What a difference a YEAR makes... and then there was JOY...

 A year ago we posted these photos sharing that we were hoping to expand our family through adoption... We were waiting to be matched...

Little did we know that a mama had already contacted our agency after seeking out alternatives to carrying her baby full term... but it was too costly for her to end her pregnancy... She had now decided to seek out to make an adoption plan...

Little did we know what the Lord had already put in place and that just a mere 3 1/2 weeks later we would get a call that we had been chosen by this sweet mama to raise her baby...

Little did we know that in less than 3 months we would hold that babygirl in our arms...

All we knew that day was that we had opened up the door for the Lord to work...

We were just going to step forward in faith waiting on God's plans to unfold and His will to be done...

(Truth be told when we first had started to pursue finding an agency to do our Illinois homestudy, I was flat out told that "NO ONE would pick our family with 7 other kids in the house" 

Truth be told, I was discouraged that day... but within minutes of that really downer conversation, our case worker from Isaiah's adoption agency had called to talk to me about something new their agency was going to possibly try in a different area of adoptions... 

God knew I needed to talk with her and my heart was immediately encouraged in what I already knew but needed to be reminded of... It was all in His perfect hands... The BEST place for it to be...

Little did I know that He was already working much out behind the scenes... 

And work He did... and fast!  

And just like that (with a whole lot of added drama, a birthmom changing her mind on Christmas day, an extended 5 week stay in Arizona to get paperwork through... ) She was in our arms!!!

Kaliyah Joy, is just that! Filled with JOY!  She is such a little sweet heart! 

She has become a bit more serious as of late and she checks out people who aren't family with a little more intensity than normal:)

But she knows her family... She knows loads of attention... Loads of hugs, holding, kisses, snuggles, laughs, and LOVE!  

We can't get enough of her and her sweet squishy self! 

God knew she needed us...

And more importantly, God knew we needed her just as much!  

She is a perfect fit for our family! 

Adoption isn't ever easy... but worth every penny, sacrifice, heartbreak, stretching, and beautiful moment along the journey! (I have a story of God's incredible faithfulness to provide that I will share soon! We are blown away!) 

We are BLOWN away by the gift of this sweet sweet baby girl...

BLOWN away that He chose us for her...

And that just like we have adopted her and taken her as our own...

God does the same for us...

adopts us as HIS children...

Just like we love her... He loves us a million times more!

Just like God saw sweet Kaliyah so close to not ever having a chance to live a full life outside her birthmom... 

God saw us with out any chance of living a full life in eternity and He redeemed us through His son...

She is ours... and we are HIS...

My heart is full... 

My heart is overflowing...

Just a year later... What a difference HE can make in our lives... 

A get away with the bigs!!

We were so blessed a couple of weeks back to get away for a very short and quick weekend with our four big kids.  We know adopting four kids has added an abundant amount of blessings to our family... but also an abundant amount of babysitting, diaper changes, bottles, messes etc. for our bigger kids to help with.  So after some talking we decided to give it a shot and try to find some special help to watch the 4 littles! It worked out great!

Caleb spent the previous night with his cousins and best buddy Logan and went and did a college visit with them. We met them all, including my sweet friend Kimmey Sue when we picked him up in Milwaukee!  What a treat to see Kim after so long.  We spent the 5 weeks in AZ while we were adopting Kaliyah with them in their home... (MOST GRACIOUS HOSTS EVER!!! And oh how I miss her!)

Then it was off to Door County Wisconsin!  Eating out was even a treat with out the littler guys:)

We were blessed to stay at the farm home of some friends from church:)

Lake Michigan is really beautiful... You really feel like you are on the edge of the ocean at times.  We stopped at a lot of shops, a lighthouse, let the kids skip rocks, and really took in the beautiful creation God has made:)

Anna and I ended the weekend hanging out in the hammock!  Talk about a beautiful day enjoying a beautiful property.  I was blessed to not have to cook all weekend!  HUGE TREAT! It was really a gift to hang with the 4 biggest kids!

When we got home these beautiful ladies had cleaned the whole house!  It was incredible!  Seriously, my heart was so blessed to come home and have the kids well taken care of and the bonus was a clean home!  It was awesome!  I didn't want these girls to leave:)

I am so thankful for each and every single one of my kids!  What a treat to have the big kids all to ourselves for a few days!

Soccer family...

All the Hoffman United teams at the tournament this past weekend in beautiful Lake Geneva!!!

God blessed us with perfect weather!!

Main Street had some of the cutest shops... We had fun walking the quaint downtown between games:)

There is the most charming walkway right on the waters edge all along the lake... The lake is beautiful... And the houses??? 

Well, take a look for yourself... Crazy amazing!!  It was a beautiful walk...

He hotel had a perfect little water park to keep everyone busy and tire out he littles between games! 

Levi and Isaiah had a blast in the little kiddie area... 

Levi tentative and careful... 

Isaiah the bulldozer with no fear...

The kids enjoying the watermark... 

We were so blessed to have our friends the miltzes at the tournament with us...

They have 5 beautiful kids with number 6 due anyday...

From Anna on down their kids match ours pretty close in age and the kids have a blast together.  

It is really fun hanging with people that can relate to the large family life... We are so grateful for their friendship!!!

The whole crew!!

What a fun soccer weekend with lots of protection and special times together!

Family pics

Easter Sunday Hintz family pictures out behind the old historic school:)

I can not believe I get to be the mom of this crew!  Truthfully they can be a challenge, but even more so they are a HUGE blessing

to my heart!

And leave it to precious Isaiah to make a good family picture even better with the finger up the nose... He is too much! :) 

Brother Louis and Anna!  Louis started his mobile pack job last weekend.  So he is traveling the states with Feed My Starving Children to their mobile pack events.  

He is off to New Jersey in a few hours... and even has an event in May where they will pack 5.5 million meals for hungry kids around the world.  We are really proud of him and thankful that he loves his job so much! It is a perfect fit for him!

We are blessed by his heart to serve!

Busy days...

The days are flying by and there is much going on and many changes in our home...
March 2016 literally blew by us and here we are almost a week into April...
This past Saturday Greg had 2 weddings, plus preaching the regular 4 church services this weekend...
We hosted a couple that is being called to our new church in the evening...
I had a homeschool informational meeting...
I went out in the craziest weather I have seen in a long time... blizzard like conditions one minute, and sunshine in the next... no lie...
Came out of the grocery store to a dented car door from the car next to me... His door blew open the wind was blowing so hard... It was just a crazy day... Louis and I both started new jobs and feel so blessed to have them!

All in all we are loving life and enjoying the busy days... knowing that soon summer will be here and things will slow down a lot for the littles and I in the house:) 

This is how the jobs get done around here... everyone pitches in... hauling groceries for mom!  I couldn't do it with out all of their help!  Even though they make 95% of the mess... I cherish it... I know it won't be long and I will wish for the messes under foot...  They are getting big too fast!

Hopie and Zay Saturday morning staring out the window watching the fresh snow fall...

Rascals in the living room... jojo and Levi, wrestling one minute... hugging the next!

Ann and her sweet friend Ava loving on Kaliyah!  

HOpe to post more soon about the new jobs and life in general... So thankful for God's faithfulness in all of life... the slower moments of calmness and the busy full days... He walks with us through it all!

Her first few days...

The crew welcoming baby Kaliyah home from the hospital in Arizona... They were TOTALLY enamored with her right from the start...

Sisters...  I am so thankful to have this picture...

Jojo is like a little baby whisperer... seriously so good with her... 

Hopie, our very busy little girl, shone when she held her! And she still is such a big helper!

Caleb enjoying some snuggles before we opened gifts on Christmas Day!  (These were all taken before her birth mom changed her mind that day... everybody was falling in love already... it took like 1.5 seconds!:)

Totally Isaiah... in the midst of crazy circumstances this is what you get... A little bit of Zay Crazy!!

Kaliyah Joy... Christmas Day... 2 days old!

 Sweet Baby Girl!  Looking back at these pics makes me realize how light her skin was at birth... She has already changed so much!  What a treasure every moment with her is...

Enjoying baby Kaliyah...

Louis and Emma with Kaliyah 2 days old:)

Mom and Anna enjoying snuggles with this little sweetie...

She loves Jojo so much... and he is so good with her:)

She is just the sweetest, softest, most wonderful Christmas gift ever!!!

I have gotten behind on blogging since we got home 2 1/2 weeks ago...

That was mostly due to the fact that I came home to the crew sharing a stomach bug, literally days after we were clear of that one, almost everyone got a really bad respiratory bug... Dad and mom included.  

I think we are all on the mend and praising God for that! Thankfully Kaliyah is the only one who didn't get either bug!  I still am in shock!  I think the sanitizing and donated breast milk have had a lot to do with her staying healthy!  So grateful!

We are enjoying every second with her... She is a really easy baby and is so sweet!