The Snyder Life

The Easy Part and The Hard Part

When it all comes down to it, adoption could easily be done by most people. With enough dedication to saving and being diligent about paperwork a great number of people could pull it off. Knowing this, there is no feeling that you have done your good work, and you have arrived. Setting out to adopt and seeing that through to completion is by far the easy part.The hard part is continuing to listen to God's call to love the poor and the broken. It would seem in most cases that those that God speaks to are called to adopt and adopt and adopt again. The tendency I find creeping up in me is to slide away from this call and move to a state of security and comfort. It reminds me of a Rich Mullins quote:
“Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken.”
Amy and I know clearly that God wants us to fill our house with kids who need adopted. We are already sensing that the dawn of the new year will see us starting the process again. Pray for us please that we will stay strong in the passionate pursuit of learning to love like Jesus loved.
-Ian

Collection of the Best Smiles

1
COM

Amy and I have been so blessed to have such a happy little boy. He loves to laugh, and is always ready to smile (even for the camera). This is a collection of some of the best smiles he has given.

Here is a verse that fits with Landon waking at 6:30 (or earlier lately):

"Let the saints be joyful in glory;Let them sing aloud on their beds." Psalm 149:5

Happy 1st Father's Day!!!

0
COM

I have been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am to have the best husband in the world and even more blessed that Landon has the " Best Daddy." Ian is truly an amazing father and I don't feel that I tell him often enough how wonderful he is. Even though he has only been a dad for four months you would never be able to tell. He is like an old pro!! He is patient (beyond belief), caring, understanding, and tons of fun! (Just ask Landon). He is 100% laid back, (except when our nephew pulls Landon's hair) and always ready to help out, even at 3am when Landon won't sleep. Ian woke up at 6:30 this morning with Landon even though it was my turn to get up. As I was laying in bed trying to sleep I could hear banging coming from Landon's room. When I went to check on him, I opened the door and my two favorite boys in the whole world were sitting on the floor playing. They both looked up and gave me the biggest smiles then Landon took his bottle and threw it across the floor and then he crawled to it, (that explained the banging sound). It is the simple little moment like these that put a smile on my face. Children truly are the most precious gifts from God, but amazing husband are right up there too. Happy Father's Day Ian!! WE LOVE YOU................Amy and Landon

Lake Tobias Animal Haven

0
COM

There is really not a whole lot to say about our trip to Lake Tobias. We managed to see the whole animal haven (minus the safari ride) in one hour. Not that there is not a lot to see but Landon was totally uninterested!! It is funny the things that as parents we think our children will love. Landon loves the animals in his baby einstein video so why wouldn't he love the animals at Lake Tobias?!!! The reason is simple really......mom had a cool necklace on that was way better than any alligator, lion, tiger or bear!!! I know that next year Landon will love seeing the animals, (I think.) We always have a good time anyway and Ian enjoyed a buffalo burger before we left.

The Different Faces of Landon

0
COM

Over the past couple of weeks Landon has become quite a character. He has started to make so many different faces that we started to name them and have tried to capture them all on camera. Here are the ones we got so far:

"The Low Look"

This look is primarily used to let us know we are doing something dumb. He also does it sometimes when he is starting to get tired. One of us is usually telling the other, "He just gave me the low look."

"The Tongue"

This look is often used to express anger and it is always accompanied with a loud grunting noise. It is mostly used when Amy puts him down, and he disapproves.

"The Thinker"

This look is all about the many teeth Landon is starting to get, but we also think he is way smart. He is obviously planning something big.

"We tied England"

Landon has joined me in the "World Cup Fever." We have an allegiance to the USA, but we are rooting for Argentina, and the Netherlands (and maybe some Spain too).

"The Gerber Baby"