Five Months Old - May 21

Laurel Joy @ five months old

Going to Africa - May 21

Sabrina: 'Bye Mom! I'm going to Africa!

Me: You are? Why are you going to Africa?

Sabrina: To tell people about Jesus.

Me: What are you going to tell them?

Sabrina: That Jesus was born and that He died on the cross for their sins. And they need to pray to Him and ask Him to live in their hearts and let Him be their boss. That's what missionaries tell people.

Me: What are you going to do if they want Jesus to live in their hearts?

Sabrina: I'll pray with them. That's what you and Daddy will do with me when I'm ready to ask Jesus to live in my heart.

Me: You're exactly right.

Sabrina: See you later, Mama. I'll be back in November.

Me: Wow! That's a long time!

Sabrina: Yes, but we'll come back to visit for your birthday!

Mountaintown - May 14

It all began when Wyatt declared, "We are going to move into a cardboard box!"

After several hours of work with duck tape, mailing tape, a pocket knife, some markers and several cardboard boxes...

Mountaintown was created!

Since then the kids have slept, eaten and even done their lessons in Mountaintown. Last night they even elected Colter as the mayor!

Mountaintown ~ established 5-12-2010 ~ population 5

Part of the Gang - May 10

Since training wheels don't really work on the uneven trails around the house, Danny went ahead and took off Monique's training wheels. It took a few days...and several big falls...but she is now riding around the flat part of the yard with ease. I still don't like her going downhill, since she hasn't completely mastered the art of using her breaks! I knew she was officially part of the "Griffis Bike Gang" when Colter said, "Mom, please don't make Monique go inside to take a nap. We want her to ride with us!"

Small Town Boy - May 1

Wyatt seems to have a love/hate relationship with big cities. Here are a couple of snippets from conversations he and Danny had last week while we were in Boise...

Wyatt: What road are we on now?

Danny: Interstate 84

Wyatt: Wow, we're on the interstate! Look Sabrina, it has 12 lanes!

Later that same day we were at the campground about an hour from Boise where we were going to spend the night...

Wyatt: Dad, the campground is getting too full. Now we don't have enough room!

Danny:That's what happens in campgrounds near cities. There are more people here.

Wyatt: Well, I'm just going to go camp in the woods by myself!

Our Truth - April 15

The Joint Council on International Children's Services has dubbed today "We Are the Truth - adoption blogger day" in an effort to recognize adoption success stories from around the world and share the truth about adoption. You can read more about this here.

There is so much I could write about the adoption of our girls, so many feelings I have surrounding this special aspect of my role as a mother. I especially love the picture adoption paints of our spiritual lives. Adoption is a deliberate choice...it's not something that just happens. It is something that is planned, prayed about and pursued with your whole heart. This is such a beautiful picture of what God did for each of us...He chose us and pursued us with His whole heart.

We have been, and continue to be, richly blessed because of adoption...our family would not be complete without our girls. Sure there are challenges, but that is the nature of parenting. Ultimately, adoption is a miracle, one that I am so blessed to be part of every single day.

How many ways can you answer a question? - March 31

A delivery guy came to the house today to deliver our new futon. He asked...

"So how did you end up all the way up here from Texas?"

Our responses...

Sabrina: "God told us to move here!"

Wyatt: "Well, it took us three days. We drove through New Mexico then Colorado and up to Wyoming and across Montana..."

Me: "My husband is one of the new family practice doctors at the hospital."

Our Dinner Conversation - March 18

Wyatt, Sabrina and Colter have spent the past few afternoons making plans for building a "kids' house" outside. At dinner tonight they shared some of their ideas with us...

Wyatt: We are going to build a kids' house right outside by the kids' place. The walls are going to be some of those tall plants from the garden and the roof will be grass.

Colter: Or we could make the walls from that wood. Remember that wood we found, Wyatt? But we would need some nails.

Sabrina: You are going to be cold in this house.

Danny: Why?

Sabrina: Because we are going to take the roof and use it for our house! (lots of giggles) I'm just tricking you. We won't take the roof off.

Danny: So you won't be using this house anymore?

Wyatt: Well, only if we need to. Like if the kids' house falls down or something.

St. Patrick's Day Fun - March 17

We celebrated St. Patricks Day by making our traditional green rice krispie treats. This year we used green icing (thanks, Noni!) and lots of sprinkles to decorate our shamrock-shaped treats.
As you can see, some of us got a little "sprinkle happy" but they sure did taste yummy!

Happy St. Patricks Day from the O'Griffis Gang!

A Bible Study Tea - March 15

This afternoon the kids were having a hard time deciding between playing church or having a tea party. After some discussion they decided to do both. Their "Bible Study Tea" was very successful and quite entertaining. They each took turns "reading" a Bible story from their Bible (who knew that the story of Daniel could be found in the book of Jeremiah!) while we munched on goldfish crackers and sipped water. Wyatt's story of David and Goliath was full of humor, Colter gave a detailed account of Daniel in the lions den, Sabrina (who was feeling a bit shy) asked Zane to "read" for her and Monique's story kept going on and on without any end in sight. Makes me wonder what a "Bible Study Tea" will look like with them in a few years!

Pretty Toes - March 13

Look at these pretty toenails! What I love is how their polish selection tells so much about their little personalities. Sabrina...my girlie girl who loves to please...picked the pink polish with just a hint of shimmer. Monique...who is a bit impulsive and loves attention...selected the blue glittery polish. Wonder what color Miss Laurel will pick?

Wyatt's Birthday - March 9

Today was Wyatt's 7th Birthday! To celebrate we filled the day with all of his favorite things.

He opened presents in front of the fire...

went for a walk in our snowy woods...

and helped decorate his very special "road map cake". According to him the day was "even better than I thought it would be!" Happy Birthday, Wyatt!

Idaho Moments - March 4-8

We do things a little differently here in our new house in Idaho. Here are some "Idaho Moments" from the past week...

riding bikes down to the mailbox

taking a Sunday drive to the river after church

swinging in the middle of the woods during a snowstorm

chopping our own firewood

staying warm around our wood-burning stove

"Mama, Zane's going potty!" - March 1

Just a few weeks ago Zane showed absolutely no interest in using his potty for anything other than a stool. When we would ask him about going potty he would tell us he would do it "after we move to Idaho". Apparently that was all it took because now he can be found several times a day using the potty like a big boy. Way to go, Zaney!

Our Little Flower - February 26

Laurel Joy

two months old

From Dimmitt to Grangeville - February 11-16

February 11 - The kids watched from the driveway as the movers loaded the last of our belongings onto the moving truck (including their bikes and our backyard swingset!). Then the truck drove away...

February 16 - The kids watched out the upstairs window as the same moving truck arrived at our new house and began to unload all of our belongings (including their bikes and our backyard swingset!).

We love our moving truck!

Saying Goodbye - February 10-11

This is a hard post for me to write...in fact I almost didn't do it. It's not easy to say good-bye, but it is part of life and right now it is a part of our life, so I wanted to take a moment to document it.

The week of the move we had to say many good-byes to many very special people. These are just a few of those moments that I was blessed enough to capture with our camera. So many memories wrapped up in just a few photos as we said good-bye to...

friends (both big and small)...

favorite teachers...

very special neighbors...

our family...

and countless others who have touched our lives in so many ways.


A very dear friend reminded me that the reason we cry at good-byes is because we have loved each other well. And in the midst of our tears...

is a joy that comes from knowing that this life is not all there is. We have a hope in something so much greater, so much bigger than anything we can experience here. As our family follows God in obedience and seeks to be a light for Him by sharing the hope we have with others, we are blessed to know that these good-byes are not forever.

"...so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:7

Mommy's Helper - February 7

Sabrina has been such a great helper with Laurel while I've been packing this week. I couldn't help but smile when I walked down the hall and discovered this sweet scene in one of our empty bedrooms. Love this girl...

Cathryn's Shower - February 6

The girls and I drove to Lubbock for Cathryn's baby shower. Here are just a few pictures from that fun-filled morning...

Mom and Cathryn

Monique, Sabrina, Jen, Laurel, Cathryn, Carol, Megan, Kim and Grady

Lots and lots of wonderful presents...

for a sweet baby girl!

My sweet girls...ready to welcome their new cousin into the family!

Pizza with the Bairds - February 5

Our friends the Bairds invited us over for supper...the kids had lots of fun making bagel pizzas for everyone...

and then dressing up in crazy costumes.

A couchful of ten wild and crazy kids...we love the Bairds!