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Babies Come From Airports

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Lift the Flap ABC

I Can Count

Look Inside Your Body

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I'm a Hungry Dinosaur

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Masked Fairy Tales

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Ludwig the Space Dog

My First Xylophone Book

I say OOH, You say AAH

Bug Hotel

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Peek Inside Box Set

1000 Animals

Big Keyboard Book

At the Garage

fav 7 — Big Book of Colors

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            Big smile for heading home!!! Keller is one happy 
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            We had a great night with a few hours of sleep for
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            This sweet, brave boy is now sleeping and resting 
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Every few months Usborne Books & More gets a ton o
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Reflecting on 2020... what a daunting task. It has
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Our Christmas theme this year has been the lyrics 
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            It is with a heart overflowing with joy and almost
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Want to finish out your holiday shopping and wrap

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Big smile for heading home!!! Keller is one happy

Big smile for heading home!!! Keller is one happy camper about his new couch zone with all his toys and movies on demand.
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He’ll be laying low and being still (right... he’s five!?! 🤦🏻‍♀️) for a while and missing school for a few weeks as we find our new rhythm and routine. Thank goodness for sticker books and Disney+
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We are deeply grateful for the prayers over safety during his surgery, and would love to have you join us in praying that this procedure helps make life easier for him. We know God made him exactly as he is on purpose and has great plans for him. It is our honor and blessing to be able to love and lead him as parents. Thank you for walking with us and being a part of his story!!
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We met some really neat people at the hospital (take that Covid, you can’t ruin all the relationships & connection!!!!) and this coming week, Keller and I want to love on them with a fundraiser. So be watching for the details ❤️ If you’d like to join in, we’d love to have you!!

We had a great night with a few hours of sleep for

We had a great night with a few hours of sleep for each of us here and there. Keller got good reports from the rounding docs this morning. And CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM makes everything better. This is Keller’s best life - sugary treats and TV - ha! But seriously, we’re so grateful things are going smoothly so far.
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There are a few things he needs to be able to do and we have to talk over with his team before we can go home, but we’re hoping that happens this weekend!
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We’re overwhelmingly grateful for your prayers and know it is the hand of God holding Keller and healing his body. Thank you, friends!

This sweet, brave boy is now sleeping and resting

This sweet, brave boy is now sleeping and resting off his big day. It was a scheduled surgery - one we’ve been hoping and planning for since he came home from China. His medical team was happy about how the surgery went and really hopeful for how this helps him in the future.
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As I’ve shared before, Keller has some medical complexities and special needs, but those are his to share as he gets older. But we are optimistic that’s today’s surgery will help him find confidence and comfort and he’ll have fewer daily accommodations needed.
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We’ll be here for a few days finding our groove and making sure everything looks good. Keller is the strongest kiddo I know and amazes us all with his courage and heart!
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Thank you all so much for the prayers and thoughts and messages. It means so much to know we are all surrounded with such love.

Every few months Usborne Books & More gets a ton o

Every few months Usborne Books & More gets a ton of new books and each time they get better and better!! I've already ordered all mine (for FREE!) and I'll pop on in my stories later this week to show you inside them... but in the meantime... Which one are you most excited for?
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A. Miss Molly's School of Kindness
B. Illustrated Stories of Dragons
C. Peek Inside Snowy Places
D. Forgotten Fairy Tales of Kindness & Courage
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My answer is D - What incredible lessons to teach our kiddos!!! PS. If you want to snag some for your kiddos, check the comments for how.

Reflecting on 2020... what a daunting task. It has

Reflecting on 2020... what a daunting task. It has been a YEAR. But... what I’ll remember most in between the toilet paper scarcity, the lockdown reading, and the steady flow of memes (gathered and made into book form by the fabulous @carolspenst ) is that this is the year we were given our son, Pax.
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I’m so thankful we found out about him as 2020 wrapped up. What a beautiful redemption of the year by our Savior. Now 2020, will hold an even more dear place in my heart.
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Last night, we set down to do the “Dream Inventory” from @jenniesallen like we do every year. It’s the most precious time of reflection + celebration and this year... grieving. As we talked though it, we both looked at each other and realized that as hard of a year as it was we’re so immensely grateful for the changes in us, the depth in our family, and the Lord’s faithfulness. There was much to celebrate even in the midst of grieving what the year brought. If you don’t have a copy, send me a message and I’ll get you one.
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Lastly, I’ve had a lot of requests for my reading list. I rounded out the year finishing 68 books. Mostly fiction this year, which is a change for me, but books provided a much needed escape and place of self care. In no particular order here are my favorites...
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1. Made for This
2. The Enchanted Hour
3. Pachinko
4. The Hate U Give
5. Rhythms of Renewal
6. Just Mercy (this one is my top favorite non fiction book of the year)
7. The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
8. Becoming
9. The Lions of Little Rock
10. Love without Borders
11. The Enlightenment of Bees (this one is my top favorite fiction book of the year)
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In true Book Lady fashion, books made everything better for our family - from hours of comfort and laughter, to homeschool learning, to activities and entertainment, to personal development, and spiritual growth. I’m so thankful for the brave men and women who pour their hearts onto pages. I’m so grateful to work for Usborne Books & More and have the honor of connecting families with reading! Books are one thing I will always celebrate!
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I’d love to hear one thing YOU are celebrating from 2020, let’s not let anxiety or fear or grief have the last word.

Our Christmas theme this year has been the lyrics

Our Christmas theme this year has been the lyrics from O Holy Night... “the thrill of hope the weary world rejoices...” Yes, the year has been hard and wearying... but Christmas has come and the renewed hope, peace, and reminder of our ever present Savior is here. We hope your holidays are bright, merry, and filled with love overflowing.

It is with a heart overflowing with joy and almost

It is with a heart overflowing with joy and almost a year to the day of waiting, that we share with you the BEST gift the Lord has given us this year... our SON!
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Meet Pax Simon ShiWoo Sanders. This sweet new baby of ours just turned 9 months old (eeeek tiny!!!) and our hearts cannot contain how excited we are to bring him home!
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Names mean a great deal in our family and take us forever to choose. “Pax” means peace, the prayer we have for his life. That he would walk out gentle strength and a calm confidence in Christ. That his presence would be assuring, steadying, and safe to others.
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“Simon” has two special meanings... the first is from our Europe trip 8 year ago, back to where I studied abroad. We met a guy named Simon and talked with him about Jesus in the middle of a German Biergarten. It was a small moment but Justin and I said we always wanted to remember that ministry and the community of God happens everywhere and in any place. Secondly, it is the Hebrew word for listener, based on the Jewish “Shema” - the prayer in Deuteronomy 6:4 declaring who the Lord is how to love Him. It is a word for hear, listen, and obey. Our prayer for his heart is to love God and people. That verse has also been the key verse in our church’s community Bible study this year.
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“ShiWoo” (pronounced She - ou) is his Korean name given by his birth mother. Adoption is a blend of joy inexpressible and grief unimaginable. Our gift in adding a son is the loss of a birth mother and foster mother across the globe. There are so many unknowns in adoption, but we do know that his birth mother chose life. She gave him and us a gift and we always want to honor that. His name translates to “a good world.” And we pray he is able to use his story to bring good and light into the world’s brokenness.
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As you may know adoption is a lot of hurry up, do the paperwork then wait wait wait. We wrapped up a long season of waiting with the hustle and bustle of holiday paperwork and now the next step is to travel and bring him home in about 9ish months (though there are some travel unknowns due to Covid). Please be praying for final paperwork and court dates to be set as soon as possible!

Want to finish out your holiday shopping and wrap

Want to finish out your holiday shopping and wrap up the year together with fun, games, books, and a chance for 2 lucky friends to win BIG stacks of reward books?!! (worth $375!!!)
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Monday night is my last book party of the year and we're going out with a bang!!! All new party, all new games, and books shipped in time for Christmas. PLUS amazing deals and products you can't get from my bookshop online.
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Just double tap ❤️ and I'll send you a message with our 🎄📕 12 Days of Christmas FREEBIE 📕🎄 and the link to RSVP. Ho Ho Hope to see you there!!!
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* No purchase necessary, just be there live in our party. I want to gift away books to help fill your home with reading and joy!
* This is a special offer just from me, your UBAM Book Elf
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#raisingreaders #kidsbooks #kidsbookstagram #usbornebooksandmore #usbornebooks #ubam #childrensbooks #kidswhoread #bookgifts #christmasshopping #givebooks #christmasbooks #holidayshopping

This year we’ve decided to gift in 4 areas: want

This year we’ve decided to gift in 4 areas: want, read, wear, and together. (I know it doesn’t rhyme and that annoys me slightly...) If you do categories or themes for your gifts, I’d love to hear??? If you need books for your “read” one I got you... and I’ll even DM you a super cute letter from Santa and a recipe from Rudolph with your order ❤️ 🦌 🎅🏻
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#kidsbookstagram #kidsbookswelove #usbornebooksandmore #usbornekids #usbornebooks #childrensbooks #raisingreaders #kidschristmas #giftideasforkids

🖤 Want free shipping?!? After your big feasts y

🖤 Want free shipping?!? After your big feasts yesterday, curl up on the couch and shop for books (the BEST gifts of all) 🖤 Swipe to see the deal...
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This is a special offer from an independent consultant and is only through midnight tonight.
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#usbornebooks #usbornebooksandmore #childrensbooks #raisingreaders #givebooks #kidswhoread #childrenreading #ubam #ubamconsultant

Sneak peek of our family pics... @grantlharrison y

Sneak peek of our family pics... @grantlharrison you've out done yourself (again). This year we needed not only some fancy pics for holiday cards, but some in & around the house to send to Korea once we're matched with our kiddo. (Which if you were following along with the "needlessly-dramatic-outfit-picking-saga" - that might make it make more sense, OOOOHHHHHHH the pressure of what to wear the first time your kid sees a picture of his/her new mommy)
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And I love them - chaos and all. Thanks, Grant!! And thanks family for putting up with mommy's crazy. 🤦🏻‍♀️
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#adoption #adoptionstory #adoptivemom #chinaadoption #adoptionrocks #christmascards #christmascardphoto #adoptionbuiltus

A full decade with the love of my life. Ten years

A full decade with the love of my life. Ten years ago tonight we had our first date (and gasp... our first kiss). Surprises, laughs, smiles, tears, good & hard and so much love and wonderful memories in between.
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Every November 12th we take a picture holding the previous year’s picture...
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Because on that fateful first date we showed up in matching sweaters - which I found hilarious - and asked to document with my digital camera (yeah... iPhone cameras weren’t that amazing then)
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Always and forever, My Love... to a million more sunsets and kisses with you.

A week holed up in a little beach cottage was just

A week holed up in a little beach cottage was just what we needed. Seashells, waves, books, and sunshine are good for the soul.

Three years. That is how long we’ve officially b

Three years. That is how long we’ve officially been a family. But really it started two years before that, when we began to pray for our next child in China.
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Every year on November 6, we pause, pray, and celebrate the Lord‘s goodness and faithfulness in giving us Keller as a son. This year with all of the hard, with international tensions, with racism and fear, with so much anxiety in the world, with a son from Wuhan (yes, now you’ve heard of his home city)… We are so deeply grateful for a God who knows the story and is not deterred by darkness.
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Keller‘s first middle name is Crosby in honor of Fanny Crosby who wrote the song Blessed Assurance - “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” That was and continues to be our prayer over his life. That his story - the unknown chapters before he was in our arms - and each page that God continues to write, would be a testament to His faithfulness and the deep love of our Father.
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His second middle name, given by his caretakers in China, is Ping, which means peace. And while we have had to fight for that this year in a pandemic, an election, and just in life... Friends, it is possible - to live in the tension of hard and heaven. To trust that God is good, when life seems to say differently. To know that beautiful things can come from brokenness.
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As we celebrate Forever Family Day with sprinkles and some of his favorite Asian snacks, not a moment of it goes by without honoring his first family and those who love him in China... We are all forever family - connected with an overwhelming love for this amazing little boy.
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If you notice the bracelet I’m wearing of red circles and 8 gold beads - I made several and left one with each of the people in China who cared for Keller before he was ours. The colors, shapes, and numbers are symbolic of blessings and gratitude in his hometown. I wear it on the special days of his life and hope they do too. I hope they somehow know how loved he is, how smart he is, how brave he is, how fun he is. How he is theirs and ours, always.
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#adopttogether #adoptionrocks #adoptionjourney #adoptionstory #nationaladoptionmonth #adoptivemom

Halloween 2020... might have been different but th

Halloween 2020... might have been different but the kids L🧡VED it! 🦈 Shark family and their mermaid friend who has a shark pet for the family costume this year.

Keller Crosby Ping Sanders... We love you. This we

Keller Crosby Ping Sanders... We love you. This weekend was all about you. Covid couldn’t stop the fun celebrating you turning five. FIVE. Wow!!!
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Five things that I love about you, son... 1️⃣ You’re the bravest person I know! 2️⃣ You can build anything or take it apart and rebuild anything - your mind is a wonder. 3️⃣ You are truly funny, you love to make people smile. 4️⃣ You are curious, always asking questions, opening books, exploring! 5️⃣ You love your family something fierce, with giant, noisy hugs and quiet snuggles and kisses.
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The significance of this birthday wasn’t lost on me as I laid him down to sleep last night wrapping up his big day... he’s now had more birthdays at home, with us, than without!!
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But while I could never be grateful enough that God’s given us the chance to love this beautiful soul and raise him, I know somewhere there’s another mama who I long to celebrate this day with and her brave choice. Adoption is beautiful. Adoption is wonderful. But adoption is a blessing born of grief and loss and we always want to honor the ones who loved him first.
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#adoptionjourney #adoptivemom #icouldhavemissedthis #adoptivefamily #chinaadoption #adoptionstories #adoptionisbeautiful #adoptionrocks #adoptionislove

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