idea when we will meet our baby boy but would love for it to be in 2012.


In June, all 5 of us are going on a Mission Trip to Malawi. We are really looking forward to this experience and would appreciate your prayers. I did not want to commit to the trip in case we were to get a referral this summer. I thought the timing of both trips could be a mess with other obligations this year. Chandler reminded me that it is all in God's hands and we are to just be obedient...ouch. So, we are all going and will trust Him with the details. I hope to post an update when we get back from Malawi. I can't imagine what a life-changing experience it will be for our family.


Blessings Friends!

Ashley